Wall of Flame: The Heroic Battle to Save Southern California - Hardcover

by Erich Krauss (Author), Mike Bell (Foreword by)

A dramatic look from the front lines at the most devastating fire siege in California history

With over seven miles of urban/wildland interface unburned for thirty years and beautiful homes lacing in and out of its picturesque hilly terrain, Rancho Cucamonga was a powder keg--one that finally exploded in October 2003 with a ferocity no one could have expected. Now, Erich Krauss brings you to the ever-shifting front lines of the battle against the catastrophic inferno, the rugged terrain, and the ferocious winds, where municipal and wildland firefighters joined forces to save thousands of homes and lives.

Wall of Flame recalls the unprecedented events surrounding the Grand Prix Fire, revealing the moments of apparent indecision, the lack of coordination, and even how local, state, and federal firefighters--each with missions that at times opposed one another--put their differences aside for the greater good in order to save Southern California. With each passing hour, the fire grew larger and their task more immense.

Mistakes were made. Plans collapsed. Even the most seasoned firefighters felt the world close in. But they persevered. After all, it was their city, their homes, and their loved ones they were entrusted to protect. Their community was counting on them to save their homes and all the history they had wrapped up in them. This was a battle they could not afford to lose.

Front Jacket

They say prayer changes things. I believe it. What happened, or didn't happen, in Rancho Cucamonga on the night of October 25, 2003, is hard to explain any other way. Certainly, good planning, years of training, and courageous firefighting contributed to the success we experienced in Rancho, but it does not tell the whole story.
--RCFD Deputy Chief Mike Bell

Every fall, Southern California faces an outbreak of wildfires--but in October 2003, the region fell victim to one of its worst fire sieges ever. Thirteen wildfires raged out of control across arid landscapes that were ripe for disaster. Despite well-laid plans and agreements made far in advance of the onslaught, California's bravest firefighters were caught off guard, facing the worst natural disaster of their careers.

In Rancho Cucamonga, situated at the base of the San Bernardino Mountains, the Grand Prix Fire destroyed homes, property, land, and lives. Wall of Flame goes to the front lines of the surging blaze that threatened to ravage Rancho and the quaint little towns surrounding it, tracing the timeline of events from the massive inferno's origin all the way through to its hard-fought end.

Within seconds of the first reports of a grass fire, troops began to roll. But this fire was like no other, and things quickly started going wrong. The helicopter pilot braving the smoke to dump water over the fire was unable to release his bucket. A critical delay in getting two airtankers over the scene lost even more precious minutes, as the fire began to rage out of control.

Back on the ground, firefighters were digging lines and risking their lives to contain the fire that was devouring acres at a time. But without critical support from above, the Grand Prix surged to thirty-five hundred acres overnight, pushing upslope to the northeast and then downhill toward Lytle Creek. And then, all hell broke loose. The Santa Ana winds kicked in, and with the fire at its doorstep, Rancho Cucamonga's airtight evacuation plan fell to pieces amidst pandemonium. The "ordinary" acts of heroism required every year were no longer enough.

With two-hundred-foot flames licking at their backs and blistering heat breathing down their necks, California's firefighters faced the most intense and personal battles of their careers. Wall of Flame is a riveting true account of the heroic firefighters who refused to back down until the last embers of their city's most devastating fire were extinguished.

Back Jacket

A dramatic look from the front lines at the most devastating fire siege in California history

With over seven miles of urban/wildland interface unburned for thirty years and beautiful homes lacing in and out of its picturesque hilly terrain, Rancho Cucamonga was a powder keg--one that finally exploded in October 2003 with a ferocity no one could have expected. Now, Erich Krauss brings you to the ever-shifting front lines of the battle against the catastrophic inferno, the rugged terrain, and the ferocious winds, where municipal and wildland firefighters joined forces to save thousands of homes and lives.

Wall of Flame recalls the unprecedented events surrounding the Grand Prix Fire, revealing the moments of apparent indecision, the lack of coordination, and even how local, state, and federal firefighters--each with missions that at times opposed one another--put their differences aside for the greater good in order to save Southern California. With each passing hour, the fire grew larger and their task more immense.

Mistakes were made. Plans collapsed. Even the most seasoned firefighters felt the world close in. But they persevered. After all, it was their city, their homes, and their loved ones they were entrusted to protect. Their community was counting on them to save their homes and all the history they had wrapped up in them. This was a battle they could not afford to lose.

Author Biography

ERICH KRAUSS is a freelance journalist who has written for the New York Times and is the author of seven other books, including On the Line: Inside the U.S. Border Patrol and Wave of Destruction: The Stories of Four Families and History's Deadliest Tsunami, which focuses on the December 2004 tsunami that ravaged the coastlines of Southeast Asia. He lives in San Diego.