SAN DIEGO -- There were hugs and slaps on the back for a job well done as firefighters from Lakeside, Alpine, San Miguel and Santee thrust together two weeks ago and headed to Northern California.

To the firefighters, it was a daunting task because it was new ground for most of them who were working together for the very first time.

"A lot of new terrain; we were up in timber when were used to brush," said Capt. John Garlow of the Santee Fire Department. "Fires down here move a lot faster through the brush. Up there it was seemed to be a lot slower."

The firefighters said it was hotter, too.

Members of the strike team said they had to learn new ways to fight fires -- from the side, as opposed to in the fire's path. They did so in stretches, sometimes as long as 24 hours.

Div. Chief Andy Parr of the Lakeside Fire District said, "You're either on your way to the line, on the line, off the line, maybe you get some rest, and then repeat that process day after day for days."

Broc Thorn of the Alpine Fire Department added, "So the exhaustion after two weeks really starts setting in. We're looking forward to coming home."

The firefighters get a break, but many of them will be back on duty as soon as they get to their home stations.

The job of fighting the California forest fires was also an education for many, as those fires were something different from what firefighters see in San Diego.

"It was just experience that you can't get any other way other than going through it," said Garlow.

The unfamiliar territory of the California forests forced the strike team to think on their feet.

Parr said, "It really makes a difference about where you are, where you are on the side of the hill, whether you can out ahead of the fire."

But more valuable was the experience of working side-by-side with crews they are not familiar with. It's a familiarity they might need in case they work together in San Diego County.

"We just learned a ton of stuff about the incident command system to actually different tactics and things on putting out fires," said Garlow.

For the younger firefighters, fighting the Northern California fires gave them training that cannot be simulated.

"I've seen it. I've got a little bit of an idea of what to expect when it comes here," said Thorn.

Parr said, "So these guys, right out of the chute, are really fortunate to get this experience early on in their careers and they'll use it for the rest of their careers."

Another strike team from San Diego left Sunday night to go to Northern California, with another team leaving Monday night.