Report: Number of Firefighters Reduced Before Station Fire

LOS ANGELES -- As the Station Fire continues to smolder northeast of Los Angeles, a report says the U.S. Forest Service ordered supervisors to reduce the use of state and local firefighters shortly before the deadly wildfire erupted.

The Los Angeles Times obtained an internal memorandum that instructed forest supervisors in the Pacific Southwest region to replace non-federal crews with its own personnel "as appropriate" and "as quickly as possible."

The memorandum was dated Aug. 5. The station fire erupted on Aug. 26.


The memo warned that looming budget shortfalls require that "fire resources be managed to ensure no deficits." It called for minimizing overtime expenses and equipment purchases and limiting the use of other agencies and contractors, the Times reported.

Forest Service officials have denied that cost concerns led them to deploy fewer firefighters and air support from Los Angeles County, but have conceded that they may have underestimated the strength of the Station Fire at a crucial point before it exploded into one of the largest wildfires in Southern California history.

In an interview, Angeles Forest Fire Chief David Conklin said that on the first day battling the Station Fire, his commanders were confident the fire was "fairly well contained," so on second day they ordered just three helicopters to battle the blaze and severely reduced the number of ground forces.

The Forest Service soon realized that three helicopters would not be enough that morning, and brought in two large heli-tankers later in the morning, Conklin said.

More engines and ground crews were then called to the scene, but the fire had already become too well involved by that point.

"We felt we had sufficient resources," said Conklin. "There's always that lesson, we'll always have that in the back of our minds."

On the second day, county fire loaned the Forest Service a heli-tanker, but denied its request for another smaller chopper.

Deputy Fire Chief John Tripp said he made that decision because he did not believe the fire would endanger neighborhoods where the fire allegedly started above La Canada-Flintridge, and because the county must hold some choppers back for other emergencies.

As it stands, joint commands are only established when spreading fires become imminent dangers to foothill communities. In light of the deadly and massive Station fire, the rule may soon be changed.

"We have to be that much more robust in our response," Tripp said. "That's what, on a personal note, I have learned from this."

L.A. County Fire and Forest Services said they would change their procedures so that both agencies would immediately fight to extinguish any fire in the southern portion of the Angeles National Forest so that future fires don't become as massive and dangerous as the Station Fire.

With the heat and Santa Ana winds, fire officials said they couldn't be sure when they will be able to fully contain the Station fire.

The nearly 251-square-mile blaze in the Angeles National Forest remains at 98 percent containment. Officials said they will hold off until the next rain before declaring it fully contained.

The fire has scorched 160,557 acres, making it the largest fire in modern Los Angeles County history and the 10th largest in California since 1933.

The cost of fighting the fire stands at around $83.1 million.

Since the fire ignited off Angeles Crest Highway, just north of La Canada Flintridge on Aug. 26 it has: