Two Wildomar city beautification volunteers and two area residents were honored by the Wildomar City Council for helping quench a wildfire using an old-time bucket brigade effort Saturday, Aug. 3.
The local heroes in this unusual firefighting incident were presented certificates of recognition by Wildomar Mayor Bridgette Moore and the city council for the four individuals quickly acting together to put out a field fire that broke out above Monte Vista Street on that day.
Rachel Gibbs and Courtney Marie Parish were having a pizza at Papa G’s Pizza on Monte Vista when they saw one of the city beautification volunteers, Dan Gant, rushing in saying they needed help with putting out the fire.
Rachel and Courtney Marie jumped up to help, running into Papa G’s kitchen and filling up five-gallon buckets of water to assist the other city volunteer, Richard Pearce, who had grabbed a shovel and was trying to stop the raging fire in 103-degree heat. Richard’s shoes were melted in the incident.
The two heroines, with the heavy five-gallon buckets filled with sloshing water, ran up the hill to lend a hand, according to Moore. Returning down the hill the women saw an employee from the nearby Corporate Room run a hose through the businesses’ fence and the two proceeded to refill the buckets three more times, running back up the hill and pouring water on the flames until the fire was eventually quenched by arriving CalFire firefighters. The ladies ironically were on lunch after attending a Wellness Seminar at the Corporate Room.
It was a real old-time effort made by citizens in the City of Wildomar which prides itself on being a historically traditional Western town.
Gibbs, Parish, Gant, and Pierce received certificates of recognition and applause during the Aug. 7 Wildomar City Council meeting.
