State Park Peace Officer

Department of Parks and Recreation

7/26/2018

Special Service Award (Silver)

On the morning of July 26, 2018, Officers Mark Hofer and Michael Van Pelt responded to the Carr Fire to ensure no one was trapped on or around Whiskey Town Lake. The officers were also tasked with preventing the loss of any more lake vessels and with supporting other fire suppression activities. Most of the areas where the officers were working were isolated and unreachable by fire trucks or air support. The officers towed their trailer and patrol boat to the lake to launch it, but, with the boat’s high clearance, downed power lines and trees, and fire on all sides, they had difficulty getting through. Eventually, they were able to launch their patrol boat, which was equipped with fire hoses and firefighting equipment, and spent a long day doing fire suppression activity on the lake. At about 7 p.m., the fire activity was getting increasingly dangerous, so they were ordered off the lake. As other officers tried to get the rangers out, there was a fire pattern known as a “fire tornado” that had never been seen before. Fire kept crossing their path and was all around the officers, who had to figure out new routes and improvise to get out of the area. Officer Hofer later showed other rangers a video of the flames touching the vessel. Public Safety Chief Aaron Wright asked him what made him think to record the evacuation, and he said, “I thought we were going to die and I wanted it recorded.” The two officers went back early the next day on the same assignment, with the fire still extremely active. This time their patrol boat broke down on the water, likely due to heat damage from the day before. With no one able to get to them, little to no radio communication because the tower burned down, and fire on all sides, Officers Hofer and Van Pelt had to figure out how to get out to safety. Being resourceful, they used their fire suppression hose as a propulsion system to get back to shore. Officer Hofer worked 23 days straight on the Vessel Task Force, a 24-hour detail that was so successful, the task force was asked to follow the front lines of the fire from Whiskey Town Lake to Trinity Lake and then Shasta Lake. The task force went from one vessel to eight vessels and multiple agencies working together by the end. They assisted with fire suppression activities, provided medical support to line staff, performed emergency evacuations, transported more than 3,500 firefighters to the front lines, and acted as scouts for the other units that were fighting the fire. Officer Hofer’s actions helped save lives during the Carr Fire in Shasta and Trinity Counties. The fire, one of the largest in California history, started on July 23, 2018, and burned more than 229,000 acres. It took three lives and destroyed almost 2,000 structures. His work required long days in terrible conditions that were mentally and physically draining, yet he represented California with professionalism and courage during all of the chaos and danger. With no regard for his own safety, Officer Hofer went above and beyond the call of duty. The State of California takes great pride in presenting this Silver Medal of Valor to Department of Parks and Recreation State Park Peace Officer Mark Hofer.