By Karl Fischer
Contra Costa Times
Copyright 2007 Contra Costa Newspapers
All Rights Reserved

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, Calif. — At one time, Ron Wiley just blended into the crowd of characters working at the Richmond Fire Department.
That didn't last very long..

"He was actually very quiet when he first got here. I think he took his academy very serious. He knew how important it was," said Fire Capt. Oscar Jones, Wiley's training instructor in 1991. "But after he got off his probationary period ... Ron Wiley was birthed into the department."

Wiley, Richmond's deputy fire marshal, evolved into a bigger-than-life personality, a wisecracking, quick-to-smile firefighter who became one of the most visible faces in city government during his 17-year career.

He died Monday afternoon in a fiery crash on the Zampa Bridge. He was 47.

"He will be missed so much by this department. I can't say how much he will be missed," Fire Chief Michael Banks said. "We are shocked by this tragic event."

Wiley attended a meeting in Vallejo on Monday afternoon to discuss recent changes to state fire code with representatives from other agencies, Banks said. He crashed his department-issued Ford Crown Victoria while returning to Richmond on westbound Interstate 80.

"We're trying to find out exactly what happened," Highway Patrol Officer Marvin Williford said. "We have a thousand questions and very few answers at this point."

As the car reached the middle of the Carquinez Bridge at 4:36 p.m., it veered sharply from the left lane into the right guardrail. It hit the rail at least twice before stopping.
The car quickly burned, Williford said. No other cars were involved.

"It appeared that the fire started toward the rear of the vehicle," Banks said. "It probably started with the rear right tire."

Friction from the skidding rear tire may have sparked the fire, Banks said. Wiley wore his seat belt, according to a written statement from the CHP.

Williford said the CHP and the Vallejo Fire Department continue to investigate and have not officially determined the cause of the crash or the fire. Authorities need witnesses to help piece together what happened, and they are checking video cameras mounted on the bridge to see if they captured images of the wreck.

Wiley, a Hercules resident, became a fire inspector in 1997 and the deputy fire marshal in 2002. He supervised the department's hazardous materials program and served as a first-aid instructor.

Glib and gregarious, he constantly found ways to make his friends and co-workers laugh. He rarely failed to remind anyone that he was a native San Franciscan and often boasted about his connection to the city.

Wiley could transform practically any conversation into a playful jiving match.

"Ron was quite a character. He would always say something off the wall that would make everybody cut up," Jones said. "He was very well thought of in a number of circles."

Wiley did grow more subdued last year, after his wife died from cancer. He spoke recently of the strain of that loss, and of being the sole parent for his two college-age children, Jones said.

Those wishing to donate to a memorial fund for Wiley may do so at any Mechanics Bank branch. For more information, call the bank at 510-970-9830.