The California Army National Guard’s 132nd Multirole Bridge Company played a crucial role in the containment of a wildfire in northern California this summer.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) requested assistance from the 132nd when it needed to move heavy equipment from one wildfire crisis to another in early July. After fighting the Pawnee Fire in late June (15,000 acres burned) in Lake County, California, and the Spring 2 Fire a few days later in Lake County (80 acres burned), CAL FIRE was called to contain the County Fire that had ignited in Napa and Yolo counties.
The California Army National Guard engineers quickly stepped forward. On July 7, the Redding, California, unit constructed a 100-foot Improved Ribbon Bridge in the same location as it did three years ago for another fire.
“If we went left or right, it would have taken us several hours to get to the fight,” a CAL FIRE official stated. “But if we went up the middle, which we couldn’t at the time, we would be on site a lot faster. That’s why we called the California Guard. They helped us out a few years ago with the same thing.”
The “go up the middle” effect allowed CAL FIRE and other California Office of Emergency assets to quickly move heavy equipment and personnel to the wildfire.
The County Fire consumed more than 90,000 acres and was destined for worse until emergency services contained it. The 132nd’s efforts to build the bridge in a matter of hours contributed to the County Fire’s containment.
Just as it did three years ago, the temporary bridge structure floated adjacent to a permanent concrete bridge that was deemed “zero tons” by a California Department of Transportation engineer/inspector in 2015. The bridge is passable for normal vehicles, but big, heavy equipment such as fire trucks and bulldozers aren’t permitted on the structure.
The floating bridge was utilized for about a week, said the 132nd’s SFC Harley Ramirez, and more than 650 vehicles and 1,200 personnel crossed it. SFC Ramirez stationed his troops on a 24-hour safety watch. He credited the team for its productiveness, noting how quickly the bridge went up – and down – compared to three years ago.
“We had issues working in the tight areas, but this gave us hands-on experience on what to do and not [to do],” SGT Ellie Ogsbury said.
“This definitely opened our eyes. It let us know the importance of what we do,” SPC Aaron W. Parker said. “It’s good to know what we did made a lot of difference.”
The 132nd isn’t the only unit of the California Army National Guard’s 49th Military Police Brigade to be activated this year. In July, the 270th Military Police Company assisted law enforcers during the Klamathon Fire in Siskiyou County near the California-Oregon border.
More than 500 Soldiers from the California Army National Guard’s 144th Field Artillery Battalion were also training for wildfire ground operations by mid-July, one of the earliest call-ups for hand crews.
The County Fire destroyed 20 buildings, damaged three and caused one injury. More than 450 emergency personnel responded to the blaze, with the majority using the floating bridge California Army National Guard Soldiers had built.
By SSG Edward Siguenza, California National Guard
