Camarillo, Calif. - In the midst of a terrifying California wildfire sweeping through the hills of Ventura County Monday night, a Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) employee from the Pacific Region risked his own safety heroically fighting fires to help fellow Californians in need.
The blaze which began in the Santa Paula Hills at about 6:25 p.m. Monday, quickly spread through Ventura County, burning acreage, destroying homes and forcing people to evacuate.
With news of the fire rapidly spreading, John Bain, a BSEE petroleum engineer in the Pacific Region office, and four of his friends, made the decision to quickly drive to the City of Ventura to help fellow community members who were quickly being overtaken by the rapidly moving wildfire.
With the knowledge that many of the firefighters and police wouldn't be around in time to make sure all people were evacuated, Bain and his friends just wanted to do anything they could to help.
“Once we arrived, a woman pleaded for us to go door to door to help make sure her neighbors had evacuated,” said Bain. “We quickly searched all nearby houses and realized that the flames were only two houses away, so we decided to grab garden hoses and fend it off ourselves.”
Putting others before themselves, the group fought the blaze through the night, with nothing more than garden hoses and a courageous spirit. With heroic effort and steadfast dedication, Bain and his friends kept the flames at bay, heroically saving the homes for people they didn’t even know.
“As the fires continue to rage in Ventura County, and with most of us at home watching the news from afar over social media or national television networks, we are reminded that heroes like John Bain are willing to risk their own well-being to help other Americans in need,” said Rance Wall, Deputy Regional Director, BSEE Pacific Region. “John’s selfless actions are a reflection of his character and we are proud to serve alongside him at the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.”
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