Four firefighters working on a new wildfire in northern California suffered burns Saturday afternoon. Daniel Berlant of CAL FIRE said they were part of a helitack crew suppressing the Valley Fire. The firefighters from CAL FIRE helicopter 104 were transported to the Firefighters Burn Institute at the University of California at Davis.
At 8 p.m. on Saturday Mr. Berlant said the four fighters all suffered second degree burns and were in stable condition.
The Valley fire grew to 10,000 acres within six hours after it started at 1:24 p.m. By 10 p.m. it had exploded to 25,000 acres.
The Valley Fire is burning about 8 miles west of the Rocky Fire that burned about 70,000 acres near Clearlake, California north of San Francisco. It also grew very quickly, blackening over 8,000 acres within six hours of starting at 4:10 p.m. PT on July 29.
Mr. Berlant said the Valley Fire has caused evacuation orders to be posted for the communities of Cobb and Middletown.
Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Dick, Kelly, David, and Barbara.
I keep seeing photos of burned firefighters that have their hands and lower arms heavily bandaged. Got to wonder if their wildland gloves fail to protect them, or if they might not have been wearing their gloves and maybe had sleeves rolled up too? Just askin’.
Not saying it happened with these folks, but you see pictures of firefighters all the time with sleeves rolled up and no gloves on. Supervisors, make your folks wear ppe. Set the example!
It would be interesting to review all the fire fighter burn cases for which you could get decent information. Some are probably more easily avoided than others; a foot or fall into a concealed hot stump hole might be one of the harder ones to prevent. Beyond all or none thinking, which burn injuries are easiest or hardest to prevent?
Yet
They are still happening
accidents happen no matter how careful we are. we’re only human and things have to be expected. like me for instance, sitting here in my trailer on geysers road with only my feet to take me to the road which won’t do me much good cuz that’s the main fire break and then the russian river.are we having fun yet??……NO
With all due respects Rebecca, as a long time wildland firefighter and Safety Officer, I have to cry “BS”.
Accidents happen because of a lot of reasons, but most if not all can be traced back to a failure by someone (sometimes not the individuals injured/killed) to follow safe practices and procedures that have been proven tried and true over hundreds of similar incidents.
We don’t know yet what happened on this incident, but you can bet that the basics like Lookouts-Communications-Escape Routes and Safety Zones will be scrutinized, as well as the 10 & 18.
Yeah, it’s a bad (even extreme) fire season: even more reason for firefighters and supervisory personnel to keep focused on and reinforce the “basics” of wildland fire safety. Bottom line: wildland fires are not worth dying over!
Life is all about choices: You have chosen to live where you do; I do not chose to die, or have folks under my command be at unnecessary risk, to protect a site that may not be defensible.
Amen. No such thing as a burn “accident ” is acceptable in this day and age.
Why???
Does this keep happening?
C’mon folks use your heads
i heard this incident on my scanner..they air attack,though professional,he was noticeably upset by it.you could here it in his voice.
Not a good week for CAL Fire firefighters. Pray everyone recovers well and lessons are learned.