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Stand 1 - El Cariso Regional Park

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Photo of Cliff Johnson

Hear excerpts from Bear Divide Foreman Cliff Johnson's interview:  audio file (mp3), transcript.

El Cariso Regional Park was established by the County of Los Angeles in honor of the hotshot crewmembers who were entrapped on the 1966 Loop Fire. This is a good location to begin a Staff Ride as it is easy to find, has good parking capacity, and provides an excellent perspective of the site from the monument.

The Loop Fire started at 0519 on November 1, 1966, from a faulty electrical line at the U.S. Army's Los Pinetos Nike Missile Site. This facility is approximately 1 mile north of Contractors Point. The fire burned downhill in a southwesterly direction under the influence of 40 to 60 mile per hour Santa Ana winds. Contractors Point was a key anchor point on this east flank of the fire, which was designated as Division A. Suppression efforts in Division A on the morning of November 1st were focused on protecting the missile facility and establishing a control line south from that facility toward Contractors Point.

See travel map above.

See fire perimeter map above.

The entrance to the park is well marked. It will be a right turn if traveling north on Hubbard Street. The actual monument is all the way to the back of the parking area.

The entrance to the park is well marked. It will be a right turn if traveling north on Hubbard Street. The actual monument is to the back of the parking area.

When viewing the San Gabriel Mountains from the park, one gains an appreciation for the extreme terrain over which the Loop Fire burned. Contractors Point is the high point of the ridge just behind the tree on the left. The south point of the ridge is clearly visible in the center.

When viewing the San Gabriel Mountains from the park, one gains an appreciation for the extreme terrain over which the Loop Fire burned.
Contractors Point is the high point of the ridge just behind the tree on the left. The south point of the ridge is clearly visible in the center.

 
El Cariso Hotshots: Photo of Crew 1 taken in October 1966.

El Cariso Hotshots: Photo of crew 1 taken in October 1966.

El Cariso Hotshots: Photo of Crew 2 taken in October 1966.

El Cariso Hotshots: Photo of crew 2 taken in October 1966.

 
 
Location (SRS)
POINT (-118.4175779 34.3169761)
Related Stand
Staff Ride to the Loop Fire

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NEW! S-212, Intermediate Faller (Online) Course Available Now 

Date:  April 23, 2026
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Please contact: Hazard Tree and Tree Felling Subcommittee

NWCG is pleased to announce that the new S‑212, Intermediate Faller (Online), course is now available on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal (WFLP). This second course in the series provides students with the knowledge and skills required to perform the duties of an Intermediate Faller (FAL2), as described in the FAL2 Incident Position Description. This course is intended for individuals seeking to advance from Basic Faller (FAL3) to FAL2.

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Any changes to qualification pathways will take effect with the next update of the NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications, PMS 310-1, scheduled for January 2027.

References:

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NWCG Aircraft Flight Schedule Form, PMS 249

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The Data Standards and Terminology Board is requesting feedback on a new glossary term: Resource Protection Measure (RPM).

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