California Fire News

Sunday, December 16, 2007

California Fire News

Burglary Arrests Made in Grass Valley Fire Area

Posted: 15 Dec 2007 06:54 PM CST

By G.T. Houts

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Lake Arrowhead, CA – San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputies have been making extra area checks of the Grass Valley and Slide Fire areas since a "state of emergency" was declared by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Friday (December 14) deputies made two more felony arrests of individuals who allegedly burglarized or looted dwellings within the emergency zone.

Twin Peaks officers arrested Heather Mignon Puckett, 39, and Brian Randolph Gerold, 45, shortly after 4:00 pm in the 900 block of Trinity Drive in Lake Arrowhead. Both were charged with violating California Penal Code Section 463(a) for second-degree burglary during and within an affected county in a "state of emergency" or a "local emergency" resulting from an earthquake, fire flood, riot, or other natural or manmade disaster.

Deputies, who also charged Puckett with two counts of failure to appear in court and possession of stolen property, placed Puckett under arrest at 1:39 pm. She was transported to the Central Detention Center in San Bernardino and booked at 4:14 pm. Bail was set at $50,000 on the second-degree burglary count and $25,000 for failure to appear.

Gerold, whose bail was also set at $50,000, was arrested at 1:39 p.m. and booked at the Central Detention Center at 4:10 p.m.

Both remained in custody early Saturday morning.

Source: RIMOFTHEWORLD.net - Columns: Burglary Arrests Made in Grass Valley Fire Area

News: Poomacha fire - Riot on the Crew bus story

Posted: 15 Dec 2007 05:03 PM CST

Inmate firefighters pulled after melee during California fires

SACRAMENTO—Two inmate firefighting crews were pulled away during the height of the wind-driven wildfires that flared across Southern California this fall, after a "riot" broke out on their bus, according to documents obtained Friday.

White and Hispanic inmates began fighting in the back of a crew bus while they were supposed to be fighting the Poomacha fire in San Diego County, according to reports obtained by the Associated Press. Other inmates had to be separated after they moved to join the fight, the reports say.

The Poomacha fire burned nearly 50,000 acres near Highway 76 near Pauma Valley, destroying 217 homes and other buildings. It was one of more than a dozen fires driven by Santa Ana winds that burned 800 square miles and destroyed 2,196 homes.

San Diego Sheriff's spokeswoman Jan Caldwell confirmed that deputies were called to the scene by fire captains to maintain order until more prison guards could arrive. The reports say about 10 deputies kept the two racial groups separated after the fighting stopped.

"It's very rare that there are any kind of incidents among fire crew inmates," said Seth Unger, spokesman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. "The benefits of this program far outweigh the very few small incidents like this one, which was controlled very quickly."

The department had 3,100 inmates fighting fires that day, "one of the largest deployments we've had in our history," Unger said. Inmate crews annually spend three million hours fighting fires, he said, saving taxpayers $80 million a year.

The two inmate crews were sent to a maximum security prison, while their entire unit was sent back to its base at Gabilan Conservation Camp in Soledad, according to the reports.

Four inmates were administratively charged with "participating in a riot" and sent to segregation cells after the Oct. 27 incident, the reports say. Another 15 inmates faced a lesser administrative charge of "unlawful assembly."

No employees were involved or injured, and inmates suffered only minor injuries, according to the reports.

Source: Mercury News - By DON THOMPSON Associated Press Writer

Article Launched: 12/14/2007 05:14:30 PM PST

Bayscan news: Sad Christmas story

Posted: 15 Dec 2007 04:18 PM CST

East Palo Alto- Person in a tree hanging Christmas lights was electrocuted this afternoon.
When the Christmas lights came into contact with high power lines.
Location: Euclid Avenue in East Palo Alto
Sizeup: Battalion 1, Engines 1 & 2, and Truck 1 all on scene Victim is unconscious and is smoking and the christmas tree lights are still in contact with the high power line.
Resources: PG&E was requested Code 3? and they have a 30 minute ETA.
Narrative: Sounds like they're going to have Truck 1 try to cut the Christmas tree
lights due to PG&E extended ETA.
Comms:
Control 1 - 153.89 (Dispatch)
Control 2 - 154.37 (Command/Tac)

No further updates unless warranted.
Source: Bayscan - Yahoo group