Someone did not move fast enough.......

That was an RV storage facility.

IT was pointed out to me by several people that this was not the correct wording to use in such a situation, especially if I had no idea where the fireman was, that the propane might have already burned from those tanks, ect.What I should not have written:That fireman is really stupid to stand that close to a fifth wheel, when there might be propane tanks inside it!Yes it is a sad day when someone can not know the smoke is in the air, and get in the truck and move it a day ahead of the fire showing up.You have to be really stupid to wait and think "I know it will not come my way" when the fire is only a mile from me, I would be gone. I would not wait for a Sherriff to stop by and say you have to evacuate now. And when it is only 5 miles away, I would be starting up the RV and moving it. I know that ash and fire can fly more than a block in a minute. With 35 MPH winds, can you expect the fire to move slower?WHy would a fireman risk his life to put out a fire on a vehicle that is already half burned? It would be much more productive to be at a house that is not yet on fire, and protect it instead. Good thing the fireman did not die from a exploding propane tank. He needs to go back to school!____________________________________________________________----What might have been a better pick of words. That fireman is going alfully close to what might be dangerous propane tanks. He is very brave, and his training will keep him from being injured. The accident review board will say "He was a very brave man". If he survied a propane tank explosion, he would even testify "I saved a lot of RV's that day, and if I had not gone in there, one after another would have overheated the propane tanks, and the whole RV storage area would have become a melted mess of tangled wreckage"If all the tanks vented properly, we will all know that he was not in any danger at all, because they vent at 375 PSI, well below the pressure required to explode a tank. And venting propane will not bring back memories of the Pacific war, flame throwers in all, because he was wearing a safety suit, and his training will protect him.____________________________________________________However in a private conversation with a person who's son is going to fire training now in another state, he suggested taking this picture to the training officer, and asking for advice on what to do if the training officer was in this situation. That is a conversation I would like to have with my buddies at the airport fire station, where they play with diesel fuel all the time, controlled burns of about 40 gallons at a time. They have learned from others mistakes, not to get down wind, and give each other tips on how to put out the flames safely. The fire Department will not rush into a plating plant, unprotected, like happened in Newport Beach California. Police officers trying to control traffic a mile downwind of that plating plant fire now have long term lung problems, because they did not get the proper training, or any resportary equipment. Is it a lesson we would want to train all the other officers on? You bet! We trained our people to avoid situations such as this, look at the dangers. As a fireman, he will get much closer to the burning RV's, and will be protected from the exploding tanks by his training and thick coat.Perhaps I sould have said "This looks like a silly mistake - to be so close to the propane tanks".Still I think a lot can be learned from this event. Perhaps they will say "you did it by the book, got in there and saved 10 rows of RV's from catching fire, the whole city might have burned down if more RV's had caught fire"And they did interview a homeowner with a t-shirt to protect himself trying to save his home. He had a garden hose, and was spraying down the house. His thoughts might have been I want to stay to the end, and save my largest investment from burning. He might have had the same thoughts as the three that burned up in a car in Oakland in 1992, as the fire raced across the hillside, and smoke coaked the engine, the car would not move any further.Once the power lines catch fire, there is no magic electricity that will keep the pump station working, and keep water pressure to the house water meter way up that hill. Many times after a neightborhood has caught fire, there is no water pressure for a few days. The houses that burned to the ground are leaking out lots of water onto the ground, and the pump stations are not working either. That is why it is critical to get out of the way, and not keep the fire men tied up trying to save homeowners to silly to think they can save a house with a 3/4" line that flows 25 galons a minute. The true fireman has a 2" line capable of flowing well over 300 GPM per hose. Fred.

I would not judge why a fireman is doing anything without being there..It's a tough business...

Not sure if any of you have been part of a Southern California Santa Ana fire event...Having lived in Santa Barbara for over 40 years, I have.Let me tell you, it all happens VERY fast. Be careful when making 'judgments' about what people did or should do or should not do.We had about 1/2 hour to get what we could and get out...papers, mementos, the dogs, hard drive and us. Hooking up and towing an RV was not in the plan.And...fire fighters saved our street and house at great risk to themselves.I agree with the comment mooring product made above. "Thats a sad sight.. "

California Fire | Good Sam Community

12V_Cummins
Explorer
May 04, 2013
thats one way to get all that mold out of your lance!

also poor truck :(
HJGyswyt
Explorer
May 04, 2013
I tried to read each comment in this thread and the one thing I didn't see anyone mention was that the photo was a long shot with a telephoto lens and I'd like to believe that there is actually a lot more distance between the fireman and those two burning RV's. Anyone familiar with the use of a telephoto lens's will know that distance can be deceiving when viewed through a compressed shot.

And any property loss usually means the owner is out a fair amount of their investment even with the best of insurance.

My two cents, Hans
bighatnohorse
Explorer II
May 04, 2013
HJGyswyt wrote:
I tried to read each comment in this thread and the one thing I didn't see anyone mention was that the photo was a long shot with a telephoto lens and I'd like to believe that there is actually a lot more distance between the fireman and those two burning RV's. Anyone familiar with the use of a telephoto lens's will know that distance can be deceiving when viewed through a compressed shot.

And any property loss usually means the owner is out a fair amount of their investment even with the best of insurance.

My two cents, Hans

And a very good two cents, Hans.
monkey44
Nomad II
May 04, 2013
Telephoto lens -- it's called 'lens compression' and foreshortens the image so it looks like everything is within a few feet when it's often a hundred feet or more.

If you see the fireman in that photo, half of him almost as tall as the camper if you look at it and compare his height, but his size is much bigger than if he was standing next to it, his body covers more than half width of the truck hood. He's probably thirty feet away, at least.
HJGyswyt
Explorer
May 05, 2013
monkey44 wrote:
it's called 'lens compression' and foreshortens the image

Thank You Monkey44, I lacked the correct terminology, but I do have a basic understanding of the physics involved in that shot. All the best, Hans
monkey44
Nomad II
May 05, 2013
You can do some pretty trick things with those telephotos - make a bird huge compared to a predator, or make a molehill into a mountain. Lots of fun in the outdoors under different conditions than this fire ... Happy Camping
firefighterpro
Explorer
Jun 05, 2013
:)
firefighterpro
Explorer
Jun 05, 2013
I don't know what happened but I replied to different thread and after hitting "Post Message" I was redirected here. uhm well that's odd.
SuperiorBound
Explorer
Jun 05, 2013
SkipPro3,,, seeing the picture of what was left of your house Very sad.
And I gotta say if a fire were heading my way and my camper were in storage sorry camper but I would be outta here.
KFS
Explorer
Jun 06, 2013
I am a materialistic person. I love my "stuff." That said I would not fault, judge, or otherwise presume to say what someone else "should" do. We don't know what individuals chose to - or had the opportunity to - grab on the way to safety.

I can tell you that of all the "stuff" I own - and love - (I'd be trying to drag a 19' Chaparral with my TEETH if I could) -- the only "must have" is the hands of my two precious children and being within eyesight of my husband who was once a firefighter. In a perfect world there would also be two dogs, a cat who runs our lives, three goats and some photo albums. Everything else is just gravy.

As the spouse of a former firefighter I also would not want one person to put his/her life at risk to save my camper. I love it, yes, but there is a reason we have insurance. I presume they are attempting to put out the fires they can with the training they have to prevent the spread.

I also presume they know far more than I do about such things. May God protect them all.

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