Seven Oak Fire burnover report released

A fire whirl, during the final run of the fire onto the burnover site. The blurry image of an air tanker coming in to assist can barely be seen.

On February 3, 2009 CalFire released the report about a burnover that occurred July 6, 2007 on the Seven Oak Fire which was part of the Inyo Complex on the Inyo National Forest in California. Nine firefighters from two engines suffered injuries and were treated at a burn center in Fresno, California.

Photo taken during the burnover.

The report is very well constructed, and highlights a lot of good decisions, as well as some that contributed to the burnover.

You should read the entire document, but here are some of the report's findings and contributory factors:

• The two engines were defending a structure that had been identified as undefendable.
• The burnover occurred during a transition to an Incident Management Team.
• Providing medical treatment and air transportation for the injured to the Burn Center was much delayed.
• Two fire fighters experienced difficulties removing their fire shelters from the PVC bag.
• Fire suppression personnel resorted to their core training, which saved their lives. Per statements taken, the pond had been identified as a safety zone, if needed, by Engineer 4480. When things did not work as planned, each employee resorted to their core training and gathered at their identified safety zone. They communicated with, and supported one other. Working as a team, they survived this incident.

Engine 4452

The photos are from the report.


Thanks, Dick.

Another perspective of Engine 5 entrapment, Freeway fire

Wildfire Today previously reported on some of the details of the November 16 entrapment of Corona Fire Department's Engine 5 on the Freeway Complex in southern California. The engine had a 4-person crew--three men and one woman. The woman, Anita Jackson, is originally from New Zealand and is a firefighter/paramedic for Corona. A New Zealand web site has her story. Here is an excerpt:

Anita's mother, Barbara Bryan, described what happened in an email to the Hutt News.

Her daughter left Stokes Valley in 1999 to complete her paramedics degree at the University of California. She married and lives in Anaheim. She is a paramedic / fire fighter for the City of Corona (Los Angeles).

On November 16 (in the US, 9.23am on Saturday the 15th) the engine she was on fighting the wildfires was engulfed in flames when hurricane-force winds caused the blaze to change direction.

The engineer was able to climb up on the rig and use the master stream (a huge nozzle capable of releasing 1200 gallons per minute) to spray water around to try to buy them some time. With just 500 gallons in the tank it rapidly ran out, leaving them with no protection.

The heat was so intense that the hoses ignited and the tyres on the engine started to burn and melt. The captain radioed their position and all available helicopters with monsoon buckets and water-carrying aircraft were dispatched to the area.

A specialised bush fire engine was also sent to help.

The one protection hose they had been using was burnt rubber but Anita hadn't realised it had melted and picked it up to move it. The rubber burnt through her gloves, leaving her with second-degree burns to her hands and no water to take away the heat. It was so hot that she couldn't remove her glove to stop the burning and had to continue to work beyond the pain.

Even though she was wearing her specialised protective gear, her legs felt like they were on fire as the ground ignited around them. With no water left in the engine, they had to beat back the flames with shovels until help arrived. She said that although it was terrifying, no-one panicked they all stayed focused and in survival mode.

Barbara, husband Tony and Anita's brother Paul in New Zealand were frantic when the news came through that Anita had been hurt.

But Barbara says Anita's husband Jack reassured them that all four crew had got out and were being treated in hospital. Anita's worst injury was burning to her throat, airway and lungs. She is healing well, but Barbara says her daughter has confided that the emotional scar will take a little longer.

"They all stayed totally positive throughout the ordeal but reality hit the following day when they realised just how lucky they were to survive," she says.

Barbara is particularly proud that despite her own injuries, Anita wanted her crewmates one of whom had eye injuries checked out first.

"In her line of work Anita continually deals with injury and death and always says to her family that we can never be guaranteed of tomorrow," Barbara says. "Although she is miles away she always remains in close contact with home."

Anita's husband told the family in New Zealand that despite the harrowing experience, she is anxious to get back to work as soon as she gets a medical clearance doing the job she loves, which is helping people.

Entrapped on Freeway Fire; Corona Engine 5

The Los Angeles times has the story about the engine crew that was entrapped on the Freeway Fire west of Corona, California. Here is an excerpt:

For the Corona Fire Department, that moment came at 9:23 a.m. Saturday, 22 minutes after the first 911 call reported a small brush fire in the vegetation off the 91 Freeway.

It was a distress call from Engine 5, the first truck to attack the blaze. Using a tactical frequency, the captain of the four-person crew -- three men and a woman -- cried out to battalion chief Mike Samuels, stationed on the freeway above:

"We're completely surrounded. Send help."

From his position, Samuels could see the flames tearing through the brush toward homes, pushed by 20 mph gusts of Santa Ana winds, the fire intensifying as it struck what he called "heavy fuels" -- 8-foot-tall patches of oak and chaparral.

"I've been in the fire service 21 years, and I've never seen a fire move out that fast," Samuels would say later.

Other trucks were attacking the fire and one of them, Brush One, was heading to protect homes. Samuels decided to divert it to rescue the crew of Engine 5.

As Brush One fought its way through black smoke and heat toward the encircled firefighters, Engine 5 stayed on the radio, awaiting help and using its training to survive. A common tactic in such a situation is for firefighters to "get in the black" -- position themselves and their truck in an area that has already burned. To help, Samuels called in helicopter water drops.

The extrication of Engine 5 took 15 to 20 minutes, by Samuels' estimate, and soon the four crew members were heading to hospitals for treatment of minor burns and smoke inhalation. They were all released that day.

LA City engine crews survive entrapment

Two engine crews from Los Angeles County City Fire Department had a very close call on the Sesnon fire Monday morning. From the LA Times:

In an instant, flames surround L.A. fire crew

The captain of the trapped engine company faces life-and-death decisions as erratic winds fan canyon blaze. 'The fire exploded and started raining embers . . . It was incredible,' he says.

By Robert J. Lopez, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
October 15, 2008

It was one of those moments firefighters fear most.

Los Angeles Fire Capt. Scott Gould was riding inside Engine 228 as it maneuvered along a winding canyon above Porter Ranch. He was talking on the radio with Capt. Richard Brunson, who was just ahead in Engine 8.

Commanding the first two units to arrive at the Sesnon fire Monday morning, the captains were coordinating their assault on the wind-whipped blaze. What had been a half-acre fire only a few minutes earlier was now 20 acres and growing.

As Brunson reached the flames along Limekiln Canyon, Gould could see that a spot fire had broken out several hundred yards below. If the new fire got going, he recalled thinking, Brunson would be trapped. Gould and his crew pulled a hose from their engine and began trying to knock down the blaze.

In what seemed like only an instant, the two captains later recalled, flames were everywhere.

"The fire exploded and started raining embers all around that canyon," Gould said Tuesday. "It was incredible. All the ridge lines were going up in flames."

Brunson, meanwhile, faced another wall of fire, fanned by winds in excess of 30 mph. He decided to try pulling back a couple miles down the road, where he and his crew could join other units to protect structures and help with evacuations.

"We went into defensive mode," he said.

But as he headed down the canyon, he saw that flames were beginning to devour brush all around Gould and his crew. Brunson jumped out of his engine and ran toward Gould.

"Drop your hose and leave!" he recalled shouting. "Get the hell out of here!"

Brunson's engine led the way down the road as Gould and his crew jumped in the cab of their truck. But it was too late. It was as if incendiary bombs were exploding everywhere, Gould said.

"It just started spotting all around," he said of the flames.

Gould weighed his options and knew they weren't good. "Engine 228 is trapped," he barked into his radio. "We're surrounded."

Firefighter Paul Clark, who was with Gould, said that the flames were on both sides of the road.

"It was safer to stay where we were," he said.

Looking at his map book, Gould radioed in his coordinates and asked for a "priority" water drop. He and his three-man crew hunkered down in the cab of their engine as flames raced around them.

The smoke was so thick the crew could see only a few feet in front of them, and the water-dropping helicopter overhead couldn't see them either.

"Can you spot the copter so we can get a drop on you?" Gould recalled the dispatcher asking.

For the next 15 minutes, Gould and his crew kept shifting their fire engine into small areas that were partially burned -- offering a bit of protection -- as the wind fanned the flames back and forth across the canyon.

"We were lucky because of the winds," Clark said. "It didn't light everything off at the same time."

In the end, Gould said, it was the erratic winds that allowed his crew to escape.

They received word from the helicopter that the road was clear. He and his men made it out and spent the rest of the day fighting the Sesnon fire.

Photo by Louie

Oklahoma State Trooper Burned on Grass Fire

Trooper Josh Tinsler, 23, was severely burned Friday while checking to see if there was anyone at home in a house that was threatened by a grass fire near Hollis, OK. While handling evacuation on the fire, the second-year trooper's car became stuck while turning around and the car was overrun by the fire. His injuries included second- and third-degree burns on his face, chest, back and arms, including most of the right side of his body.

Alabaugh Fire to be Part of 2008 Refresher Training

Every spring the national wildland fire agencies produce and distribute a standardized training package designed to meet the requirements for 8 hours of refresher training for wildland firefighters. The training usually includes a description of unique incidents or near-misses that occurred in the previous season. This year the training will feature an entrapment of two firefighters on the Alabaugh fire in July of last year. On the fire, which started 5 miles southeast of Hot Springs, South Dakota, the firefighters escaped serious injuries by sharing one fire shelter.

In addition to the photo with this post, the photo in the header at the top of this page is of the Alabaugh fire. In December the producers of the refresher training shot some video interviews at the houses that you can see in the header photo.
(Photo of Alabaugh fire by Bill Gabbert)