Fire Chiefs Discuss Critique of Calabasas-Malibu Tactics

Three fire chiefs said Friday that their departments’ report criticizing tactics used in fighting last fall’s destructive Calabasas-Malibu wildfire is intended to prevent future injuries to firefighters, not to point an accusing finger at anyone for the injuries in the blaze.

Los Angeles Fire Chief William Bamattre, Glendale Fire Chief Richard Hinz and Los Angeles County Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman--whose department was in charge of battling the fire--called the news conference at the county’s fire headquarters in East Los Angeles. They discussed the report that blamed poor leadership and judgment--not simply the uncontrollable advance of flames--for the injuries to 10 firefighters deployed above a flare-up in the Malibu Bowl area.

The report--dated Jan. 22 and made public Thursday--concluded that the 10 firefighters from the Glendale and Los Angeles city fire departments were placed in peril by an inexperienced group of commanders who failed to recognize the danger of the situation.

Freeman said that while inexperience is “the key” to what went wrong, a highly unusual combination of temperatures, winds, heavy brush and a very steep slope contributed to the problem, making recognition of the sudden danger very difficult.

The chiefs said improved training techniques are being developed in an effort to lessen the threat to the men and women who must “go in harm’s way” to protect lives and property during wildfires.

“The purpose is not to place blame,” Bamattre said. “It’s to identify things we can improve to prevent this from happening again.”