River Fire in Owens Valley

CAL FIRE San Bernardino Unit fire fighters are continuing their mop up and containment efforts today on the River Fire that broke out Sunday morning February 24, 2013 east of the Owens Valley, California community of Lone Pine.  The fire was reported to CAL FIRE at 8:17 A.M. and was already spreading rapidly in a riverbed east of Lone Pine.  The fire was pushed by winds up to 25 mph. 

Fire equipment at south end of the River Fire north of Highway 136

Firefighters from throughout the Owens Valley responded to fight the fire.  Local volunteer fire fighters from Bishop, Lone Pine, Big Pine, Olancha, and fire fighters from the Inyo National Forest did an excellent job of stopping the fire from crossing California State Highway 136.  Had the fire crossed to the south side of the highway, fire officials say the fire could have potentially burned several thousand additional acres.  No structures were threatened during the fire.  there was a threat to high power lines owned by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and to some grazing cattle, but the threats were averted.  Two local volunteer fire fighters sustained minor injuries on Sunday.  One was smoke inhalation and the other was debris in the eyes.  Both were treated and released on Sunday.  Additional firefighting resources responded to the fire from the CAL FIRE San Diego and Fresno Units and the Cleveland National Forest as well as resources from the LADWP, California Highway Patrol and the Inyo Sheriff's Department.



Local volunteer firefighters continue mop up of fire where they stopped it north of Highway 136



The high winds returned to the Owens Valley yesterday, Tuesday, February 26th and caused a couple of spot fires outside of the fire area.  These were quickly extinguished by the fire fighters who were working on containment and mop up.  The fire is currently at 407 acres and is 85 percent contained.  CAL FIRE officials expect to have the fire 100 percent contained by 6:00 P.M. Thursday evening February 28, 2013.



Operational briefing Monday morning February 25, 2013

The fast response and fire fighting that basically stopped the fire by Sunday evening is an excellent example of cooperative regional fire protection.  

Recent Multi-Casualty Incident in our Community

CAL FIRE San Bernardino Unit firefighters were recently involved in providing assistance in the Bus Crash north of the City of Yucaipa, California.  CAL FIRE/Yucaipa firefighters were the first to arrive on scene and immediately began rescue and treatment efforts.  Ultimately, firefighters from several surrounding departments were involved in assisting San Bernardino County Fire which was the incident commander for the event.

Following the event, the firefighters were provided with Critical Incident Stress Defusings.  CAL FIRE Critical Incident Stress Management counselors participated in those defusings.  CAL FIRE CISM counselors were also involved in follow up CISM debriefings that were had a few days later.

CAL FIRE provides a number of programs through the Department's Employee Support Services.  These services provide four separate programs; Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM), Substance Abuse Assistance Program (SAAP), Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and Chaplain Utilization. 

Prayers for the Fallen

Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of the fallen and wounded San Bernardino County Sheriff's Deputies.

Owens Valley Camp Recognized for Community Work

The CAL FIRE San Bernardino Unit's Owens Valley Conservation Camp was recently presented with a plaque from Big Pine Unified School District.  The presentation was in appreciation of the Owens Valley Camp's continued support to them.


The Camp's crews have done a lot of fuels treatment work for fire defense around the school and their athletic fields that are on lands that are leased by the school district from Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The Camp crews have also performed general type maintenance on the school grounds.

The fuels treatment work around the school was completed cooperation with the Big Pine Fire Safe Council which made excellent progress during 2012.

Battalion Chief Ron Janssen accepting the plaque on behalf of the Camp and Crews

Pilot Rock Crew Removes Safety Hazard

A CAL FIRE San Bernardino Unit crew from the Pilot Rock Conservation Camp assisted Cal Trans and the Highway Patrol in removing a large dead tree that had become an increasing safety hazard to drivers in the Lake Arrowhead area. Read the story here;

The restoration of the Hesperia Forestry Fire Station Smokey Bear Sign

The CALFIRE Hesperia Forestry Fire Station was closed and forgotten for many years, and as time moved on the Infamous Smokey Bear fire sign remained as a reminder of California’s fire danger. The Church that now occupies the facility approached CAL FIRE in regards to a potential restoration of the sign which had long since faded and showed signs of neglect. Fenner Canyon Conservation Camp gladly accepted the challenge and, under the direction of Fire Captain Mike Jennings, Crew #6 completed the makeover of the sign with new lumber (as needed) and a fresh coat of paint. Smokey Bear was repaired and free hand art work reapplied by crew members. 

For the short time Smokey Bear was under repair, many noticed his absence including longtime residents and firefighters that had worked at the Hesperia Station. Once again, Smokey Bear is refurbished and standing guard again.

CAL FIRE asks, is E.D.I.T.H. in Your Home?

Could you find your way out of a smoke filled room at 3:00 a.m. in the morning? CAL FIRE asks, have you invited E.D.I.T.H. into your home? Having E.D.I.T.H. in your home will help you to survive that smoke filled room. Exit Drills In The Home or E.D.I.T.H. is a safety program that can help you and your family to survive a house fire. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that in 2011, fire departments nationwide responded to more than 371,000 home structure fires that caused more than 7-billion dollars in damage and resulted in nearly 13,000 injuries and 2,590 civilian deaths.


CAL FIRE has a way we can all help to reduce these numbers? We can invite E.D.I.T.H. into each and every home. Exit Drills In The Home is a simple way for families to plan and be prepared for a fire that might start in the home. Most home fires occur at night when people are least prepared. Having an E.D.I.T.H. plan helps you and your family to be prepared.

E.D.I.T.H. is easy to do. You start by getting the family together and making a plan of your house. Indicate on the drawing all of the doors, windows, and other areas from which you could escape. Next, draw arrows to show the normal exit that would be your primary escape route. Then in other colors, draw arrows to indicate a secondary escape route from your home. Remind every family member that when they escape to the outside, they need to meet at a predetermined meeting place. It is also important to remind everyone to stay outside of the home once they have escaped. Make sure that everyone in the family knows where the phones are located so they can dial 9-1-1 for help.

Once you have your family E.D.I.T.H. plan, make it operational by practicing it on a regular basis. Make it a family fun time, maybe on a set day every month. Fire does not make an appointment and that it is why it is so important to practice and be proficient with your E.D.I.T.H. plan. To find out more information on home fire safety in general and creating an E.D.I.T.H. plan specifically, you can go to the CAL FIRE web site at http://www.fire.ca.gov/