Two firefighters injured on Thomas Fire

The fire is likely to become the largest California fire in recorded history

injured firefighter Thomas Fire

Above: An injured firefighter in Rose Valley near Ojai is carried to a waiting Ventura County Fire Department Helicopter on the Thomas Fire. Photo by Ventura County FD.

(Updated at 10:27 a.m. PST December 18, 2017)

Two firefighters were injured Sunday while battling the Thomas Fire in Southern California, authorities said. One of them was flown out of  Rose Valley near Ojai to a hospital. The injuries were minor but the helicopter was used due to the rough terrain.

No further information was available about the second firefighter, who reportedly also had minor injuries.

Cory D. Iverson, a CAL FIRE firefighter from San Diego County, was killed while working on the incident December 14. A firefighter from Redding, California suffered a broken leg December 10 on the same fire.

Injured firefighter Thomas Fire
An injured firefighter in Rose Valley near Ojai is carried to a waiting Ventura County Fire Department Helicopter on the Thomas Fire. Photo by Ventura County FD.

A very large burnout operation is planned on the north side of the fire in the Sespe wilderness that will add 15,000 to 20,000 acres to the fire. Depending on cooperation of the weather, it will take three to four days to complete the project using aerial and ground ignition.

An unheard of number of firefighters are assigned to the blaze – 8,452. When there were over 5,000 working on the Rim Fire that burned into Yosemite National Park in 2013 we thought that was a huge number.

The fire has burned 270,500 acres in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties since it started December 4. At this size it  is the third largest in the recorded history of California, only about 3,000 less than the 273,246-acre Cedar Fire that burned into the suburbs of San Diego in 2003 destroying 2,820 structures and killing 15 people.

largest fires in California

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Author: Bill Gabbert

After working full time in wildland fire for 33 years, he continues to learn, and strives to be a Student of Fire.

3 thoughts on “Two firefighters injured on Thomas Fire”

  1. By no stretch of the imagination this fire is huge and has a huge number of personnel on it. Just wondering though, if the 8,xxx number is a bit over inflated, or not a good apples to apples comparison, to fires such as the Rim fire given that there are likely a great number of firefighters on this fire working 24 hours on, then 24 hours off (correct me if I’m wrong), whereas a fire primarily on USFS/DOI land staffed with USFS/DOI personnel is going to be more 16 on/8 off staffing. Unless the “night shift” on the Thomas Fire is staffed as equally as the “day shift”, which I very well could see. I myself (former hotshot) just haven’t been on many or perhaps even any large, active fires where the night operational period has as many staff as the day operational period.

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  2. MANY FIREFIGHTER ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE VERY CONCERNED RE: CALIFORNIA WILDLAND FIRES. I AM TRULY SADDENED OF THE DEATH OF CAL. FIREFIGHTER. SOME OF MY BROTHER FIREFIGHTERS OFFERED ASSISTANCE TO SCFD WITH A VERY NEGATIVE REPLY. SO MUCH FOR THE TERM “BROTHERHOOD”.

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    1. When fires progress beyond IA and are managed under ICS, “Volunteers” that are outside of the system are hard to assimilate into the organization. No slam on the individuals, just reality.
      And the 21st reality is that the “Brotherhood” also now includes lots of “Sisters” too.

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