News & Columns > News Staff Member > Camp Edwards Structure Destroyed

Camp Edwards Structure Destroyed

Firefighter Suffers Stroke While Responding To Incident

By News Staff Member
Saturday, February 16, 2008

Update — Saturday 9:30 p.m.

View Alert

Angelus Oaks, CA – Firefighters contained the "Edwards" fire that was first reported at approximately 12:30 p.m. Saturday. However, according to published reports, the caretaker's cabin was destroyed .

A San Bernardino County Fire spokesperson confirmed that the firefighter from Station 15 that was airlifted to Loma Linda University Medical Center suffered a stroke while driving the engine to the Camp Edwards fire.

Scanner reports show at 1:15 p.m. a firefighter called in emergency traffic, "We've had an accident with the rig. Start medical aid. He's unresponsive." Minutes later it was reported that the driver possibly had suffered a stroke.

There were no other injuries reported. "We were able to stop the equipment before anything happened," another firefighter stated.

As of 1:35 p.m. the driver was reportedly "holding his own".

The firefighter's name has not been released and his condition is not known at this time.

Update — Saturday 3:45 p.m.

A San Bernardino County firefighter has been airlifted to Loma Linda University Medical Center following an incident while his engine was responding to a fire at Camp Edwards in Angelus Oaks.

The unidentified firefighter, who was driving the engine at the time of the incident, was stabilized by paramedics and airlifted to Loma Linda while other crews battled a two-story structure fire that had fully engulfed the caretaker's cabin at the front of the YMCA camp.

Firefighters on scene told dispatchers that the building, recently featured in the movie Rainbow Tribe (2008), was not spreading but that the structure was expected to be a total loss. The movie is scheduled for release February 28.

Scanner transmissions indicated the engine, assigned to the Angelus Oaks Station #15 located at 5766 Frontage Road, struck a tree before other firefighters were able to stop the vehicle that suffered minor damage including the loss of a side mirror and several reflectors.

The airship landed at the South Fork Campground at 1:44 p.m. forcing a brief closure of Highway 38. The helicopter loaded the firefighter and departed the landing zone at 2:11 p.m. Meanwhile, incident commanders directed the Cal OSHA clock to stop at 2:22 p.m. County Fire was also dispatching a Battalion Chief to meet the airship at Loma Linda to provide firefighters at Camp Edwards with an update on the firefighters condition.

Camp Edwards, located at 42842 Jenks Road East in Angelus Oaks, is operated by the YMCA of the East Valley based in Redlands. The present location was obtained in 1938. Camp Edwards actually got its name in 1938 when it was located in Seven Oaks near the Santa Ana riverbed.

The YMCA of the East Valley was founded as the Redlands YMCA on May 2, 1887 and held its first camp for boys on Catalina Island in 1890.

Original Story

Angelus Oaks, CA — Firefighters are on scene of a two-story structure fully engulfed in flames at Camp Edwards, a YMCA camp in Angelus Oaks. Officials report that this is the caretaker's cabin at the front of the camp.

Firefighters on scene report that the fire is not spreading, however the building is expected to burn to the ground.

Medical aid was requested for a firefighter that was responding to this incident. An airship landed at Highway 38 at the South Fork Campgrounds and transported the patient to Loma Linda University Medical Center.