Camp Fire Hero on a Bulldozer
The fantastic story of a Camp Fire hero recently emerged. It’s about bulldozer operator, Joe Kennedy, age 36 and a Grass Valley resident, who risked his life repeatedly to save others. Kennedy seems uncomfortable with being called a hero, and there are undoubtedly many others who haven’t made the news. However, one of his own acts of heroism was caught on camera by Butte County Sheriff’s Deputy Aaron Parmley. Parmley himself was trying to assist several nurses who were evacuating on foot from the Feather River Hospital through the flames and smoke. Walking down the road through the poor visibility and foul air, live embers skidding along the road as they sought safety, the group’s survival was threatened. They were hoping for a Camp Fire hero to save them.
How It All Started
Kennedy is a firefighter who was driving a bulldozer on November 8 to help people who were fleeing the fire and to clear roads and burning vegetation away from homes. Normally, bulldozers are sent in before a fire has reached an area, but in this case, the Camp Fire moved so quickly and ferociously, there was little advance warning. He arrived in Paradise in the morning where he was supposed to unload the bulldozer to go to work and found that the fire was already surrounding the hospital.
Trapped Firemen
Dispatch calls were coming into the bulldozer operator. He heard one dispatch from a fire engine, stuck in traffic, that was trying to find air support because the fire was coming in its direction. Because of all the smoke covering the town, Kennedy knew that making an airdrop to put out the flames heading toward the engine would be impossible. This was when Kennedy decided to head out in his bulldozer and find the crew so that he could clear the way for it to pass. He wasn’t alone. There was another engine following him. The intense heat melted the asphalt of the road and shattered the windows of his machine, but this Camp Fire hero kept on going!
A Flashlight Shines in the Darkness
Deputy Parmley was walking along Pentz Road with several nurses, surrounded by heavy smoke and flames when he decided to turn his body camera on. The area the group was walking through was so bad, he believed he would not get out alive. It was the glow of the flashlight being carried that caught Kennedy’s attention, and he made his way toward the survivors. The sight of the headlights of that bulldozer and sound of the engine must have been a miraculous sight to the deputy and nurses as it approached. They climbed on board the dozer and accompanied this Camp Fire hero as he continued on looking for the trapped team that was surrounded by abandoned cars that were on fire.
The Camp Fire Hero Locates the Trapped Firefighters
There were still people in their vehicles along the road while other cars were fully engulfed in flames. Kennedy moved the burning vehicles out of the way, which would increase the odds of survival for others still in their cars. He also found the fire engine and its crew. Using his bulldozer, Kennedy went in front of the engine and other vehicles clearing the way and led them to a hospital. Then he went back to work, clearing routes for evacuation and shoving burning vehicles off the roads.
One Camp Fire Hero Among Many
The Butte County Sheriff’s Office later discovered the film footage of the rescue and released it to the public. A feature about the daring rescue appeared on 60 Minutes. One of the nurses from Feather River Hospital said she thought the bulldozer was an angel. She was amazed that any man would drive straight into the flames but Kennedy did. Kennedy himself seems uncomfortable with the attention and is a humble man who views himself as just one of many who put their lives on the line to save others.
What a Wildfire Compensation Lawyer Can Do for You
A wildfire compensation lawyer can help bring you peace of mind when you’ve lost so much in a fire. Whether it is investigating your situation or fighting to make sure that insurers do not try to renege on their obligation to you, the wildfire lawyer will have your back. Being able to rebuild is an essential element in recovery. In the horrific event that someone in your family died in the fire, the attorney can file a wrongful death lawsuit against those responsible for the fire. It is important to regain your footing after such a tragedy, and while grief is never eliminated, a wrongful death lawsuit can help in the financial losses that accompany a fire.
California Wildfire Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a California wildfire lawyer. All acts of heroism that took place in Paradise are evidence of a community that helps one another when bad things happen. Residents who lost everything in the fire or who were injured can also benefit from the insight a wildfire attorney can provide. Please call me at (530) 392-9400 or (800) 404-5400 for free and friendly advice. You can also reach me online.
I’ve helped many residents of Paradise in the past 36 years obtain the compensation they deserve for all types of injuries, motorcycle accidents, and wrongful deaths.
I am listed in the California forum of the Million Dollar Advocates. The forum represents trial lawyers who have obtained verdicts exceeding 1 Million for a past client.
When you are thinking of retaining a lawyer, you should learn about their practice. You can learn about mine on the following pages:
Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/forest-fire-forest-climate-change-3836834/
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