5th firefighter dies from injuries:

[The Straight Story]

A fifth U.S. Forest Service firefighter died Tuesday of burns suffered when an engine crew was overrun by a Southern California wildfire, while investigators searched for the arsonist who set the blaze that burned 63 square miles. Pablo Cerda, 23, of Fountain Valley, died at 5:08 p.m. at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton, Jeanne Wade Evans, the San Bernardino National Forest supervisor, said at a news conference outside the hospital. A group of Forest Service firefighters with tears in their eyes stood behind her. "I felt the faith and hope for Pablo’s recovery and actually felt a miracle might be possible,” she said. "Today more sadness is added to our almost unbearable grief." Cerda was burned over 90 percent of his body Thursday as he and the crew of Engine 57 tried to protect a home from wind-driven flames in the San Jacinto Mountains about 90 miles east of Los Angeles. Three other crew members died at the scene and Cerda’s captain died soon after at a hospital.

Cerda underwent extensive removal of damaged skin in an operation Friday but was given a poor prognosis. Dr. Dev Gnanadev said Cerda’s family was given the option of returning him to the operating room but “they decided to let Pablo go.” He was taken off life support. Authorities said the fire was deliberately set early Thursday at the base of a slope in Cabazon, west of Palm Springs, as fierce winds blew through the region. Before firefighters contained it Monday, the blaze scorched 40,200 acres and destroyed 34 homes and 20 outbuildings. A portion of a highway in the fire area remained closed indefinitely for repair. Firefighting costs reached $9.9 million, the California Department of Forestry said. Residents said they saw two young men leaving the area where the fire began. On Tuesday, authorities interviewed previously convicted arsonists who live in the area, said James Crowell, an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives who is leading the investigation. In California, convicted arsonists must register with the county and provide their address.

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/woalert_read.php?lang=eng&id=8205

[Skittles]

1. so dreadfully sad

it amazes me, the every day heroism of firefighters

[The Straight Story]

2. Indeed, I sit here whining about the pain in elbows and knees of late

While people like that are out kicking butt, and my wife lays in bed with parkison's and still finds time to homeschool our daughter as best she can.

My hat off to those brave souls who do their best each day for others, no matter what it takes. True American heroes are not on the playing field, they are fighting fires, helping others, and giving their all for the betterment of fellow humans.

[Skittles]

7. you're a hero too

taking time off to take care of your family - that's a real man to me :)

[La_Fourmi_Rouge]

3. Sleep, sweet sleep...

I was severely burned in an industrial fire many years ago - oddly enough, it happened on October 31. I had slipped and fallen into a puddle of burning woodstain (a toxic, flammable mix of toluene, Ketone, and laquer thinner. The chemicals soaked into my clothing and burned furiously - I can still remember the strange colors of the smoke and flames as they leapt from my body, and the pain is seared into my neural synapses forever. My Nikes melted onto the skin of my feet, and my skin hung from my arms like Spanish moss as my rescuers carried me from the scene.

I spent six weeks in the UCDMC burn unit, getting grafted and so on. The pain was beyond telling; simply incomprehensible, far beyond words to describe - the morphine just barely cut it. And I was one of the lucky patients in that ward! Lord, the screams I heard from the "tub room", where angelic nurses and doctors did the daily debriding and dressing changes, were the stuff of nightmares. Christ, I am crying right now, more than 20 years later...

(The UCDMC burn unit is heavily funded by the firefighters of Sacramento, who hold fundraisers every year - a truly worthy effort by really great folks...)

I confess, when I heard of the grave injuries this fine man suffered, I prayed for his death to come quickly.

May flights of angels carry him to his rest.

[The Straight Story]

4. Damn

I am not sure how to even reply to your reply.

The most chilling thing I have seen this Halloween season - because it is real.

I hope you have taken the time to write all your experiences down somewhere, so that others may share. It is so easy to read something and move on to the next article, but posts like yours makes one think a lot deeper. We see something on the news and cannot relate because we have not been there, but thanks to posts like yours I am able to see a little deeper into what people go through.

I hope all is well with you now, and I am truly saddened at what you must have went through. Peace out my friend.

[malaise]

11. I had superficial burns on

one arm and one leg years ago and discovered why they called it 'burn'. Even the scars are gone but damn it hurt. I can't comprehend what you or those young men experienced. How sad.

[slaveplanet]

5. This whole story has an eerie ring to it

seems we heard this story before...

http://www.spitfirelist.com/f434.html

Summary of FTR#434—Continuing analysis of the ascension of Arnold Schwarzenegger, this program examines the presentation of his political personality in the context of the manner in which Hitler was marketed to the German people. Central to the discussion is the theoretical consideration of the devastating California wildfires of October, 2003 as a possible terrorist act. Skeptics should not fail to note that the fires were: deliberately set, feared and anticipated by the Democratic administration of Gray Davis, exploited by Schwarzenegger & Co. for political purposes, utilized by the Bush administration to pass forestry legislation that had previously been “log-jammed”, blamed on environmentalists, located in the district of recall-financier Darrell Issa, and centered largely in Native American reservations. (Schwarzenegger’s campaign targeted Native American gambling interests.) The fires were also seen as a possible economic stimulus to Southern California—a construction boom was predicted as a possible result of the conflagration. Were these fires—in effect—a “Reichstag Wildfire”?! Were they a deliberate, pre-conceived, and politically-motivated act?!

listen here- http://wfmu.org/listen.ram?show=9614

and here-FTR #440; Much of the program focuses on Schwarzenegger’s role as “Der Emergency Fuehrer”. Creating fiscal emergencies on his own and taking advantage of natural disasters (which may have been deliberately created), Schwarzenegger has been able to project himself as the action hero, stepping in to save the day.
http://wfmu.org/listen.ram?show=10132

[NorthernSpy]

6. Thank God!

Please don't be offended -- that's my honest, instinctive reaction to this news.

To have 95% of your skin melted off your body...


:cry:

There are some wounds so grievous that it seems actually wrong to try to make someone survive them. I feel profoundly grateful that modern medicine did not succeed in torturing the remains of Pablo Cerda back to life.

Rest in peace, Pablo. I hope you never felt the flames.


:cry:

[Skittles]

8. and he worked knowing that was one of the risks of his job

the sheer ordinary heroism of firefighters absolutely amazes me

[NorthernSpy]

9. my Dad was a firefighter in the Air Force

Crash Rescue, but he's worked other types of fires too. I can't even imagine doing things like that.

:scared:

He lived to retire from firefighting, thank heavens.

[Skittles]

10. USAF brat (and veteran) here too

my dad was a USAF meteorologist :)