tonight on a second look, the ferocious power of california's wildfires. and a close up look at the grueling daring and dangerous work by the men and women who battle those fires. it's all straight ahead on a second look. hello everyone i'm frank somerville and welcome to a second look. severe drought and a wildfire season that roared to life in spring has california firefighters bracing for what could be one of the worse

wildfire seasons on record. >>? mid-may as temperatures soared into the 90s a series of wildfires broke out as the hot, dry santa ana winds pushed the heat forward. in all there were 19 individual fires burning within weeks. when the smoke cleared one man was dead. dozens of homes lay in ruins and more than 21 homes had burned. as of july 1st, crews had responded to more than 2,700 wildfires. that's about 1,000 more than usual for this time of year. but while flames can quickly consume large areas, as bob mackenzie first reported back in 1994, firefighters and homeowners have to protect the land foot by foot, and house by house. >> this morning, fire fightings crews moved in toward the monster rather than waiting for it to come to them. >> from the way the fire was

traveling it was expected to craft -- some of these firefighters were going on fumes after two days of near constant work. but they were ready to make a stand again this time to save individual farmhouses. >> the biggest concern we have is the winds are picking up and we're getting approximately a quarter line in front of the line. >> when wind came up it took a treacherous turn to the north. suddenly, about 50 miles away, the sierra brooks narrowly spared yesterday was knee deep in trouble again. >> it's still a mile away from sierra brooks the other end of that fire was once again advancing on the town. and sending out advance patrols. several fires moving in on the wind. once again this became a house to house fire. >> john i need you to go in the

house. i want you to close all the windows and pull the light drapes. >> reporter: bulldozers cut right across the homeowners backyard to make a fire break. several times the dozers got there just before the flames. sometimes just after. department of forestry tried to knock down a house fire, but the fire was faster than they. because the fire was expected to break out at the other end. the force that remained was much higher than yesterday.

so the. >> we've been here about three days now. worked a double the first night. just incredible fire conditions. >> if you knew what this was going to be like would you have done it any way? >> certainly. that's a backyards burn, let trees burn, save the homes. the strategy was to let it run through letting it burn everything but the house. at least a fire that has burned it will not burn again. it can still have a spark in it that can fly to some where else and spark a new fire. it's perlessly close to the house but people are already here trying to do a backfire to start this one. there's just not enough people to be in all these places all

at once. >> once again the fire crews won the individual battle saving one home at a time. but would they win the war? after all these were just spot fires breaking out in advance of the main fire just on the other side of the hill. then in the end of the afternoon, there it was. cresting and advancing down the hill. this wasn't a spot fire anymore. this was big daddy himself. the people of royalton and sierra brooks stared as it came and wondered when would it stop. and upping out of the plane behind the fire line. what does it take to become a smoke jumper. and a wall of flames as crews try to push back an advancing fire storm. the worse fire in california history. still ahead on a second look.

tonight on a second look the danger of fighting

wildfires. just imagine for a moment flying right in the middle of a wildfire, jumping into an airplane and smoking right before the fire. rob roth brought us their story. >> reporter: in the shadow of mount shasta in the town of redding. these men all in their 20s are training to join the most elite crew. all are experienced of fighting fires but until last week none had jumped out of a plane. that sound means it's time to

go. up. they are flying to a practice field in redding. those are trees surrounding the area. it will look like landing on a postage stamp. >> there are things that could go wrong. >> reporter: the trainees know this it's just one of the many risks they're willing to take to be a smoke jumper. there's only 400 smoke jumpers in the country. 40 here in redding. this is rare video of them in action. a decade ago in the shasta trinity forest. when you read the description you wonder why anyone would want to do this work. they jumped into airplanes, fight the fires with shovels and axes and hike out sometimes as much as five miles in intense heat with packs

weighing over 5 pounds so someone can pick them up and take them back home. on the plane the trainees are facing the most dangerous part of their training so far. they try to remember what they've been thought, take a deep breath and go. the first few jumps go smoothly. >> half way down i knew i had to get down there and do it all over again. nothing like it. when i popped open i was phasing the plane the way it let me down. >> reporter: but this jumper read the wind wrong and ended up in the trees. >> what's going on in my at this time, i'm in there and i'm trying to get over the fact that it's not natural of me jumping out of there. it still have to get my mind to

allow me to be comfortable. >> do you think this is not for you. what are you thinking in those terms. >> i think it's still for me i just need to get over this hurdle, quickly. >> very quickly, the training is just five weeks long. by mid-june these 12 trainees will need to have all the skills to be smoke jumpers. >> it's not boring. it's not an office job. you get to work out in the woods: you get to go out and work in amazing places. >> parachuting in this puts a little more thrill into it. for me, you know because i've been fighting fires so many years now. forest fires that isn't near as nerve wracking as a jump out of the airplane. >> smoke jumpers say there's nothing like the adrenaline they get when they're the first to come in and fight that fire. but the exuberance fades when you mention one word.

and that word is colorado. springs colorado, july 5, 1994 the fire was fierce and the winds erratic. firefighters tried to run but the fire was faster. 14 died including three smoke jumpers. jeremy harkins also fought that fire. >> i get to see country that nobody else gets to see. if -- i get to travel for free. >> reporter: soon the bell will ring for real. and chances are they will be busy. in redding, rob roth for segment two. we asked the forest service how much rookie smoke jumpers

make today. we learned that starting pay is $15.20. but they also get overtime and they're paid bumps up after a year. when we come back after a second look. a ktvu coup caught behind the fire hypes. -- fire lines. under fire, a lesson in fire fighting as crews take shelter in their emergency tents as flames approach. still ahead on a second look. heat shields are compromised. we have multiple failures.

what's that alarm? fuel cell two is down. i'm going to have to guide her in manually. this is very exciting. but i'm at my stop. come again? i'm watching this on the train. it's so hard to leave. good luck with everything. watch tv virtually anywhere with the u-verse tv app. with at&t, the u-verse revolves around you.

a tornado of flames, the worse fire in california's history. the man convicted of starting that fire. it was a hot dry october day in 2003 when a hunter lost in san diego county led a signal fire in the hopes of being found. that small fire grew to what is

set to be the largest wildfire in california's recorded history. pushed by santa ana winds through dry brush that has not on burned in years, within hours the fire had burned down dozens of homes and some people who lived in remote areas of the country actually found themselves trapped. the fire burned for nine days charring more than 273,000 acres, destroying 2,300 homes and claiming the lives of 15 people including a firefighter from the bay area. 38-year-old steven rucker of me -- novato were killed. >> let's go. let's get out of here. >> reporter: highway 79 was the major battleground today.

at one point the flames jumped this highway on interstate 8 sending people running including us when we found a wall of flames between us and the car. >> you want to make a run for it? here we go. >> the san diego county fire department are ordering a mandatory evacuation in the area. >> reporter: later on, the fire department evacuated. >> this one is close to the east too. >> i live here so we're out of here right now. so he's coming around the corner right now. i will just sit here and wait and see which way he wants to go. >> how are you feeling?

>> i'm scared, i'm scared, i'm scared. >> some evacuees decided to wait it out. at this point i don't know. we're just waiting. >> then it was up to firefighters watching the wall of flames at bad. how long do you stay before you think, i have to get out of here. >> as soon as we get set and hold the line. we're going to stay. if it gets too hot we'll run in the houses and run out here and fight it. then the fire storm was on us. pouring hot embers of flames. burning everything in site for them. >> it can be unpredictable at times we're trying to take the control by backfiring it. and protect these structures behind us. we've a lot of people behind us doing a lot of work. we started saturday night. we chased this all the way back down the lake side to a grassy

field and we're back up here today. this is our home turf. >> and you're not finished yet? >> no, it's not over until the fat lady sings. >> the hunter who set the fire was sentenced to six months in a half way house along with 560 hours of community service. the judge noted that sergio martinez was doing what he was thought in his hunter safety course. martinez faced up to five years in prison he begged for leniency though saying he feared he would die in the forest if he wasn't found. three years later a massive fire storm burned its way through river side county killing five firefighters. this time investigators say the fire was not the cause of deliberate fire itself. the esp era nza fire started at the coast and within days destroyed 34 hours.

five days after the fire started investigators arrested a mechanic. raymond lee oiler on suspicion of starting the fire. investigators say inside his car they found a wig, latex gloves, cigarettes, and a partially burned slingshot that he had used to launch incendiary devices into the dry brush. oilers girlfriend told police that he bragged about setting fires and had complained that they weren't big enough. bob mackenzie filed this report when oilers arrest was announced. the five forestry department, firefighters died when the treacherously shifting fire over ran their crew. fully jury considering this case will be asked to take into account the particularly horrible way the firefighters died. typically fire victims die of smoke inhalation which renders them unconscious. prosecutors are charging two special circumstance which is

raised the case to death penalty ledgers. >> a river side jury found oiler guilty of first degree murder for the deaths of five firefighters. in june of 2009 he was sentenced to death. oiler remains on death row in san quentin prison. when we come back on a second look. >> i was right outside. i figured i could hear it. >> beneath a fire shelter as flames burn all around. and the father of a fallen firefighter conducts his own test on fire safe material and calls on the forest service to do more to protect crews. that's all ahead on a second look.

welcome back to second look where we're taking a look at wildfires and the dangers fire crews faced in fighting those

flames. each year 500 firefighters die in the line of duty. in 1997, lloyd lacuesta was there as firefighters kept an eye on the firefighters. in time there were more than enough firefighters to face the flames. the department of forestry developed these fires as kind of a prim agency. many are at storm pack to learn how to bat gross fires. he said i people like i can go u and staff that no problem. >> the mind set that everyone thinks it's so easy to put out

and that's what makes it dangerous. wild and firefighters have to wear special clothes and this also known as the shake and bake. >> i've never been in a shake and bake myself. >> padilla was one of firefighters that wasn't over then. it's mandatory equipment now after four california firefighters who did not have the shelter 18 years ago died when a firefighters turns on them. >> i was right outside. i think i can hear it moving the shake and bake. temptures a little warmer it's

a little warmer now. cut. >> reporter: padilla emerged but still -- >> the shelter is the very, very last resort. i will protect you. it can deflect up to 95% of the heat at the shell tar. if nothing that i would rust my life with. the best lesson firefighters learned today was to run to the right or left of an advancing fire but never run uphill in front of a fire father. it was just over a year ago that 19 members of her family died dispute seeking flames. when the men were caught they

depoi ployed their safety shelters but the fruit of the fire proved too intense. the families of a dozen firefighters have now filed a lawsuit agency. >> when you have that will much fuel and those dry conditions and wind conditions they can be extremely unconfidentable. >> what we teach to tame safety precause of actions sometimes unfortunately it just wopbd work out. we're devastated we just lost 19 of some of the people paces will mean. i hope my demeanor now does not represent how eastbound feels. threw reu we're going through a devastating crisis. >> and the father of one a

child is currently at the this new material and a fire -- >> the firefighters shirt is completely intact. >> the person who works with the change. one of the difficult is keeping them light enough for crews to help with them over the period. >> >> that's it for this week's second look. i'm frank somerville. we'll see you again next week.

"oh, my goodness, those hands are cold!" (luke laughs) mm-hmm. "at least buy me dinner first." (laughs) boom. (goofy voice) "tell my wife and kids i love them." oh, my god. ooh, that's kind of dark, mom. hmm. (cell phone vibrates) quick-- what's my favorite hospital food? um... jell-o? (laughs) hi, buddy. no, today's still good. good for what? who's buddy? yeah, just head on over to the house. whose house? who's buddy? okay. see you in a couple. (cell phone beeps) couple of what? who's buddy? kenneth. kenneth? kenneth! if i had a son, i'd want him to be like kenneth ploufe. you do have a son. when we first moved in here, he was the sweet kid who lived next door. mm, the weird kid who lived next door, but phil always had a soft spot for him because kenneth sort of looked up to him. i wouldn't say hero. and yet you did.