Retracing steps of firefighters who died in 2006 Esperanza Fire

Small tan rocks crunched under black boots on the feet of 14 men as they hiked up toward a ledge that overlooked the creek drainage where the 2006 Esperanza Fire burned through. The morning was cloudy and the air was crisp with a steady breeze rustling the chaparral that punctured the ground. The group, made up of Rialto Fire Department company and chief officers, had driven through bumpy dirt roads to get to this point. All morning Wednesday, they had been talking about the five firefighters who died in the Esperanza Fire, an arson-caused blaze near Cabazon that burned more than 61 square miles on Oct. 29, 2006. They had been preparing for this day for months, analyzing the conditions surrounding the fire, the quality and effectiveness of strategic and tactical decisions and identifying steps for fire prevention and how it could apply to the Rialto Fire Department. As their SUVs made their way up the narrow, rocky, dirt road, they retraced the route Engine 57 took. While the sky was still dark, Engine 57 arrived at the incident command post, ready to jump into action. The had traveled down Wonderview Road toward what is now known as the Octagon House to watch the fire, which had been steadily burning in the creek drainage. Norm Walker, retired U.S. Forest Service division chief, described the incident as an “area ignition,” when a specific area is spontaneously ignited, and that when he arrived on the scene, the bones of the firefighters were still smoking. Brian Park, battalion chief for the Rialto Fire Department who attended the training before, said the intent behind the exercise was to make the incident resonate with people and create a personal touch. Each participant was assigned one of the deceased firefighters and told to find out everything about them, including their personal lives and how they died...more