Dry Creek Complex 2009

On Friday, August 21, 2009, at approximately 1200 hours, three Type 6 engines, an ATV w/firing device and one firefighter on foot were assigned to a burn-out and holding operation in an indirect firefighting strategy to hold a fireline in advance of a wildland fire. The fire behavior was changing rapidly with severe increases in rates of spread. The Captain in one of the holding engines attempted to yell out the window of the engine to tell two firefighters on the ground to get into the engine. However, they were unable to hear this order. There was no attempt to call them on the radio. The two firefighters on the ground did not immediately leave the area. When they did decide to leave--they had to run. They ran east on the road, jumped a fence and ran into a vineyard. The Engine Captain was unable to move the vehicle until the fire had completely surrounded it and then passed by. The Captain, not knowing where the two firefighters were located, radioed that he had lost two firefighters. Hearing that communication, the firefighters radioed that they had left and were OK.

Firing, Entrapment, Engines