Captain Lane Kemper passed away after battling cancer. Firefighter Kemper was 54-years old and a 31-year veteran of the Los Angeles Fire Department, where he was stationed at Fire Station 10, near the Staples Center. He helped raise over $1 million for the LAFD Widows and Orphans Fund through various charity events he established. He also wrote a book on teaching firefighters on forcible-entry techniques. Kemper is survived by his wife, Rose, and twin 10-year old daughters, Kaylan and Kelsey.
Battalion Chief Robert Paul Stone and Pilot George Willett were killed in a plane crash while on a mission east of Springville in the Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest in Tulare County. Battalion Chief Stone was 36 years old, a resident of Visalia and an 18-year veteran of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. He is survived by his wife, Mary Marinda "Rindi" Stone and two children, Wil, age 8, and Libbie, age 4. Pilot Willett, was 52 years old and a resident of Hanford. He was a pilot for DynCorp for four years. DynCorp, located in Ft. Worth, Texas, contracts with California to provide pilots for firefighting. George Willett is survived by his wife, Judy.
Thirty one year old Landon Dorris, a three-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department, was killed when he was hit by a car while he and his partner, Marc Fujiwara, were investigating a traffic collision. Dorris was outside his radio car when he was hit and thrown into another vehicle that was waiting to turn onto an Interstate 5 freeway onramp. Officer Dorris was taken to USC Medical Center where he was pronounced dead from major head injuries. Officer Fujiwara was not injured. The driver of the car stopped to assist and was questioned by police. There is no evidence of alcohol or drugs and no arrest was made or citation issued. Officer Dorris is survived by his mother, Elaine, his fiancee, Marisabel, sons, Landon Jr. and Brendan, and sisters, Carie and Amy. Prior to joining the LAPD, he was a motor officer with the California Highway Patrol for six years.
At approximately 1:12 AM, on Thursday, October 26, 2006, a vegetation fire (known as the Esperanza Fire) was reported in the unincorporated community of Cabazon. The five members of Engine 57 were providing structure protection to a home in the Twin Pines community when flames rushed up the hillsides burning over the crew. Jason McKay, Daniel Hoover-Najera and Jess McLean succumbed to injuries at the scene of the burn over. Mark Loutzenhiser and Pablo Cerda were taken by air ambulance in critical condition to Arrowhead Region Hospital's Burn Unit. Captain Loutzenhiser passed away that same afternoon and Pablo Cerda passed away on October 31, 2006. This arson caused fire took the lives of five fire personnel, injured 16 firefighters, and burned 40,200 acres destroying 54 structures. Investigators have arrested and charged Raymond Lee Oyler, 37 years-old of Beaumont, CA with arson.
Captain Mark Loutzenhiser was 44 years old with 21 years of service. He was an EMT and previously worked as a crewman for the Vista Grande Hot Shots and a volunteer firefighter for Riverside County. He majored in fire science at Mt. San Jacinto College and was a longtime resident of Idyllwild, CA.
Engineer Jess McLean was 27 years old and had seven years of service. For three previous years he was a hotshot with Vista Grande. McLean graduated from Banning High School in 1997 and attended fire science classes at Crafton Hills College and was a resident of Beaumont, CA.
Engineer Jason McKay was 27 years old and had five years of Forest Service experience. He had previously been a volunteer firefighter for four years in Adelanto. McKay was an EMT and served on the Mojave Greens Type II Crew and was a resident of Phelan, CA.
Firefighter Daniel Hoover-Najera was 20 years old and this was his second season as a firefighter. In 2005 he worked on the Tahquitz Type II crew and in 2006 he was a seasonal employee. Daniel graduated from San Jacinto Mountain View High School in 2004 and was a resident of San Jacinto, CA.
Firefighter Pablo Cerda was 23 years old and was in his second season as a firefighter for the Forest Service. Previously he was a member of the Tahquitz Type II Crew. Cerda graduated from Los Amigos High School in 2001 and attended Fire Academy of Riverside Community College. He was a resident of Fountain Valley, CA.
At 3:27 AM on October 27, 2006, Deputy Jeffrey Mitchell of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department conducted a vehicle stop. Approximately seven minutes later the Sheriff's Communications Center conducted a welfare check on the officer without receiving a response. Units were dispatched to the location with the first unit arriving approximately 20 minutes later. Deputy Mitchell was found with a gunshot wound to his head. He was transported to UC Davis Medical Center where he was pronounced dead from his injuries. Presently an investigation is being conducted and there is no known suspect. Deputy Mitchell was 38 years old and a nine-year veteran of the Sacramento Sheriff's Department. He is survived by his wife, Crystal, and six-year old son, Jake. He worked the graveyard shift so he could spend more time with his family.
Francesco D'amico and Daniel Duran were killed and Adrian Rios was injured when their vehicle tried to make a tight turn after leaving the U.S. Forest Service Pine Hills Station where they worked. Both men were dead when rescue workers arrived at the scene. Damico was 20 years old and a new employee, assigned to Fire Station engine crew 33. Duran was 29 years old and an Assistant Fire Engine Operator. He worked for the Forest Service for four years.
On the evening of November 14, forty three-year old Deputy "Joe" Hudnall was hit head-on by a suspected drunk driver on Highway 178, sending the patrol vehicle over a steep, rock embankment into a canyon. An off-duty firefighter discovered the accident, contacted rescue workers and then went into the canyon to attempt to resuscitate one of the victims. Deputy Hudnall was transporting an arrestee, who was reported in stable condition. When rescue workers arrived, they found the BMW 328i, driven by Daniel Willsey, an attorney from Montrose, CA, on the side of the road. Mr. Willsey was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and vehicular manslaughter. Deputy William Hudnall is survived by his wife, Carrie, his three sons, Joshua, Creighton, and Chancellor, and his daughter, Jennifer.
Officer Dan Bessant was shot and killed after responding to a call for backup from a fellow officer on the evening of December 20, 2006. Approximately ten to fifteen minutes into the traffic stop, the first officer placed a second call for assistance reporting that six shots had been fired, at least one of which hit Officer Bessant. The vehicle that was stopped and detained had two occupants, but it was not immediately known where the shots were fired from. Reports stated that at least two other people were seen fleeing the area. One suspect was taken into custody. Officer Bessant was pronounced dead at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla and was apparently shot from behind. The bullet got past his protective vest. Officer Dan Bessant was 23-years old and survived by his wife, Katelyn and his two-month old son.
On December 22, 2006, at approximately 8:30 PM, San Francisco Police Officers attempted to serve a no-bail felony warrant for an escape on a man described as armed and very dangerous. The suspect reportedly escaped from a correctional facility. Officers set-up a search perimeter and Officer Bryan Tuvera and his partner spotted the suspect, Marlon Ruff, and chased him on foot to a two-story home. Ruff apparently kicked down a side door to the home's garage and ran inside. The officers followed Ruff, who apparently turned and fired on them, hitting Officer Tuvera in the head. Officer Tuvera's partner continued the pursuit and returned fire. The suspect ran into an adjoining area, collapsed and was pronounced dead at the scene. Surgeons at San Francisco General Hospital tried in vain to save his life and he was pronounced dead just after midnight. Officer Bryan Tuvera was 28-years old and a four-year veteran of the San Francisco Police Department. He is survived by his wife, a fellow San Francisco Police Officer. His father-in-law is also a San Francisco Police Officer and Officer Tuvera's father is a dispatcher, also for the Department.
Forty seven-year old Lt. Kevin Reed of the Oakland California Fire Department collapsed and died of a heart attack while working out at a downtown Oakland gym. Lt. Reed had just come off a three-day shift that morning and had responded to a house fire the night before. Reed was a member of the Executive Board of the firefighter's union Local 55 and was stationed at the North Oakland Station No. 8. He was a 16-year veteran of the Oakland Fire Department and survived by his wife and daughter.
On the morning of March 19, Deputy Manuel Villegas was following another deputy in a separate patrol vehicle following up on a domestic violence call. A Nissan Maxima, driven by Jorge Alberto Martinez, swerved into Deputy Villegas lane and collided with Villegas' vehicle. A second deputy was able to avoid the Maxima. Both Deputy Villegas and Martinez died at the scene. Manuel Villegas joined the Riverside County Sheriff's Department in November 2005, after graduating No. 1 in his academy class, and was awarded the California Academy Director's Association Award. He also served in the United States Marine Corps. and later enlisted in the United State Army servicing in Special Forces, where he received several medals and commendations. Deputy Villegas is survived by his wife, Xochitl, and four children, Ezequiel, Israel, Stacie Lee and Xavier.
Fifty-seven year old Officer Robert Winget left the Ripon Police Department station, enroute to his river patrol service at approximately 11:25 AM. About 15-minutes later, some radio transmissions were received, which were believed to be from Officer Winget. After an extensive search, at approximately 1:14 PM, a Ripon Consolidated Fire District search crew located Officer Winget, unconscious, along the river area off of Highway 99. The search crew began CPR, and he was transported to Doctor's Hospital in Modesto, where he died at approximately 2:27 PM, from injuries associated with the crash of his all-terrain vehicle. The Ripon Police Department has requested an independent investigation of the incident by the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Department and the California Highway Patrol. Officer Wignet was a veteran of the United States Marine Corps., served with the Los Angeles Police Department for 37-years and was a member of the Ripon Police Department for the previous three years. He is survived by wife, his 35-year old son, and three daughters, 23, 19 and 16 years of age.
Bryan Zollner, the North Region Staff Chief of Operations for Cal Fire, died in a single vehicle traffic accident. Chief Zollner was killed when his state-owned sport utiity vehicle left State Route 44 near Bogard Rest Area, 60 miles East of Redding in Lassen County. The accident is under the investigation of the California Highway Patrol and Cal Fire Major Accident Team. Zollner's father was the Orovile California Fire Chief and grandfather was a firefighter in Detroit. Zollner had been a firefighter since 1981 and received the Medal of Valor in 1998 for an off-duty rescue of a child from a burning structure in Riverside. Chief Zollner is survived by his wife, Pam; son, Ty; daughter, Alexia Moore; son-in-law, Charles Moore; two grandchildren; sister, Tracy Zollner; and parents, Bob and Brenda Zollner.
Forty-three year old, Deputy Raul Gama, was working undercover, monitoring a suspect, when a San Fernando teen, who is believed to have been either drunk or on drugs, plowed into the deputy's parked surveillance vehicle, at approximately 9 AM. The remainder of the surveillance team, five other deputies and a sergeant, were nearby, but not in the vehicle. Deputy Gama was a 20-year veteran of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department and a Medal of Valor recipient. The 18-year old teen, has been arrested and charged with felony manslaughter charges. Deputy Gama died on the 20th anniversary of his graduation from the Sheriff's Academy and is survived by his wife, Monica, and children, Crystal, Anita and Marco Antonio Gama.