Incident Name: small brush fire near Pacific Coast Highway and Mulholland Highway in Malibu; The Mulholland Fire was contained within the boundary of Santa Monica National Recreation Area.
Date: incident date 2/25/2016; death date 2/26/2016, 0900
Personnel: Shawna Lynn Jones
Age: 22
Agency/Organization: California Department of Corrections, CAL FIRE
Position: firefighter
Summary: In the early hours of Thursday morning, 22-year-old Shawna Lynn Jones was fighting the 7-acre Mulholland Fire in steep terrain with her all-female crew from Camp 13 (based in Malibu, CA). She was struck by a boulder that had rolled approximately 100 feet down a mountain. She was airlifted to Ronald Regan UCLA Medical Center, where she was listed in critical condition with major head injuries. Shawna was removed from life support on Friday after her organs were donated, in keeping with her family’s wishes.
Maps
Mulholland Fire started about 3 miles north of the Pacific Coast Highway near Mulholland Highway
Leo Carrillo State Park, at 35000 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu
Vicinity of Mulholland Hwy & Bardman St, Agoura Hills-Malibu, California (U.S. National Grid: 11S LT 2519 7326)
{mosmap lat=’34.0856’|lon=’-118.8955’|marker=’0’|text=’Approximate Accident Location’}
Shawna Lynn Jones died at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
{mosmap lat=’34.065888’|lon=’-118.446522’|marker=’0’|text=’Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center’}
Reports, Documentation, Lessons Learned
- National Park Service Message: On February 25th a firefighter with the Los Angeles County Fire Department was fatally injured while assigned to the Mulholland fire on the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The firefighting community extends its condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.
- Brush Fire in Malibu scorches nearly 10 acres; 100 percent contained2/25/2016 | Online article
A brush fire that broke out in Malibu was fully contained by Thursday evening (2/25), hours after the early morning blaze had threatened several structures and forced a nearby kids camp to prepare for evacuation.
The fire began about 3:11 a.m. three miles north of Pacific Coast Highway near Mulholland Highway, according to Sgt. Joyce with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The fire had burned about 20 acres and firefighters were focusing on structure protection, said Inspector Chris Reade with the Fire Department at about 5 a.m. The acreage of the fire was later downgraded to 7 acres by supervisor Wright with the Fire Department. (more at the link)
- California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Statement2/26/2016 | Online statement
Inmate firefighter dies from injuries suffered in Mulholland Fire
Hit in head by falling boulderThe California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) today announced that an inmate firefighter injured yesterday in the Mulholland Fire has died.
In the early hours of Thursday morning, Shawna Lynn Jones, 22, was struck by a boulder that had rolled down a hill. She was airlifted to UCLA Medical Center, where she was listed in critical condition with major head injuries. Jones was removed from life support after her organs were donated, in keeping with her family’s wishes.
“Her death is a tragic reminder of the danger that inmate firefighters face when they volunteer to confront fires to save homes and lives,” said CDCR Secretary Scott Kernan. “On behalf of all of us in the department, I send my deepest condolences to her family.”
Jones was a Los Angeles County jail inmate who had joined CDCR’s firefighting program in August 2015 and was assigned to the Malibu Camp, which is operated jointly with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Malibu is one of three camps that house a total of 195 female firefighters.
CDCR maintains a network of 44 conservation camps, in partnership with CAL FIRE. Five of the camps are jointly managed with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The camps house approximately 3,500 inmate firefighters who cut containment lines to stop the spread of wildfires and douse hot spots during clean-up.
Jones is only the third inmate firefighter to die on a fire line since the camp program began in 1943. Female inmates were incorporated into the firefighting program in 1983.
- National Park Service Fire and Aviation Management Facebook Page
March 2 at 9:45am ·The fire service mourns the loss of fallen Los Angeles County inmate wildland firefighter Shawna Lynn Jones. Plans for Line of Duty Death memorial services are expected to be available in the next few days.
Shawna Lynn Jones, 22, a Los Angeles County inmate wildland firefighter, suffered a serious injury during suppression efforts on the Mulholland Fire in Malibu, Calif. A large rock fell from the hillside above and struck her in the head on the morning of February 25, 2016. Firefighters immediately began treatment and initiated CPR. She was quickly hoisted into a Los Angeles County Fire Department helicopter and airlifted to an area hospital where she later passed away.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department and the National Park Service extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of fallen inmate wildland firefighter Shawna Lynn Jones. We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss of life.
The 12-acre Mulholland Fire was reported at approximately 3 a.m. on February 25. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The fire was located in steep terrain approximately three miles north of Pacific Coast Highway along the Mulholland Highway. The fire was located on National Park Service property and was contained within the boundary of Santa Monica National Recreation Area. The fire burned in chaparral, an unusual amount of which is dead from the ongoing drought. The live vegetation in the area is also drier than normal due to low rainfall this year.
Los Angeles County Fire Department and the National Park Service managed the fire under unified command. The Ventura County Fire Department also provided assistance. Approximately 200 firefighters responded including firefighters, engines, and three heavy Los Angeles County helicopters that dropped water on the fire. Firefighters stopped forward progress as of approximately 7:30 a.m. on February 25.
The National Park Service assumed command of the fire at 8 a.m. on February 26. The fire was 100% contained as of 6 p.m. on February 27. It was declared controlled at 6 p.m. on Sunday, February 28, 2016. The National Park Service will continue to monitor and patrol the fire until it is declared out.
Wildlandfire.com Links:
- Wildlandfire.com Hotlist: CA-LAC-Mulholland
Media Articles and Reports
- Funeral services to be announced for inmate killed battling Malibu fire2/28/2016 | Online Article
Funeral services were pending Sunday for an inmate firefighter who was killed when a boulder rolled off a 100-foot cliff and hit her head, while she was batting a brush fire Thursday north of Malibu.
Funeral services for Shawna Lynn Jones, 22, of Lancaster, were expected to be finalized sometime on Monday, according to a county fire department spokesperson Sunday. (more at the link)
Photos, Videos, & Tributes
- USFA Memorial Database: Shawna Lynn Jones
- Honoring Shawna Jones: IAFF Local 1014
- Shawna Lynn Jones Donation Fund
Contributors to this article: RJM, Rick M, Mellie
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