SAN DIEGO -- The Governor's Blue Ribbon Fire Commission heard controversial remarks Wednesday from the California Department of Forestry director. CDF officials also pleaded for guidelines on when to use military helicopters in a wildfire emergency.

Video

CDF Deputy Director Defends Tuttle's Remarks

The commission was holding its fourth in a series of meetings on response to the wildfires that ravaged California in the last week of October.

During her presentation Wednesday to commissioners at the Paradise Point Resort Conference Center, CDF director Andrea Tuttle said "due to public pressure to use air tankers, several cosmetic and ineffective flights were made."

However, on Thursday, Tuttle said she was misquoted, and what she meant to say was the comment was part of a larger explanation of how the public does not fully understand how fires are fought.

"The fact that there was so much public pressure and expectations that planes need to be in the air or fire services weren't doing their jobs (caused) the system -- during the heat of battle -- (to send) more flights to be flown beyond what professional judgment knows (are) really not the best tool and not as effective. It doesn't happen a lot, but it does happen," Tuttle told 10News over the phone.

Tuttle added that in many of the cases the wind was blowing so strongly, the fire retardant that was being dropped from the air tankers, was blown off target. That is why she said she used the words "ineffective" and "cosmetic."

Tuttle told the commissioners that a resolution on when to use military resources was needed immediately, not "during a firestorm."

Issues such as avionics compatibility and leadership responsibilities in using military resources must be resolved before the next crisis, she said.

The failure to use helicopters in the early hours of the Cedar Fire created a political and media firestorm of its own.

"There was tremendous finger-pointing and second guessing over the use of aviation resources during this (fire) siege," Tuttle said.

She also called for more public understanding of firefighting procedures, a better understanding of firefighter safety needs and improved public information centers.

The commission, chaired by retired Sen. William Campbell was formed to review the firefighting effort and make recommendations on how to prevent future tragedies.

The Cedar Fire became the largest in California history at 273,246 acres. At its apex, flames were leaping 200 feet into the air and consuming 5,000 acres per hour, according to Ray Quintanar, director of U.S. Forest Service Fire and Aviation Management.

"We underestimated the rate of spread of this fire," Quintanar said, referring to the early hours of the battle.

Where most fires have lulls, allowing firefighters to get a handle on them, "this one did not stop. It accelerated," Quintanar said.

CDF Fire Capt. Jim Wright offered a series of recommendations:

1. Budget the CDF for year-round firefighting, instead of a fire season.

2. Buy better helicopters for initial attack on fires.

3. Equip helicopters with satellite tracking systems that can display chopper locations to dispatchers statewide and include infrared equipment to transmit timely fire information to incident commanders.

4. Have fire engines and chief vehicles equipped with Global Positioning Satellite devices because many firefighters get lost at times.

5. Allow commanders and units to communicate on different radio frequencies.

6. Provide foam that can be sprayed on homes endangered by flames.

7. Offer more firefighting training in "urban interface" areas, where development has spread into rural lands.

8. Strengthen integration with National Guard aircraft and aircraft from other states.

The commission, which includes county Supervisor Greg Cox, San Diego Mayor Dick Murphy, San Diego Fire Chief Jeff Bowman, Sen. DeDe Alpert, Rep. Christine Kehoe and Rep. Susan Davis, D-San Diego, will next meet on Feb. 5 in Riverside.