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10 & 18 Series - East Highlands Fire The following is a continuation of a multi-post documentation.  Click here  to begin from Part 1 Location San Bernardino Mountains, east of the community of Highlands, L.A. California Origin of Fire   The origin of the East Highlands Fire, both time and location, remains unknown. Events      On November 19th, 1956,  at 11:00 PM , nine fire companies were dispatched to the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains from reports of a fire near the community of Highlands. Public crowds flocked around the area in confusion, causing mass panic and disorder. Police were dispatched to close the surrounding main roads and disperse the crowds for control. While this benefited the safety of citizens, the closure of pathways created additional obstacles for arriving units.         Winds, which ranged  from 50 mph to 100 mph, caused the flames to quickly engluf th...

10 & 18 Series - Inaja Fire The following is a continuation of a multi-post documentation. Click here to begin from Part 1 Location Cleveland National Forest, California  Origin of Fire           On November 24th , 1956 at approximately 9:10 AM, 16-year-old Gilbert Paipa threw a match into the grass beside his home. During his confession to a Forest Service investigator, Gilbert claimed his actions originated from "[...] a mad, crazy idea to do it. I threw a match in the grass to see if it would burn" (Colorado Firecamp).  Events         Two lookouts spotted the fire at 9:15 AM and initial units arrived at 9:25 AM. High winds made all early attempts fail to control the fire. On the following day, November 25th, at 7:00 PM, a night shift crew arrived composed of 13 inmates. The crew bosses of the inmates led the crew to the point where the day crew had stopped, giving instructions to continue. Wh...

The Origins of the 10 & 18 How the prevalent 10 Standard Firefighting Orders and 18 Watch out situations came to be today Context 10 Standard Firefighting orders - Based on the successful "General Orders" used by the United States Armed Forces, the 10 orders are sequential steps that serve as fundamental guidelines for all fire officials. They are intended to reduce preventable fireline casualties and improve safety for individuals.  18 Watch out Situations - Developed shortly after the 10 orders, the 18 are cautionary steps that are more specific and intended to expand on the 10. The application of the 18 is aimed at Wildland situations.  Click Here to view the 10 & 18 ⇚⇛ Chapter 1 - Meeting         On April 12, 1957 , a report was submitted to the Chief of Forest Service, Richard E. McArdle. The report was by a commissioned task force that was assigned to analyze 14 tragic fires that oc...