02 September 2009

Station Fire

(view of Station Fire from space)

I got back yesterday from several days working on the Station Fire at the Angeles National Forest just outside of Los Angeles. I was serving as a captain on one of the hundreds of engines that are trying to put a stop to the fire that has grown to over 219 square miles (140,000 acres) in size.



Tragically, two firefighter have been killed in the line of duty trying to control this huge blaze. On Sunday, August 30th, Fire Captain Tedmund "Ted" Hall and Firefighter Specialist Arnaldo "Arnie" Quinones, both from the Los Angeles County Fire Department, where killed when their emergency response vehicle went over the side and fell 800 feet into a steep canyon during fire suppression activities protecting Camp 16 in the City of Palmdale.

The fire is at 22% containment so a lot of work is still to be done. So far 92 structures have been destroyed of which 62 where residential homes. Let us all hope for a quick end to the Station Fire and no further injuries or deaths.

To my fellow firefighters, be safe out there.

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