CROWN FIRE 2010

The Crown Fire started in the hills of Acton, above Palmdale's picturesque Ana Verde hills. We saw the header early on, and knew it wasn't going to be an easy one. The fire rapidly gained ground, heading for the Rancho Vista area, where my home is. We watched from our front yards as the flames marched down the hillside bordering our neighborhood, and the aggressive attack by our LA County Fire Department, the ariel crews, and mutual aid firefighters from around the state (the boots on the ground) minimized damage to property and prevented any loss of life.

I joined our public safety staff daily at the Command Post for the briefings, assisted with logistics from our public works and parks and recs crews, and brought updates to the community over Twitter, Facebook and the nightly news.

Steve on the Breaking News
Steve addresses national media from teh Crown Fire Command Post. The Governor, County Supervisor and senior administration and fire command staff are in background.

Steve on the Front Lines
Steve, the Governor, and staff turn to watch as the enormous 747 makes a CNN-style low level pass over the Command Post during a briefing session.

747

747 making an unbelieveably huge drop of
fire retardant on the hills above Palmdale.

dc10

It's the DC-10's turn to hammer the fire
as it gets closer to residential areas.

Strike Teams from around and out of the state stage at our Pelona Vista Park. Steve regularly attended briefings, and visited the crews and command staff, ensuring the City was meeting their needs.

s3

The workhorse of the fixed air fleet, the S3,
makes a close-in drop on stubborn flames.