With BC-Cal Wildfires, Bjt
AP Photo CARF102-103
By JUSTIN PRITCHARD
Associated Press Writer
SAN DIEGO (AP) - The first helicopter pilot to see the patch of
flames that would become the catastrophic Cedar Fire radioed for
aerial water drops, but state firefighters rejected his request
because it came minutes after such flights had been grounded for
the night.
Within hours, the flames cascaded out of control and killed 13
residents between the mountains east of San Diego and the city. It
eventually became the largest wildfire in California history.
Southern California was already besieged by flames Saturday
evening when the San Diego County Sheriff's helicopter went to
search for a lost hunter who allegedly lit a beacon fire.
Pilot Dave Weldon told The Associated Press on Thursday that he
saw state firefighting planes on a nearby airstrip as he approached
the mountains at 110 mph. He called down for help because his
dispatcher had relayed reports of smoke in the area, but got no
response.
That was around 5:45 p.m. A few minutes later, he spotted smoke
from the fire, then only about 50 yards on each side and not
spreading.
As he steadied his helicopter against wind gusts, Weldon's
concern mounted. Just before landing, he called for backup, asking
another county helicopter to speed to the scene with its 120-gallon
water dump bucket. And he urged the dispatcher to contact state
firefighters and renew his request for air tankers.
The problem was that under state safety guidelines, no flights
are allowed to go up into waning daylight. On Saturday, the cutoff
was 5:36 p.m., said Capt. Ron Serabia, the CDF official who
coordinates the 12 tankers and 10 helicopters now battling the
272,000-acre blaze.
The sun set that day at 6:05 p.m.
The helicopter with the dump bucket flew within five miles of
the fire, before state officials told it to turn back. The air
tankers never took off. Weldon was told crews would attack the fire
in the morning.
"We were basically just offering our assistance fighting their
fire, and they turned it down," said Weldon, who with his partner
delivered the hunter to law enforcement officials, who cited him
for setting an unauthorized fire. "I was frustrated about it, but
I wasn't surprised."
Weldon said the county helicopter wouldn't have been allowed to
drop water after dark and said that it alone couldn't have done the
job, but he thought a well-placed drop from the air tanker might
have extinguished the flames.
On Thursday, California's top fire official said he was not
aware of the events and cited state night-flight restrictions.
"If the air tankers and helicopters cannot safely fly based on
daylight, they cannot respond," said Ray Snodgrass, chief deputy
director of the California Department of Forestry. "We certainly
don't want to kill any pilots."
The call from the county dispatcher came minutes after pilots
had left the airstrip in Ramona for the night, Serabia said.
Serabia was off Saturday, but said that if word had arrived
sooner, a plane could have dropped 3,200 gallons of chemical
retardant within eight minutes. What's more, pilots might have
slipped in a second flight because once a plane is engaged, it can
fly up to 30 minutes after cutoff.
"The aircraft would have been able to suppress the fire, or at
least hold it in check," Serabia said.
Still, he said hindsight was pointless.
"It's easy to say 'What if we did this,' or 'What if we did
that,"' said Serabia, a 35-year veteran firefighter. "I'm not
going to second-guess it. That's what we have to live with - what
happened, what transpired from that point after cutoff."
The rules may help save pilots, but they were cold comfort to
the son of one man who died hours after the county helicopter was
called off.
Stephen Shacklett was killed shortly after 3 a.m. Sunday when he
tried to race away from the flames in his motorhome.
Told of Saturday evening's events in the air, his son was
incredulous on Thursday.
"The hugest fire in California history," said Stephen
Shacklett Jr., "and they had a chance to put it out."
---
Associated Press Writers Kim Curtis and Elliot Spagat
contributed to this report.
AP Photo CARF102-103
By JUSTIN PRITCHARD
Associated Press Writer
SAN DIEGO (AP) - The first helicopter pilot to see the patch of
flames that would become the catastrophic Cedar Fire radioed for
aerial water drops, but state firefighters rejected his request
because it came minutes after such flights had been grounded for
the night.
Within hours, the flames cascaded out of control and killed 13
residents between the mountains east of San Diego and the city. It
eventually became the largest wildfire in California history.
Southern California was already besieged by flames Saturday
evening when the San Diego County Sheriff's helicopter went to
search for a lost hunter who allegedly lit a beacon fire.
Pilot Dave Weldon told The Associated Press on Thursday that he
saw state firefighting planes on a nearby airstrip as he approached
the mountains at 110 mph. He called down for help because his
dispatcher had relayed reports of smoke in the area, but got no
response.
That was around 5:45 p.m. A few minutes later, he spotted smoke
from the fire, then only about 50 yards on each side and not
spreading.
As he steadied his helicopter against wind gusts, Weldon's
concern mounted. Just before landing, he called for backup, asking
another county helicopter to speed to the scene with its 120-gallon
water dump bucket. And he urged the dispatcher to contact state
firefighters and renew his request for air tankers.
The problem was that under state safety guidelines, no flights
are allowed to go up into waning daylight. On Saturday, the cutoff
was 5:36 p.m., said Capt. Ron Serabia, the CDF official who
coordinates the 12 tankers and 10 helicopters now battling the
272,000-acre blaze.
The sun set that day at 6:05 p.m.
The helicopter with the dump bucket flew within five miles of
the fire, before state officials told it to turn back. The air
tankers never took off. Weldon was told crews would attack the fire
in the morning.
"We were basically just offering our assistance fighting their
fire, and they turned it down," said Weldon, who with his partner
delivered the hunter to law enforcement officials, who cited him
for setting an unauthorized fire. "I was frustrated about it, but
I wasn't surprised."
Weldon said the county helicopter wouldn't have been allowed to
drop water after dark and said that it alone couldn't have done the
job, but he thought a well-placed drop from the air tanker might
have extinguished the flames.
On Thursday, California's top fire official said he was not
aware of the events and cited state night-flight restrictions.
"If the air tankers and helicopters cannot safely fly based on
daylight, they cannot respond," said Ray Snodgrass, chief deputy
director of the California Department of Forestry. "We certainly
don't want to kill any pilots."
The call from the county dispatcher came minutes after pilots
had left the airstrip in Ramona for the night, Serabia said.
Serabia was off Saturday, but said that if word had arrived
sooner, a plane could have dropped 3,200 gallons of chemical
retardant within eight minutes. What's more, pilots might have
slipped in a second flight because once a plane is engaged, it can
fly up to 30 minutes after cutoff.
"The aircraft would have been able to suppress the fire, or at
least hold it in check," Serabia said.
Still, he said hindsight was pointless.
"It's easy to say 'What if we did this,' or 'What if we did
that,"' said Serabia, a 35-year veteran firefighter. "I'm not
going to second-guess it. That's what we have to live with - what
happened, what transpired from that point after cutoff."
The rules may help save pilots, but they were cold comfort to
the son of one man who died hours after the county helicopter was
called off.
Stephen Shacklett was killed shortly after 3 a.m. Sunday when he
tried to race away from the flames in his motorhome.
Told of Saturday evening's events in the air, his son was
incredulous on Thursday.
"The hugest fire in California history," said Stephen
Shacklett Jr., "and they had a chance to put it out."
---
Associated Press Writers Kim Curtis and Elliot Spagat
contributed to this report.
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