Esperanza Fire
| Esperanza Fire | |
|---|---|
| Part of the 2006 California wildfires | |
Fire run looking just above the Accident Site from the Tile House. | |
| Date(s) |
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| Location | Cabazon, California |
| Coordinates | 33°54′50″N 116°45′17″W / 33.9139°N 116.7548°W |
| Statistics | |
| Burned area | 41,173 acres (64.333 sq mi) |
| Land use | Residential; Open space |
| Impacts | |
| Deaths |
|
| Non-fatal injuries |
|
| Structures destroyed |
|
| Damage | $9.9 million |
| Ignition | |
| Cause | Arson |
| Perpetrator(s) | Raymond Lee Oyler |
| Map | |
Location of fire in California | |
The Esperanza Fire was a large, arson-caused wildfire that started on October 26, 2006, in a river wash near Banning, California, United States, west of Palm Springs. The fire experienced an area ignition, with a disputed cause. The incident report's investigation, published by the Forest Service, suggests that the ignition was caused by the Santa Ana winds near 7:00 am.
On the day of the fire's ignition, several United States Forest Service engines from the San Bernardino National Forest were overwhelmed by the fire. One engine, E57, lost its entire crew defending a vacant house, locally known as the Octagon House, that was ultimately destroyed by the fire.
By October 29, it had burned over 41,173 acres (166.62 km2), and 85% contained. On October 30, the fire was fully contained. Five firefighters were killed defending the Octagon House: Jason McKay, Jess McLean, Daniel Kurtis Najera, Mark Loutzenhiser and Pablo Cerda.
The fire was ignited by Raymond Lee Oyler, a serial arsonist who lit several fires in the Banning Pass area. He was apprehended on October 31st. In June 2009, Raymond Lee Oyler was sentenced to death for starting the fire. As of February 2026, Oyler is still on death row. His appeal was overturned by the Supreme Court of California.