Calif. Fire Highlights Lack of Rural Resources

Sept. 22, 2011
BODFISH, Calif. -- On Monday, a house fire in Bodfish killed Jonathan James Dornner, 29. On Tuesday, 23 ABC learned more about the challenges firefighters faced in battling that blaze. Wildfires have shown the community how the terrain in the mountain areas can make fire fighting difficult, but on Monday the fatal house fire forced crews to face a different challenge: resources. Lack of resources is something that Bodfish resident Bob Wilson said comes with living in the mountains.

BODFISH, Calif. --

On Monday, a house fire in Bodfish killed Jonathan James Dornner, 29. On Tuesday, 23 ABC learned more about the challenges firefighters faced in battling that blaze.

Wildfires have shown the community how the terrain in the mountain areas can make fire fighting difficult, but on Monday the fatal house fire forced crews to face a different challenge: resources.

Lack of resources is something that Bodfish resident Bob Wilson said comes with living in the mountains.

"It's like living in front of the ocean," said Wilson. "You get hurricanes. It's like living anywhere that's a little dangerous, you know?"

Kern County Fire Department said there is limited water resources in the area. Since there was no hydrant near the home, crews were forced to shuttle water from a mile away.

It's a challenge residents said they've learned to cope with especially because their community is in a high fire zone.

"My first fire up here scared me to death," said resident Mel Taillon. "(My wife) made it up here. I didn't until later. She was running hoses in the front and the back. We take care of ourselves up here. I may be mad at that guy, but I'm not going to let his house burn."

Fire said because a cause of death for Dornner has not been determined, it's difficult to say whether the lack of water resources contributed to his death.

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