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‘Lotzie’ — a friend, a
sport and a mentor
Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2006, 4:30 p.m.
By J.P. Crumrine
Assistant Editor
Capt. Mark Loutzenhiser of Alandale Guard Station 57 on the San Jacinto
Ranger District, tragically had his life taken by the Esperanza Fire
last Thursday. His loss leaves a gap in the protection of the Hill, his
home and his community. He would have turned 44 this Thursday, Nov. 2.
Everyone who crossed “Lotzie’s” path, even briefly, recalls the same
memories of those experiences. A thoughtful and gracious man, a loving
father, a calm and dedicated mentor, and a fun-loving and teasing
friend.
His colleagues, some of whom were on the same road where he perished,
as well as his chiefs in the Forest Service, feel the penetrating
coldness of a January night in his absence.
On Thursday shortly after the accident, the San Jacinto crews gathered
at Vista Grande Guard Station. Two battalion chiefs were talking, but
their faces — drawn, teary eyes, jaws agape — revealed more than the
words. These men were human and reacting as friends and comrades have
done for centuries when another is lost in battle.
Talking about Loutzenhiser was a painful experience for these people.
His death was sudden, unexpected and violent. All are firefighters and
have experienced the risk and know one day it could be them. Even
childhood friends, such as Steve Friemoth, co-owner of Idyllwild
Garage, had difficulty.
“I can’t. I don’t know anything funny now,” he replied with a gulp. “I
just got ripped.”
But many were willing and able to discuss the relationship and feelings
about Loutzenhiser — firefighters and managers from throughout the San
Bernardino National Forest (SBNF).
“I hired Mark as a Hotshot [Vista Grande] during the 1981 season,”
related Rocky Opliger, SBNF deputy fire chief. “His wife [Maria] helped
babysit my child.”
Opliger was several hundred miles off the Mexican coast when he
received a satellite call from Mike Dietrich, SBNF fire chief. He was
virtually helpless offshore. He could not act nor could he communicate
with his friends.
“Talking with my wife every night helped,” he said. His wife, Kathleen,
used to work on an engine crew for the Forest Service in Idyllwild and
knew two other members of Engine 57’s crew.
Dietrich shared his despair. “I came to the Forest about eight years
ago and we’re all family and friends.”
Loutzenhiser’s fellow engine captains have suffered a grievous loss,
especially Capt. Fred Espinoza of Keenwild Guard Station 56 and Capt.
Chris Fogle of Kenworthy Guard Station 52, whose crews were deployed in
the same area.
Both Espinoza and Loutzenhiser served in the Vista Grande Hotshots.
Espinoza’s memories start with previous fire lines they have served on
together.
“He was always calm and patient,” Espinoza said. “Other people got
excited, but when I looked at him and saw how he reacted, I could
relax.”
Fogle expressed a similar feeling. “Loutzie is one I looked up to and
emulated in my career,” he said with sadness. “When we got to a fire
and my captain was up the line and I was getting nervous, anytime I saw
Lotzie come up with that calm attitude, I could take a breath.”
His peers admired him and respected him. He was mentor to many, said
Janey Espinoza, Fred’s wife and district office administrator.
His selfless teaching and care extended not only to his own children
but many of the community’s youth.
Loutzenhiser, for the past several years, organized and managed Town
Hall’s youth basketball leagues. Many people remember his love for kids
and devotion to basketball and volleyball. The willingness to work with
kids was natural, but his original sports were football and baseball,
according to Dan Felix, San Jacinto fuels battalion chief.
“When he started coaching basketball, I was assisting him. He was
worried he didn’t know enough about the sport,” Felix said. “But I told
him it didn’t’ matter. He was great with kids and he, like an athlete,
picked it up.”
Many surprisingly recalled that he was a Pittsburgh Steeler fan. How a
native Californian could enjoy watching the cold and dreary Steelers
was a question that Loutzenhiser never fully answered.
Sports has an even lighter side. Winning and losing is important,
according to Vince Lombardi, but Grantland Rice posited that how you
play the game is more important. Loutzenhiser did both. In volleyball,
he often called infractions on himself.
His longtime friend, Friemoth, remembers Loutzenhiser teasing his
Forest Service buddies over their volleyball prowess. Friemoth would
sponsor Loutzenhiser’s team which usually did quite well.
“He’d bring his friends into the station and then we’d dump on them and
ridicule them. It was fun and he really enjoyed volleyball,” Friemoth
said. “Now they’re saying they won’t play, but g-- d--- it, Mark would
want them out there having a good time.”
Then there is the unconfirmed side suggested by Mark “Yoda” Courson,
now a battalion chief on the Los Padres National Forest. He remembers
Mark had a thing for putting his tongue in people’s ears!
Loutzenhiser has five children, Jacob, Tesha, Savanah, Kyle and Seth.
The last two are twins.
“His kids are funny. The twins are rambunctious,” Friemoth said. “But
they’re not quite sure what’s happening and happy as hell. I go over to
the house and they jump on me and we fall to the floor, but I try to
hold the tears back.”
Laurie Rosenthal, San Jacinto district ranger, summed up everyone’s
feelings, “They are all heroes, they’re all in our family. But it’s the
saddest day of my career.”
The SBNF also lost Jess McLean, Jason McKay and Daniel Hoover-Najera on
Oct. 26. Pablo Cerda survives in very critical condition.
J.P. Crumrine can be reached at jp@towncrier.com.
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