Firefighters Get Look at Latest Blaze-Battling Equipment

Firefighters from across the country attended an exhibition sponsored by the California Department of Forestry on Monday, searching for new equipment to better protect pockets of homes that are increasingly sprouting in former wilderness areas.

State-of-the-art equipment, from newly designed fire engines to infrared detection systems, will be on display and evaluated by more than 500 fire officials during the weeklong “Firestop II” demonstration at Camp Pendleton.

Although firefighters upgrade and improve equipment year after year and often share technological advancements, an assembly of this size had not been held since “Firestop I,” which was also held at Camp Pendleton 35 years ago in 1954.

Much of the equipment and strategies--for example, using helicopters to reinforce ground crews--introduced at Firestop I are still in use today, said Jack Wiest, CDF chief of planning and research.

Need Was Apparent

A need for Firestop II became increasingly apparent in recent years as sprawl has put homes into once-secluded areas. Firefighters say new equipment capable of quickly reaching and protecting such homes is needed, since many are far from fire departments.

“Although we have always had a hard-hitting, aggressive policy against fires, there are some agencies that practice a let-burn policy,” Wiest said. “When you’re dealing with natural resources alone, sometimes that’s acceptable. But that can’t be done now when you have to protect lives and homes.”

According to Wiest, there are now about 2 million dwelling units, housing 7 million people within the 33 million acres that the California Department of Forestry is responsible for protecting.

“Until now, firefighters only needed equipment to handle either wildfires or structural fires,” Wiest said. “Now we need equipment that can do both.”

Among the many items on display, the department is particularly interested in the Model 2000 fire engine that “can roll through a wall of flame” and infrared detection systems that can spot flames that often become invisible in smoke, said Richard Ernest, CDF director.

“Sometimes there’s so much smoke, you can’t see anything,” Ernest said. “A commander could send crews to a site where he thinks the fire is, but, in reality, the fire could me more than a mile away.”

Demand for such special equipment rose again last year after the “49er fire” that burned 34,000 acres and destroyed 400 structures, including 200 homes, near Nevada City, according to Wiest.

“All of North County, here in San Diego, is susceptible to just that kind of fire,” Wiest said. “That’s why we need this equipment.”