The U. S. Forest Service has released a Facilitated Learning Analysis for an engine that caught fire and burned, causing extensive damage to the apparatus. The engine was working on the initial attack of the Long Fire on the Trabuco Ranger District of the Cleveland National Forest in southern California.
The cause of the fire is “inclusive”, but it may have ignited because it was parked in a burned area, over or near vegetation that was still burning. The crew had left the engine running while they were carrying hose packs to the fire, but it was not being used to pump water.
Below is an excerpt from the executive summary. The entire report is HERE.
On September 23, 2010, at 11:35 AM, the Long wildland fire on the Cleveland National Forest (CNF) ignited a Forest Service Type 3 Engine. The engine was parked within the burned perimeter and unattended at the time of ignition. Several firefighters on the incident watched the apparatus burning as they attempted to contact the engine crew via radio communications. Members of the engine crew returned from the fire line and extinguished the fire. Two firefighters used the pump, hose and water from the burning engine to suppress the fire. There was extensive damage done to the Boise Mobile Equipment Buildup (Box) with extension limited to just behind the cab.
