Fire Safe Council Interview with Chino Valley Fire Battalion Chief Greg Gabel & Captain Dave Flores
1. Was there a personal experience that drew you into choosing firefighting as a career?
Greg Gabel: The interest in pursuing a career in the firefighting field was sparked by my father’s medical condition; hereditary congenital heart disease. At a young age I was exposed to the medical side of the fire service business through a family friend who was a fire captain in Orange County. Through our relationship I started to learn how much more there was to the job, responding to emergencies, extinguishing fires, rescuing victims, providing medical aid, etc. The realization that I could help the community, people like his father, is what ignited his passion.
Dave Flores: There were two experiences that drew me to firefighting as a career. The first incident was a fire that occurred very close to where I was living. Through this experience I firsthand watched how the fire department dealt with the situation. It was very exciting to see the work they did, and how quickly they responded, for example the way they cut access holes in roofs for ventilation purposes. The second incident was on the medical side. When I was pretty young, I had a very unfortunate experience while leaving a beach party. I was with a group of friends and there were three girls that were visiting from Valencia/Magic Mountain area. As we left the beach party we all crossed PCH. My friends and I crossed the street first not more than two minutes before the three girls did. I vividly remembers the three girls holding hands as they crossed the road – it was very dark and they weren’t in a cross walk. Because of these conditions the driver didn’t see the girls in the middle of street, and they were hit, which resulted in a double fatality with one survivor. Again, I got to watch very early on the professionalism and care the paramedics, ambulance, and firefighters had as they arrived on scene and did an incredible job and did everything they could save these young girls. This is what inspired me. I wanted to have the skills to put myself in a position to act as a professional and know what to do in unexpected situations, no two days are alike.
2) Can you tell us about your experience with fighting wildfires? Is there an experience that stands out?
Our primary focus is covering and protecting the chino valley, all wildland risk to include Carbon Canyon. However, the fact of the matter is that fire season is now year-round and with that we find ourselves being deployed all over the state of CA, up to the Oregon border. There is one instance Greg recalls in 2021 in Northern California. He was deployed as a strike team leader in training, where he helped oversee 35 different resources such as, type 1 engines, type 3 engines, hand crews and many private fire departments. To summarize, there was a wildlife in a wildland-urban interface in Northern California which had a section of houses that were threatened. As they approached the canyon his chief quickly realized the scope of what they were dealing with. It was a box canyon which is significant in firefighting because they are danger traps during wildfires. They limit escape routes because of their narrow roads and typically have only one way in and one way out. These canyons also can create chimney effects, where heat and flames are funneled upward intensifying the fires behavior. A very similar terrain to the carbon canyon area. His chief made the call to go down alone to survey the area and when he came back out, he said he didn’t feel comfortable putting our firefighters and resources into this area referencing the incident response pocket guide. He immediately notified his leaders and all emergency personnel of the situation and stressed the importance of advising all remaining residents of what is coming their way and to evacuate in a safe matter immediately.
This experience I chose to share is because of the vast similarity it had to the Carbon Canyon area – canopy of trees, narrow streets, streets that can’t fit some of our fire engines. Our community members need to understand if the firefighters as professionals are asking you to evacuate it’s for your safety, we want you to know we recognize the emotional state that residents are in and how attached we all can be to our homes and belongings, but the evacuation orders are intentional as we have seen the devastation that can occur incredibly fast in terrain like Carbon Canyon. We take the yearly brush removal, inspections, and area surveys very seriously as this is an important part of protecting yourself, family and belongings.
FYI: The firefighters incident response pocket guide (IRPG) which is a compact comprehensive manual designed for firefighters and other emergency responders to use during incidents. Published by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG), it contains critical information and guidelines to assist with decision making and ensure safety in various emergency situations.
3. Are you on high alert on Santa Ana wind days like we are? What is the anatomy of getting that call that a fire is coming our way?
An actual fire coming our way is very different then a weather event coming. To comment on your weather event question, we get daily notifications on our mobile devices regarding red flag conditions, and ambient temperatures and we take them into account daily. At a regional, county level we are doing pre-deployments which is the process of preparing equipment and personnel to respond to an event. For example, when there are wind events, or high fire danger days we may add a chief officer, additional engines, and water tender all staffed. This is a proactive effort to be more prepared for local incidents.
4. What is the single most important step homeowners can take to make their properties more fire-resistant?
Defensible space! Residents and properties are our top two priorities and why we take brush inspections so seriously, this really does give the community the best opportunity to avoid damage.
As a community we are in this together, and we all need to be committed to creating defensible spaces. Decay on the ground is VERY easy to ignite, ground fire can quickly grow larger and climb structures and trees, and those tree branches are usually very close to our roofs. Maintaining and clearing your property often is the single most important step homeowners can take!
5. How can communities work together to reduce the risk of wildfires? What if I get my house fire safe but my neighbor does now, any advice to mitigate this issue?
Educating your neighbors and community is a vital step. The Carbon Canyon Fire Safe Councill does a great job with this, and we thank you for that. We would advise you to continue encouraging your neighbors to get involved by attending fire safe council meetings and other fire safety community events. Not only educating on defensible space but preparation. Ready Set Go (Wildfire Preparedness in California: Ready, Set, Go! | CAL FIRE (readyforwildfire.org), the 3-step wildfire preparation plan will increase your chances of survival by being ready at a moment’s notice. We need residents to evacuate as quickly as possible and how communities can work together to reduce risk of injury. We would also encourage you to use various channels to educate social media posts, billboards at community centers, and home association common areas. It’s all of our responsibility.
6. What are some common misconceptions about wildfires and their prevention?
That wildfires only happen at certain times of the year. We as Fire Service Professionals are acutely aware of this misconception. Wildfire risk is year around. We can exercise some common sense if there is heavy rainfall this week then maybe we wouldn’t be as concerned that week. However, rain causes vegetation to grow taller, thicker, and this is a concern with all the precipitation we have had in the last few years. Finer fuels cause surface fires, and this is concerning currently, as the rain has created an environment for this growth.
Also, be aware of anything that is flammable near your home, cars that have fuel parked up against your home, BBQs that have propane tanks on your decks – these are both accelerants and we want the public to realize the flammable fuel outside of vegetation that could quickly ignite your home.
7. How have weather conditions changed in your experience regarding wildfire frequency and intensity?
Wildfires have existed since the beginning of time. We will face them no matter what. In California, wildfires are not a matter of “if” but “when”. Fire doesn’t have to be that close to the canyon to be a danger, when you have wind, heat, material burning, ember casts (that can travel up to a mile) a whole area can go up very quickly when it was not predicted. If I lived in a high hazard area like Carbon Canyon, I would be hypervigilant of the weather reports and probability of ignition. This information should be a trigger point for the public and they should consider how will this impact them and have a plan.
By: Melissa Haug on 6/11/2024
Greg Gabel: The interest in pursuing a career in the firefighting field was sparked by my father’s medical condition; hereditary congenital heart disease. At a young age I was exposed to the medical side of the fire service business through a family friend who was a fire captain in Orange County. Through our relationship I started to learn how much more there was to the job, responding to emergencies, extinguishing fires, rescuing victims, providing medical aid, etc. The realization that I could help the community, people like his father, is what ignited his passion.
Dave Flores: There were two experiences that drew me to firefighting as a career. The first incident was a fire that occurred very close to where I was living. Through this experience I firsthand watched how the fire department dealt with the situation. It was very exciting to see the work they did, and how quickly they responded, for example the way they cut access holes in roofs for ventilation purposes. The second incident was on the medical side. When I was pretty young, I had a very unfortunate experience while leaving a beach party. I was with a group of friends and there were three girls that were visiting from Valencia/Magic Mountain area. As we left the beach party we all crossed PCH. My friends and I crossed the street first not more than two minutes before the three girls did. I vividly remembers the three girls holding hands as they crossed the road – it was very dark and they weren’t in a cross walk. Because of these conditions the driver didn’t see the girls in the middle of street, and they were hit, which resulted in a double fatality with one survivor. Again, I got to watch very early on the professionalism and care the paramedics, ambulance, and firefighters had as they arrived on scene and did an incredible job and did everything they could save these young girls. This is what inspired me. I wanted to have the skills to put myself in a position to act as a professional and know what to do in unexpected situations, no two days are alike.
2) Can you tell us about your experience with fighting wildfires? Is there an experience that stands out?
Our primary focus is covering and protecting the chino valley, all wildland risk to include Carbon Canyon. However, the fact of the matter is that fire season is now year-round and with that we find ourselves being deployed all over the state of CA, up to the Oregon border. There is one instance Greg recalls in 2021 in Northern California. He was deployed as a strike team leader in training, where he helped oversee 35 different resources such as, type 1 engines, type 3 engines, hand crews and many private fire departments. To summarize, there was a wildlife in a wildland-urban interface in Northern California which had a section of houses that were threatened. As they approached the canyon his chief quickly realized the scope of what they were dealing with. It was a box canyon which is significant in firefighting because they are danger traps during wildfires. They limit escape routes because of their narrow roads and typically have only one way in and one way out. These canyons also can create chimney effects, where heat and flames are funneled upward intensifying the fires behavior. A very similar terrain to the carbon canyon area. His chief made the call to go down alone to survey the area and when he came back out, he said he didn’t feel comfortable putting our firefighters and resources into this area referencing the incident response pocket guide. He immediately notified his leaders and all emergency personnel of the situation and stressed the importance of advising all remaining residents of what is coming their way and to evacuate in a safe matter immediately.
This experience I chose to share is because of the vast similarity it had to the Carbon Canyon area – canopy of trees, narrow streets, streets that can’t fit some of our fire engines. Our community members need to understand if the firefighters as professionals are asking you to evacuate it’s for your safety, we want you to know we recognize the emotional state that residents are in and how attached we all can be to our homes and belongings, but the evacuation orders are intentional as we have seen the devastation that can occur incredibly fast in terrain like Carbon Canyon. We take the yearly brush removal, inspections, and area surveys very seriously as this is an important part of protecting yourself, family and belongings.
FYI: The firefighters incident response pocket guide (IRPG) which is a compact comprehensive manual designed for firefighters and other emergency responders to use during incidents. Published by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG), it contains critical information and guidelines to assist with decision making and ensure safety in various emergency situations.
3. Are you on high alert on Santa Ana wind days like we are? What is the anatomy of getting that call that a fire is coming our way?
An actual fire coming our way is very different then a weather event coming. To comment on your weather event question, we get daily notifications on our mobile devices regarding red flag conditions, and ambient temperatures and we take them into account daily. At a regional, county level we are doing pre-deployments which is the process of preparing equipment and personnel to respond to an event. For example, when there are wind events, or high fire danger days we may add a chief officer, additional engines, and water tender all staffed. This is a proactive effort to be more prepared for local incidents.
4. What is the single most important step homeowners can take to make their properties more fire-resistant?
Defensible space! Residents and properties are our top two priorities and why we take brush inspections so seriously, this really does give the community the best opportunity to avoid damage.
As a community we are in this together, and we all need to be committed to creating defensible spaces. Decay on the ground is VERY easy to ignite, ground fire can quickly grow larger and climb structures and trees, and those tree branches are usually very close to our roofs. Maintaining and clearing your property often is the single most important step homeowners can take!
5. How can communities work together to reduce the risk of wildfires? What if I get my house fire safe but my neighbor does now, any advice to mitigate this issue?
Educating your neighbors and community is a vital step. The Carbon Canyon Fire Safe Councill does a great job with this, and we thank you for that. We would advise you to continue encouraging your neighbors to get involved by attending fire safe council meetings and other fire safety community events. Not only educating on defensible space but preparation. Ready Set Go (Wildfire Preparedness in California: Ready, Set, Go! | CAL FIRE (readyforwildfire.org), the 3-step wildfire preparation plan will increase your chances of survival by being ready at a moment’s notice. We need residents to evacuate as quickly as possible and how communities can work together to reduce risk of injury. We would also encourage you to use various channels to educate social media posts, billboards at community centers, and home association common areas. It’s all of our responsibility.
6. What are some common misconceptions about wildfires and their prevention?
That wildfires only happen at certain times of the year. We as Fire Service Professionals are acutely aware of this misconception. Wildfire risk is year around. We can exercise some common sense if there is heavy rainfall this week then maybe we wouldn’t be as concerned that week. However, rain causes vegetation to grow taller, thicker, and this is a concern with all the precipitation we have had in the last few years. Finer fuels cause surface fires, and this is concerning currently, as the rain has created an environment for this growth.
Also, be aware of anything that is flammable near your home, cars that have fuel parked up against your home, BBQs that have propane tanks on your decks – these are both accelerants and we want the public to realize the flammable fuel outside of vegetation that could quickly ignite your home.
7. How have weather conditions changed in your experience regarding wildfire frequency and intensity?
Wildfires have existed since the beginning of time. We will face them no matter what. In California, wildfires are not a matter of “if” but “when”. Fire doesn’t have to be that close to the canyon to be a danger, when you have wind, heat, material burning, ember casts (that can travel up to a mile) a whole area can go up very quickly when it was not predicted. If I lived in a high hazard area like Carbon Canyon, I would be hypervigilant of the weather reports and probability of ignition. This information should be a trigger point for the public and they should consider how will this impact them and have a plan.
By: Melissa Haug on 6/11/2024