Turning Tragedy to Healing: California’s Firefighters Burn Institute Expands Its Mission Across the State
Edward Henderson | California Black Media
More than five decades ago, a tragedy at a Sacramento ice cream parlor exposed a critical gap in the region’s ability to care for people suffering from severe burns. Today, that tragedy remains part of the origin story of the Firefighters Burn Institute (FFBI), a Sacramento-based organization whose work has grown into a statewide network of burn care, recovery, prevention and education.
In 1972, a jet attempting to take off from Sacramento Executive Airport crashed into a crowded Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor, killing 23 people and leaving many others with burn injuries. Among those killed were Sacramento firefighter Gene LaVine and eight members of his family.
At the time, Sacramento did not have a specialized burn treatment facility, meaning severely injured patients had to be transported elsewhere for care.
The tragedy prompted then-Sacramento Fire Department Captain Cliff Haskell to act. Haskell began fundraising with the Sacramento Area Fire Fighters, Local 522, with the goal of creating a specialized burn unit in Sacramento.
Those efforts led to the founding of the Firefighters Burn Institute in 1973 and, shortly afterward, the opening of the UC Davis Medical Center Regional Burn Center in January 1974.
More than 50 years later, the Institute continues to support the burn center while helping survivors and their families navigate the physical and emotional challenges that follow serious burn injuries.
“We make it one of our missions to continue funding that burn center and trying to figure out ways we can help advance the research,” said Sara Valentine, the Institute’s events and marketing manager in an interview with California Black Media.
In late 2024 and early 2025, FFBI contributed approximately $200,000 toward advanced laser technology for burn treatment, with UC Davis Health providing matching funding.
Valentine said the technology can improve the elasticity and mobility of scarred skin, potentially helping survivors regain abilities that might otherwise remain limited.
The Institute’s work extends well beyond medical treatment. Its Firefighters Kids Camp brings about 50 young burn survivors ages 7 to 17 together for a week in Livermore, where they can connect with other children who have experienced similar trauma. Firefighters, burn nurses and adult burn survivors serve as counselors.
“In the beginning of the camp, they’re very kind of standoffish. They don’t open up as much,” Valentine said. “And then by the end of it they are just running around having fun with one another and really opening up to other parents and everybody’s crying at the end of camp.”
For younger children, the Little Heroes Family Burn Camp brings together burn survivors ages 6 and under with their families. Valentine said the program recognizes that a serious burn affects an entire family, providing opportunities for parents, siblings and survivors to connect with others who understand their experiences.
FFBI also hosts adult and young-adult retreats and support programs designed to help survivors rebuild social connections and share strategies for navigating life after a burn.
That work will receive support this September through the Sac-Town Rodeo at Cal Expo. Scheduled for Sept. 12 and 13, the two-day event will bring together rodeo fans, families, first responders and local businesses for bull riding, bronc riding and other Western entertainment.
All proceeds from the event will benefit the FFBI and its programs.
Valentine attended last year’s rodeo and described it as a celebration of the first-responder community that also welcomes people who have no connection to firefighting.
“Grab your boots and head out to Cal Expo,” she said.
The Institute’s mission also includes preventing the injuries it works to treat. That has brought FFBI into California’s policymaking.
One example is Senate Bill (SB) 870, introduced by state Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) which would prohibit the sale in California of tabletop liquid-fuel fire features that do not meet specified American Society for Testing and Materials safety standards beginning in 2027.
The bill was prompted by reports of serious burns and deaths associated with tabletop fire pits. FFBI is listed among the organizations supporting the legislation.
Valentine said the issue came to the Institute through a Sacramento fire captain who asked the organization to help explain the dangers of the products.
“If we can stop a burn before it happens, that’s the ideal thing,” Valentine said.
SB 870 remains part of a broader debate over fire safety as California lawmakers confront the consequences of increasingly destructive fires. At the same time, Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders are negotiating a package addressing wildfire liability and compensation for survivors of utility-caused fires.
The proposal has drawn criticism from wildfire survivors and lawmakers over provisions that could limit certain compensation while seeking to stabilize utilities and speed payments to victims.
Although legislative advocacy is only one part of the Institute’s mission, its leaders say its involvement in state policy reflects the organization’s evolution from responding to a single Sacramento tragedy to leading a broader effort to prevent burns, improve treatment and help survivors rebuild their lives.
Its reach now extends beyond Sacramento. FFBI maintains relationships with fire departments throughout California, including departments that organize fundraising drives, and connects with burn survivors through national organizations such as the American Burn Association and World Burn Congress.
The Institute also helps survivors outside California access its programs and events.
