California Fires

Over a year ago I related my personal experiences fighting brush fires on Long Island. The fires were called the Sunrise Fires and Rocky Point Fires or combined the Pine Barrens Fires. They were in August and September 1995. There are many similarities between the Long Island fires I was involved in and the California fires of late. I won't go into my overall experiences related to 1995 again, but what I hope to do is provide a recap glimpse into my efforts and how they relate to the things that make me proud to have been a firefighter and also most broadly an American.

(I apologize for the heavy image load which may delay page loading, but I'm still learning jumps.)

The first two images are typical brush trucks very much like the one's I've ridden. They are extremely well suited for this geography. Old military 5 ton flat bead transport trucks converted with very thick 2"+ steel tubing to form a brush guard. On the front bumper you can see the heavy pull winch and massive push tube. (The push tube and the brush cage allow the truck to literally push down scrub pine and smaller brush/trees.)

 

 

In this image you get a different view. You can clearly see the square water tank in the bed, as well as the 1" reel line. You can barely make out the small 4 - 6' hand lines also mounted to the top of the water tank. These lines serve the four fighting positions on the external bed. There's a very slim walkway around 3 sides of the water tank to pass and stand while fighting fires.

 

This is a photo of calm mop up operations after knocking down the fire. It shows the true virility of the truck in pushing trees and branches out of the way to get you up close and personal with the fire. (Note, there is no road here, this was created by the truck(s).)

 

This is the beginning of what we encountered when we reached Sunrise Highway that fateful day. It was dry as evidenced by the color of the grass. We were trying to stage at this natural fire break, Sunrise Highway, almost 250' wide.

 

The beginning of a very feeble attempt to stop the on-rushing fire.

 

The fire just kept coming. Notice how embers had already jumped into the median. 

 

This shows the ferocity of the fire and how fast things were igniting. The air in front of these trucks is quite literally on fire. Also notice the flame column developing.

 

This is what then developed. From the first in this series to this picture below took 6 minutes.

 

After the fire jumped the highway headed south we raced after it. The column of brush trucks try to split the massive head into 2 in order to take some steam out of it. Engines and other companies began staging in a coast guard housing community in order to set protection lines.

 

The first air water drop from a C-130 aircraft that had ever occurred in NY. The problem was that air operational guidelines had never been established anywhere in the country for dropping water from these planes when in such close proximity to housing. In the end, these were basically demonstration drops for the Governor. Only three drops were made (the water bladder held only 3000 gallons)and the transition between flight and refill was about 1-1/2 hours.  

 

Here is the remnant of what happens when you just get too close to fires. These trucks were very aggressive in trying to stave off fire from reaching critical areas and just plain made a stand. The tires turned out to be the weak link, melting until they could not hold air anymore. (Imagine the heat to the exposed crew in the open rear) While they lost the trucks, they did accomplish their job.

Now to the meat and potato's of why I'm blogging about this.

I've watched with interest how little is being reported (other than FOX) about the human interest side of the California Fires. The general population tends to go into over-drive during these times and gives, unrelentingly, of themselves. I watched news feeds of people passing sandwiches from their cars to firefighters, I saw firemen sitting in NoBu, I saw pictures of other classy restaurants serving meals to firemen while others, totally exhausted, had been provided floor space to rest upon, tables just moved aside.

My first hand experience and interaction with these people still brings goose-bumps to me to this day. From the elderly couple wanting to serve us Chicken Piccata at 2AM from the back of their hatch-back while we were re-tanking, or the one, single, sole, fireman that had gotten water in his boots a few hours earlier. During a break this fireman's truck pulled up at a 7-11 quickie mart for drinking water. Not only did the 7-11 not charge anything for the bottled water, but the clerk hearing of the fireman's wet socks and that it'd be hours before he'd be able to get dry ones from his house, took the statement to heart. Within minutes he'd contacted his headquarters and the local radio station. Told them of this one fireman's need. Within an hour, radio and tv stations were broadcasting that firemen needed socks and shoes, dry clothes, tee shirts to  make them more comfortable while fighting these horrible fires. Further that 7-11 (any 7-11) was now a collection point for clothing and supplies. Tons, literally, tons of clothing was collected and brought to the fire line staging area two hours later by people in pickup trucks who had volunteered to shuttle the supplies. Piles and piles of clothing and new shirts, shoes donated by Model's, etc etc. People got creative, everything, pallets of Gatorade, personal products, doctors, clinicians, mental health experts, physiologists, masseurs, food stuffs of any type, on and on the supplies went. Power went out in one area and shut down a local gas station where some fire vehicles were fueling, this shutting down the pumps. Within minutes of being told the trucks needed to drive an extra mile, fuel tankers where rerouted from depots to just deliver free fuel to firefighters. The critical brush trucks were going through tires quickly, and were getting flats. Firestone shipped in mechanics and a trailer full of the special sized tires for free, showing up 6 hours after they heard of the need. Firehouses were literally turning people away who were offering any service that one could think of, just to make the firefighters lives easier.

It was an amazing time for me, for us as firefighters on Long Island. And still today, way out in California, yet another group of firefighters, police, first responders, volunteers, are finding out the very same thing I found out 12 years ago. People's hearts are giving. People are inherently good. American's continue to stand up when needed and play their part. I'm proud.