Loop Fire
The Loop Fire was a wildfire in Angeles National Forest, above Sylmar, California. Twelve members of the El Cariso Hotshots were killed: 10 died at the scene November 1, 1966; two died later as a result of their injuries while hospitalized. History On November 1, 1966, the El Cariso Hotshots, a U.S. Forest Service Interregional Wildland Firefighting Hotshot crew, was trapped by flames as they worked on a steep hillside in Pacoima Canyon on the Angeles National Forest. An unanticipated upslope wind came up in afternoon and a spot fire was fanned and funneled up the steep canyon. The crew was constructing fireline downhill into a chimney canyon and were within 200 feet of completing their assignment when a sudden shift of winds caused a spot fire directly below where they were working. Within seconds flames raced uphill, engulfing the firefighters in temperatures estimated to reach 2500 degrees F. The fire flashed through the 2,200 foot long chimney canyon in less than one minute, catching the crew while they attempted to reach their safety zones. Ten members of the crew died on the Loop Fire that day. Another two members died from burn injuries in the following days. Most of