Hyatt Fire Entrapment 1998

E224 had responded to a separate fire along County Road A-3, four miles from another cluser of fires at approximately 1700 hours. The fire was contained and E224 was dispatched to the series of fires on County Road A-3. E224 was assigned to the HYATT FIRE to provide structure protection along Deshane Road. The operator drove on an unimproved road between the fire and a threatened structure. The fire quickly advanced toward the structure. The operator attempted to drive around a horse trailer that was parked on the unimproved road. Visibility was restricted by heavy smoke and unburned fuels. E224's front axle became high centered on a berm, causing the rear of the vehicle to slide two feet downslope. The rear wheels became stuck in the desert sand. E224 caught fire and was soon fully involved. The operator exited through the passenger door and was assisted to the structure above E224. The operator was not wearing personal protective clothing; receiving first and second degree burns to the left arm, with a small blister on the right hand and below the left eye. The operator was treated and released from the local hospital that evening and referred to the burn center at the University of California, Davis.