Photo By Laurie Pearson | Firefighters use hand tools to ensure that fire does not spread from one tree to...... read more read more
Two firefighters with Fire and Emergency Services aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Calif., were among thousands called to respond to Mendocino Complex, Carr Fire and Cranston Fire this month.
Nathan Beber, and Derek Sutton, firefighters with FES, responded as single resources to work with teams as Fireline Emergency Medical Technicians and Fireline Paramedics. Firefighter and EMT Beber served on the Cranston Fire located near Idyllwild for approximately one week. He was then sent to the Mendocino Complex, which encompasses both the River Fire and Ranch Fire where he worked for another 16 days. Firefighter and paramedic Sutton was assigned to the Carr Fire for a total of 23 days.
“As a Line EMT, our primary function is to care for injured or ill firemen so that they can do their jobs,” Beber said. “We are assigned a paramedic and work together as a team. I was assigned a paramedic from Chino Fire. We helped one firefighter with a broken foot and assisted him off of the mountain.”
They also did a night rescue which took approximately 45 minutes to reach the firefighter as he was located down a steep canyon, he explained. They brought him out to a dozer line which teams build in order to assist with containing fires. From there the firefighter was hoisted out by Sac Metro Fire and flown to a hospital.
In addition to the more dramatic injuries, the EMT and paramedic teams also deal with a number of relatively minor issues such as firefighters or other responders with poison oak and bee stings, as well as those in need of aspirin, lip balm and moleskin.
“The main goal of our job is to assist firefighters and other first responders with whatever they need in order for them to keep working if able,” Beber said.
“The single resource program at MCLB Barstow is relatively new, with each assignment we continue to look for opportunities to improve,” said Ryan Tworek, deputy fire chief with MCLB Barstow’s FES. “Our overall goal of the single resource program is to assist California during these destructive wildfires even if it is only with a few people.”
The Carr Fire on which Sutton served, burned nearly 230 thousand acres and is 93 percent contained according to the latest update by Cal Fire. The fire destroyed 1079 residences, 22 commercial structures and 530 outbuildings, in Shasta and Trinity Counties. Four civilians and three firefighters lost their lives on that fire.
The Mendocino Complex, containing the two fires, was noted as the largest fire in California history. As reported by Cal Fire, the prior largest was the Thomas Fire, which burned approximately 281 thousand acres in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties in December 2017 and January 2018. Now, within the Mendocino Complex, Cal Fire and Mendocino National Forest, under unified command with Interagency Incident Management Team California Team 1, report that the Ranch Fire alone has burned over 355 thousand acres, making it the single largest fire in California history. Containment is currently 67 percent. The overall acreage burned on the Complex is now over 404 thousand acres with overall containment of 74 percent. A total of 157 residences and 120 outbuildings have been destroyed. During the fire, so far four firefighters have been reported to have serious injuries, and one firefighter lost his life when a tree fell on him.
“The single resource medical assignments are of vital importance because they are assigned to these fires with the primary responsibility of caring for the firefighters on scene,” Tworek said.
Upon arrival home, the firefighters agree that their first task is to rest, then return to their usual routines as quickly as possible, such as spending time with family and returning to work. Meanwhile they await their next call out to respond on another incident in what Cal Fire now deems as an unprecedented 12 month fire season.
| Date Taken: | 08.23.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 08.23.2018 12:51 |
| Story ID: | 289993 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 69 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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