Imagine this: a couple drives a fire truck into a wildfire zone, wearing full firefighter gear, and claiming to be from a fire department that doesn’t even exist. Sounds like something straight out of a movie, right? Well, that’s exactly what happened in Los Angeles recently, and it’s raising eyebrows for all the wrong reasons.
Dustin and Jennifer Nehl, a married couple from Oregon, were arrested after attempting to enter the evacuation zone around the Palisades Fire in L.A. last Saturday. Their mission? It’s unclear, but their methods were suspicious, to say the least.
The Nehls rolled up in a fire truck, but not just any fire truck. This one had a questionable history. Authorities believe the truck was decommissioned years ago in Northern California and later auctioned off. The couple was wearing firefighter turnout gear and helmets, and even had radios and Cal Fire t-shirts. But here’s the twist — the “Roaring River Fire Department” they claimed to be from doesn’t even exist in Oregon. There is a Roaring River Fire Department in North Carolina, but that’s a different story.
The couple was spotted by an LAPD unit patrolling the fire area. Something seemed off about the fire truck, and the officers decided to investigate. When the deputies confronted them, they found the couple trying to enter an evacuation zone. They admitted to being there the day before and were promptly arrested. The fire truck was impounded.
So, what were the Nehls really up to? It’s still unclear. Were they just trying to help, or was there something more sinister behind their actions? What we do know is that several people have already been charged with looting and arson during the wildfires, adding to the mystery.
It turns out that the fire truck the Nehls were using had once served a Northern California fire department but was decommissioned about 30 years ago. After being auctioned off, it’s now in private hands, and the specifics of its past are still a bit of a puzzle.
In case you were wondering, decommissioned fire trucks like this one can be sold at auctions. Once a vehicle has lived its service life, it gets stripped of its equipment and put up for sale, often at surprisingly affordable prices. These trucks can sometimes end up as reserve vehicles or get resold to those looking for used equipment.
As for Dustin Nehl, he’s no stranger to legal trouble. He served five years in prison for various crimes in Oregon, including arson and other charges involving fires and dangerous devices. That history makes the couple’s actions even more suspicious.
While we still don’t know what their true intentions were, one thing is clear: impersonating firefighters is no small matter, especially in the midst of dangerous wildfires. Let’s just hope we get some answers soon, and that this bizarre situation is fully resolved.
