Beale firefighter battles Northern California wildfires

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Ramon A. Adelan
  • 9th Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs
BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  A firefighter from Beale Air Force Base, Calif., assisted the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services with battling fires in Northern California in September.

Fire Captain William Hock, 9th Civil Engineer Squadron lead firefighter, spent seven days as part of a strike team assisting multiple agencies with Northern California's Gulch Fire in Shasta County and the Boles Fire in the city of Weed.

"The magnitude of the Boles Fire was devastating," Hock said. "We were tasked to strengthen fire control lines, extinguish the remains of buildings, and help the community locate possessions in the debris. After speaking with residents, they were very appreciative and thankful for our efforts on battling the fire where they live."

According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) website, both fires are now 100 percent contained, but they burned across a combined 1,854 acres. The fires destroyed approximately 165 residential and commercial properties and damaged three other structures, which forced approximately 2,000 residents to evacuate the areas.

The California Governor's office of Emergency Services requested three firefighters from the Linda, Calif., Fire Department to provide assistance to these fires. The Linda department couldn't staff all three positions, so Linda contacted Beale for mutual aid to fill the third position.

According to Fire Chief Kevin Smith, 9th CES, Beale has a mutual aid agreement with Cal Fire and fire departments from Linda, Olivehurst, Smartsville, and Wheatland, Calif. The agreement states if mutual aid is needed, Beale can be requested for assistance. The agreement also includes that Beale could also request assistance from these agencies.

"It was a privilege to be given the opportunity to assist in the containment of these fires," Hock said. "I was able to gain experience, which I could only have done in real-world situations."

Hock gained experience that provides the Beale Fire Department with the knowledge and capabilities to keep Team Beale safe from fires.

"The experience and knowledge Hock accumulated during the time fighting the wildfires provide a great impact in our firehouse," Smith said. "He is now certified and able to train our fire prevention team, as well as sign them off on tasks."