The Esperanza Fire: Arson, Murder and the Agony of Engine 57

Written by John Maclean

Narrated by Pete Larkin

The Esperanza Fire started October 26, 2006, in the San Jacinto Mountains above the Banning Pass near Cabazon, California. It destroyed 41,000 acres and dozens of homes and cost the taxpayers $16 million dollars. But by far the highest costs of the conflagration were the lives of the five-man crew of Engine 57, the first engine crew ever killed fighting a wildland blaze. Fire and superheated gases had erupted in a freak “area ignition,” sending flames racing across three-quarters of a mile in mere seconds, engulfing the crew and the house they were defending.

The deadly blaze was quickly determined to be no accident. Within a week, serial arsonist Raymond Lee Oyler was arrested and charged with almost two dozen counts of arson—and five counts of first degree murder. The Esperanza Fire recounts with drama and precision the gripping details of the fire and of Oyler's precedent-shattering trial and its stunning conclusion.

John Maclean spent more than five years researching the Esperanza Fire and covering the trial of Raymond Oyler. The result is a thrilling, moment-to-moment insider's chronicle of that devastating and tragic inferno and the pursuit, capture, and prosecution of the man who intentionally set it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Highbridge Company
• Release date: Aug 27, 2013
• ISBN: 9781622312672

John Maclean

John Maclean is a motivational speaker and personal development coach. Hit from behind by a truck while riding his bike at the age of 22, he woke from a coma as a paraplegic destined for life in a wheelchair. But this may have been the making of John, as he went on to become the first wheelchair athlete to complete the Hawaii Ironman World Championship triathlon, swim the English Channel, and represent his country at Olympic and Paralympic games. John has competed in over 20 of the world’s most challenging sporting events in his 25 years as a wheelchair athlete, then, in an extraordinary turn of events, John took his first steps towards achieving his dream to walk again in 2013. John’s life story is one of constant change, and while he shares his challenges and how he overcame them with audiences and individuals around the world, he continues to set new personal goals and further improve his mobility. John is the founder of The John Maclean Foundation, which assists children in wheelchairs and their families, and lives in Sydney, with his wife Amanda, and son Jack. Connect with John via his website www.johnmaclean.com.au or on Twitter @johnmaclean27.

Reviews for The Esperanza Fire

[breic-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Not for me. Much more detail than I wanted, even though little is known about the central event. The story was drawn out. I did appreciate seeing the perspectives of California wildland firefighters.

[exfed_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

John N. Maclean has carved out a niche for himself as the chronicler of wildland fire fatalities. Its a family tradition, as his father wrote the well know Young Men and Fire. Thus, with the loss of 5 firefighters of Engine 57 fighting a southern California fire in 2006, Maclean has described the events leading to the burn-over and death of the crew. What's unique about this tragedy, is that the fire was started by an arsonist whom in turn was arrested and charged with murder.