By John Asbury
The Press Enterprise
IDYLLWILD, Calif. — Driving up the winding stretch of Highway 243 to Idyllwild, Fire Chief Norm Walker is constantly reminded by the contrast of lush forest and dead trees of how susceptible the mountain hamlet could be to a wildfire.
Walker was sworn in at the beginning of the month as the new chief of the Idyllwild Fire Protection District, responsible for covering Idyllwild and neighboring Pine Cove. He replaces retired Fire Chief Steve Kunkle, who left last spring.
Previously working with the U.S. Forest Service for 36 years, the memories of the Esperanza Fire north of Idyllwild still weigh heavily on his mind.
He was one of the first on scene and wears a “Remember Engine 57" pin in honor of five firefighters who died in the 2006 arson-set blaze. He goes to the site every Oct. 26 for a solemn tribute.
“It reminds us about the unpredictability of a wildland fire,” Walker said. “It can humble you in a minute.”
The town of Idyllwild has never been hit by a wildfire, but has been threatened in past decades. The communities are protected in a mutual-aid agreement between the Idyllwild Fire Department, Riverside County firefighters and the U.S. Forest Service.
For the station that fields 750 calls per year, Walker said the community’s greatest threat is wildfires or earthquakes along the San Jacinto fault line.
Walker also has ended a hotly debated weed abatement agreement with a private company that fined homeowners who were not found in compliance. He said the current abatement process gives homeowners leeway as long as they are making progress. He said the bark beetle epidemic in recent years has created a greater emphasis on defensible space around homes.
The Idyllwild Fire Department includes nine full-time paid firefighters and paramedics, 12 reserve firefighters and five paid firefighters on call. The department doubles as an emergency room and provides two ambulances to hospitals in Hemet and Banning.
“We’re a special district in that we’re not combined with anyone else. We can get stretched pretty thin,” Walker said. “We’re all friends with the Forest Service. I’m hoping I’ve opened some lines of communication that weren’t there before.”
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