Memorial for Gary Helming Set for Wednesday in Santa Maria

Los Padres National Forest Battalion Chief Gary Helming will be honored with a memorial service at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 6. The memorial service will be held at the Pacific Christian Center, 3435 Santa Maria Way, Santa Maria, California, 93455.

The memorial is open to the public; however, space is limited. For those unable to attend, the memorial will be livestreamed from the Los Padres National Forest Facebook page.

The procession from the mortuary to the Pacific Christian Center (map attached) will include fire service vehicles from several national forests, numerous Central Coast fire departments and law enforcement agencies.

Gary Helming lost his life in a vehicle collision on August 31 while returning from a wildfire on the Sierra National Forest.

Cards and other condolences for the family can be sent to the Santa Lucia Ranger District, Attention: Helming Family, 1616 Carlotti Drive, Santa Maria, Calif., 93454. Donations are requested to be made to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation at www.wffoundation.org.