Captain David Ordman of the Orange County Fire Authority spoke with The Malibu Times about his team’s ongoing efforts to combat the Franklin Fire.
“We’ve been here since the first night—four days now,” Captain Ordman shared, noting the challenging conditions faced by the strike team of 22 members, including two chief officers. “When we’re out on the line, we sleep in shifts, but we don’t get much rest because we need to keep our eyes on the fire the whole time.”
Captain Ordman explained that on-duty firefighters often take short naps in their trucks. “When we’re assigned to the line, we don’t get much sleep for 24 hours,” he said. “But today is our day off, so we’ll get some downtime. We sometimes sleep in designated base camps, like the one set up at Zuma Beach, where we have sleeping quarters in trailers.” Ordman highlighted that while they do get some rest on their days off, but the priority during active firefighting is staying alert and focused on the task at hand.
Despite the demanding conditions, Ordman expressed pride in his team’s efforts. “We’re happy to help. It’s just what we do,” he said. “We’ve saved a lot of homes and properties, and residents will be able to return to their homes.” He went on to say they are glad to be able to make a difference and help the community.
The Orange County Fire Authority’s commitment and tireless efforts have been instrumental in protecting Malibu during this challenging time.