Past Blazes That Killed and Injured Firefighters

The following is Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Ted Menold’s shorthand analysis of fires in which firefighters were killed in California. Sudden changes of wind and temperature--along with human error--turned them into fatal encounters:

1953 Mendocino National Forest--15 fatalities, 15 serious burns; wind reversed 180 degrees and started spot fires; attacked fire from top of hill; firefighters did not know local wind conditions; did not know what the fire was doing; no escape; no lookout posted; lack of control over men.

1955 La Tuna Canyon--1 fatality; firetruck was parked in a saddle between two hills; no escape route planned; did not know what the fire was doing.

1956 Cleveland National Forest--11 fatalities, 11 burns; rolling winds dropped embers on the lee side of the hill; did not know what the fire was doing; no lookout posted; improper communication.

1959 Cleveland National Forest--7 fatalities, 11 burns; wind reversals; no escape route planned; not informed on fire behavior.

1966 Angeles National Forest--13 fatalities, 8 burns; fighting fire downhill; no escape route planned; no lookout posted.

1968 Azusa Canyon--9 fatalities, 5 burns; embers blown over the heads of firefighters, trapping them; “chimney effect” funneled flames toward firefighters; improper clothing; no lookout posted; no escape route planned; did not know what the fire was doing.

1968 Gorman--1 fatality, 5 burns; embers blown over heads of firefighters; “chimney effect” occurs; improper clothing; no lookout posted; no escape route planned.

1971 San Bernardino National Forest--1 fatality, 1 burn; fought fire downhill; attempted to run uphill from fire moving 900 feet in one minute; 9 out of 10 rules violated.

1971 Santa Barbara--4 fatalities, 1 serious burn. Fire apparently contained until Santa Ana wind kicked up, raising temperature 26 degrees in 15 minutes; no escape route planned.

1977 Vandenberg--4 fatalities, 80-m.p.h winds, low visibility; smoky conditions, exit blocked by rig; didn’t observe local wind patterns.