CORONA: High-tech aviation crash rig quickly extinguishes vacant lot, house fire
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CORONA — A downed power line in an empty lot could have burned an adjacent home to the ground, were it not for a high-tech, aviation-based, crash truck that happened to be parked at an ambulance company directly across the street from where the blaze erupted.
Downed power lines reportedly started a blaze in a vacant lot that spread to an adjacent property. Lyndsay Ridings photo
The fire, that broke out in a dry, vacant lot next to a private residence on the 1000 block of East 3rd Street in Corona, was quickly extinguished by the single, high-tech fire apparatus Tuesday afternoon, May 23.
City of Corona Fire and Police personnel were dispatched to the scene of the fire about 1:15 p.m., after emergency dispatchers received numerous calls reporting the growing blaze.
Callers told dispatchers that the downed power lines had ignited dry shrubbery and vegetation in the empty lot, which quickly spread to the back yard of an adjacent residence.
As the blaze intensified, a propane tank reportedly erupted, setting both the vacant lot and the back yard of the private residence ablaze.
Flames were reportedly seen 20-to 30 feet in the air and thick, choking smoke could be seen for several miles. In addition to the home directly adjacent to the vacant lot, several other nearby houses were being threatened by the blaze.
Several residents and a family pet were reportedly evacuated safely from the home while the fire was still growing.
As luck would have it, while Corona Fire personnel were still being dispatched and heading to the scene of the fire, Mission Emergency Medical Services and Mission Aviation Fire Rescue personnel found themselves in the right place at the right time to lend a big helping-hand at extinguishing the fast-growing blaze.
A Mission Aviation Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting Rig – or ARFF – happened to be parked across the street when the fire broke out. Lyndsay Ridings photo
Mission EMS and Mission Aviation employees – who are not part of the same company but happen to be stationed out of a Mission EMS Training Center directly across the street from the where the fire erupted – commandeered one of Mission Aviation’s more unique firefighting apparatus’, a Colet Jaguar K15 – and immediately headed across the street to help battle the fire.
With a USAF certified speed of 0-50 mph in just 14 seconds and able to corner at speeds double that of conventional fire engines, the Jaguar Aircraft Rescue & Fire Fighting vehicle, also known as an ARFF, is the “safest, fastest, and most reliable crash truck of its kind,” according to manufacturers.
However, in this case, the futuristic-looking, all-weather, air-transportable, high-performance crash truck – with it’s integrated elevating Powerflow boom and Instatak™ firefighting system – simply needed to pull 20 feet out from Mission EMS’s parking lot, raise its elevated boom high into the air and start putting water on the fire.
The City of Corona Fire Department, which sent three engine companies and a ladder company to the blaze, began arriving at the scene of the fire within minutes – just as Mission Aviation firefighters manning the Jaguar were finishing knocking down the fire in the vacant lot.
Once City of Corona firefighters arrived at the scene, they assumed control of the incident and began knocking down a portion of the fire that had moved to the back yard of the residence.
Other firefighter’s began hitting hot-spots and checking for additional fire danger and damage. With city fire officials at the scene beginning overhaul operations, Mission EMS and Mission Aviation employees fell back and took on more of a support role, assisting with crowd and traffic control.
There were no reported civilian or firefighter injuries related to the fire and other than minor cosmetic damage, the home was saved; in large part due to the swift actions of the Mission EMS and Mission Aviation employees and their unique firefighting apparatus.
Many from around the community get a first-hand look
at Mission Aviation Fire Rescue’s Jaguar ARFF
After the fire was extinguished, people from throughout the community, both young and old, came out to see the rarely spotted Jaguar K15, manufactured by JRI Inc, in Newark, California.
The Jaguar’s interior looks more like a fighter cockpit than a fire engine. Colet courtesy image
Many took photographs of the unique fire apparatus, while others came up close to stare, wide-eyed, at the cockpit that looks more like – and was inspired by – an Apache helicopter cockpit than a conventional aircraft crash tender or fire engine.
With 1+1, front and rear seating – as well as other possible seating configurations – and a Heads Up Display (HUD) enhanced vision system, the Jaguar can be operated by a crew of just two.
At only 9-feet wide and just under 30-feet long, compared to a traditional fire engine’s average, typical 13 to 14-foot width, the Jaguar K15 is the smallest, most maneuverable of the Jaguar series of ARFF vehicles.
With four wheel drive, an angle of approach of 30 degrees and an angle of depart of 45 degrees, the Jaguar is highly maneuverable and is designed for both on and off road use.
The Jaguar has several on-board computers that monitor vehicle functions, which constantly adjust vehicle handling parameters and controls many of the vehicle’s functions for greater mobility, performance and safety. Forward Looking Infrared night vision (FLIR) and GPS are also available features that can be vital tools to help firefighters battle night-time blazes.
“The advantages of these active controls greatly affect the safety and reliability of these Jaguars, insuring that all systems are at optimal levels,” manufacturers explained.
At only 9-feet wide and with a low center of gravity, the Jaguar K15 ARFF is highly maneuverable. Colet courtesy image
In addition to having excellent handling capabilities, the Jaguar’s computer controlled active/reactive suspension, stainless steel monocoque chassis and 600 hp, supercharged, turbocharged, and inter-cooled Cummins V-8 diesel helps the crash truck reach speeds of over 100 mph. Conventional aviation crash tenders typically have a top speed of about 50 mph.
A major consideration in the unique design was operator safety and the Jaguar’s fully integrated cockpit crash cage provides the occupants with the highest possible high level of protection.
The distinctively shaped cockpit was designed for maximum visibility and features all bonded glass and progressive crumple zones for the superior protection against front end impacts, even immobile objects such as walls. Instead of rear-view mirrors to view surrounding traffic like a traditional fire truck, the Jaguar has television monitors mounted in the air-conditioned and climate-controlled cockpit above the vehicles controls.
Normally used for fighting aviation-based fires at airports and capable of carrying just over 1,500 gallons of water and nearly 100 gallons of foam, Mission Aviation’s Jaguar K15 can deliver 1,500 gallons per minute at 250 psi. During this particular fire, officials at the scene said the Jaguar used just about 1,000 gallons of water to extinguish the blaze.
The water or foam can be dispensed 250 feet or more, through a highly efficient, computer-controlled foam proportioning system and the vehicle’s Powerflow Boom.
Larger versions of the Jaguar series designed for large airport and military use are capable of bringing up to 5,000 gallons of water and 250 gallons of foam to a fire.
Clearly, during this fire emergency, the Jaguar proved its capability as well as its versatility, thanks to its many advanced firefighting features.
If Tuesday’s fire and quick response and successful knock down is any indication, chances are more cities and counties could soon be seen sporting their own high-performance Colet Jaguar ARFFs.
Click any image to open full-size gallery.
Lyndsay Ridings video
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News and Anza Valley Outlook and also writes for Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg and breaking his back in an off-duty accident.
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 26 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and has 13 children and 12 – soon to be 13 – grandchildren.