Fire Captain

Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

5/17/1989

Special Act Award (Gold)

On May 17, 1989, at approximately 9:00 a.m., Fire Captain James R. Wattenburger was off-duty and on his way to a ribbon-cutting ceremony when he came upon the scene of a fire at the New State Hotel in Ukiah, California. Upon seeing large volumes of fire bellowing from the second story windows on the north end of the building and hearing screams from the people inside the hotel, Captain Wattenburger, without regard for his own safety or welfare and wearing only street clothes, entered the burning hotel to alert any remaining residents of the fire and assist with their rescue. He immediately spotted a group of terrified residents through the dense smoke at the top of the stairs. Since they were unable to find their way through the smoke, Captain Wattenburger climbed the stairs and escorted them to safety. He reentered the hotel on numerous occasions and carried or directed several confused and frightened residents through the fire and dense smoke to the nearest exits. On his last trip with the fire running the ceiling over the stairwell to the front door, Captain Wattenburger, carrying an elderly man over his shoulders, was hit by a 2 x 4 and other falling debris with such force that they were thrown against the exit door and into the street. Although two lives were lost in the fire, many more could have been lost if not for the decisive actions of Captain Wattenburger.