Blue Sheet - (24 hour report) - Nicolaus Fire Burnover

BLUE SHEET
PRELIMINARY SUMMARY
REPORT

Nicolaus Fire Burnover
Brush 73 & Brush 75
June 11, 2008
CA-NEU-012363
CA-CNR-000035
(Accident Review Incident Number)

This Preliminary Summary Report is intended as an aid in accident prevention, and to provide factual information from the first 24 hours of the accident review. To that end it is published and distributed within a short time frame. Information contained within may be subject to revision as further investigation is conducted, and other reports and documents are received.

SYNOPSIS

On June 11, 2008, Placer County Fire Department Brush 75 (BR 75) and Brush 73 (BR 73) were involved in a burnover accident during suppression activities on the Nicolaus Fire, west of Lincoln, California. The burnover resulted in burn injuries to two CAL FIRE Firefighters and one Placer County Volunteer Firefighter. Both engines were destroyed by the fire.

NARRATIVE

On June 11, 2008 at 0949 hours, Placer County Fire units were dispatched to a vegetation fire at Nicolaus Road near Dowd Road, west of the City of Lincoln in Placer County. The fire occurred during a north wind event under a Red Flag Warning. BR 75, staffed with one Placer County Volunteer Firefighter, arrived first at scene reporting a wind driven five acre fire. BR 75 drove down a dirt road paralleling the left flank of the fire. Engine 70 (E70) arrived and reported 7-10 acres with no structures threatened and assumed incident command (IC). BR 73 arrived next, staffed with one CAL FIRE Fire Apparatus Engineer and one Firefighter I. BR 73 followed BR 75 down the dirt road on the left flank. The right flank was inaccessible at this time.

Approximately seven minutes into the fire, E70 (IC) reported that units were being burned over. Appropriate EMS was requested.

The volunteer firefighter from BR 75 sought refuge on the leeward side of the apparatus. The fire intensity continued to increase and he retreated to safety, crossing a barbed wire fence, into a stubble field immediately to the east of the dirt road. He was met by apparatus and personnel from Lincoln Fire Department and escorted to ambulance personnel.

The CAL FIRE Firefighters from BR 73 tried to seek refuge in the cab, but were quickly overrun. They retreated through the flame front to the west, into the burn. Both of the firefighters walked north through the burn and exited where E70 was parked on Nicolaus Road.

All firefighters were treated and transported to UC Davis Medical Center. The volunteer firefighter from BR 75 received burns to the nose, was treated and released. The firefighters from BR 73 remain in the Burn Unit in stable condition with burns to the face and hands. They are expected to remain at UC Davis Medical Center for 7 to 10 days.

The Nicolaus Fire was contained at 1140 hours to 65 acres on June 11, 2008.

IMMEDIATE OBSERVATIONS

• Situational Awareness including 10’s & 18’s, LCES, Common Denominators and fire weather advisories, warnings and watches.
• Mandatory use of full PPE.