The Southern California wildfires have topped the news cycles of just about every media source across the country for more than a week.

We’ve seen countless stories about the destruction of multimillion dollar homes and the losses experienced by their multimillionaire owners.

Politicians point their fingers at opponents, attempting to place blame in various media accounts.

There have been stories about the lack of water to choke the wind-fed flames, while others focus on weather forecasts and climate change.

Countless accounts praise the skills of pilots who made precision strategic water drops to extinguish the blaze.

But we don’t hear many things about the men and women of the fire service who are on the ground, dragging the miles of hose and ingesting the smoke and fumes for hours and hours as they work to save property and lives. They’re the folks who respond to everyday emergencies, not just the catastrophic type SoCal is living through.

The fires, burning since Jan. 7, have consumed tens of thousands of acres.

At least 5,000 firefighters have worked tirelessly to combat the blaze.

These folks, to say the least, are real troupers.

For more than a week, they’ve been exposed to intense heat and flames, bringing the threat of severe burns and illness caused by the heat.

The toxic smoke carries chemicals and particles that can cause respiratory issues and lead to long-term health problems.

They’ve coped with the possibility of the fire spreading rapidly, complicating the chances of escape or controlling it. In the early days of what they’re calling the Palisades Fire, for example, flames spread from about 10 acres at its start to nearly 24,000 acres by Monday morning — even with about 10% of its area contained.

Imagine these first-line responders combating flames fanned by 40-to-50 mph sustained winds, with gusts as high as 90-100 mph. In hurricane terms, that’s a Category 2 where roofs can be blown off, trees felled and power lines downed — all without being in the middle of a fire.

After a break over the weekend, the Santa Ana winds cranked up again early this week, with 70 mph gusts expected through Wednesday.

It was a gut punch as they worked to win the latest and future rounds of what’s become an epic battle.

Plain and simple, it’s physically exhausting work with little rest for many. Firefighters’ fatigue increases their chances of getting hurt in the rugged terrain where they face falls, slips and other injuries.

Add to that the emotional and mental stress of firefighting. It’s a high stakes line of work that deals with destruction of property and potential loss of life and can lead to issues like anxiety, depression and other concerns.

Early Monday, 24 deaths were reported and 16 people were listed as missing.

More than 12,000 structures were destroyed and more than 100,000 people were under evacuation orders. By then, the fires destroyed a combined area of more than 60 square miles.

Damage estimates and economic losses were projected to be between $250 billion and $275 billion.

The numbers are mind-boggling, but in a much more local sense might be compared to what was deemed a major local wildfire last year.

In early November, one of the region’s worst wildfires scorched nearly 600 acres — about one square mile — on Blue Mountain.

At its onset, more than 200 local firefighters — all volunteers — responded on the opening weekend of the blaze’s six-day run. Joining them were personnel from the Pennsylvania Department of Forestry, the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the state Bureau of State Parks at one time or another.

Ash covered vehicles of local residents, and smoke could be seen for miles.

Just like their smoke-eating colleagues in the west, local firefighters faced similar issues. Rough terrain didn’t make things easy, and many of the volunteers turned out around regular work schedules.

It’s something many of them have done for years. Over the last few months, local departments and municipalities have paused to thank those folks for their commitment — especially those who’ve served a half-century or more.

The things they’ve learned and the work they’ve done are invaluable in the communities they serve.

It takes a special type of person to deal with disaster at any level.

We’re glad they’re here for us.

ED SOCHA | tneditor@tnonline.com

Ed Socha is a retired newspaper editor with more than 40 years’ experience in community journalism.