NewsFighting The Pines fire
Firefighters staying at Pechanga have no time for games
August 8, 2002
JOHN HUNNEMAN - Staff Writer - NCTimes.com
TEMECULA ---- It's not easy to ignore the lights, action and glitter of one of the region's newest hot spots ---- the $262 million Pechanga Hotel and Casino that opened in June ---- unless you've just spent the last 24 hours battling The Pines fire in eastern San Diego County.
About 9 a.m. Thursday, the first of more than two dozen California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection fire crews arrived at the Pechanga resort. The men and women ---- many covered in soot and smelling of burned brush ---- hoisted gear from trucks, ignored the blackjack tables and slot machines and gathered in the hotel lobby to wait for room keys.
"All these guys want to do is get a shower and get some sleep," said California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Capt. Mike Webb, who was shipped south from the Placerville area to help battle the blaze. "Then they'll get up, have a bite to eat and get more sleep before it's back at it again."
About 125 firefighters checked into the new 522-room hotel Thursday. Other CDF firefighters, who are on 24-hour on/24-hour off shifts, are scattered at hotels and motels across San Diego and Southwest Riverside counties. Rooms are booked at a variety of places ---- everything from bargain hotels to more upscale resorts within range of the fire.
But not all firefighters battling The Pines fire are staying in hotels. Agreements among agencies, such as the U.S. Forest Service and their firefighters, vary, said Jim Barron, a CDF battalion chief. "Oftentimes those firefighters sleep in tents or on cots," he said. "We (CDF) feel being able to stay at a hotel provides the kind of quality rest period our firefighters need."
More than 3,200 firefighters from across the state are fighting the blaze that broke out July 29 near Julian. The fire, which has charred about 54,000 acres, was about 60 percent contained by Thursday night. Fire officials said they hope to have the blaze surrounded by Sunday.
The day for each four-man crew begins about 3:30 a.m. with a wake-up call and a drive to the command center near Julian. After breakfast, the crews head out to the fire lines attempting to get a ring around the blaze. After a dinner break, the fire crews work all night before again going to the command center for breakfast and then being assigned lodging for their off-day.
Finding enough rooms for all the CDF crews is often a challenge, especially as the weekend approaches.
"There is an effort to spread the crews out so we don't have too big an impact on any one particular area," Webb said. "Our first night down here we stayed in Alpine."
Barron, who is based in Perris, said hotels and motels within an hour drive of a fire are usually contacted about room availability. Room rates are negotiated with individual hotels with a state mandated cap of about $90 each night, Barron said. Two firefighters are assigned to each room.
The 14-story Pechanga Hotel ---- where two-bedroom rates run from $89 to $129 weeknights and $139 to $199 on weekends ---- has set aside about 75 rooms for firefighters, said Russell "Butch" Murphy, Pechanga's communications director.
Neither Barron nor Murphy knew the room rate CDF was paying.
The room expenses are part of the overall cost of fighting the blaze, which Thursday was estimated at $13.6 million but could reach $20 million, CDF officials said.
"Under the firefighters' contract we provide accommodations if they are available within a reasonable driving distance," Barron said.
"This is kind of a rarity," said Barron as he checked out the plush surroundings at the Pechanga hotel. "This is probably the nicest we've ever experienced."
After sleeping most of their day off, firefighters gather at 6 p.m. at the resort's all-you-can-eat buffet for dinner. Then it's back to the room for more sleep and usually a phone call to worried family members.
"I call my wife and kids," Webb said. "My 3-year-old always wants to know what's going on."
About 10:30 a.m., Barron and CDF Capt. Aaron Martinez of Sage stood near the main entrance of the hotel handing out room keys to their 20 team members.
When Martinez opened the door of a room on the hotel's 11th floor, his roommate, engineer Ed Estacio of Lake Elsinore, went straight to turn on the air conditioner and cool down the room.
Both firefighters lay down on their beds, exhausted, boots still on.
"This is a nice bed," Estacio said, closing his eyes and trying not to think about the 3:30 a.m. wake-up call that would come far too soon.