Storm Rider (Forest Fire Documentary)
Вставка
- Опубліковано 5 вер 2024
- Chris Terril joins a crew of inmate firefighters tackling the brutal forest fires of southern California.
Want to watch more full-length Documentaries?
Click here: bit.ly/1GOzpIu
Follow us on Twitter for more - / realstoriesdocs
Facebook - / realstorieschannel
Instagram - @realstoriesdocs
I cried as the very dear lady thanked, hugged, and asked each if these brave men their names. Guys you make a difference, YOU MATTER! Don't forget that, YOU MATTER!
These inmates have been given such a great opportunity. I live in that mountain range and appreciate everything those guys are doing. That’s legit rehabilitation. Awesome stuff... I think I’m gonna reach out to that facility.
How is it going?
That's cool! Hope it went well.
I served as a US Forest Service Model 60 tanker crewman and a Hotshot at the Texas Canyon Ranger Station in the Saugus District of the SoCal Angeles National Forest in 1979, Best damn job I’ve EVER had! 62 fires on scene, many alongside prison crews!
I live in YL and remember that fire well. Unbelievable how close it got to some of those homes in my area, taking down 3 of them up the block from me. Had to evacuate and thought my house was a goner. Surreal to see footage of my neighborhood and the story behind the men who saved my house. I don't care if it were criminals or aliens from Mars, those guys are heroes in my eyes. I wish all those guys the best!
I am 5:AM what area was it
Hearts and hats off to these guys trying to right their wrongs. Heartbreaking to hear that one guy say his chances of success in the world are 40/60, 40 for success. Trouble following rules, yet to be a firefighter, breaking a single rule can mean injury or death! Keep striving, guys! I worked alongside young YACC guys who I easily trusted with my life!
Growing up in SoCal wildfires are a part of us as much as the beach and sun is... I really found it touching how the guys were open and honest and really cared not only for each other but the new guy there to film. The ending was touching tho when they met someone who was impacted by their efforts. One can only hope and pray it made a positive impact
very proud of this inmates...GOOD JOB GUYS..GODBLESS U ALL
Working in an urban setting with high poverty and crime, you really begin to see the effects of the surroundings on young people as they make life-altering decisions, often due to a lack of guidance or responsibility. Many of the incarcerated people in the United States aren't "bad people", just people who made bad decisions during vulnerable times of their lives. I personally am happy to see the positive effects of rehabilitation through duty, responsibility, and family. It is reminiscent of when the US would offer the military as an alternative to prison time, allowing people a new opportunity to turn their lives around. Hats off to the Cal prison system, CAL FIRE, and the ladies and gentlemen sticking their necks out on the line to do a job they hardly get paid or thanked for.
Love how he just calmly filmed his car burning, making sure he got all the right angles 😂.
This man really is amazing though. Everybody he follows, he does the exact training they do, and passes, before joining them and filming them in action.
I could never bring myself to live in a place that's guaranteed to catch fire like this. I've personally been in an extremely bad house fire and it truly scarred me mentally even though my family, animals, and myself did make it out safely. The sounds you hear, the smell of burning wood mixed with plastic and other materials, the smoke that blinds you, the heat, fire terrifies me now. I refuse to light candles inside. If I'm at a bonfire I stay a safe distance from it. I try very hard not to burn anything while cooking because if the room starts to get smokey it freaks me out and takes me back there. I'll always be grateful to the neighbor that saved us, and the firemen that saved our animals and put our home out before it was completely gone.
Guy parks his catalytic converter on brush, then doesn't drive off it when he's started the brush on fire. duhhh. Classss, don't park your catalytic converter on brush in the wild. Then put out the brush your catalytic converter started with the fire extinguisher you are carrying. Or don't go out to the wild. Duhhhh
Wow, I'm so glad you escaped the physical injury of the fire! And sorry for the pain you still carry. The emotional toll is evident in your story. I have no doubt it's a life-changing experience.
@@catbriggs8362 thank you so much, you're so kind. I'm very glad i made it out safely as well, and have been able to experience so many things I may not have been able to. It did alter me, but it has also made me very grateful for every moment.
I hope these guys are able to get their lives on track. Thank you to these hero’s
Do CA allow someone with a record to work as a firefighter? I heard somewhere that they dont
What a great crew. I think a lot of correctional systems can learn from this.
The spiking/gaffing up the tree is hard work if you’ve never done it before but he is made of strong stuff. Not arrogant but intelligent, fit and applied focus. Inspirational as I get older. Also passed the Royal Marines fitness tests at a much older age than most. Top guy
You know, that's a Brilliant model for all governments of this world... Training the Crew 7 guys (excellent job by the way guys !!) for excellent team work and self understanding/awareness !. Giving these guys incentive to do good and helping them break out of their 'past history' is so amazing. Well done California....and especially the person that came up with this concept. RESPECT
This deserves more views!! I can't describe the positivity of these inmates! God bless firefighters through out the world!
What a great concept! These guys clearly have worked so hard and give a damn about each other and their work.
Hope that these guys get jobs as firefighters when they get released be a shame to lose all that knowledge. Could even set up own firefighting company to train would be firefighters. Great doc. Didn't realize how quickly the fire runs, like a sprint.
When they get big enough they create their own weather. You should check out the fire bombing of Dresden Germany in ww2.
yeah mate, people carried away like Dorothy, adults shrunken to dolls. Horrid business :(
Wildland firefighters aren’t really all that well trained or knowledgeable in comparison to urban. Wildland fire training can be 2-3 weeks maybe a month while urban fire fighter training alone without obtaining EMT training as well takes 6-7 months and then another 6 months for EMT which is required. Wildland firefighters do a great job and they deserve every once of respect but being one doesn’t do much to help advance you to a regular career urban firefighter because there is little to no real training and requirements to be one are essentially none. I agree they should do their very best to obtain waivers to become career guys for a department after release but they wont have much knowledge to spread when it comes to fighting fires or have anything to wow potentially employing departments to accept them as is the case with anyone that tries to go from wildland to urban then it makes it harder seeing as you need to have a near pristine criminal record.
Free speech for all
They can't get jobs as fire fighters since you can't get a government job if you're a felon.
John Doe I beg to differ. Inmate crews receive mission-specific training, but many woodland firefighters have this assignment on their way to building a firefighting career.
In my case, I started as a wildland firefighter, with a county agency. This was after getting my ticket in fire science at Rancho Santiago / Santa Ana College. Then my firefighter 1 academy, 1976 hours. I then moved up the ranks, making senior Captain, with Wildland fire control, fire behavior, captain's academy (also structural), and as I ran two crews in the interim (training operations), I also went through a second county academy and two additional wildland academies with my new crew members through the following years. Was certified in fire command and fire behavior, plus helitack as we had three Hueys.
Our crew was preassigned on all working structure fires, we had our own truck and complete structural PPE plus spare bottles. Looking back at the station logs, I accumulated well over 200 structure fires over the years.
I was assigned to the facilities section as my "day job" at headquarters, maintaining 66 fire stations and support facilities in 19 cities.
Where was I? Oh yes, we "brush monkeys" might be better qualified than you think.
What a wonderful idea giving inmates a chance to do something with their lives as they do their time, a good pay back, hope they all do well when their released, they have a good purpose now, well done.
Furthermore, those who wantonly wish to angrily argue, dispute - disagree and debate these thoughtful decisions, we have let them go to the waysides and washed away and withered wayward. Facing flash floods and ferocious flaming forests fires. Nobody in their right minds are going to come and rescue them; inclusively, firefighters. They’re on their own, based upon what decisions and choices themselves made, thus to stay or leave. Voluntarily vacate - evacuate. No more meaningless mandatory; “forced evacuations”!!!
@Mr. Scuz they get both. I think it's 2 days off for each day they put in. The pay is better than other jobs in prison but they volunteer to do it to get a shorter sentence. Many don't cut it. As you saw, it takes a certain kind of person. Had they lived different lives before prison they probably would have become firefighters. Some do become professional fire fighters after release.
They're not allowed to become firefighters when they get out
@@rosestewart1606 It's a dollar an hour. ONE DOLLAR. It's great to give them time off, but they cannot work as paid firefighters outside of prison and that dollar an hour isn't enough to be risking their lives for. The fire service isn't paying just a dollar an hour for the men, you know, they're paying the prison who are paying the men a dollar an hour out of that. They might as well be serfs under a lord.
Except they can't use these skills once they get out. They are not allowed to be wildfire fighters outside. What a waste.
Sir I got soo much respect for you for watching you go through SAS training and then following all the guys on there tours you truly are a special kind of breed thanks for showing all people what its like in a firestorms wild land interface fire and how dangerous it truly is your so awesome thanks for your service Mr terrill
Scott Dore he also went through the Royal Marines entry tests! :-) at some age!
It's great to give non violent offenders a meaningful purpose. Instead of learning to be more efficient criminals, they learn the value of a hard days work.
I hope they did go on and did positive things and learned that even though they have done negative in the past, it does not have to dictate their future.
The saddest part is that the vast majority of these men will never get the opportunity to gainfully work as a firefighter once they are paroled. These guys are just as heroic as free firefighters, despite the different and unconventional path that lead them there.
They will actually. California now allows inmate firefighters to get their records and expunged and become real firefighters, if they want to of course.
That's not true sir. I fought on a prison firecrew and did for 3 year's after my release
Well done guys, you became firefighters from inmates, my respect to you! Firefighter is always a brother to another firefighter, and I am proud to call them my brothers! Much respect and love from sLOVEnia
true.north what department? Sector? Are you in?
I'll say right now I had a rough past and my dream is to fight wildfires. I was a criminal and an addict and the number one thing that provoked me was a search for brotherhood, purpose and adventure and I didn't have any of that . I was someone who needed to be constantly doing something or wanting purpose or serving purpose in a room with nothing to do. My dream is to be a firefighter, hoping my past wont stop me.
Wish the best honestly hope your doing good :)
Hope the inmates found something better to do now. Heroic work of putting out the fires
I was on a FS hotshot crew in the mid 1960s in SoCal and fought fire next to CDF fire crews. I would put CDF (CalFire) crews up against the best crews in the country. The have a great training program and even better the guys and gals have great attitudes. Thank you for your service.
God bless Crew 7, and all of our first responders who put their lives on the line to save others
The Guy Parked his Car which Was hot from running right on top of a Dry Bush....
Benny can’t fix stupid
All i was saying was dumbass lol
Estupido
@@glennjohnson4628 Quite right and he had all his equipment and stuff out of harms way!
I was coming to comment the same exact thing. People just don't think.
I just can't help but think of the poor wildlife in these devastating fires.
Amazing work done by those courageous men.
Well done crew 7 & all the other crews that risk their lives to save others. 💚
In large forest fire, the loss to large game is there but not as great as you might think, small critters get the worse of it really. Its the fast moving grass fires where you see the most loss of Wildlife. Nothing says good morning to a firefighter like a pissed of rattlesnake on a nuked desert!
I was cutting control line one time in California late last fire season. The larger wildlife, like doe and bucks, for example will try to stay away from the flames. I've looked up for a brief moment while cutting these control lines to be like 30 feet away from a couple of deer just standing there watching as we cut control lines, hahaha.
You can say that, again! Almost got bit last August by a rattlesnake in the Northern California desert. Definitely made my heart race and woke me up. Stop and listen for the rattling!
Fire prevention is best, all those trees need to be cleared from around those homes ahead of time
You can blame him for parking a hot catalytic converter on dry tall grass, or you can, like me, thank him, as I didn't know this till I'd seen this documentary. He may have through honesty in his mistake, prevented many more fires.
As so many run from the fires wrath a few brave souls run directly into it.
That is called bravery and loyalty to save as many lives, homes, animals, etc....these fire fighters are branded rightly so as The Brave Ones.
Absolutely amazing idea giving inmates a chance to prove that they aren’t all bad and that they actually have some good in them
Irony is filming wildfires and then starting one with your own car 🤣😂🤣
Wow...that was a very touching documentary...and it shows the passion and dedication of ethics doesn't need to be thanked.....it is a intrinsic reward....for those that are being t taught....
I hope those guys get their sentences reduced and rehabilitate.
Why would you reduce the sentences of slaves?
@@delailama736 Because it's not 1749 buddy. That's not how society works anymore.
@@matt3477 It was a rhetorical question. Why would the state reduce the sentences of people in a free work force? It's 2019 and American prisons are full of slaves.
@@delailama736 because theyre serving a purpose vs being a tax fund suck.
They get 1 day off their sentence for every day served.
@@CuttinChris Don't have to be in prison to serve a purpose.
Amazing story goes to show you how even though you don't start out doing good, good can come from it.
Thanks crew 7.
These guys are fantastic
Love your videos mate.
Worked with OGN5 last year they run a tight ship those are some solid dudes !
When fighting wildland fires at Malibu California we sat in the bus on the clock , these guys in the orange suits were the ones in Ash black suits on at chow time, true brave front line workers.
I've fought fire as a regular firefighter here in California and I can tell you that these inmate firefighters absolutely do the hardest part of the job and are heroes. We were told not to talk to them at all while on a fire but I want every one of them to know that we have the utmost respect for them and, having been trained to cut line and understanding how hard that is, we know that they have the hardest job on the wild fire.
A lot of the things that make it so that people end up incarcerated are things that all kinds of people do but only poor people get caught for doing by in large. Poor people know how to stand together and, in an emergency, those are exactly the instincts that will save your life and the lives of those around you. I would personally trust any one of those guys with my life and they are some of the best firefighters that we have.
When people worry about whatever crimes the inmates have committed, I want everyone to think about how many times they have made a minor mistake based on circumstances, based on failing to see something, etc. We all make mistakes and, even when we know that we are making them, perhaps the outcome would have been worse had we not done what we did. However, holding someone accountable for things they have done in the past is different than barring them from being able to do anything with their lives afterwards. People are people the whole world round and so, if you're not going to incarcerate people for life for something super crazy that they did, then you have to allow those people to be able to do something once you let them out. These people are well-trained, experienced, and know how to work as a team (a gang even), so they are some of the most valuable firefighters that we have here.
My worst crime was driving significantly above the speed limit and receiving and expensive ticket as a result so I was able to join the fire service as a regular firefighter. I trained with a guy who was an inmate firefighter and was in the academy with me to become a regular firefighter after he was released. He's ten times the firefighter that I ever was. Those guys are California wild fire gold and we ought to treat them as such.
oak glen 7 i was on this crew o4 o7
Good on ya cobba, here is hoping your life has taken a positive turn.
Michael, Australia
Now this is a real reporter. :) Keep up the great work. :)
There is a lot more good in those guys than the situation that put them there ......... they deserve the recognition. Good for them....
Proud of these inmates and this program
Me in 2021 watching this: "Damn, 2008 was nothing like 2020"
Also, accidently starting a wildfire is like literally the best thing that reporter could've hoped for, while at the same time the most embarrassing thing that could happen.
A 1500 acre fire in California is a runaway bonfire. I currently have a 22,000 acre fire, the Ferguson Fire, burning and growing just a couple of miles away from my house and it's only 7% contained. Maybe this needs an update?
I lived in that area prayers everything was alright
Programs like this for inmates is great there is finally something that’s helping these people make something of their lives an to show them there is a better way of life out there for them much respect stay safe men an women 🇺🇸 wish you all the best------ they should build safety bunkers or something like that everywhere in wild lands . Just an idea
excelent report and video so sorry to this people who lost they hauses thank you all this firemen who fight for keep safe the place
Santa An winds drive the fire on and Big respect for crew 7
sure the car accidentally caught fire.
Wasn't an accident. Idk if you're familiar with Southern CA, but I am since I live here. And he got it right. Happens a lot usually out in the desert.
im from Australia, happens all the time year round
even dogs should be careful when trying to nap under a shady car :)
+EurekaLiveTV LMAO
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 🔥🔥🐩🚘 🚓🚒🚒🚑
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
See... Now this is a successful prison sentence! These men have been given a sense of worth and self respect.This sets them up for a successful life outside of a cell. They truly are heroes! Just because you have made bad choices doesnt mean it has to define who you are! Awesome work Crew 7! Awesome work!!!
Was @ oakglen what a awesome team
Thanks for giving them a meaning to life because they matter. I'm sorry for all their victims and pray that when they get out with this experience, there won't be more victims
We could use them in British Columbia right now. A large chunk of the province is on fire and people are being evacuated from their homes.
I agree! I'm in Fort Mac., we got hit hard last year and those poor people in BC are getting it now.
I'm choking on the smoke from BC down here in Seattle. Can't imagine what you're going through. Hope you and yours are safe.
Let BC burn naturally. Protect communities. The forests are much too big, there isn't much controlling it anyway.
Ammunition doesn't really do much when it blows up (outside of a gun) but aerosols do.
These guys are prolly working their tail's off in these fires in socal right now.
at 10:03 the heat from Chris' catalytic converter started that little blaze
crazy af never knew that could happen
@@DimiGem catalytic converters can reach normal operating temperatures of 1200-1600 degrees F and that's more than hot enough to ignite dry brush
That’s good those men went from bad people to firefighters probably there best decision ever
fantastic bunch of men....2nd chance is bliss what a wonderfull idea and hope many country's follow
WOW???😦😦😦
You obviously had run off road and got stuck. Most likely on top of dry brush, just as the firefighter said. My question...how/why was your car stuck there, of all places??
I think it's great that these inmates are being given the chance to do something good like firefighting and to develop a skill set like that. I really think that society needs to put more emphasis on rehabilitative corrections like this that teach them a skill so that they don't come back to prison. As of a couple years ago a lot of the time they were not allowed to continue to be firefighters after they were released which I think is a shame. I think that of course on a case-by-case basis they should be allowed to. It would definitely give them something to stay out of trouble for and I'd say that they're already firefighters they're already putting their lives on the line. It only makes sense that they have earned the title of firefighter and fire departments should not view a record as a black and white disqualification when looking at a potential hireas I said this was a couple years ago so I don't know if anything's changed in California if it has then I hope it has because from what I understood there was a lot of inmates that wanted to continue firefighting after but they're release but couldn't because of the record. Criminal records aren't everything the past is not everything. I've met inmates that would make great soldiers I used to be in the military and one thing that I know is I also did time after the military and noticed that a lot of people that I was serving time with would do great in the military. I think it only stay out of trouble they would a lot of them are in good shape brave guys you have to be to survive in that kind of environment. So I think the careers like firefighting the military and maybe even for some law enforcement it should be considered. I know that I was thinking about it when I was doing time that prison a minimum security prison anyway for relatively non-violent offenders would be a good recruiting ground for the military for law enforcement and for firefighting because these guys could go straight into basic training they could go straight into the fire academy or Police academy and they would probably be more motivated than anyone else because it would be an out and it would also be candidates that are not smoking cigarettes not drinking alcohol not doing anything to access because they can't. Guys who are motivated because you see these guys in the gym in prison and it's very impressive the level of motivation. I'm not saying everyone in prison I'm just saying these guys should be able to continue to fight fires and I think that agencies like the department of defense and various law enforcement agencies should consider turning bad guys into good guys.
What a great scheme! Seems a shame with their new skills that they aren't able to apply for the full fire service on some kind of probation program. I am sure that it would be more difficult to manage than it appears, but just seems a waste of a skill set! It might give the men more hope than the 60/40 against chance that the inmate spoke of.
Stephanie Sealy he said his chance was 60/40 but knowing first hand when the inmates do get out they do have a chance to get hired on as wild land firefighters I know first hand 50 of previous inmates made it on as type 1 after they got past the type 2 standards
@@wildlandfire3974 Good to hear that they have that opportunity! It seems to give them purpose! Great idea!
In terms of forest fire, scientist have said for many years that we as human might even want to do controlled fire to keep the tree density down so that mountain fire won't be as bad, but well, no body listens. And when fire fighters risk their life to control the fire, the people still won't ask the question to why these fire are more dangerous and frequent.
Dope vid
Very good. From Portugal thnx.
There is Thomas fire right now. I think they are already doing their job, and I hope & pray for the safety of all.
Maybe I'm stating the obvious here but why doesn't California have 50-100 metre buffer zones around built up areas which are no-tree zones. Problem solved over night. Why isn't this idea being implemented??
My understanding is that built up areas do not really end, they thin out. For this reason and the the constantly expanding settlements it would be hard to draw a line. Also, creating and maintaining such a no-tree zone would be incredibly costly and a major scar on the landscape, not many people would want. Remember, wildfires spread through bushes and grass also.
I agree that it would be effective if it was feasible. In fact, it is one of the techniques used in the event of a wildfire.
Those raging fires can jump miles ahead with embers
Fascinating video.
Lmao. Dislike, no inmate crews are violent offenders. Was on a fire in Northern California last week. Chillest guys on the fire by far.
I love these prison crews....you can see the joy on their faces just to get out of the jail and go make a difference. It has to be the most rehabilitating activity for people in prison....it has to be.
Plot twist: journalist set his own car on fire for the story.
Life in So. Cal - wild fire has always been here since before time recored, fire has always been part of the natural ecology before colonizaion and introduction to the "No Burn Policy" set forth by the Teddy Rooservelt Administration. Combine it with drought conditions experienced over the past ten years or so here in So. Cal, to over population in So. Cal, housing communities continually being built deeper into wild life habitat, to homes nestled in heavyly wooded/grassy areas are recipes for more catastrophic fires like this one in video. It maybe a new phenomena to you, but fire has always been here.
Those inmates are the real deal
The reporter is doing this for glory for acknowledgment. Real hero is the cameraman. He gets no glory
That coyote knew where to hide out. Lucky there are inground pools all over that area.
Interesting program
did that reporter set his car on fire?
Probably not his car. Most likely a throw away and did it to contribute to the film
Probably shouldn't have parked it over a dry dead bush
That was my first thought when you said it spontaneously combust bulshit. He parked on some brush I've seen it a hundred times
How does the forest fires start?
they start in all kinds of ways they start from people throwing there butts out the car window lightning strikes in the summer months arson many ways camp fires .
We need wayyyy more programs like this for people in prison to have a purpose in life, and not just rot away in jail and to have some purpose in life to live for, I’m talking about the people that have committed non violent crimes that have made poor choices. I think this is great!
Wish that could happen where I live
1000 foot flame lengths off brush eh haha?
“I won’t do it again” 🧐🤔🥴
Thats an awesome scheme.
If the fire department responded that quickly after seeing the black smoke, then why didn't he call them so they could respond sooner? Maybe he would of salvage some things inside his car? I hope that was a rental and he got the insurance. But it look like something from a junkyard and then he just said a fire underneath it
Have a 120 of them right now on Big Horn.
Rich people build in unsafe areas, lose their homes to fire, put all firefighters in harm’s way, and vow to rebuild. Over and over and over again. Malibu was about a five year cycle. Boggles the mind.
Hotshots, Linesmen Bless these Strong beings. Men and Women Firefighters! Seasonal Firefighters also Bless you all! When you inside alone... Everyone watches for weakness. A lot of Good men and women caught on the wrong trail inside.. Find who you are without Money. Truely find yourselves.. I had to..
Why dont they keep the trees and the bush that the fire crew is cutting down right in the backyards cut back a few hundred meters from the house?
07 From a Hiker.
Cal fire puts the inmates in buggies when the forest service can't even put hotshots in buggies who do this for a living
Lol they made him walk back down the tree? That’s my least favorite part xD
They think that 5 fires is a lot in bc there is 1711 fires rightnow
Does not matter if they are criminals or not they are putting there lives on the line just like every other firefighter
One thing to say about saving suburban mcmansions, despite being rich, LA county homes are like musical chairs. When these richies lose their homes, they buy or rent cheaper homes, middle class homes. Then some middle class family can't rent that home, so they rent a working class home. Then when these guys get released, they can't rent the working class home because the middle class family is renting it for more, so it's a kind of reverse trickle down effect.
These richies should be taxed and littered and graffitied, but letting their homes burn can cause a chain of displacement that ends up making an ex-con homeless.
That prison crew is in better shape physically. All those guys do is workout. Documentary guy almost started his own wild fire.
Damn I was so worried about my parents in California!!