MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- Mother Nature did her best to add drama to annual interagency firefighter training here last week.
While roughly 50 municipal, county and federal firefighters dug in for training that entailed fighting deliberately set, controlled burns, 10 unplanned fires regularly interrupted the proceedings, forcing the firefighters to mount their vehicles and race to the real thing.
The largest fire, which burned 200 acres of training grounds at Camp San Mateo, took seven hours to fight, marking a climactic mid-week diversion from the training routine -- with news crews on hand for media day.
"It was unusual, but not outside the realm of possibility," said Scott Simpson, a fire inspector here, adding that he couldn't recall such a rash of unplanned fires disrupting the annual training in recent years.
The training, officially dubbed the 25th annual Multi-Agency Windland Fire School, was a chance for firefighters to practice suppression techniques while clearing brush that could ignite a fire as fire season bears down on the base.
Brush fires are a constant threat here when hot shells from Marine live-fire training contact dry brush, noted Mike J. Wakowski, who fights fires in the Cleveland National Forest
Fire departments flocked in from around Southern California in rows of red engines -- bringing novice and advanced firefighters alike for the two-hour "live-fire" portion on June 8.
Although training was held in different areas, Basilone Drop Zone was the "hot spot," said Stanton E. Florea of the Angeles National Forest.
The day's training ignited with a training fire exercise on a Basilone DZ hill at about 1 p.m.
Trucks holding fire professionals raced past the media there to the valley at the bottom of the hill. A controlled fire was lit on the hillside as teams anxiously waited by their trucks for the call.
Firefighters stood single file, holding chain saws, shovels and hoses, until they were dispatched to extinguish the blaze.
As they rushed toward the mound, voice commands rang out for accountability and safety. Brush crew members hollered "heads up," "bump up" and "watch your spacing" -- audible reminders shouted among thick clouds of smoke billowing up from the smoldering hillside.
The crew extinguished the blaze -- with help from a few newcomers, including female firefighters.
"There always have been female firefighters, but this year the numbers are higher -- and just like the Marine Corps, fire departments are trying to (encourage) female involvement," Florea said. "I got involved because my neighbor was practicing to become a medic. I was her 'dummy,' then I thought, 'I don't want to be the dummy, I can be the firefighter," said Blanca O. Mercado, a female firefighter with Camp Pendleton Fire Station 6.
Another addition this year was a gray cellophane fire shelter inside a rectangle pouch attached to the bottom of the firefighters' backpacks.
"When an (out-of-control) fire arises, firefighters pull the shelter off their backpack and cover up. It minimizes injuries that are caused by radiant heat," Florea said.
Although they were equipped with fire shelters, no one had to use one.
Florea was upbeat about the training.
"Today was a success. It brought together different fire departments -- which is good for camaraderie," he said.
"Everyone leaves happy. Firefighters get practice, Pendleton gets fewer fires," Wakowski said.
As the exercise came to a close and all the training fires were extinguished, firefighters extinguished their thirsts with 16-ounce bottles of water.
But the respite was short-lived.
Ironically, about that time, a real brush fire flared up at Camp San Mateo.
"The ground was so dry that the grass just caught on fire," Simpson said.
Brush crews from the exercise were immediately dispatched. Seven hours later, the impromptu fire was out.
"That goes to show you, the practice was all trial by fire," Wakowski quipped.
Firefighters on hand from other agencies joined Pendleton personnel in snuffing the San Mateo fire, which caused no injuries or structure damage but threatened to spread north to Camp Talega and communities off base.
"We worked side by side with (off-base firefighters) to put it out," Simpson said.
"It was unfortunate. All (uncontrolled) fires are," Simpson added. "But we were fortunate we had as many people as we did to help put it out."