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The Esperanza Fire
When a jury returns to a packed courtroom to announce its verdict in a capital murder case every noise, even a scraped chair or an opening door, resonates like a high–tension cable snap. Spectators stop rustling in their seats; prosecution and defense lawyers and the accused stiffen into attitudes of wariness; and the judge looks on owlishly. In that atmosphere of heightened expectation the jury entered a Riverside County Superior Court room in southern California to render a decision in the trial of Raymond Oyler, charged with murder for setting the Esperanza Fire of 2006, which killed a five–man Forest Service engine crew sent to fight the blaze.
Today, wildland fire is everybody’s business, from the White House to the fireground. Wildfires have grown bigger, more intense, more destructive—and more expensive. Federal taxpayers, for example, footed most of the $16 million bill for fighting the Esperanza Fire. But the highest cost was the lives of the five–man crew of Engine 57, the first wildland engine crew ever to be wiped out by flames. They were caught in an “area ignition,” which in seconds covered three–quarters of a mile and swept the house they were defending on a dry ridge face, where human dwellings chew into previously wild and still unforgiving territory.
John Maclean, award–winning author of three previous books on wildfire disasters, spent more than five years researching the Esperanza Fire and covering the trial of Raymond Oyler. Maclean offers an insider’s second–by–second account of the fire and the capture and prosecution of Oyler, the first person ever to be found guilty of murder for setting a wildland fire.
Praise for The Esperanza Fire
“Maclean treats his subject as a serious police procedural, giving readers the lay of the land, documenting communication as the fire was fought, and following up with everyone involved.... This is as thorough and gripping an account as could be hoped for, but it’s also a very human one. For CSI-, Bones-, and NCIS-loving readers, it is an engrossing read.”
“Poetic and impeccably researched ... part tragedy and part murder mystery ... the lessons of Engine 57 should prompt discussion of the bigger picture: Fires are growing larger, more expensive, more destructive. What do we do about it? Who is to blame?”
“John N. Maclean’s The Esperanza Fire: Arson, Murder, and the Agony of Engine 57 is not a book about a wildfire. It is much more than that. With a keen eye and ear for detail and raw emotion, Maclean dissects the tragic circumstances surrounding the deaths of five firefighters in 2006 after a wind-driven fire burned over their position on a ridge amidst a sea of chaparral and a few trees. Whether or not you’ve ever been on the front line of a wildfire, this book is a gut-wrenching, compelling narrative. It reads like a taut murder mystery, a whodunit novel you can’t put down, with a cast of fascinating characters that includes shady suspects, a dogged detective, DNA evidence, a divided jury, and the victims’ grieving family, friends, and colleagues.”
“If you’re interested in an incredible book on how Southern California wildfires can become untamed killers in mere seconds, look no further than John Maclean’s new book The Esperanza Fire. I thought it would take two days to read ... I was wrong! What makes this story so compelling is Maclean’s reporting on the arson/murder and incident investigations associated with this 2006 fire. It’s the character development of this book as well as the detailed reporting that establishes MacLean as the absolute leader in this category of writing.”
“Maclean tells the story well, both in the heat and confusion of the fire itself and the cold fact atmosphere of the courtroom where an arsonist is convicted of the crime. If this is your first John Maclean book, you are being introduced to an excellent author. If you have read his other books, this is his best to date.”
“The Esperanza Fire eloquently illustrates the sacrifice and sometimes savagery of wildfire and the story is masterfully told with Maclean’s signature obsession with fact and truth. I served as an engine crew member, hotshot, and smokejumper and I am always impressed with Maclean’s ability to capture the scene in a manner that preserves the real story and spirit of wildfire. In doing so he is becoming the keeper of the legacy of all those that have fought and especially those that have died on our American wildlands.”
“I am the sister-in-law of the Fire Captain who was killed in the Esperanza Fire, so I am very knowledgeable about what really happened. John spent six years interviewing, researching, and organizing this tragic and unbelievable incident. I have read the book twice so far and can verify the accuracy of its contents. I am pleased with the way that the book stays focused on the facts and is not filled with personal opinions. While reading The Esperanza Fire I found myself thinking back on that morning when the amber colored sky was raining ashes. It was like something out of an apocalyptic movie.”