Review: decision to defend fire station nearly cost lives

DAISY NGUYEN
Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A firefighting crew’s decision to stay and defend its beloved station on California’s central coast nearly cost the lives of 14 firefighters who were overrun by flames. That’s according to a report released Friday by an organization that promotes firefighter safety. The review of the incident during the September 2020 Dolan Fire reveals several factors that influenced the crew’s decision to stay even as the fire doubled in size overnight and raced toward the station. They include a lack of a formal plan on when to stay or abandon the station and certain members’ determination to save the place they considered home.