Cocos Fire Lower Extremity Burn Injury 2014

On Thursday May 15, 2014, fire personnel from a CAL FIRE strike team and local government agencies were engaged in direct attack on a flank on the Cocos fire in San Marcos. At approximately 1300 hour’s winds increased, with an increase of fire activity; including some spotting. In order to improve the margin of safety personnel choose to enter the black and walk back to their engines. The engine crews traveled across a finger to shorten the walking distance to the engines. Within their walking path some areas had thick ash and some “jackpots” were also present. As the Firefighters approached the engines, some personnel noticed heat convecting through the soles of their boots. Once they returned to their engines the Firefighters observed their boot soles had delaminated, rendering the boots out of service. One Firefighter suffered first and second degree burns to his/her feet. The injured Firefighter was treated at the scene and transported to the University of California San Diego burn center where he/she was examined, treated and released.