San Gabriel Complex Fire Tests Orange County Fire Manager

Aliso Viejo resident Scott Ashbach, a Laguna Niguel fire captain from Station 39, is among the hundreds of firefighters who recently battled the more than 9,500-acre San Gabriel Complex fire in Angeles National Forest.

The fire included the Reservoir fire and the Fish fire, which is nearly contained. Ashbach, 48, a logistics manager, is part of the incident management team consisting of several agencies and hosted by the U.S. Forest Service fighting the fire.

“Although we all wear different uniforms, I truly feel that our varied background, experiences and diversity is one of our greatest assets,” he said. “The experience we bring back to the home agency is invaluable. It’s the kind of training and experience that will help keep us safe and make better decisions when the next large incident strikes the O.C.”

Here’s what Ashbach had to say.

Q.How has the experience been battling the San Gabriel Complex fire?

A. With the exception of the extreme heat at the beginning of the fire, this has been like battling a typical wildland fire. Air and ground resources worked very well together to suppress the main bulk of fire movement in the first couple of days. Once most of the smoke faded away … several days of mop-up put firefighters on the ground throughout the perimeter to assure there are no residual fires at the parameters edge to about 100 feet into the burned area. This process requires lots of manpower, and lots of manpower requires lots of support. That’s where the logistics section comes in – my forte.

Q.What was your role during this fire?

A. Almost every large emergency incident has four major sections that come into play – operations, finance, planning and logistics. The section that I’ve been a part of for the last 15 years is the logistics section. I like to think of this section as the backbone of the incident. The section provides important aspects of the incident that include radio communications, food, intraincident medical response, supply, vehicle mechanics, a central ordering point, office trailers, electricity, fuel, telephones, copy services and the list goes on. On this fire, I’m feeding the troops.

Q.What other large fires have you worked during your career?

A. I’ve been to many large incidents, including the Station fire in the Angeles National Forest, the North Pass fire in the Mendocino and dozens of others from the Klamath, Six-Rivers, Inyo and Sequoia to the San Bernardino and Cleveland national forests. Our team has traveled a couple of times out of state as well, including responses to large fires in Nevada and just last year to Washington. As a member of California US&R Task Force 5, a FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force, I was a part of the response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 and hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008.

Other interesting experiences during the first part of my career include the Los Angeles riots in 1992 and the Laguna fire in 1993. Of course, I can’t forget some of the more local fires, like Santiago in 2007 and the Freeway fire in 2008.

Q.Why did you want to become a firefighter?

A. When a high school friend of mine showed up at my house wearing a fire department uniform, I started asking about it. I started as a paid-call firefighter in 1987. They were typically called to the station via pager, then jumped on “big red” and responded to the incident as needed. At $7 per call, it wasn’t much of a career, but at the time it was a great way to jump-start a career while going to college, paramedic school and the fire academy. In 1996, I was hired as a full-time firefighter by the Laguna Beach Fire Department. One year later, I was picked up by the Orange County Fire Authority. I’ve been there ever since. It’s the best job in the world.

Q.What is the biggest challenge working as a firefighter?

A. A lighthearted conversation was interrupted by a call to respond to a cardiac arrest victim. We’ve responded to many of these before. The challenge comes when you’re faced with the unexpected. Just as soon as I stepped off the engine, I was handed a lifeless, 3-week-old child who had succumbed to meningitis.

Of course, I didn’t know what had caused this child’s condition, so instinctively I started CPR. By the end of the event, the child had passed and I had been exposed to meningitis, requiring treatment. Emergency calls involving children are always challenging to first responders. As your career advances and your own children begin to enter the picture, these types of events become more and more difficult to rationalize.

Q. What is the biggest reward working as a firefighter?

A. The rewards come with a big dose of perspective. Medals or monetary packages don’t really mean much after a while, so I’d like to think that the rewarding part of this career is served up by an uncommon, experienced and firsthand appreciation for the life we’ve been empowered and honored to lead as a public servant. It’s a perspective most folks don’t have and it’s one that provides a framework for the appreciation of relationships, talents and energy-expending efforts that make life meaningful.