Subscribe
Jim Miller, a retired Camp Pendleton assistant fire chief, recently met with Camp Pendleton firefighters to discuss lessons learned from a brush fire in 1966 that resulted in the death of five Marines.
The discussion focused on how weather affected fire progression, response procedures, fire suppression techniques and search and rescue tactics used during the operation. Miller talked about his experience while leading them through Brush Canyon, giving insight on what plans did and didn’t work during the 1966 fire.
“It came over the top of the ridgeline and then funneled into the canyon,” said Miller. “That’s where the Marines were at.’”
Miller noted that the fires had blocked the Marines in from behind and that there had been no way to contact them. He stressed the importance of communication.
“Wildland tactics and strategies have grown so much in the last 10 or 15 years, but the takeaways are the same when it comes to communication on any fire ground,” said Thomas C. Thompson, Camp Pendleton Fire Chief. “The same thing happens and that is proven in every wild land fatality fire.”
“It was a little bit humbling, especially the story he was telling,” said Amanda Smith, a firefighter of eight years about meeting Miller. “It’s always nice to see when retired guys come down and give us an idea of what things were like when they worked here. I think every story, good or bad, we will always learn from it.”
| Date Taken: | 08.30.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 09.08.2017 02:41 |
| Story ID: | 247398 |
| Location: | CAMP PENDLETON, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 44 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Retired Fire Chief visits 22 Area Firestation, by Sgt Francisco Diaz, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
LEAVE A COMMENT