Detwiler Fire Overwhelms CalFire comment

   A person who identifies themselves as Eric Dyck has made a lengthy comment:

   "Obviously not many commenting in the article has ever been in the fire service in California.  Yes fire is a high dollar business (yes I said business) but as much as I hate to say it I have seen first hand in my 23 years in the fire service (before having to retire on disability for having 11 bad disks in my back and neck from this job, by the way I would do all over again in a heart beat), CAL FIRE being one of the more aggressive firefighting agencies we have in California.

   While some agencies that I won't name will leave the fire line after 16 hour shifts, CAL FIRE does 24 hour shifts and fights fire with a lot of aggression.  Yes, they get hotel rooms on their off hours but until you have had to try and sleep in 100+ degree temperatures with little or no comforts then you might appreciate the quality rest they get in a room compared to sleeping in the hose bed (as romantic as it sounds to most that never slept on a bed of metal couplings in your back), so that they are fully rested to do the next 24 hour shift trying to save your home.

   I never worked for CAL FIRE but my son, nephew and many of my friends have, or do, and they are way under paid for risking their lives for the citizens of this state, so before bashing on this agency saying they sit back and don't fight fires aggressively do your homework and you will see that probably CAL FIRE a long with your small local departments are fighting fire more aggressively than their big brother agencies.

   You can always go get certified to be a firefighter that requires hundreds of hours a year in training to maintain your status, and go get paid $13 to $35 an hour risking your life for strangers and to possibly never come home to your family for doing what some are complaining about.

   Think about it before giving your opinion because I doubt many will go sign up for this task!"

   Thank you for your very interesting commentary, but we do believe that most all opinions were based on upper level management at CAL FIRE, not workers on the fire lines.