The Esperanza Fire

Arson, Murder and the Agony of Engine 57

By: John N. 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.

©2013 John N. Maclean. (P)2013 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

"Maclean is a fine storyteller...he writes a chiseled prose that does justice to the action." ( The Washington Post)

"Poetic and impeccably reported." ( Wildfire magazine)

"It reads like a taut murder mystery, a whodunit novel you can’t put down." ( The Forestry Source)

Excellent account of a tragic story

Very well researched and presented factual account of the Esperanza Fire and the tragic loss of 5 firefighters. The story is clearly explained and presented in a very engaging fashion. An excellent read for anyone but with particular lessons for firefighters.

Read the "book reviews" on Amazon before judging.

I live on "The Hill" which is what the locals call the mountain-top communities where this horrible fire occurred. This was a terrible time in our shared history and only now, 12 years later, do I feel the knot of pain, anger, and grief letting up the briefest amount. Going off "The Hill on the Banning side" you can still see dead trees and slowly recovering scars from the fire...as well as the site where the firefighters lost their lives. It's hard not to allow the hatred to return. So that's what you need to know about me. Please read more below regarding the book itself.

John Maclean has written a well researched and yet compassionate book abut a tough topic. You don't need to be affiliated with the fire community to understand and be pulled into this book. I was terribly disappointed to see the poor review given by another Audible client and encourage you to click on "Amazon reviews" before passing this book by. The reviews there are better than I could write and the sheer number of positive reviews will give you a better idea of the value of Maclean's work.

Mesmerizing and Masterful

The research for the text is evident and educational. The story draws the reader/listener in—captivating and engaging. The audiobook reader is the right person, speaking with authority and understanding. I will seek more works by both the author and reader.

Animals Dying

I didn’t like the callous way the firemen treated animals. It broke my heart so much that I couldn’t get past chapter 5. I know they had a very dangerous job to do but listening to a description of how a rabbit was so confused about the fire it ran right into it ,after catching fire and not knowing what it was doing. And the chapter where they described how the miniature pinchers & horses left to die. I hated this book because of that!