fot
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: [Fot] Fire storms

To: <fot@autox.team.net>, "David W. Riddle" <dave@microworks.net>
Subject: Re: [Fot] Fire storms
From: "KEVIN LYNCH" <klynch_6@msn.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2007 13:57:14 -0600
I've just heard units from Peterson AFB down in the 'Springs' are on their way
as their aircraft are fitted with fire suppression systems. Also a group out
of Wyoming are scheduled for a similar assist.

Kevin
RMVR
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: David W. Riddle<mailto:dave@microworks.net>
  To: fot@autox.team.net<mailto:fot@autox.team.net>
  Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 11:56 AM
  Subject: Re: [Fot] Fire storms


  My Dad (retired Army Aviator) works at Camp Pendleton and my Uncle
  Larry (retired first career as an Air Force C-141 Crew Chief)
  recently retired for the second time from Scripps Institute of
  Oceanography as their Climatologist.  Here is a note that Larry just
  sent out to family about the status in San Diego.

  Interesting note about the Fire "departments" stonewalling Military help.

  My Cousin Joe is a Fire Fighter over there and a step brother here in
  AZ is a fire fighter - both with a local City and with the National
  Guard (scheduled to go to Iraq in the Spring)

  ----------------------------

  Everyone appears to be OK here in San Diego.  So far, the fires do
  not appear to be threatening to either Don's apartment in the North
  Park area (I'm not sure of its exact geographic nomenclature) or our
  house here in Clairemont.  I am told that Lori (and Erin?) were
  successfully evacuated, with animals, to El Cajon yesterday.  We have
  not spoken with her directly.

  We're not sure where Joe is right now, but CALFire usually has his
  crew stay on duty in Temecula to provide fire suppression there while
  other Temecula fire fighting assets (also known as Riverside County
  Fire Dept and California Fire (CALFire)) are sent out of town for
  mutual aid.  I don't know if this is his current status.  In any
  case, Temecula does not appear to be threatened at this time.

  The governor has approved the use of military helicopters to assist
  in the fire suppression effort.  This is required by state
  law.  During the Cedars fire (four years ago), then Gov Gray Davis
  refused to let them assist.  However, the local fire agencies are
  still trying to limit their impact.  The military crews are ready to
  take off, but the local fire officials won't let them.  They say they
  can't fly without a local fire fighter on board as an observer to
  coordinate drops.  And they are "trying to locate" fire fighters for this
role.

  Of course, the National Guard, Marine Corps, and the Navy all insist
  the choppers already have an qualified observer on board.  They are
  called crew chiefs.  And they are trained to coordinate all kinds of
  air drops.  They do it all the time in training, in Iraq, and in
  Afghanistan.  Not good enough, according to the fire
  officials.  Speculation is that this has everything to do with union
  politics and little to do with reality.

  All of the military's fire fighting C-130s (all National Guard, I
  believe) are on their way to Southern California.  They were in
  mission preplanning well before their use was authorized.  The
  general in charge of them (at the National Guard Bureau?) stated
  that, if authorization was not received by the time the were ready to
  take off, that he had already scheduled a "training flight" for them
  that would take them to SoCal.  Military can-do.

  Most of the other federal fire fighting aircraft are either here or
  on their way.  The news says there are about 14 aircraft (fixed wing
  and rotor wing) currently making drops.

  More later.

  Larry
  -------------------------------------
  _______________________________________________
  http://www.team.net/donate.html<http://www.team.net/donate.html>

  klynch_6@msn.com<mailto:klynch_6@msn.com>
  Fot mailing list
  Fot@autox.team.net<mailto:Fot@autox.team.net>
  http://autox.team.net/mailman/listinfo/fot<http://autox.team.net/mailman/li
stinfo/fot>
_______________________________________________
http://www.team.net/donate.html

Fot mailing list
Fot@autox.team.net
http://autox.team.net/mailman/listinfo/fot

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>