Abstract: On June 25, 1994, Employee #1, an 11-year veteran of the Victorville Fire Department, was dispatched to fight a grass fire within the city limits. Employee #1, who was an engineer, the truck captain, and three pay-call fire fighters left the station in a four-wheel fire truck. The pay-call fire fighters had on their turn-out gear including a helmet with neck and ear hoods. The gear is issued by the department and, according to written policy, fire fighters are supposed to wear the gear. The captain and Employee #1 did not have their gear on when they left the station or when they arrived at the fire scene. Employee #1 was still wearing a tee shirt and his class C pants. While positioning his truck to fight the fire, Employee #1 pulled the truck into soft sand. The fire overtook the truck and when Employee #1 attempted to back it up, it became stuck in the sand. Flames swept over the truck; when Employee #1 exited, radiated heat set his tee shirt on fire. He sustained 3rd-degree burns to his back, arms, and ears.