we evolved because it’s what we can do it’s what we should do
it’s what we should do
it’s what we should do Today Tomorrow forever
the question I have for you today is do
the question I have for you today is do fire and water do they give to us or did
fire and water do they give to us or did
fire and water do they give to us or did they take from us my name is Kevin Jones
they take from us my name is Kevin Jones
they take from us my name is Kevin Jones and I’m an engineer with Santa Barbara
and I’m an engineer with Santa Barbara
and I’m an engineer with Santa Barbara County Fire Department I’ve been with
County Fire Department I’ve been with
County Fire Department I’ve been with County Fire for 12 years my current
County Fire for 12 years my current
County Fire for 12 years my current assignment is in Wes colita at station
assignment is in Wes colita at station
assignment is in Wes colita at station eleven on Stork Road
eleven on Stork Road
eleven on Stork Road although I was the last-minute addition
although I was the last-minute addition
although I was the last-minute addition to the Ted docks I put some serious
to the Ted docks I put some serious
to the Ted docks I put some serious thought into it and come up with the
thought into it and come up with the
thought into it and come up with the best message that I can think to deliver
best message that I can think to deliver
best message that I can think to deliver in the time I had but please excuse me
in the time I had but please excuse me
in the time I had but please excuse me if I have to refer to my notes my job
if I have to refer to my notes my job
if I have to refer to my notes my job has a way of tainting the way I look at
has a way of tainting the way I look at
has a way of tainting the way I look at life I’ve seen the worst imaginable ways
life I’ve seen the worst imaginable ways
life I’ve seen the worst imaginable ways people get hurt the worst ways to die I
carry that with me every day as I go
carry that with me every day as I go about my life on duty or off I look at
about my life on duty or off I look at
about my life on duty or off I look at everything as worst-case potential my
everything as worst-case potential my
everything as worst-case potential my wife doesn’t always like it but I always
wife doesn’t always like it but I always
wife doesn’t always like it but I always ask that she’d not drive highway 154 but
ask that she’d not drive highway 154 but
ask that she’d not drive highway 154 but take highway 101 instead I’ve been on
take highway 101 instead I’ve been on
take highway 101 instead I’ve been on some of the most horrific car accidents
some of the most horrific car accidents
some of the most horrific car accidents of my career on that undivided Highway
of my career on that undivided Highway
of my career on that undivided Highway she knows that I ask because I care
she knows that I ask because I care
she knows that I ask because I care about her life and the lives of my
about her life and the lives of my
about her life and the lives of my daughters
as firefighters work air with us
as firefighters work air with us constant reminders of the tragedies that
constant reminders of the tragedies that
constant reminders of the tragedies that we’ve witnessed and we don’t take them
we’ve witnessed and we don’t take them
we’ve witnessed and we don’t take them lightly mankind has become accustomed to
lightly mankind has become accustomed to
lightly mankind has become accustomed to rely on fire man’s earliest invention
rely on fire man’s earliest invention
rely on fire man’s earliest invention fire occurs in your furnace or your
fire occurs in your furnace or your
fire occurs in your furnace or your fireplace keeps you warm fire cooks your
fireplace keeps you warm fire cooks your
fireplace keeps you warm fire cooks your food gives you hot showers but but fire
food gives you hot showers but but fire
food gives you hot showers but but fire also ravages after years of drought
also ravages after years of drought
also ravages after years of drought combined with one of the wettest winters
combined with one of the wettest winters
combined with one of the wettest winters on record the optimal fuel bed was
on record the optimal fuel bed was
on record the optimal fuel bed was created on December 4th the Thomas fire
created on December 4th the Thomas fire
created on December 4th the Thomas fire broke at 626 p.m. in Santa Paula by the
broke at 626 p.m. in Santa Paula by the
broke at 626 p.m. in Santa Paula by the end of the first day that burned 63
end of the first day that burned 63
end of the first day that burned 63 thousand acres a time in which most
thousand acres a time in which most
thousand acres a time in which most fires only burned a few thousand at its
fires only burned a few thousand at its
fires only burned a few thousand at its peak it was burning at a rate of one
peak it was burning at a rate of one
peak it was burning at a rate of one acre per second an entire football field
acre per second an entire football field
acre per second an entire football field every second by the time it was
every second by the time it was
every second by the time it was contained it had burned 282 thousand
contained it had burned 282 thousand
contained it had burned 282 thousand acres destroyed over a thousand homes
acres destroyed over a thousand homes
acres destroyed over a thousand homes and claimed two lives one of those lives
and claimed two lives one of those lives
and claimed two lives one of those lives was Cal Fire engineer Cory Iverson Cory
was Cal Fire engineer Cory Iverson Cory
was Cal Fire engineer Cory Iverson Cory likely enjoyed his job made enough money
likely enjoyed his job made enough money
likely enjoyed his job made enough money to afford the necessities in life and
to afford the necessities in life and
to afford the necessities in life and still spend some time with his family
still spend some time with his family
still spend some time with his family but now he’s gone and he leaves behind
but now he’s gone and he leaves behind
but now he’s gone and he leaves behind his pregnant wife and his two-year-old
his pregnant wife and his two-year-old
his pregnant wife and his two-year-old little girl if we asked his wife Ashley
little girl if we asked his wife Ashley
little girl if we asked his wife Ashley I would wager to bet that she says fire
I would wager to bet that she says fire
I would wager to bet that she says fire took more from her family than it ever
took more from her family than it ever
took more from her family than it ever gave
see that’s the problem with fire it has
see that’s the problem with fire it has no mercy
no mercy
no mercy it does not care who you are whether you
it does not care who you are whether you
it does not care who you are whether you were trying to escape the fire or run in
were trying to escape the fire or run in
were trying to escape the fire or run in to put it out
to put it out
to put it out it destroys far more than it creates I’m
it destroys far more than it creates I’m
it destroys far more than it creates I’m always concerned that fire will take
always concerned that fire will take
always concerned that fire will take from me and my family whether it be at a
from me and my family whether it be at a
from me and my family whether it be at a campfire or a structure fire in Goleta
campfire or a structure fire in Goleta
campfire or a structure fire in Goleta the minute you let down your guard fire
the minute you let down your guard fire
the minute you let down your guard fire will hurt you
will hurt you
will hurt you should we live in fear no that’s not
should we live in fear no that’s not
should we live in fear no that’s not what I’m suggesting we should live with
what I’m suggesting we should live with
what I’m suggesting we should live with our eyes open we should know that
our eyes open we should know that
our eyes open we should know that nothing in the path of that wildfire is
nothing in the path of that wildfire is
nothing in the path of that wildfire is important as our lives
important as our lives
important as our lives yours and mine both is water any
yours and mine both is water any
yours and mine both is water any different water sustains life grows
different water sustains life grows
different water sustains life grows crops keeps us alive well if that’s the
crops keeps us alive well if that’s the
crops keeps us alive well if that’s the case why does Santa Barbara County fire
case why does Santa Barbara County fire
case why does Santa Barbara County fire pull more people to safety from the
pull more people to safety from the
pull more people to safety from the ocean than from structure fires water is
ocean than from structure fires water is
ocean than from structure fires water is so unassuming we pay lots of money to
so unassuming we pay lots of money to
so unassuming we pay lots of money to live or vacation in on or near water but
live or vacation in on or near water but
live or vacation in on or near water but make no mistake water kills we all
make no mistake water kills we all
make no mistake water kills we all witness this firsthand on January 9th
witness this firsthand on January 9th
witness this firsthand on January 9th I was part of a regional task force that
I was part of a regional task force that
I was part of a regional task force that was mobilized in preparation for the
was mobilized in preparation for the
was mobilized in preparation for the storm when the rain came down at 3:45
storm when the rain came down at 3:45
storm when the rain came down at 3:45 a.m. we left our staging area at oral
a.m. we left our staging area at oral
a.m. we left our staging area at oral warrant Showgrounds knowing we were
warrant Showgrounds knowing we were
warrant Showgrounds knowing we were going to be needed
going to be needed
going to be needed it was just unclear where by the time we
it was just unclear where by the time we
it was just unclear where by the time we got on the 101 headed south county fire
got on the 101 headed south county fire
got on the 101 headed south county fire engines ahead of us in route to the
engines ahead of us in route to the
engines ahead of us in route to the explosion on East Mountain Drive were
explosion on East Mountain Drive were
explosion on East Mountain Drive were reporting roads and access blocked by
reporting roads and access blocked by
reporting roads and access blocked by mud and debris flow and that they were
mud and debris flow and that they were
mud and debris flow and that they were actively engaging in rescue efforts
actively engaging in rescue efforts
actively engaging in rescue efforts based on the locations given it was
based on the locations given it was
based on the locations given it was clear we had a large scale problem the
clear we had a large scale problem the
clear we had a large scale problem the first 12 hours of that day are blur and
first 12 hours of that day are blur and
first 12 hours of that day are blur and I’m kind of happy about that as I saw
I’m kind of happy about that as I saw
I’m kind of happy about that as I saw some things I don’t want to see again
some things I don’t want to see again
some things I don’t want to see again the memories I want to keep are the
the memories I want to keep are the
the memories I want to keep are the faces of those we help to safety
faces of those we help to safety
faces of those we help to safety everywhere we went that day hot springs
everywhere we went that day hot springs
everywhere we went that day hot springs all of Mill Santa Isabel San Leandro
all of Mill Santa Isabel San Leandro
all of Mill Santa Isabel San Leandro to bromelain total devastation I’m very
to bromelain total devastation I’m very
to bromelain total devastation I’m very proud of the efforts that my co-workers
proud of the efforts that my co-workers
proud of the efforts that my co-workers and I put in to make a difference on
and I put in to make a difference on
and I put in to make a difference on that day and subsequent weeks I
that day and subsequent weeks I
that day and subsequent weeks I witnessed a careers worth of death and
witnessed a careers worth of death and
witnessed a careers worth of death and destruction in one day
destruction in one day
destruction in one day the Thomas fires burn scar is massive
the Thomas fires burn scar is massive
the Thomas fires burn scar is massive extending from Santa Barbara to Ventura
extending from Santa Barbara to Ventura
extending from Santa Barbara to Ventura this was only the first rain of the
this was only the first rain of the
this was only the first rain of the season and water took the lives of 23
season and water took the lives of 23
season and water took the lives of 23 people that night water that God
people that night water that God
people that night water that God intended to replenish the earth please
intended to replenish the earth please
intended to replenish the earth please leave here today with a new respect for
leave here today with a new respect for
leave here today with a new respect for mother nature I can’t think of a good
mother nature I can’t think of a good
mother nature I can’t think of a good reason those people had to die that day
reason those people had to die that day
reason those people had to die that day all I know is the destructive power of
all I know is the destructive power of
all I know is the destructive power of fire and water is greater than any on
fire and water is greater than any on
fire and water is greater than any on earth thank you
”
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