Firefighters airlifted a hiker said to have had hypothermia after being at Holy Jim Falls Saturday afternoon.
Orange County Fire Authority firefighters responded to a 4:38 p.m. call from other hikers who made the report after they hiked out of the canyon in the Cleveland National Forest, said Capt. Greg McKeown. Continue reading Hiker rescued in Holy Jim Canyon
IRVINE A firefighter/paramedic died Thursday after collapsing during a routine training exercise at the Orange County Fire Authority drill grounds, the OCFA said. James M. Owen, a 30-year OCFA veteran, went into full cardiac arrest just before 11:30 a.m. at OCFA’s headquarters in Irvine. “They had broken for break, and he just collapsed,” OCFA Capt. Greg McKeown said. Owen was taken to Western Medical Center – Santa Ana, where he was pronounced dead at 12:30 p.m. “He was a top-notch firefighter,” McKeown said. “To lose him like this is a tragedy.” Owen began his career with OCFA in 1980, spending most of his tenure at an Irvine station on the agency’s hazardous materials team. McKeown described him as an iconic figure at OCFA, known for his “hard work ethic and zealous generosity.” Owen, 56, is survived by his wife Sharon, sons Jim Jr., Daniel and Kevin.
Story by: OC Register
ANAHEIM, Calif.—A fire fanned by Santa Ana winds that burned 80 acres of Southern California hills has been fully contained.
The Orange County Fire Authority said Thursday that containment was completed shortly before 1 p.m. No homes were damaged or destroyed. One firefighter suffered a minor eye injury.
The fire erupted Tuesday near the Windy Ridge Toll Plaza on State Route 241, about two miles east of Anaheim Hills in Orange County. Santa Ana winds buffeted parts of the region and lasted until Thursday. About 200 firefighters, aided by a helicopter, helped knock down flames.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
At about 3 a.m. today, the National Weather Service issued a wind advisory, forecasting gusts of up to 50 mph in the passes and canyons of the Santa Ana Mountains today. A dry offshore flow is expected to increase the fire hazard until about noon today, according to the NWS.
As a precaution, the Orange County Fire Authority has staffed five Type III fire engines with 16 firefighters, said Capt. Greg McKeown of the OCFA. Two additional waters tenders will also be staffed.
The increased staffing will remain in place today between 8 a.m. until 8 p.m., he said. The wind advisory is expected to expire at 3 p.m.
On Wednesday, the additional fire engines will also be staffed during the same times, he said.
The additional fire engines are being staffed in San Juan Capistrano, Silverado Canyon, Yorba Linda, Trabuco Canyon and Coto de Caza stations, he said.
On Wednesday, the National Weather Service is forecasting gusts of up to 25 mph in some areas.
Story by OC Register.
The Orange County Fire Authority’s Capistrano station is one of several collecting items during a one-day food drive.
On Tuesday, November 24, the OCFA will partner with KTLA Channel 5 and Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County to hold a one-day food drive at 25 fire stations across Orange County from 5 a.m. until 11 p.m.
Donated foods will be distributed by Second Harvest Food Bank, who assists thousand of OC residents year round.
“The Orange County Fire Authority is honored to be involved in this year’s event,” said Fire Chief Keith Richter. “Our employees are very active in their local communities and this is an excellent way to assist those in need.” This annual food drive has been very successful in Los Angeles County and this is the first year that it will take place here in Orange County.
Here the list of participating local OCFA Fire Stations:
* Station 7, San Juan Capistrano, 31865 Del Obispo.
* Station 30, Niguel/Dana Point, 23831 Stonehill Dr.
* Station 50, San Clemente, 670 Camino de Los Mares
The OCFA is a joint powers authority that serves more than 1.3 million residents in 22 cities and the unincorporated areas of the county. See www.ocfa.org for more information.
As its third season began unfolding last weekend, Fox Reality’s “The Academy” changed focus from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Academy to the Orange County Fire Academy with even more action as a team of 28 newbies go through intense training that will see some succeed and some fail. Like many reality shows, the show is only as good as the variety of compelling and entertaining personalities that populate each episode and this season of the series is filled with a wide array of people for viewers to become attached to. In order to find out more about what goes into producing the series, why these guys would want to risk their lives on a daily basis and what will happen to the franchise when Fox Reality closes its doors in 2010, our Jim Halterman rang up Executive Producer Scott Sternberg for some answers. Continue reading INTERVIEW: Scott Sternberg takes us inside “THE ACADEMY: ORANGE COUNTY FIRE”
LAGUNA WOODS – A fire at the Towers at Laguna Woods Village Wednesday afternoon caused more than $200,000 in damages, much of which caused by water damage in trying to put out the flames, authorities said. After a preliminary evaluation, firefighters said Wednesday the multi-story building suffered $30,000 in damages to the structure after a fire was reported in the fourth floor. After further inspection, the damage was estimated to be $200,000 to the structure, due to water damage in the fourth floor and lower levels, where the water was reported to have seeped through the ceiling, said Capt. Greg McKeown of the Orange County Fire Authority. “There’s a lot of water damage running to the third floor,” he said. Damages to the contents of the building are estimated to be about $20,000, he said. Sixty firefighters were dispatched at 12:40 p.m. to 24055 Paseo del Lago West Wednesday. No injuries were reported. The fire is believed to have started in the microwave of a unit on the fourth floor, McKeown said.
Story by: OCRegister