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In an effort to keep you up to date on the latest local, statewide, and federal fire issues, OC Firefighters send out monthly news clippings. This newsletter will help inform you about very important fire-related matters.
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On October 26, 2020, the massive Silverado and Blue Ridge wildfires broke out in Orange County, critically injuring two OCFA Firefighters. These Firefighters remain hospitalized and the OC Firefighters Local 3631 is doing everything possible to support their families.
We pray for their recovery.
If would like to support these Firefighters and their families during this trying time, an official GoFundMe page has been established that you can visit by clicking here:
All proceeds donated through this GoFundMe page will go DIRECTLY to the Fallen Fire Firefighter Relief Fund to cover the costs related to the burn care and family support during this difficult time.
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‘Heavy at Heart': Firefighters Injured in Silverado Fire Remain Hospitalized With Burns
Two firefighters injured earlier this week while battling the Silverado Fire in eastern Orange County remain hospitalized with severe burns, according to Orange County's fire chief. Orange County Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy said there has been no change in the health of two firefighters who remain in critical condition. "We're still heavy at heart concerning our two firefighters," Fennessy said. "I just left the hospital and was there late last night. They're still in a serious fight for their lives and their families are holding up as well as you can expect." Fennessy said he asked Cal Fire to help investigate how the firefighters were injured. The two had been with the agency for about a year and were at the heel of the blaze working on a hand crew, Fennessy said. "The winds were extraordinary even by Santa Ana standards," Fennessy said. "Fire spread is exceeding more than anything I've seen in my 44 years."
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Dramatic Scenes From The Silverado Fire
On Oct. 26, 2020 at approximately 6:47am, the OCFA responded to Silverado Canyon and Santiago Canyon for a reported vegetation fire, later dubbed the Silverado Fire. Units arrived on scene and found vegetation fire growing at a rapid rate of spread with extremely high winds. Several resources were requested for ground and air assistance. The fire made a hard run towards the 241 toll road. The fire jumped the 241 and continued its path into residential communities. Firefighters were able to protect structures in the area. Several thousand residents were evacuated. Two OCFA hand crewmembers were critically injured at the fire suffering burns to over 50% of their body. They were quickly transported to a local hospital. They remain hospitalized and fighting for their lives. The fire is still under investigation and as of 11/2/20, has scorched 12,466 acres and is 93% contained. A total of nine structures have been damaged and five have been listed as destroyed. All evacuation orders related to this fire have also been lifted.
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Blue Ridge fire scorches 14,300-plus acres, damages 10 Yorba Linda homes
A fast-moving vegetation fire on the edge of Riverside, San Bernardino and Orange counties had gobbled up 14,334 acres as of Tuesday evening, Oct. 27 – a blaze that threatened homes in Yorba Linda and Chino Hills, fire officials said. Slowly beginning the following day, residents who fled the Blue Ridge fire were allowed to return home the afternoon of Wednesday, Oct. 28, and one described his experience at the height of the fire as “intense.” Earlier Wednesday, firefighters had reached 16% percent containment of the blaze, which has scorched 14,334 acres where Riverside, San Bernardino and Orange counties meet but didn’t spread farther overnight or on Wednesday. Containment rose to 23 percent as of 7 p.m. Wednesday. Orange County Fire Authority officials reported earlier in the week that 10 homes in Yorba Linda had been damaged, though Cal Fire said in a Wednesday morning update that seven had been damaged and one was destroyed. It’s unclear what type of structure was destroyed.
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Video courtesy of OnScene.TV |
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First responders help military family deliver baby in OC hotel room
A celebratory reunion Wednesday, brought together first responders and the military family they helped when their baby arrived early in a hotel room. It all happened at the Towneplace Suites. Orange County sheriff's deputies arrived first. Mom remembered the help from Deputy Jarlin Debolt. The Orange County Fire Authority crew wasn't quite in the room. Mom remembered yelling, "Oh her heads out! Someone's gotta come catch this baby!" "When she said the baby is coming, I looked at my partner and I'm like, 'Okay, I guess we're gonna deliver this," Debolt said. Firefighter Chris Harper remembered hearing the yelling when his crew was about 15 feet from the room. "We were actually in the hallway and we heard somebody yell, 'It's coming,"' Harper said. This was a first for firefighter Harper, but he had just refreshed his training on emergency births about a month ago. Harper said he "felt very fortunate to be there and lucky to be a part of it."
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CA Crews Save Multiple Apartments from Carport Fire
California firefighters stopped a carport blaze that burned several cars from spreading to a massive apartment complex early Thursday. The fire started shortly before 4:45 a.m. at a complex in Tustin, the Orange County Fire Authority stated in an online update. Crews were able to quickly get the flames under control soon after they arrived, saving multiple apartment units. Around 10 vehicles were damaged by the blaze, according to KCBS-TV. Flames did slightly scorch the apartment building's roof.
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Single-vehicle crash leaves a Pomona woman dead and a man hurt in Garden Grove
A woman died and a man was injured in a solo-vehicle crash in Garden Grove on Sunday, authorities said. The deceased passenger was identified as Salena Hernandez, 41, of Pomona, said Supervising Deputy Coroner Larry Esslinger.
The crash was just before 6 p.m. Sunday at the intersection of Brookhurst Street and Trask Avenue, the Orange County Fire Authority reported. The man and woman were in a northbound vehicle on Brookhurst when they crashed into a pole, Garden Grove police Lt. Carl Whitney said. Hernandez was pronounced dead at the scene, Whitney said. The driver was transported to a hospital, he said. Traffic investigators will be examining the accident to determine if speed was a factor, as well as drugs and/or alcohol.
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Photo courtesy of the OCFA |
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Local Residents Cool Off During Engineer Training
On the afternoon of October 12, 2020, OC Firefighters conducted some Engineer Training at Rush Park in the City of Rossmoor. This type of training consists of the flowing of multiple hose lines and our "deck gun,” located on top of many of our fire engines. Local kids and parents took to the grass to cool off and laugh as the water stream from the deck gun rose high into the sky before sprinkling into an open area.
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Photo courtesy of the OCFA |
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Fire Crews Conduct Cliff Rescue Training in Dana Point
October 25, 2020 saw your OC Firefighters conducting a training exercise in Dana Point for one of the most technical rescues that the OCFA makes multiple times a year: cliff side rescues. Training like this for our Urban Search & Rescue teams is paramount in maintaining safety and efficiency during these critical calls.
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Photo courtesy of the OCFA |
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T-Bone collision in Garden Grove Requires Jaws of Life used by OCFA
OCFA Firefighters serving the City of Garden Grove responded quickly to the scene of a multiple vehicle accident after a single vehicle t-boned into another. The strength of the impact bent and tangled one of the vehicles is such a way that firefighters had to use the Jaws of Life, one of their hydraulic extrication tools, to free one of the drivers.
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Photo courtesy of the OCFA |
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Firefighters Douse Flames Ravaging Vacant Garden Grove Home
In the very early morning of October 18, 2020, OCFA Firefighters quickly and decisively saved a vacant house on Granite Place in the City of Garden Grove. The fire was reported shortly after midnight and was confined to a single bedroom.
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Photo courtesy of the OCFA |
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Trash Truck Contents Ignite in Irvine
The contents of a trash truck caught fire and the driver quickly had to unload the contents to avoid the truck catching fire on the afternoon of October 20, 2020 in the City of Irvine. OCFA firefighters rapidly extinguished the trash contents that were on fire after they were dumped in the 2700 block of Mcgaw.
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Photo courtesy of the OCFA |
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OCFA Handles Car Fire on NB 405 Freeway
OC firefighters quickly responded and worked to extinguish a car fire on the NB 405 near Jeffrey in the City of Irvine on October 21, 2020. After the fire was out, fire crews safely relocated to load their hose allowing traffic to open back up.
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Vehicle Smashes Into Pole, Killing Driver in Anaheim
Firefighters from the OCFA and members of local law enforcement responded to reports of a vehicle into a pole in Anaheim. The occupants were both trapped in the vehicle. Firefighters were able to extricate the passenger within 30 minutes. Sadly, paramedics pronounced the driver dead at the scene. Paramedics then transported the passenger to a local trauma center in unknown condition.
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Taco Truck Catches Fire in Garden Grove
A woman driving a taco truck on N. Newhope in Garden Grove heard a loud popping noise come from the engine compartment as she was crossing Westminster Ave. Shortly thereafter, the front of truck bursts into flames. The driver quickly brought the truck to a stop in front of the Angelos restaurant before exiting to safety and the flames grew. The Orange County Fire Authority quickly arrived and quickly knocked down the fire within minutes. No injuries were sustained.
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'People are burned out': Brutal fire season is taking a toll on firefighters' mental health
State and federal officials and mental health experts are bracing for firefighters to come home and start processing what they’ve been through. It’s not uncommon for wildland firefighters, even in a less-intense year, to develop depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, unhealthy substance use or suicidal thoughts. “When you almost die on a wildfire, away from your family and kids – that doesn’t go away,” said a U.S. Forest Service smokejumper who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal from his employer. “I know people who wake up in the middle of the night, and in their dreams they’re getting burned over by a fire, because they almost did.”
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Laguna Beach gears up with a water tank for filling helicopters to prepare for wildfires
A large mobile tank that can hold thousands of gallons of water will be available to help attack the next wildfire in Laguna Beach. The HeloPod mobile tank will be deployed during the fire season, typically from July to November, along the fire road that spans the canyons from Arch Beach Heights to Top of the World. The road provides firefighters access to some of Laguna Beach’s most remote locations overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Aliso and Wood Canyon Wilderness Park. The custom-fabricated tank, which holds between 5,000 gallons and 7,000 gallons, will help firefighters reduce turnaround times for water drops in remote areas, while also reducing the manpower it takes to refill the firefighting helicopters, officials said.
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Firefighters rescue barn owl from Silverado Fire
A barn owl is now safe from the flames of a Southern California wildfire thanks to a crew of firefighters. On Tuesday evening, the Orange County Fire Authority shared a video of its firefighters rescuing the owl. The video shows one of the firefighters scooping the bird up and wrapping it in a jacket. The owl was handed over to animal control, where he is now safe and sound. Tens of thousands of residents were initially forced to evacuate as strong winds drove the Silverado Fire through brushy hills near Orange County cities. Two firefighters have been critically injured while battling the massive fire, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.
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Video courtesy of the OCFA |
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OC Firefighters Make New Best Friend
Your OC Firefighters made some new best friends on November 2, 2020, after they filled up a trough with water. These horses fled as the fire approached and returned while we were mopping up the fires edge.
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Photo courtesy of OC Firefighters |
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OCFA Fire Crews Assist Hawk; Burned During Silverado Fire
OC Firefighters assigned to the Silverado fire found a Hawk with burns to his feet while patrolling for hot spots in Irvine. The Hawk was discovered at the Crean Lutheran Baseball Fields. Irvine Animal Services assisted and took control of the Hawk. He is on the way to the Vet for treatment.
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Photo courtesy of the OCFA |
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2018 Orange County Firefighters Year In Review
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In 2018, our Firefighters responded to more than 142,000 emergencies throughout the 23 cities and unincorporated communities of Orange County. The Year in Review book serves to illustrate the daily challenges that our First Responders face while serving on the frontlines. Click HERE to view the book.
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OC Firefighters - IAFF Local 3631 | 1342 Bell Avenue, Suite 3A | Tustin | CA | 92870
THIS MESSAGE WAS CREATED BY JIMMY BLACKMAN & ASSOCIATES.
Copyright © 2017 OC Firefighters, all rights reserved.
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