FIRE CREWS STAND DOWN WEARY HORDES HAILED AS HEROES TO HOMEOWNERS.

Byline: Michael Gougis Staff Writer

After 72 hours of battling the Southland's worst wildfires in a decade - catching catnaps on freeways and taking handouts from appreciative homeowners - exhausted fire crews finally got some rest Tuesday.

Heroes to homeowners in dozens of fire-threatened areas, the firefighters will get a day off, then spend a few days at area fire stations before relieving others on the front lines of Southern California's firestorms.

``They are heroes,'' said Brooks Michael, 49, who lives in a Porter Ranch neighborhood that was threatened by flames. ``They are as valiant as the firefighters who worked the 9-11 terrorist attacks.''

Early Tuesday, convoys of trucks and buses drove away tired, soot- stained fire crews from the rugged hills above Chatsworth and other scorched areas, while others shipped in rested teams in spotless yellow uniforms.

Away from the lines for the first time in days, firefighters took a moment to recount what they'd seen and done in the face of Southern California's worst firestorm in years.

Ventura County firefighter Scott Wirz was posted outside a 240-unit mobile home park when stray embers ignited six homes Saturday night in Moorpark. Wirz was among those who went into a fully engulfed building and knocked back the flames, saving part of the house - and more importantly, irreplaceable family pictures.

``At the time, it was all adrenaline,'' said Wirz, who had been fighting back fires for more than 12 hours and would continue without sleep for another 24 hours. ``You don't think; you just do your job.''

Wirz finally got some rest on Tuesday. He joined hundreds of firefighters from Pismo Beach, Santa Barbara, Lompoc, San Luis Obispo and Long Beach in Moorpark, at a recreation center and park full of cots, portable toilets and showers and catering trucks.

Hundreds of homeowners who watched firefighters battle flames bravely over the past several days opened their arms and homes to the crews.

Christina Sidrow, 50, even let firefighters shower at her Porter Ranch home. ``This was a no-brainer; I didn't think twice,'' Sidrow said.

Los Angeles City Fire Department's Art Burgess, 44, was grateful for the refreshing treat after days in the heat and soot.

``My last shower was Saturday morning, and I couldn't take it any more,'' Burgess said, laughing. ``I'm very tired. But a shower makes all the difference in the world.''

Hundreds of others did whatever they could to make the life of the firefighter a little easier, however brief. Some set up drink stands on front lawns while others dropped off food, water and drinks directly at fire stations.

Not all of the heroes were professionals. Tom Lucas, 43, said his home and three others near the Ventura County town of Somis were saved on Sunday by a half-dozen local contractors who used their own water trucks, bulldozers and other construction equipment to beat down advancing flames.

``It was going to take out four different houses - it would have headed right to my house,'' said Lucas, who owns a wholesale nursery business. ``I would have paid anything, but they weren't charging anybody. It was hard to get them to take pizza, Cokes and water. How do you thank someone for saving your house?''

Staff Writers Jason Kandel and Rachel Uranga contributed to this story.

Michael Gougis, [phone]

michael.gougis(at)dailynews.com

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4 photos

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(1 -- 3 -- color) Flames roar up behind the historic Mentryville Barn in Pico Canyon, above, on Tuesday. At left, Rudy Contreras, Ventura City fire engineer, holds his two grandchildren, Titus and Aiyanna, both a year old, at Fire Station 42 in Moorpark. Firefighters Chris Peru and Ryan Fila, below, wait for the fire to approach Mentryville. They had been working 36 hours straight.

David R. Crane/Staff Photographer

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer

(4 -- color) A thank-you sign for firefighters hangs on a wall at the corner of Kuehner and Sandalwood drives in Simi Valley Tuesday.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer