Fire Apparatus Engineer

Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

11/18/2018

Special Act Award (Gold)

On November 8, 2018, the Camp Fire started above the community of Pulga and was the deadliest, most destructive fire in California history. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Fire Captain Jeff Edson and Fire Apparatus Engineer Elliot Hopkins were on duty at Jarbo Gap. As they made their way to the intersection of Concow Road and Hoffman Road, spot fires were beginning to establish around the area. They decided to go down Hoffman Road to alert and evacuate residents, using the truck’s public announcement system to advise residents to evacuate and pulling into driveways to encourage residents to leave. Spot fires were now established across Concow Lake and below Sawmill Lookout as Captain Edson and Engineer Hopkins reached the last house on Hoffman Road and realized they should head back out. As they traveled back down Hoffman Road, they encountered an injured woman standing in the road. They placed her in the back seat of the truck and continued on. The numerous spot fires had grown together by this time and the winds were intense. The fire was burning along both sides of Hoffman Road and the smoke was so thick that it completely obscured the road, forcing them to rely on the GPS system to navigate through the smoke. As they reached a creek crossing, four men warned that the road ahead was blocked and there was no way out. Cars started to back up behind their truck. Captain Edson realized that they needed to take advantage of the creek as a temporary refuge. Captain Edson and Engineer Hopkins worked to gather as many people as they could and escorted get them into the creek. As the fire grew more intense, Engineer Hopkins made one last trip up the line of cars, using both his own and Captain Edson’s fire shelters to shield people from the extreme heat as he brought them back to the shelter of the creek. While dozens of individuals took temporary shelter in the creek, Captain Edson returned to the truck and coordinated by radio with a bulldozer to clear Hoffman Road. With the bulldozer working to clear the road, Captain Edson and Engineer Hopkins began getting people out of the creek and into any vehicle that would still run, cramming as many pets and people as they could into each vehicle. The fire was so intense that some of the vehicles caught fire as they began driving out. Captain Edson and Engineer Hopkins were the last to leave the creek. Arriving at the safety area being built by the bulldozer, they realized it was not big enough and chose to escort the survivors to a safer location. Once the survivors’ safety was ensured, Captain Edson and Engineer Hopkins returned to the fire line, where they assisted with the rescue of a civilian with severe burn injuries. With no regard for his own safety, Engineer Hopkins went above and beyond the call of duty. The State of California takes great pride in presenting the Gold Medal of Valor to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Fire Engineer Elliot Hopkins.