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California Fire Siege
Fire Events and Policy

CAL FIRE San Diego established an operation plan with the U.S. Navy
Helicopter Squadron from North Island allowing the San Diego unit to access
assests during major incidents. This included annual training.

2005
CAL FIRE units intensify hazardous brush treatment by cutting and piling
brush as part of a shaded fuel break for wildland interface protection.
CAL FIRE begins year-round staffing of department stations.
The Topanga Fire, starting in Los Angeles County and moving into Ventura
County, burned 24,175 acres. Of the nearly 1,000 residences threatened, three
homes were destroyed and one damaged. Defensible space, fire safe design and
ignition resistant construction is credited with reducing the impact of this fire is
populated WUI.

2006
The USFS Pacific Southwest Region established an agreement with United
States Marine Corps CH-53 Squadron at the Marine Corps Air Station
Miramar in San Diego. The agreement outlines the annual pre-fire season
training and experience requirements for pilots in command.
NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center and the USFS Pacific Southwest
Region agree to test aerospace technologies to aid wildfire imaging and
mapping through use of a remotely piloted unmanned aircraft.
Governor Schwarzenegger authorized contracting for a 12,000 gallon DC-10
air tanker during the peak fire season. This air tanker provides a large-load
backup capability to supplement CAL FIRE’s regular fleet of 23 Grumman
S2T air tankers.
On October 26, 2006, five USFS firefighters were entrapped while engaged
in structure protection operations on the Esperanza Fire in Riverside County,
California. Three of the firefighters were killed at the scene, one died en-route
to the hospital and the fifth died on October 31.

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