First responder's efforts in deadly multi-vehicle pileup on Highway 99 in Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- As the aggravated probe continues into a deadly, multi-car pileup connected Highway 99 successful Fresno, we're learning much astir the effort extended by archetypal responders.

"The earthy disasters we've gone to successful the past person played a immense portion successful america getting acquisition to bash that and enactment connected it, to marque decisions without capable information, without capable time, that are critical," says Battalion Chief Lupe Fernandez. "The much and much we flex that musculus and we bid and practice, the amended we get astatine it."

Sunday's catastrophe demanded each ounce of acquisition that the California Highway Patrol, Fresno Fire Department and aesculapian crews had to offer.

The enactment of damaged cars stretched seemingly without end, owed to the dense fog.

As rescue teams scrambled to region victims from their vehicles, Fernandez's speedy reasoning saved them precious time.

"When I arrived, firefighters were actively helping radical retired of their cars," helium said. "They were searching cars. We had to found immoderate means of making definite we weren't duplicating our efforts truthful we could beryllium arsenic effectual arsenic we could."

Footage from the country shows cars marked with orangish X's and O's.

"An X means we've searched it and it's clear," Fernandez said. "A ellipse means we've searched it the 2nd clip and it's clear, and the 2nd clip is more. It's a deeper search. It's under, connected top, successful between."

What whitethorn look elemental to immoderate could person been the quality betwixt beingness and death.

"There's ever thing to larn from each incident," Fernandez said. "We could bash thing amended each time, but we were comfy with however things went."

The sheer measurement of cars progressive successful the mishap whitethorn look catastrophic, but astir 20 years ago, a akin show blanketed Highway 99 adjacent Clovis Avenue.

A 100-vehicle clang killed 2 and sent 39 others to the hospital.

Chief Fernandez says disasters similar these are what marque his portion stronger and much susceptible erstwhile their fig is called.

"It doesn't hap each day, for sure, but I've had acquisition doing it -- it perfectly helped," helium said. "The information that we had respective of the radical who person been connected those deployments with maine determination truly made it spell well."

Many of the surviving victims successful this case, which included children betwixt the ages of 1 and 4 years old, were transported by a FAX bus, adding different furniture of collaboration to this life-saving effort.