U.S. Fire Administration Firefighter Fatality Notification - Delaware City, DE

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The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatality:

Name: Michelle L. Smith
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 29
Gender: Female
Status: Volunteer
Years of Service: 10
Date of Incident: 12/20/2008 
Time of Incident: 2152hrs
Date of Death: 12/22/2008

Fire Department: Delaware City Fire Company No. 1, Inc.
Address: 815 Fifth Street, PO Box 251, Delaware City, DE 19706 (USNG: 18S VJ 4865 8072)
Map:
http://www.fidnet.com/~jlmoore/usng/?zoom=14&usng=18SVJ48658072&disp=h
Fire Department Chief: James D. Rosseel
Fire Department Website: www.dcfc15.com

Incident Description:  Firefighter Smith was assisting with patient care at the scene of a motorcycle accident. A New Castle County (NCC) Police Officer stopped to assist with traffic control, as rescue and fire police units from Wilmington Manor began to arrive.

A vehicle struck the County Police vehicle then striking Firefighter Smith. The driver of the vehicle then fled the scene. Smith was treated on scene by NCC Paramedics and EMT’s from Minquadale Fire Company. Firefighter Smith was transported to the hospital but succumbed to her injuries after two days of intensive care.

The suspected driver of the vehicle taking Smith’s life was reported to have been apprehended and is expected to be charged with manslaughter, driving with a revoked license, and leaving the scene of an accident.

Incident Location: DuPont Highway and School Lane in the vicinity of the New Castle County Airport (USNG: 18S VJ 4878 9164).

Map View:
http://www.fidnet.com/~jlmoore/usng/?zoom=17&usng=18SVJ48789164&disp=h

Funeral Arrangements: Pending, updates will be posted at: http://www.dcfc15.com/index.cfm

Memorial Fund Contact and Address: Pending, updates will be posted at: http://www.dcfc15.com/index.cfm

Tribute is being paid to Firefighter Michelle L. Smith at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/

To date, 109 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2008 as a result of incidents that occurred in 2008 and one from a prior year incident.  USFA does not have a Line-of-Duty-Death (LODD) criterion nor does it make LODD determinations. Please note, running totals of firefighter fatalities used on these initial notices do not necessarily reflect the number of firefighter fatalities used in totals for the (provisional) monthly year-to-date USFA firefighter fatality reports, or year-end (provisional) reports posted online (http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/statistics/ff_stats.shtm). Firefighter fatalities in USFA reports are summarized by date/year-of-incident. Initial notices posted online (http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/) and distributed via USFA listserve do not represent the final on-duty firefighter fatality determination by USFA for such reports, nor LODD determination made by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (http://www.FireHero.org) for names added each subsequent year to the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial at the National Fire Academy in  Emmitsburg, MD, they are the beginning of a research process for each firefighter fatality reported so that such determinations can be made.

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The United States Fire Administration recommends everyone should have a comprehensive fire protection plan that includes smoke alarms, residential sprinklers, and practicing a home fire escape plan.

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U.S. Fire Administration · U.S. Department of Homeland Security · Emmitsburg, MD 21727 · (301) 447-1000

U.S. Fire Administration General Training News Update

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You are subscribed to General Training News for U.S. Fire Administration. This information has recently been updated, and is now available.

NATIONAL FIRE ACADEMY APPLICATION PERIOD

REMINDER!!      REMINDER!!       REMINDER!!

 

Don’t forget!  It’s not too late to get your application in for National Fire Academy classes scheduled for April 1 – September 30, 2009.  Applications must be postmarked by December 31, 2008 in order to be considered for placement in second semester classes.  Don’t forget to get your Chief of Department to sign your application before you send it in. 

You can mail your application or fax it!

Mail to:

NETC Admissions Office
16825 South Seton Avenue
Emmitsburg, MD  21727

Fax to:  301-447-1441

Download the General Admission Application (FEMA Form 75-5) from the website at:  http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/nfa/about/attend/apply.shtm

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The United States Fire Administration recommends everyone should have a comprehensive fire protection plan that includes smoke alarms, residential sprinklers, and practicing a home fire escape plan.

Update your subscriptions, modify your password or e-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your e-mail address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please contact support@govdelivery.com.

This service is provided to you at no charge by the U.S. Fire Administration.

Privacy Policy | GovDelivery is providing this information on behalf of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and may not use the information for any other purposes.

U.S. Fire Administration · U.S. Department of Homeland Security · Emmitsburg, MD 21727 · (301) 447-1000

U.S. Fire Administration Civilian Fire Fatality Notification Update

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You are subscribed to the U.S. Fire Administration's (USFA) Civilian Fire Fatality Notices e-mail list. Notices have recently been added and are now available.

Thursday, December 18

The Nation's news media is reporting the following residential fire (non-arson) fatalities:

• 3 dead – Occurred Wednesday, 12/17 – Dodge County, GA (Macon, GA):  Three people, ages 40, 38, and nine-years-old were killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The home had no working smoke alarms.
• 1 dead – Occurred Wednesday, 12/17 – Jackson, MS:  A 22-year-old woman was killed in a home fire. Fire officials believe the fire was caused by an overheated extension cord.
• 1 dead – Occurred Wednesday, 12/17 – Alma City, MN (Minneapolis –St. Paul, MN):  A 72-year-old man was killed in a home fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
• 1 dead – Occurred Tuesday, 12/16 – San Francisco, CA:  An elderly woman was killed in an apartment fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

To find out more about any of the reported incidents, please contact news media in the vicinity where the fatal fire occurred. USFA does not have any additional information other than what is listed here.  

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The United States Fire Administration recommends everyone should have a comprehensive fire protection plan that includes smoke alarms, residential sprinklers, and practicing a home fire escape plan.

Update your subscriptions, modify your password or e-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your e-mail address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please contact support@govdelivery.com.

This service is provided to you at no charge by the U.S. Fire Administration.

Privacy Policy | GovDelivery is providing this information on behalf of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and may not use the information for any other purposes.

U.S. Fire Administration · U.S. Department of Homeland Security · Emmitsburg, MD 21727 · (301) 447-1000

Notice of Firefighter Fatality - Haugan, MT

Notice of Firefighter Fatality - Haugen, MT

Name: Jerry Parrick
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 59
Gender: Male
Status: Volunteer
Years of Service: Unk
Date of Incident: 12/17/2008
Time of Incident: 1200hrs
Date of Death: 12/17/2008 
Fire Department: West End Volunteer Fire Department 
Fire Department Address: Haugan, MT 59842 (11T PN 1947 4943)
Fire Department Chief: Bruce Charles

Incident Description: Firefighter Parrick was inside of his personal vehicle warning motorists with his truck’s emergency lighting.  He was stopped on a curved section of roadway near the scene of a motor vehicle accident. A FedEx semi-tractor trailer slowed and attempted to move to another lane of travel but was unable to successfully do so, striking Parrick's vehicle. Firefighter Parrick was partially ejected from his truck and passed away at the scene from his injuries.  Weather and road conditions were reported to have been possible contributing factors to the initial and subsequent accident.

Incident Location: Interstate 90 near mile marker 17 (USNG: 11T PN 2229 4821) 

Map View:

http://www.fidnet.com/~jlmoore/usng/?zoom=14&usng=11TPN22294821&disp=h
 

Funeral Arrangements:  Pending
Memorial Fund Contact and Address:  Pending 
Tribute is being paid to Firefighter Jerry Parrick at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/ 

To date, 108 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2008 as a result of incidents that occurred in 2008 and one from a prior year incident. USFA does not have a Line-of-Duty-Death (LODD) criterion nor does it make LODD determinations. Please note, running totals of firefighter fatalities used on these initial notices do not necessarily reflect the number of firefighter fatalities used in totals for the(provisional) monthly year-to-date USFA firefighter fatality reports, or year-end (provisional) reports posted online(http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/statistics/ff_stats.shtm)

Firefighter fatalities in USFA reports are summarized by date/year-of-incident. Initial notices posted online(http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/) and distributed via USFA listserve do not represent the final on-duty firefighter fatality determination by USFA for such reports, nor LODD determination made by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (http://www.FireHero.org)for names added each subsequent year to the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, MD,they are the beginning of a research process for each firefighter fatality reported so that such determinations can be made. 

  

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Update your subscriptions, modify your password or e-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your e-mail address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please contact support@govdelivery.com.

This service is provided to you at no charge by the U.S. Fire Administration.

Privacy Policy | GovDelivery is providing this information on behalf of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and may not use the information for any other purposes.

U.S. Fire Administration · U.S. Department of Homeland Security · Emmitsburg, MD 21727 · (301) 447-1000

Would-be Rochester firefighters' claims dismissed

Would-be Rochester firefighters' claims dismissed

A federal district judge has dismissed a discrimination lawsuit brought against the city of Rochester by two applicants for firefighter jobs.

U.S. District Judge Joan Ericksen issued her ruling Monday in the lawsuit brought by David Torgerson and Jami Mundell against the city.

Torgersen, an American Indian, and Mundell, a woman, brought the action, claiming discrimination when the city passed over them two years ago in favor of seven white men to fill firefighter vacancies. The fire chief at the time, David Kapler, testified he did not recommend Torgerson, Mundell and another woman because they did not "demonstrate themselves to be equally or better qualified" than the recommended candidates.

Oral arguments were given in federal court in Minneapolis in September and the judge took the matter under advisement.

In a 24-page ruling, Ericksen said Torgerson and Mundell presented no evidence discrediting the city's reason for not hiring them or giving rise to an inference of discrimination.

Ericksen went over in detail the claims raised by Torgerson and Mundell and explained why they failed to establish that their claims of discrimination should survive the city's motion for summary judgment.

The judge also noted that Torgerson and Mundell relied heavily on the opinion of Pat Carr, a city council member, in support of their claims. Ericksen said Carr lacks personal knowledge of the challenged hiring process and said many of his opinions were couched as legal conclusions. She said Carr's opinions are inadmissible.

The hiring process that led to the claims began in the fall of 2005 when 48 candidates were certified for the firefighter eligibility list. That included Torgerson, Mundell and another white female. The three were in a protected group of candidates.

At the end of the written and agility phases of the exam, Torgerson ranked 41st and Mundell ranked 46th. Both advanced to the panel interview phase. Mundell and Torgerson scored 37th and 41st in that phase.

The Fire Civil Service Commission then certified a list of candidates to fill seven positions. That list included Mundell and Torgerson. All were then interviewed by Kapler, the chief at the time.

Are you the best qualified candidate?

Military jet crashes in San Diego neighborhood - Los Angeles Times

Military jet crashes in San Diego neighborhood - Los Angeles Times

Reporting from San Diego -- It was meant to be a routine training mission: a young Marine pilot sharpening his skills flying an F/A-18D Hornet from the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln off the San Diego coast.

But as the plane had lifted off the carrier deck, the pilot quickly knew he was in trouble, possibly with a malfunction in one of the plane's engines. He radioed the air controller at Miramar, who ordered the emergency landing attempt.

As the plane crossed over land at Torrey Pines en route to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, more problems struck, possibly "flame-out" of a second engine. The plane lost altitude and began to wobble.

Residents of the University City neighborhood west of Miramar, accustomed to the sight of warplanes overhead, looked up and knew something was terribly wrong.

Within seconds, the plane nosed downward and picked up speed, clipping the top of a jacaranda tree and smashing into a Cather Avenue home where a mother, a grandmother and two children lived. Skid marks could be seen on the driveway.

Three of the persons in the home were later confirmed dead, and the fourth missing. Burning debris and the smell of jet fuel spread in all directions.

Three houses and four vehicles were destroyed by flames, 20 homes were evacuated and the University City neighborhood was covered in thick, acrid black smoke. Neighborhood schools were put on lockdown as officials scrambled to find the cause of the explosions and fireball.

The pilot had parachuted moments before the crash, landing safely in a tree between the homes and Interstate 805 about two miles from Miramar. Neighbors said they saw the pilot wandering around in a daze.

Jason Widmer, who was working in the neighborhood, talked to the pilot after he ejected and landed. The pilot said he had tried to steer to into a brushy canyon to avoid homes.

"He was pretty shook up," Widmer said. "And pretty concerned if he had killed anyone. He had seen his bird go into a house."

The Marine Corps said the pilot, described as a lieutenant in his 20s, was taken to Naval Medical Center San Diego with minor injuries.

Click the link above for the rest of the story.

Hot Flashes

Household heating fire safety cartoon from the NFPA. 1:01

Report lauds California as country’s most affordable higher education option - San Jose Mercury News

Report lauds California as country’s most affordable higher education option - San Jose Mercury News

California's vast system of inexpensive community colleges has earned the state the top ranking — and the only passing grade in the nation — in a new analysis of America's college affordability.

But that distinction may be short lived as the state proposes tuition increases at its system of 109 community colleges and eyes budget cuts at its four-year universities. Until then, the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education concludes that California schools' easy access is unique across the country.

"Children from even the poorest family can afford to attend,'' said Joni Finney, vice president of the Center. "We found that no other state has a such a public policy in place.''

California was the only state to receive a passing grade in affordability from the San Jose-based center, which conducted the national study. It also ranked well above the national average in a measure of residents who have a bachelor's degree.

Tribes

Tribes
A new book by Seth Godin: TRIBES

This page gives you links and information about my book, Tribes.

Already an Amazon bestseller, the book is short and small and simple. It argues, as clearly as I am capable, that leadership is the best marketing tactic to any organization--a company, a school, a church, a job seeker.

Our role today is to find, connect and lead tribes in order to make change happen.

Lots of great links and information on this site!

Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School | Brain Rules |

Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School | Brain Rules |
This is really a great book! Check out the website for video and more discussion.

Here is why you should hang up and drive!


Male and female brains are different, especially when dealing with trauma...what are the implications of this on a fire, rescue or ems call?


Why you can't multi-task:


Did you know that you have a Jennifer Aniston neuron in your brain? True dat!Check it out! lol

Seth Godin On How To Build And Lead Your Tribe. : Mixergy.com

Seth Godin On How To Build And Lead Your Tribe. : Mixergy.com
Here is a link to the video and audio recordings of the lecture on Tribes, by Seth Godin. A truly excellent speech and incredible relevant to starting a new career, the fire service, fire prevention and especially public fire education.
Enjoy!

Body found in bedroom of burning duplex in Santa Ana | fire, caswell, firefighters, santa, bedroom - News - OCRegister.com

Body found in bedroom of burning duplex in Santa Ana | fire, caswell, firefighters, santa, bedroom - News - OCRegister.com
SANTA ANA – Firefighters battling a duplex fire this afternoon discovered a body in a bedroom, authorities said.

The fire was reported at 12:28 p.m. after neighbors heard an explosion at a single-story duplex at 3502 West Calle del Sur, near Jackson Street, said Santa Ana Fire Department Capt. Chris Caswell.

The fire was under control in seven minutes with the help of 23 firefighters, Caswell said.

Firefighters discovered the body in the bedroom, where the fire is believed to have started, Caswell said.

Fire arson investigators and Santa Ana police are trying to determine the cause and origin of the fire, Caswell said.

our lady of the angels fire 95 students killed 50th anniversary -- chicagotribune.com

our lady of the angels fire 95 students killed 50th anniversary -- chicagotribune.com

On Dec. 1, 1958, a fire consumed Our Lady of the Angels grade school on the West Side of Chicago, killing 92 children and three nuns.

A wire story from that day captured a fragment of the desperation:

"Max Stachura stood outside the burning building, begging his little boy, Mark, 9, to jump into his arms. Children were falling all about the father and he caught or stopped the fall of 12 of them. But little Mark was too frightened or he didn't understand his father. Mark didn't jump."

Fifty years later, Mark's mother has the day in crisp focus, and adds a missing detail.

As Mark stood at that second-floor window, fire to his back, he held a small statue in his hand and waved it proudly through the black smoke, hoping his father would notice. Mark had won the statue that day — a figure of an infant Jesus — for being first to answer a quiz question.

"I guess he was just so proud of that prize," said Mary Stachura, now in a retirement home in Bartlett. "I don't think he really understood what was happening."

Few of the children trapped in the school could have grasped the enormity of the danger they faced, and few of the panicky adults on the ground — parents and neighbors and firefighters — had time to reflect. They acted, grabbing ladders of all lengths from garages, reaching through broken windows to haul small, waterlogged bodies from the flames.

Max Stachura watched as other children pushed his son back, away from the window and into the flames. The boy was later identified by a homework sheet crumpled in his pocket.

Max rarely spoke of that day. He died suddenly of a heart attack at 52.

"He was much too young," said Mary, now 85. "That fire. It changed everything."

The fire at Our Lady of the Angels remains one of the worst tragedies in Chicago's history, a ghastly few hours on a cold, sunny afternoon that shattered families and knocked a hopeful, growing community forever off its path.

The cause of the fire was never officially determined, and no one was held accountable. Some parents who lost a child--or children-- found ways to blame each other and wound up divorced. Others sold their tidy two flats and moved away, hastening the flight of the middle class from the city's West Side.

"It seems as though people just couldn't get far enough away," said Jill Grannan, a curator at the Chicago History Museum. "That school and that parish is one that had a lot of people. It had a growing population. There was such a boom, and then people really just had to leave.

"I don't think the community ever really came back."

Few in the neighborhood now would recall the blaze. But for parents and firefighters, journalists and now-grown schoolchildren, the memories remain etched in intricate detail.

Steve Lasker, then a photographer for The Chicago American newspaper, was driving along Grand Avenue, heading to his newsroom after an assignment in Elmwood Park. He heard a call come over a radio tuned to the police frequency: "They're jumping out the windows!"

"But I didn't know where it was," Lasker said. A fire engine cut in front of him and he quickly turned to follow. He parked on Iowa Street and headed toward the smoke, stopping abruptly when he saw the school on Avers Avenue in flames.

"I froze for a few seconds, or maybe it was minutes, I don't know, I couldn't tell," said Lasker, now 78. "Oh my God, there's still kids in there. Mayhem was going on and they started pulling kids out of there left and right."

From atop a fire truck, Lasker shot one of the most iconic photos of the day. It showed a helmeted firefighter, his face drawn in sorrow, carrying the soaking wet, lifeless body of 10-year-old John Jajkowski Jr. from the building.

Just 28 and the father of a 6-month-old girl, Lasker felt his stomach churn as he watched the rescue through the lens of his camera. The cold wind froze tracks of tears on his face. Though many photos were published, 20 years would pass before he would voluntarily show them to anyone.

Click the title above to read the rest of the story.

Building Tribes

Click through to see the plexo

Create Your Communications Experience: Transformational Election - Transformational Speech!

What makes a good speech?
Read the discussion below on President-Elect Obama's acceptance speech. (Click the title above to go directly to the website.) Which of these factors can you incorporate into your next speech?

Create Your Communications Experience: Transformational Election - Transformational Speech!

A rare moment of opportunity and execution came together in the Presidential Election and the victory speech. The election itself was transformational - that's not for this blog to expound as there are enough others talking, blogging and twittering over that major event.

Barack Obama gave a once in a decade speech in accepting the Presidency. He has an incredible ability to move people with oratory in both his behavior and content - and he took advantage of that when he had his most important audience of perhaps hundreds of millions of people across the world.

* Presidential: He looked and spoke like a President. Whether you voted for him or not, if you weren't impressed you were not looking and listening. He did all the right things, under pressure.

* All About You: He talked about the people of his campaign, the people of his country, and the people who did not vote for him. He did not gloat, but he spoke as one who wanted to unite. This speech was not about him.

* On Point: He had a Point Of View, and stayed on message - just as his campaign did. It was all about change. Change from a country of slavery to a country where a black man could be elected President. Change from a broken country to a healing country. It was a disciplined speech, just as he ran a disciplined campaign.

* Story: He used his usual picturesque language, and had a great story of Ann Nixon Cooper, a 106 year old woman from Atlanta who waited to vote for 4 hours. She was born a generation from slavery, and when women couldn't vote, couldn't drive and couldn't fly. Powerful contrasts to today, and the task at hand.

* Likability: This is one of the most important factors in communicating - and determines most elections by influencing the undecideds. Barack Obama has the unique quality of being both Presidential and likable. He is measured (actually professorial), easy going yet energetic. He smiles, has an open face and appears thoughtful (a listener). His personality and ability to connect with eyes, gesture and voice is impressive, and certainly helped him influence the vote in his favor. And those behaviors all came to the fore in this memorable speech.

There is more, and there are some things he could do better. But that's for another time. Tonight is President-elect Obama's night - and he took advantage of the opportunity to bring others along with him. That's what a great speech does.

Where croissants come from!

The Associated Press: Astronaut who lost tool bag admits making mistake

The Associated Press: Astronaut who lost tool bag admits making mistake

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The astronaut who lost her tool bag on a spacewalk admitted Wednesday that she made a mistake by not checking to see if the sack was tied down, and said she's still smarting over the whole thing.

Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper said in an interview with The Associated Press that it was "very disheartening" to lose her bag full of tools. She was trying to clean up grease that had oozed out of a grease gun in the backpack-size bag, when the tote and everything in it floated away Tuesday.

The bag was one of the largest items ever lost by a spacewalking astronaut.

For a split second, she thought she might be able to grab it and she tried to judge how far away it was. Just as quickly, "I thought, no, that would probably just make things worse and the best thing to do would be to just let it go."

"There's still the psychological thing of knowing that we made a mistake and having to live through that," she said. "During the spacewalk ... it was easy to put it aside because I knew that we still had five hours of spacewalk work to do and the work needed to get done and you can't dwell on a mistake. It was hardest coming back in and having to face everybody else."

Click the title above to read the rest of the story.

Firefighter's stand saves homes of former neighbors

Los Angeles County Fire Capt. David Yonan arrived at the Oakridge Mobile Home Park to find it mostly destroyed. His perseverance helped save 131 homes.

Read Capt Yonan's story by clicking the title above. This story made me think of The Starfish Story printed below. Capt. Yonan's actions made the difference.

What difference will YOU- or do you- make in your career? What difference can you make today?

The Starfish Story
adapted from The Star Thrower
by Loren Eiseley (1907 - 1977)

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.

He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"

The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."

"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.

To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "It made a difference for that one."

Wildfires: Did low water pressure hinder the fight?

Residents in Yorba Linda and Sylmar had complained of poor flow for years. But some officials say no system is designed to handle the kind of demand that arose over the weekend.
By Jeff Gottlieb and Tony Barboza
November 19, 2008

Residents of Yorba Linda, where fire destroyed 118 homes, had complained for years of poor water pressure, a problem that may have made it more difficult for firefighters to beat back the weekend blaze that tore through the upscale community.

In Sylmar, where about 500 mobile homes burned to the ground, fire officials said they were investigating reports of lack of water pressure there. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power supplies water to the Oakridge Mobile Home Park property line, but inside, the water system belongs to the park.

In both areas, residents and some officials were openly discussing whether the lack of water pressure complicated the already monumental task that firefighters faced.

Fire officials in Sylmar are checking to see if their department had inspected the mobile home park hydrants as required in the last year, said Craig Fry, assistant fire marshal for the Los Angeles Fire Department.

County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said he was at the mobile home park after the fire burned through on Saturday, and firefighters told him that hydrants had stopped working and they were forced to use their water tenders instead.

"We would have had a fair shot if the pressure hadn't gone down," said Battalion Chief Fred Mathis, as he sat in his firetruck in the mobile home park Saturday.

A representative of the company that owns the park, Continental Mobile Housing, said he was busy at Oakridge and did not have time to talk.

Farther south, Ken Vecchiarelli, assistant general manager of the Yorba Linda Water District, said its hydrant system was built to fight fires involving a few houses, not a firestorm.

"This was the type of thing any system in any community was not designed for," he said.

At a packed meeting at Yorba Linda City Hall on Tuesday night, residents, many of whose homes had burned, expressed anger.

"I was told when they [firefighters] got to the top of our street, they turned back because there was no water pressure," said Diane Manista, whose house burned down in the hard-hit neighborhood of Hidden Hills.

"The fire hydrant in front of our house has a bag on it and wasn't even working. It's beyond words."

Click the link above for the rest of the story.

Bonfire built by students caused Montecito fire, sheriff says

The students did it!! Say it aint so.....Click the link above for the full story, or enjoy the video...