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BubbaSan writes ...
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Mystery Heros of the Camp Wildfire; who are those bulldozer operators?

I’ve read several stories on various sites about heros who did extraordinary things as part of the survival and escape of all those folks in Paradise California as their town burned down around them. Stories about a nurse who thought she was going to die; she called her husband to tell him to get the kids and to say goodbye. Then, suddenly a fire department truck showed up and got the nurse inside. But then they ALL thought they were going to die there in the fire truck… when miraculously, out of “nowhere” a bulldozer appeared and cleared a path for them so they could escape. The nurse then went on to a local hospital to keep taking care of fire victims. Amazing story. The nurse told of the harrowing escape she and the firefighters made.

But who was the BULLDOZER operator? There is your hero of hero’s.

Then there was the story of the other nurse who drove his pick up truck through the fire to get to a local hospital to help with the injured. He was stuck in his truck in the fire with some friends. They all thought they were done for. He recorded a goodbye to his family and told them they would try until the very end to get out. His truck was literally melting around him. They were within a very few moments of a horrible death. Smoke and fire right up against their truck on 3 sides and they were blocked in by burned out and abandoned autos.

Then suddenly, out of “nowhere” a bulldozer arrived and pushed aside the hulks of burned out cars and trucks and made a path for the nurse to drive out. The nurse then turned around after extricating his truck and went back to the hospital and helped set up an emergency triage and care center in the parking lot and then later the helipad of the hospital as the fire intensified all around them. Wow… what a survival story. What an amazing human to turn around and go back in to help the injured.

But again, who was that BULLDOZER operator?

I have read several stories like this.

Again and again, in just the nick of time...out of nowhere a bulldozer showed up out of the darkness and fire and plowed a path to safety and life.

But no one ever tells us about those dozer operators. Those folks are absolutely heroic in this story. Driving unprotected into the fire again and again and again to clear pathways out. Then turning around and going back in AGAIN.

Without them, many many more would have perished. Including many firefighters.

There are dozer operators in my family. Most dozers are open cage operator seats with zero protection from smoke and ash. Roll cages to protect you if you tip the dozer over are sometimes there. Not always. but rarely do dozers even have enclosed glass operator boxes. They are nearly all open air. Especially the locally sourced dozers that the residents of Paradise likely had access to. Dozers are also slow. No chance to outrun a fire in one.


In the meantime I want to express my great appreciation and awe at what you folks did in the middle of the blaze. I am humbled at your courage and dedication. Hours and hours, making paths to safety as the fire raged around you. God Bless. You are angels."

You will never hear about (a) those who were saved by bulldozers that arrived twelve hours before the time of "need", and (b) those who were burned alive because no bulldozer miraculously appeared.
Selection bias.

Three stories

Three bulldozers

Three Nephites

Yep. I'll bet the dozers were white and delightsome, too...!

A CDF truck miraculously appeared right when I needed it during the Thomas Fire, but they looked at where I needed it and decided "Eff this, it's not a house, so we're outta here."

And they left. And I was screwed.

It would have taken 30 seconds with their hose to control the fire I was fighting and save my equipment and antiques, but that was their call.

No Faith Promoting Story there.

Our neighbor was a dozer operator on a big fire many years ago was overrun by fire, and he wrapped himself in his fire blanket and went under the dozer, but was still badly burned and had to wear the equivalent of a wet suit the rest of life; he also lost his ranch because of costs involved, because was not contracted "on the clock" at the time.

No Faith Promoting Story there.

ziller can confirm this thred ~


dozer operators are for real y'all ~

Lot's of prisoners fighting these fires too, making a dollar a day standing-by, and/ or $1 / hour to do technical, dangerous, heroic, grueling work.

Maybe some prisoners drive dozers, like the trained-paid firefighters.

Who knows?

M@t

And after their sentences are completed they will not be able to find jobs as firefighters due to their jail records.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/2018 12:39AM by Dave the Atheist.

moremany Wrote:
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> Maybe some prisoners drive dozers, like the
> trained-paid firefighters.

I can chime in...they don't.

I did summers/winters as an FSA (Fire Suppression Aide) with the LA County FD while I was in college. We were the guys that would get dropped on a ridge by helicopter to cut fire lines to keep fires from spreading (or trying to, anyway).

We worked with a number of inmate crews. The biggest equipment they get are chainsaws, most only have McCleods (a combination hoe/rake). They do all their work manually. And hard work it is.

They don't get to drive anything, even the "crew truck" they come in on. In my interactions with them, they relished the chance to make $1 an hour (they only got $0.75 when I was an FSA), they worked their butts off, and they were willing to do whatever was asked of them. If they stepped one inch out of line, the CDC officer supervising them would pull them off the line and send 'em back to "regular" prison, something they very much wanted to avoid.

Guessing there would be no actual record of this dirt work with the “Dial before you dig” people.

However, performing nonpermitted building work does sound quite Mormon.-to the point one could envision a LDS scoutmaster bulldozing through gas lines and fiber optic cables with a brigade of LDS scouts working shovels.