By Andrew Roberts, Tumut Headquarters Brigade as told to Jacqueline Murphy, Bush Fire Bulletin
The fire was impressive right from the first day
Last year a friend invited firefighter Andrew Roberts from Tumut Headquarters Brigade to experience America and to see some US firefighting up close. So he saved up his money, bought an air ticket and headed off in August 2009.These are his photographs and his story… As it happens my friend, Alan Simmons is a retired Burbank fire captain and a video photographer with a very keen interest in fires. He makes training videos and he has suggested if there were any fires while I was in the US, I could accompany him. I ended up getting a fair share of flames and smoke as we did get to see one of the largest fires ever seen in California.
26 August 2009 My holiday started with a few weeks of sightseeing but then the firefighting action started late in August. We heard the first fire call come through on the US Forest Services radio on 26 August at 1520hrs – a brush fire in Angeles National Forest. When we heard the call we were out in Alan’s 4WD, so we turned around and headed in the direction of the fire. Listening on the radio, we heard the US
Forest Services arrive on scene and report there was three acres (1.2ha) of heavy brush involved in a rapid spread. The fire made its way into heavy fuel and steep terrain. By the time we arrived the fire had already spread to 25 acres (10ha) and the fire was producing impressive large columns of fire. Later that night canyon winds caused spotting into a larger canyon making it very difficult for firefighters to contain.
27 August 2009 The next day we returned to the same area to observe and record the fire action. We arrived at the entrance of the Angeles National Forest around midday to see flames blazing 20 or 30 metres high and consuming the signage at the front gate.
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