Memorial for Battalion Chief Gary Helming

Los Padres National Forest Battalion Chief Gary Helming was honored with a memorial service on Wednesday morning.

The service began at 10:00 a.m. at the Pacific Christian Center in Santa Maria. Todd Richardson of Colorado BLM, a friend and colleague of Helming’s, was the Master of Ceremonies.

The memorial was open to the public; however, due to limited space, the memorial was live-streamed from the Los Padres National Forest Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lospadresnationalforest/. The video is provided below:

The procession began from the mortuary in Grover Beach to the Pacific Christian Center. It included fire service vehicles from several national forests, as well as numerous Central Coast fire departments and law enforcement agencies.

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.