Incident Name: Rabbit Fire, Angeles National Forest
Date: July 14, 1967
Personnel: Richard L. Stone
Age: 19
Agency/Organization: US Forest Service, Del Rosa Hot Shots of the San Bernardino National Forest
Position: firefighter
Summary: Richard Stone died on July 14, 1967 when his crew’s transport overturned en route to mopping up a 35-acre timber fire, called the Rabbit Fire on the Angeles National Forest. The truck, carrying a 14-man crew, toppled down a 100-foot incline when a soft shoulder gave way. The San Bernardino Firefighter was a member of the elite Del Rosa “Hot Shots” US Forest Service firefighting crew.
Maps
General Incident location description:
Crew was on the way to mop-up on the 35-acre contained Rabbit Fire that had burned on Roundtop Mountain of the ANF.
Another location description: Fire was on a slope of Rabbit Peak, 20 mi north of Pasadena.
The crew carrier was proceeding up a dirt road near the Chilao Ranger Station when a wheel apparently caught in a soft shoulder.
A general location from a retired ANF Captain: Rabbit Peak about three miles south of Mill Creek Fire Station on 3N18 with Chilao just east of Rabbit Peak.
For further investigation by RJM, please see theysaid it. According to one set of information, he thought the fire was roughly in the circle and the accident perhaps occurred where marked.
Update below based on info supplied by several people who worked in the area at the time:
From RJM, our wlf.com mapmaker/investigator:
The pin in the map above is at the first possible location southwest of Roundtop. Retired BDF is s going to investigate a cross in the bottom of the drainage.
Here’s another map with the second location — RED LINE — that we’re working on; each of these two locations here and the map above fit conflicting information we have.
In the map above, the red line represents some of the range of accident location possibilities, based on the description “below Pacifico”; the pin at “Accident ??” and in the google map below is lat/lon 34.3766°, -118.03514°; pending better information. The whole road is mostly on the side of a slope; this range of locations would be nearer to Chilao Station. The fire circle moved to the east of Roundtop to fit the alternative information. This second location results from using the information exfed provided; except for the road number 3N90 which does not seem to exist anymore. RJM
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From BDF:
Ab, I made it down to the cross on ANF road 4N18 and the name on the cross was not that of Richard Stone. Although the road is similar in appearance this site was extremely steep and narrow.
I believe exfed was right that the incident occurred on ANF 3N90 after reviewing the picture. There are trees in the picture which makes it more likely in that area.
I am obligated to find the spot.
retired BDF Born Green
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Newest map from RJM taking into account all the research from everyone; Ab posted his comments in the comment section at the bottom of the page.
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The final LOCATION — Lat/Lon on 3N90 — as determined by Rick Messier’s visit to the site.
These photos were taken 11/25/12 along Forest Route 3N90 .8 miles south of its intersection with 3N17. Permission to enter the area was arranged by Jody Smith and facilitated by Linda at Mill Creek Summit Forest Station. This is location #2 as spotted by RJM from Google Earth. Once at the site we were able to find evidence of the wreckage making us 100% certain this is the correct location.
RJM’s research was outstanding. I will also be forwarding my SPOT Google Earth location. (This is the location below.)
Rick Messier
{mosmap lat=’34.37547’|lon=’-118.06796’|marker=’0’|text=’Rollover Accident location’}
Reports, Documentation, Lessons Learned
- Del Rosa Hot Shot Crew Carrier Accident Report (3,971 K pdf)
- Photos compliments of the Del Rosa Hotshot archives
Return to top
Wildlandfire.com Links:
- They Said It: Oct 28, 2012 and scroll up for discussion by RJM, exfed, Jody, retired BDF
- They Said It: Nov 11, 2012 and scroll up for continuing discussion about location by retired BDF Born Green, Cathy Val on Nov 15th etc.
Media Articles and Reports
- Richard Stone named as fallen
- from the Del Rosa Hotshots historical record
- Richard was a native of Lancaster, CA and was attending Valley College.
Photos, Videos, & Tributes
- From the Del Rosa Hotshots archive, Memorial Card
- From the State of California 2010 Memorial brochure, page 14 .
- US Forest Service Heroes Memorial: Richard Lee Stone
Contributors to this article: Del Rosa Hotshots, John Miller, Ken Kempter, RJM, Rene Vanderhooft, Lessons Learned Center, Jody Smith, Linda, Bob Sopp, Ed Few, exfed, Kathy Val, Ray Val
Please support the Wildland Firefighter Foundation
[u][b]From Kathy Val:[/b][/u]
I stumbled on your website when researching someone in the USFS. I saw the name, Richard Stone, and it sounded very familiar. I called my husband and asked, “who was that guy killed in the hotshot truck accident you were in?” Of course – it was Richard Stone. My husband is Ray Valenzuela (or “Ray Val” as he was known for years) – former Del Rosa Hotshot. He spent his career in fire on the San Bernardino (Cajon, Arrowhead, then San Jacinto as Keenwild Helitack foreman) before working for the State and is now retired.
He was one of the worst injured in the accident but has quite the memory of the situation. The one thing he does NOT remember though, was where it happened exactly, as he was in the back. The driver of the truck that rolled was Sterling Walker (now deceased) and the Foreman was Rod Wrench, who retired as the FMO of the San Jacinto District of the BDF when I was there in the 90’s.
I showed him the maps and other postings from your site and he only knows that he was taken to the hospital in Palmdale (not LA) which indicated that it was closer. Ray also described the conditions – the road had been opened up during the night by dozers or a grader. The road actually gave way and the truck slid sideways and then rolled. Ray’s cousin Rudy happened to be in the other hotshot vehicle – which stopped after the accident and they helped the others. Ray said that Richard was pinned between the truck and a tree. Remember that at this time, the hotshot trucks were stakeside types with canvas covers over the back. Ray said that the bus that he was in was a wider wheelbase and that may have been why it slid and not the other.
So, I’m sorry I don’t have an answer to exactly where it happened but I thought it was interesting that folks are trying to piece info together on Mr. Stone. Good Luck!
Kathy Val (formerly of the San Jacinto RD, BDF)
[u][b]From RJM:
[/b][/u]I’m thinking now that the accident was on Roundtop (3N90) Road. If the road was just opened, it is the most likely. The other roads, you need to travel to get to that road, were more major roads.
I have been studying the 3 photographs we have of the accident and conclude that it was at the top of a drainage that starts from a road. You can even see the cab of a pickup truck in the top right corner of the photograph on page 6 of the Report. I have 2 locations that meet that and have a suitable number of trees, in the current satellite photographs. The locations are marked “ONE” and “TWO” in the attached map.
Located in Township 3N, Range 11W sections below.
ONE is at N34.36573°, W118.065955° Section 6
TWO is at N34.37571°, W118.067855° Section 7
These are the locations on the road at the top of the drainage. The best I can do trying to pick appropriate drainages off topo map.
Let’s see what the crew thinks of these locations.
Ab note: I added the location map that was attached.
I agree with RJM. I want to go down there next weekend but understand the gates are locked at the Mill Creek Station. Can anyone verify the gate is locked? If the road is open I’ll take a look next Sunday (25th).