Southern Colorado firefighters deploy to Texas for Hurricane Laura aid

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- Some firefighters in El Paso and Pueblo counties deployed Wednesday to Texas to aid and assist with recovery efforts from Hurricane Laura.

Six people with the Colorado Springs Fire Department deployed as part of the Colorado Task Force 1, an elite team that responds to disasters around the country.

The Pueblo Fire Department also announced that its Medical Officer Cody Guasta was deployed to help with recovery efforts from the tropical storms, which are expected to land Wednesday evening.

Officials say Hurricane Laura is showing signs that it could reach Category 5 strength, meaning the storm would cause catastrophic damage due to strong winds and flooding.

The task force has about 200 highly trained members that include firefighters, paramedics, physicians, structural engineers, hazardous materials technicians, heavy rigging specialists, and canine handlers.

The Colorado Task Force 1 is mostly comprised of members from fire agencies all across Colorado. The team's first stop is College Station, Texas.