Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

The Esperanza Fire

Arson, Murder, and the Agony of Engine 57

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
A wildfire that stunned the nation. A trial that made history. This is not just the story of a fire—it’s the story of how justice flickered to life in the ashes.
In the early morning hours of October 26, 2006, a wall of fire exploded across a dry California ridge—consuming everything in its path, including the five-man Forest Service crew of Engine 57. What began as a brush fire became a national tragedy. And what followed was unprecedented: a murder trial.
The Esperanza Fire wasn’t just another wildfire. It was a turning point in America’s relationship with the wildland-urban interface. The blaze cost $16 million to fight—but the real cost was five lives lost in seconds, when an “area ignition” swept the home they were defending.
When Raymond Oyler stood trial for setting the fire, a packed Riverside County courtroom held its breath. Oyler became the first person in U.S. history to be convicted of murder for starting a wildfire—a case that reshaped how we prosecute environmental destruction and hold arsonists accountable.
Award-winning journalist and wildfire expert John Maclean spent more than five years investigating the Esperanza Fire and covering every detail of the trial. In The Esperanza Fire, he delivers a gripping, insider’s account—moment by moment, witness by witness, flame by flame.
  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

  • Formats

  • Accessibility

    The publisher provides the following statement about the accessibility of the EPUB file supplied to OverDrive. Experiences may vary across reading systems. After borrowing the book, you may download the EPUB files to read in another reading system.

    Ways Of Reading

    • No information about appearance modifiability is available.

    • Not all of the content will be readable as read aloud speech or dynamic braille.

    Conformance

    • No information is available.

    Hazards

    • The presence of hazards is unknown.

  • Languages

  • Reviews

    • Library Journal

      March 15, 2013

      Should some readers harbor a fleeting desire to live in the woods, isolated from people and civic infrastructure, this book may cure them of that leave-it-all-behind fantasy. Maclean (Fire on the Mountain: The True Story of the South Canyon Fire) details a 2006 fire that killed five firefighters and led to the first murder conviction for a wildfire arsonist. Though the writing is clunky in places, the story of the fire is compelling and sad. The chapters detailing the landmark trial of the arsonist provide a glimpse into the jury's agonizing deliberations. The subsequent emotional upheaval for the surviving engine crews is reflected in the bureaucratic flood of conflicting reports, logs, and accounts of the fire. Maclean humanizes the firefighters and their families while providing technical information about both fires and fire departments. VERDICT For readers interested in firefighting and wildfires, this book will fascinate. Others may be left obsessively checking their smoke-alarm batteries.--Kate Sheehan, Middlebury, CT

      Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Booklist

      February 15, 2013
      Maclean (The Thirtymile Fire, 2007) returns to a setting he knows all too well: wildfires and those who fight and investigate them. In clear and precise prose, he lays out the facts about the 2006 Esperanza Fire in Southern California that killed five U.S. Forest Service firefighters. There are a lot of voices to consider here, from those physically near the doomed men in their final moments to those up the chain of command and the investigators who tracked the arsonist. Esperanza is notable for both its loss of life and because it led to the first successful prosecution of an arsonist for a wildfire. Maclean thus 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. It is a truly exhaustive analysis from the fire through the conviction. 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.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

Languages

  • English

Loading