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NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE
TODAY, WE ARE LOOKING AT
CONDITIONS THAT WILL BE PRETTY
WARM.
WE WANT TO GO TO MARIPOSA
WERE THERE GIVING AN UPDATE ON
THE AIR TAKE HER CRASH AS WELL
AS THE FIREFIGHTING EFFORTS.
ANOTHER
PIECE THIS MORNING
BETWEEN 10:00 AND 11:00, IF YOU
WOULD LIKE TO BEFORE YOU GET TO
THE PARK ENTRANCE, THERE IS A
PULL OF SPOT WHERE THE MANY WERE
GOING LIVE WILL STOP IF YOUR
SETUP THERE, YOU WILL BE UP TO
SEE THE BODY OF THE PILOT BEING
TAKEN OFF AND BROUGHT BACK DOWN.
WE WILL START OFF THIS MORNING
WITH A BRIEF STATEMENT FROM THE
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, THE
SUPERINTENDENT.
WHAT IT WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS
THIS MORNING IS MY CONDOLENCES
TO CALFIRE IN THE FAMILY.
THIS WAS A HORRIFIC EVENT THAT
OCCURRED YESTERDAY.
ON BEHALF OF THE PARK SERVICE
AND ALSO THE WILDFIRE COMMUNITY,
WE WANT TO EXPRESS OUR DEEPEST
SIMPLY TO THE FAMILY.
WE WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE
ABOUT THE FIRE, BUT I THINK AT
THIS POINT IN TIME, THE MOST
IMPORTANT THING IS TO GET THE
BODY RECOVERED OFF THE HILLSIDE
AND PAY RESPECT TO THIS
INDIVIDUAL THAT DIED DOING HIS
PUBLIC SERVICE HERE IN YOSEMITE
NATIONAL PARK.
I DO WANT TO INTRODUCE KILLING
MARTIN, THE FMO FOR YOU SALUTED
NATIONAL PARK.
-- YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK.
IT IS WITH DEEP SADNESS ON
BEHALF OF THE WILDLAND FIRE
COMMUNITY I WISH TO EXPRESS MY
SINCERE AND DEEP CONDOLENCES TO
CALFIRE, THE WILDFIRE COMMUNITY,
AND TO THE FAMILY OF THE PILOT
THAT LOST HIS LIFE YESTERDAY.
WE HAVE MANY BRAVE WOMEN AND MEN
ON THE FIRE LINES EVEN TODAY
THAT I WANT -- I'M HOPING THAT
WE ALL KEEP YOUR THOUGHTS WITH
THEM FOR THEIR SAFE AND
EFFECTIVE CONCLUSION TO THE DOG
ROCK FIRE.
THANK YOU.
DAREN MILLS, THE DEPUTY CHIEF
OF OPERATIONS FOR THE YOSEMITE
NATIONAL PARK WILL GIVE AN
UPDATE ON THE FIRE IS SELF.
GOOD MORNING.
YESTERDAY I WAS THE ON-SITE
COMMANDER AT THE TIME OF THE
INCIDENT WITH THE AIR TANKER
THAT WENT DOWN.
I MANAGED THE FIRE UNTIL
SOMETIME LATE LAST NIGHT.
I THOUGHT I WOULD MOVE OVER TO
THE MAP AND GIVE YOU A BRIEF
OVERVIEW OF WHAT THE STRATEGY
WAS YESTERDAY AND WHAT PROGRESS
WE MADE AND WHAT OUR TACTICS ARE
FOR TODAY.
BEAR WITH ME.
NOT SURE HOW THAT WILL WORK WITH
THE MAP.
CAN WE BRING THE MAP CLOSER
TO THE MICROPHONE?
GOOD IDEA.
THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN.
JUST TO GIVE YOU A FEW
REFERENCE POINTS, THIS IS THE
MAIN FORK OF THE MERCED RIVER
AND THE ROAD THAT RUNS ALONG IT,
WHICH IS AN EXTENSION OF HIGHWAY
140 INTO THE PARK.
THAT ESSENTIALLY IS THE
BOTTOM
END OF OUR FIRE.
ON THE TOP END OF THE FIRE IS A
COMMUNITY OF ARREST,
PROXIMALLY
60 HOMES OR SO.
IT IS AN AREA THAT IS PRONE TO
FIRE.
IT IS HAD ONE THAT THREATENED
ALREADY EARLIER THIS YEAR AND
CURRENTLY EVACUATED.
THAT WAS OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY
FOR PROTECTION WE DEVELOPED OUR
STRATEGY YESTERDAY.
THE FIRE WAS MOVING WITH THE
WIND UP CANYON FROM THE WEST TO
THE EAST.
OUR PRIORITY WAS TO START UP THE
LEFT FLANK OF THE FIRE WITH
DIRECT FIRE LINE AND RETARDANT
TO BUY US TIME TO GET TROOPS IN
ON THE GROUND AND HOLD THAT FLAT
OF THE FIRE.
WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE SOME
PROGRESS PRIOR TO THE AIRCRAFT
GOING DOWN.
AT THAT TIME, THAT ESTABLISHED
SOME NEW FIRE AND WE HAD A
POLITICAL ONE OFF THE LINE ON
THE LEFT FLANK.
ON THE RIGHT FLANK THE WE MOVED
AHEAD OF THE FIRE TO A SLOPE
AND
WE WERE ABLE TO CUT THE BRUSH
OUT AND TIED
INTO A ROCK BAND.
HOPEFULLY, THAT WILL REMAIN OUR
EAST PERIMETER AND OF THE FIRE.
ON THIS SIDE, WE HAVE AN OLD
DOZER LINE THAT WAS USED DURING
THE BIG METAL FIRE IN 2009.
WE WERE ABLE TO PUT A HAND LINE
IN THEIR.
IT RUNS ACROSS THE RIDGE TOP
DOWN HERE TO FORESTA
FALLS.
WITH TODAY'S OPERATIONS,
HOPEFULLY WE WILL BE ABLE TO TIE
THAT TOGETHER IN ESSENTIALLY WE
WILL HAVE LOOSE OR SHAKY
CONTAINMENT, IF YOU WILL, AROUND
THE FIRE.
HOWEVER, THAT WILL NEED TO BE
BURNED OUT AT A FUTURE TIME,
MAYBE STARTING AS EARLY AS
TONIGHT, TO MEET OUR CONTAINMENT
OBJECTIVES.
I WANT TO REITERATE, OUR HIGHEST
PRIORITY WAS TO PROTECT OR
PROVIDE STRUCTURE DEFENSE FOR
THE COMMUNITY OF FORESTA, AND
HENCE THE AGGRESSIVE ATTACK WE
MADE YESTERDAY, BOTH ON THE
GROUND AND BY AIRCRAFT.
WITH
THAT, I GUESS WE WILL TAKE
QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, CHIEF.
WE WILL TURN IT OVER TO THE
CHIEF OF CALFIRE TO TALK MORE
ABOUT THE ACCIDENT ITSELF.
CHIEF?
THANK YOU AND GOOD MORNING.
JUST A BRIEF TIMELINE OF EVENTS
RELATIVE TO THE CRASH YESTERDAY.
JUST BEFORE 4:30 P.M. YESTERDAY
AFTERNOON, WE LOST CONTACT WITH
CALFIRE TANKER 81 BASED OUT OF
OUR HOLSTER PROTECT BASE.
TANKER 81 HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED TO
FIGHT THE DOG ROCK FIRE HERE IN
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK.
ONCE CONTACT WAS LOST WITH THE
AIRCRAFT, AN IMMEDIATE ACCOUNT
ABILITY PROCESS WAS PUT INTO
PLACE.
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK SEARCH
AND RESCUE CREWS WERE SENT TO
THE LAST KNOWN LOCATION WHERE
THEY CONFIRMED THE WRECKAGE OF
THE PLANE.
RESCUERS CONTINUED SEARCHING FOR
THE PILOT IN DENSE VEGETATION IN
STEEP TERRAIN WELL INTO THE
EVENING.
JUST WRITING UP YOUR THIS
MORNING, I THINK EVERYONE CAN
RECOGNIZE THE DIFFICULT TERRAIN
THE NOT ONLY THIS FIRE IS IN,
BUT WHERE THIS AIRCRAFT WENT
DOWN.
AGAIN, I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH ABOUT
THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE ARE
PARTICULARLY THE STAFF HERE AT
YOSEMITE, AND A SEARCH AND
RESCUE CREW BECAUSE THEY WERE
NOT GOING TO GIVE UP LAST
EVENING AS DARKNESS FELL IN IS
VERY DIFFICULT TERRAIN UNTIL
THEY WERE ABLE TO REACH THE
CRASH SITE.
AND IDENTIFY AND CONFIRM THE
STATUS OF THE PILOT.
WE ARE EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR
THEIR EFFORTS.
THE PILOT WAS LOCATED JUST
REALLY AFTER NIGHTFALL.
RECOVERY EFFORTS FROM THIS
REMOTE LOCATION WHERE THE PILOT
WAS FOUND IS CONTINUING THIS
MORNING.
OUT OF RESPECT FOR HIS FAMILY,
WE ARE WITHHOLDING THE RELEASE
OF HIS NAME UNTIL ALL OF THE
IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBERS CAN BE
IDENTIFIED.
I CAN TELL YOU WE ARE WORKING ON
THIS DILIGENTLY.
WE HAVE STAFF WITH ALL OF THE
IDENTIFIED FAMILY MEMBERS AND
ARE CONTINUING TO WORK ON THE
OUTREACH.
ONCE WE KNOW AND A PERMISSION
FROM THE FAMILY AND WE HAVE
CONFIRMED NOTIFICATION SEVEN
MADE, WE WILL MAKE SURE TO GET
THAT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OUT
TO YOU.
WHAT I CAN TELL YOU ABOUT THE
PILOT'S HE WAS A VETERAN DYNCORP
INTERNATIONAL PILOT UNDER
CONTRACT TO CALFIRE AND FLYING
FOR US FOR OVER 13 YEARS.
WE TREAT OUR PILOTS COME
ALTHOUGH IT IS A CONTRACT, IT IS
A SEAMLESS OPERATION AND WE
TREAT THOSE PILOTS JUST AS
THOUGH -- AND THEY ARE --
FIREFIGHTERS, JUST AS THOUGH
THEY WERE CALFIRE FIREFIGHTERS.
WE HAVE BEEN IN GAUGED WITH HIS
FAMILY SINCE THE INCIDENT
OCCURRED LATE YESTERDAY
AFTERNOON, AND WE WILL CONTINUE
TO SUPPORT HIS FAMILY TO THIS
DIFFICULT PROCESS.
IN ADDITION TO SUPPORTING THE
PILOT'S FAMILY AND THE FIRE
SERVICE FAMILY AS A WHOLE,
BECAUSE THIS AFFECTS THE ENTIRE
FIREFIGHTING COMMUNITY WHEN WE
HAVE THIS TRAGIC LOSS, WE WILL
BE COOPERATING WITH THE NATIONAL
TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD AND
OTHER MEMBERS OF THE
INVESTIGATION AS THAT CRITICAL
PEAS GOES FORWARD.
SPECIFICALLY, I WISH TO THANK
THE YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, THE
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE IS AS A
WHOLE, THE UNITED STATES FOREST
SERVICE, CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY
PATROL, THE MARIPOSA COUNTY
SHERIFF'S OFFICE, AND THE MANY,
MANY OTHER CORPORATORS IN THE
COMMUNITY MEMBERS HERE.
THIS PILOT DIED SERVING THE
STATE, SERVING HIS COMMUNITY.
AND PROTECTING THE LIVES AND
PROPERTY IN AND AROUND THE
COMMUNITY OF FORES WE ARE
FRODOTA.
-- COMMUNITY
OF FORESTA.
WE'RE FOREVER GRATEFUL.
THANK YOU.
WE WILL OPEN IT UP TO
QUESTIONS.
FOR MORE SPECIFICS ARE OF THE
FIRE, KERRY WILL BE AVAILABLE
OUTSIDE FOR ONE-ON-ONE
INTERVIEWS.
CAN YOU GIVE US A DESCRIPTION
OF WHAT CREWS ARE GOING TO
RESCUE [INDISCERNIBLE]
THE CONDITION OF THE AIRCRAFT?
MICHAEL, ARE YOU HERE?
MICHAEL, DO YOU WANT TO GIVE A
QUICK ACCOUNT OF THE SEARCH AND
RESCUE EFFORT AND
ALSO WHAT THEY
SAW AT THE SITE?
THE ME DO THIS QUICKLY.
THE SEARCH AND
RESCUE CREW WORKS
FOR MICHAEL STANSBERRY.
HE IS THE DEPUTY CHIEF RANGER AT
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK.
WE WILL GIVE YOU A FEW DETAILS
OF WHAT OCCURRED, BUT THAT SITE,
OUR CREWS LEFT THIS MORNING AT
7:00. THEY HOPE TO RECOVER.
IT WILL BE TWO OR THREE HOURS OF
INVESTIGATION DONE ON SCENE SO
WE CAN DOCUMENT EVERYTHING, THEN
THE BODY WILL BE REMOVED AT
10:00.
DO YOU WANT TO GIVE ANY DETAILS
ABOUT THE SPREAD OF THE PLANE
CRASH?
GOOD MORNING.
THE DEPUTY CHIEF RANGER HERE AT
YOSEMITE.
LAST NIGHT AFTER THE PLANE
CRASH, WITH SEVERAL UNITS IN
DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE PARK THAT
CONVERGED TO TRY TO GET RESCUE
EFFORTS STARTED.
SEVERAL UNITS WERE COMING -- TWO
INDIVIDUALS WERE COMING FROM
FORESTA AS WELL AS FROM
HIGHWAY
140.
THE CRASH SITE WAS HONEST ONE
QUARTER MILE LONG, SO BECAUSE OF
THE TERRAIN AND THE AMOUNT OF
DEBRIS, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO
GET IN THERE.
TO GET IN THERE SAFELY.
NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT
OF WRECKAGE AND THE TYPE OF
TERRAIN, BUT ALSO BECAUSE THERE
IS ACTIVE FIRE IN THE AREA.
OUR FOLKS DID -- WORKED AS HARD
AS THEY COULD TO GET IN AND
ESTABLISH AT LEAST THAT WE HAD
SOME KIND OF EFFORT TO HELP IF
WE COULD.
AND FOUND WE COULD FINALLY GET
TO AND CONFIRM WHERE THE PILOT
WAS AT NIGHTFALL.
[INDISCERNIBLE]
THE PILOT WAS NEAR THE
WRECKAGE, YES.
CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE
CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE
CRASH?
YOU BEEN LISTENING TO THE
UPDATE FOR MEMBERS OF THE PARK
RANGERS THEIR YOSEMITE AS WELL
AS CALFIRE GIVING DETAILS ON THE
CRASH IN THE FIREFIGHT.
WE LEARN THE PILOT WHO DIED WAS
A 13 YEAR VETERAN AND HAD A
CONTRACT WITH CALFIRE.
THEY ARE NOT RELEASING HIS NAME
YET AS THERE ARE STILL LETTING
HIS FAMILY KNOW ABOUT THE TRAGIC