Man Killed While Fighting California Fires Identified
On Tuesday, October 17, 2017, officials from Napa County identified a man who lost his life while assisting in the fight against the many fires affecting Northern California. The man was identified as Garrett Paiz, a 38-year-old volunteer firefighter from Missouri.
Accident Details
California Highway Patrol (CHP) reported that this accident occurred at 6:45 in the morning on Monday, October 16, 2017. Paiz was attempting to drive up the winding Oakville Grade in Napa County.
CHP said that Paiz had been in the process of refilling a large 1993 Kenworth water tanker vehicle being used to assist in battling the Nuns fire, which spread northward from Sonoma County into Napa when he lost control of the vehicle. After Paiz lost control of the tanker, the vehicle left the roadway and crashed through a guardrail before it plummeted about 20 feet down into a ravine a short distance away from the bottom of Oakville Grade where the road meets Highway 29.
A Hero
Authorities reported that Paiz had been a volunteer with the Noel Fire Department located in southwest Missouri, but had been working as a driver for Cal Fire in order to help residents of the severely impacted Northern California region. The man had not been familiar with the steep and curving roadway, which officials say is the steepest public roadway in all of Napa County.
Our deepest sympathies go out to the family and friends of Mr. Paiz during this difficult time, and we thank all those who put their lives on the line to save others.
Other Fire-Related Crashes and Injuries
CHP has reported that this accident is only one of many vehicle collisions related to the wildfires of October 2017. Officers have reported finding multiple overturned vehicles that crashed as a result of individuals attempting to escape the fires through thick smoke.
Additionally, six firefighter injuries have been reported in the California mountains to the north of Napa and Sonoma Counties as firefighters courageously attempt to quell blazes in Mendocino and Humboldt.
Containment Update
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) reported on Thursday, October 19, 2017, that they have made good progress on containment of the fires burning in Napa and Sonoma county and expect them to be fully contained by Friday, October 20, 2017. Light rains over the weekend are also expected to reduce the ongoing fires even further.
Despite great efforts from firefighters and volunteers from around the nation, the fires have already claimed 42 lives, making the complex of fires the most deadly in the modern history of California, with the next most deadly being the 1933 Griffith Park fire in L.A. in which 29 people were killed.
More from Ed Smith, Napa Wrongful Death Lawyer
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