District 10 photo
By Bob Highfill
District 10 public information officer
Not a day passes when Caltrans doesn’t prove its steadfast commitment to putting people first.
Heroic actions Caltrans workers perform in the field every single day often go unnoticed by the public. However, the swift and selfless efforts of Paul Brager and Mike Quinones from the Caltrans District 10 Pine Grove Maintenance Station were far too impressive to ignore.
On Aug. 23, Brager and Quinones were riding in a Caltrans truck when they noticed flames and smoke along State Route 88 near Eggiman Lane in Jackson.
They immediately drove toward the scene to see what was happening. There, they saw that a stack of pallets was ablaze near a building. Quinones found a garden hose on the site and sprayed water on the raging flames.
Meanwhile, Brager phoned the fire department. Then, a vehicle with two passengers pulled up. They arrived to rescue a horse on the property. The driver got out of the vehicle to tend to the horse. Brager sensed the passenger was somewhat panicked. The fire was hot and heading rapidly toward the vehicle. Concerned for the passenger’s safety, Brager hopped into the driver’s seat and drove the vehicle out of harm’s way, much to the relief of the passenger.
District 10 photo
Fire personnel quickly arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire, which hopped Eggiman Lane onto an adjoining field. There was damage to a building and some 100 to 200 pallets. But the horse, the motorists, the fire department team and two intrepid Caltrans workers were safe and sound.
The brave men and women with the Amador Fire Department know better than anyone the sacrifice Brager and Quinones made in the face of danger, and they showed their appreciation by honoring both men during the department’s board of directors meeting on Dec. 6 at the Amador County Office in Jackson.
Said Ashley Anaya, Prevention Officer with the Amador Fire Protection District, “Amador Fire appreciates the heroic and selfless acts these gentlemen displayed on Aug. 23, as they attempted to put out the pallet fire and help those in its path to safety.”
Brager, an Equipment Operator II, has been with Caltrans District 10 since June 1. Previously, he worked as a heavy tow truck recovery operator and as an emergency medical technician and engineer for the volunteer fire department in Mace Meadows.
When confronted with the situation in Jackson, Brager’s instincts and experience took over.
“It’s just something I do naturally,” Brager said. “That’s just the training I’ve had in the past. I always try to help when I can.”
Quinones, also an Equipment Operator II, is a private person and declined to comment for this article. Rest assured, his and Brager’s dedication to the public exemplify Caltrans’ mission to serve the traveling public and all Californians.