Around 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon July 12, in Huntington Beach Central Park, two children on e-bikes were seen riding to the top of Edwards Hill across from the Free Rein pastures, where they set off fireworks that sparked a grass fire. The flames spread rapidly through the dry grass, which had recently been cut in preparation for the Fourth of July.
Acting swiftly, Javier, the foreman at the Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center, jumped into the water truck and drove directly into the flames to begin suppressing the fire. Thanks to his quick thinking and courage, the initial spread was slowed until several fire trucks, under the command of Huntington Beach Fire Chief Eric McCoy, arrived to fully extinguish the blaze and address remaining hot spots.
An investigative team remained on the scene into the evening. As of now, those responsible for starting the fire have not been identified, but we remain hopeful they will be found and held accountable.
“We are deeply grateful for the rapid response of the HB Fire Department and especially for Javier’s bravery in the face of danger, said Justine Makoff, president of The Free Rein Foundation.” His actions—and those of our local firefighters—helped prevent what could have been a much more serious situation.”
