Panorama Fire....1980

[Jim Wilkins]

The Panorama Fire burned in San Bernardino in November 1980.  The same Santa Ana winds roar through the mountains and down the valleys this week.  During that fire, Sheriff's helo 40King tried to fly up and over the mountain but was pushed back by 90 kt winds.  Here is the full length version of the PBS documentary that I produced that details the fire from beginning to end and then the aftermath when the rains came.  It was an amazing experience to make this and fight fire all at the same time.  I spent 16 weeks editing the program at Norton AFB TV station.  Feel free to share,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABTulYftHkw

[Tall Trees]

Jim, Thanks for sharing this production that you did documenting the Panorama Fire of 1980.  I just finished watching it on the youtube link and it was a fantastic documentation.  I always wondered why you were a PIO on incidents and now I know that you are a natural and have lots of experience.  Not much has changed since the Panorama Fire as far as fire fighting techniques, and the role of ICS and mutual aid agreements but the one thing that has changed is the addition of heavy aircraft.  Type 1 helicopters like the Ski Crane and the accepted addition and use of the VLATS are huge assets that were not available in 1980. 

[Wrightwood]

I remember how impressed I was on Jim's coverage while converting the original VHS tape to a DVD years back.

[Tall Trees]

Just wanted to clarify some of the acronyms used in a previous post.  PIO = Public Information Officer.  VLATS = Very Large Air Tankers like the DC-10 Air Tanker that has a capacity to carry up to 12,000 gallons of water or fire retardant.  The Sikorsky S-64 Sky Cranes modified by Erickson Sky cranes has a capacity of up to 2,650 gallons of water or fire retardant.  The Canadair CL-215 "Super Scooper" has a capacity of 1500 gallons of water and foam.  The improvements to the aerial capabilities to fight wildland fires since the Panorama has changed dramatically and so has the cost of suppressing these fires.  In the United States of America 99% of forest fires are caused by lightning.  In Southern California 99% of fires are human caused and they usually start on the side of a road or from an illegal camp fire that escaped or some other type of human activity.   

[Joe Schmoe]

I thought the Etiwanda fire in April was going to go the way that fire went: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3848 . It was the windiest day since some time prior to 2008 according to local weather stations.  When we opened the door and smelled smoke it was really unnerving because of the combination of high winds and a fire and the fact that it was somewhere upwind of us, close, and with the windows closed we had zero indication of it.  Firefighters must have done an excellent job...that and the tile roofs that have replaced wood shingles.