SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Four California firefighters were in serious trouble almost immediately after a helicopter dropped them near ground zero of what they thought would be a small blaze.
The wind picked up dramatically and unexpectedly, turning the small grass fire into a raging inferno that surrounded the men, forcing them to issue a mayday call over the radio before seeking shelter in emergency tents they carried in their backpacks.
All four were badly burned last month in the Lake County blaze, and a new report by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection raises questions about their equipment and training. It notes one firefighter removed his protective gloves and another had problems with his emergency shelter.
The report published this weekend details the trouble the four faced, how they were rescued, and the serious injuries they suffered. The men were among the first victims of the wildfire that turned into one of the most destructive in California history, destroying more than 1,000 homes, killing four people and growing to more than 100 square miles.
The four firefighters hiked up an access road with the expectation of battling a 20-acre fire, according to the review. But the blaze took off unexpectedly, forcing them to flee to a barren goat pen. A nearby hillside then turned into a “wall of fire,” and the intense heat chased the men from the goat pen to a nearby metal barn.