Fire safety starts with you Published May 17, 2012 By Tyler Grimes 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs TRAVIS AFB, Calif. -- Most of us have heard about the importance of fire safety throughout our lives. Many people know the Smokey the Bear quote "Only you can prevent forest fires," but some may not believe one person can cause a wildfire. However, that's exactly what happened in the summer of 2008 when 176 Travis homes were destroyed by a single cigarette. In a matter of three days, more than 200 firefighters descended onto Travis to battle the fire which threatened many lives and the base's very infrastructures, according to John Speakman, 60th Civil Engineer Squadron fire chief. The blaze, which started off base, quickly spread to a vacant residential area on Travis with wind speeds of 30 miles per hour. "You had entire blocks on fire at the same time," Speakman said. The flame quickly became an 8-alarm fire. Speakman called on 20 fire stations from all over Northern California as well as local Defense Logistic Agency and Navy units for support. Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger contacted Speakman for a status update of conditions on the ground. "This became a California fire," Speakman said. "The smoke was visible in Sacramento." During that time, news of the fire garnered national coverage. Master Sgt. Robert Hilker, 60th CES assistant fire chief of prevention, just received orders to Travis from Alaska when he heard about the fire on TV. "I reported to work and they had (the news) on," Hilker said. "It said 'Travis Air Force Base on fire.'" When Hilker came to the base, he assisted Speakman and learned the nature of the fire. In the midst of the fire fight, Speakman recalls how intense the situation was becoming. "There were fireballs flying through the air at head-level," he said. "They were the size of basketballs." Speakman and his team worked around the clock, using numerous resources to combat the inferno. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved, the fire was eventually extinguished with no deaths and only a few minor injuries, he said. When the smoke cleared, the firefighters had saved the Youth Center, the Child Development Centers and many other sructures from destruction. Fortunately, the homes the fire destroyed were already abandoned and set for demolition. But Speakman warns the outcome could've been much worst. "If people would have been living in those homes, you could've had people hurt and people killed because someone off base did not dispose of their smoking material properly," he said. In addition to the potential loss of life, these man-made fires cost Travis on average $5,000 to $10,000 to extinguish, he said. Due to high winds and dry conditions on the base, fire safety is very important especially during the summer months. Speakman stresses being fire safety conscious means being a good Airman on-duty and off. "We find people tossing smoking material directly into the weeds," he said. "Off-base, they would be fined severely and it's illegal on the base yet people continue to do it. They're endangering their fellow Airmen and everyone else." A common problem that firefighters face is people who dispose of smoking material on the side of the road. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection issues roadside alerts called Red Flag Warnings when conditions are favorable to wildfires and extra fire prevention measures are needed according to the CDFFP website. Other steps people can take to increase fire safety this summer include completely distinguishing coals after a cook-out and have a fire extinguisher on hand in case of emergency when camping, Hilker said. "Anything that involves public education of fire safety, we are trained to answer those questions and work those issues," he said. For more information on fire safety, contact the 60th CES fire prevention office at 424-3683.