San Bernardino County firefighters use Snowcat to rescue dozens trapped in middle of winter storm

San Bernardino County firefighters were busy putting their specialty resources to the test in the midst of the latest winter storm to hit Southern California. 

Video shows rescue teams inside of the department's Snowcat, a powerful vehicle used to traverse through deep snow, on Thursday in Fawnskin, where dozens of people were stranded from YMCA Camp Whittle, according to a post on X from the department. 

"This was after up to 300 camp attendees had fled the camp on foot, trudging through snow to a point where roads were clear enough for waiting buses to stage," the post said.

No one was injured throughout the entirety of the incident. 

Firefighters say that the rescue efforts would've been much more difficult without their Snowcat. 

"These vehicles get through just about anything. They're on tracks and they roll very smoothly and they get us where we need to go," said San Bernardino County firefighter Ryan Beckers. "It would've been really difficult and people would've been cold and potentially had exposure issues if we weren't able to get up there and do this with these vehicles."

SBCFD has Snowcat vehicles in Wrightwood, Twin Peaks, Lake Arrowhead and Fawnskin. Fire engines at those stations are also 4x4 enabled, and all ambulances carry snow chains as well, firefighters said. 

Despite reports from firefighters that there were still some people at the camp, a YMCA spokesperson said that they did not run out of provisions and that the group needed help getting to their buses.