RVC At Work

Let me start this by apologizing to the rest of the nation. I am sorry. I know most of you suffered through a record setting heat wave last month while we enjoyed a relatively mild July. Well America, rest assured that we are paying for it now, in spades.

It was 105 at my house yesterday, 108 today. The hot temperatures reminded me how brutal working during the summer could be. After returning home this afternoon, I checked the temps at a local reporting station. 108.3 degrees F. (42.4 C for you metric readers) that's hot by anyone's standards.

A few minutes later, I heard the lads get punched out for a structure fire a couple of miles away. A few more minutes later, I heard them get cancelled as the call was in the county and they could handle the call. Frankly, I was relieved - it was hot and I really didn't feel like going back out!

A few more minutes after that, I saw the deputy chief blast drive by my house, headed toward the fire. That prompted me to go check it out. I saw the smoke as I turned off my street, frankly it looked to me as it might be in the city.

I parked around the corner, grabbed my lid, my brush jacket, my trusty 7D and then went to work.

 The roof over the garage has already collapsed, crews are inside,

fighting the dragon, which was roaming freely in the attic.

Getting the fan ready to go. I'm not sure when it got turned on and 

I don't know what conditions were on the second floor, I don't get

to go inside any more. On days like today, that's OK by me.

A RVC crew using a rotary saw to make entry into the garage.

The dragon isn't dead until smoke stops coming from it's nostrils.

Crews were still upstairs, these guys went to work on the garage.

 For those of you not in the fire service, let me give you an idea 

of what life is like on days like today. Wrap up in a blanket, 

then wrap yourself up again with a layer of heavy plastic.

Put on a backpack weighing thirty pounds or so, then push some

weights and do some jumping jacks for thirty minutes or so.

Safety message: Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate!

I hope this wasn't serious, one of the RVC crews began treating

a firefighter after the fire was knocked down. Given the 

conditions, I'm surprised that  more guys didn't have problems.

This fire belonged to Riverside County (RVC). Units from Corona (COR) assisted and a photographer from the City of Riverside (RIV) tried to stay out of the way. Although my agency wasn't involved, I knew a few people - mainly from the FEMA USAR team. One of the RVC engineers used to be an explorer back in the day - it was nice to see a local boy who done good.

These folks made a good stop on a tough day. Well done laddies, strong work.

The weather reader on one of the Los Angeles T.V. stations was saying that we have a few more days of 100 plus weather before temperatures drop into the nineties next week. I can't wait, though it really doesn't matter nearly as much as it used to. At least not to me.

Thanks for reading,

Schmoe