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The Esperanza Fire was a large, wind-driven, arson-caused wildfire that started on October 26, 2006, in a river wash near Cabazon, California, United States, west of Palm Springs. By October 29, 2006, it had burned over (or ) and was 85% contained. On October 30, 2006, the fire was fully contained.
Five died defending a vacant house locally known as the "Octagon" that was ultimately destroyed by the fire: Jason McKay, Jess McLean, Daniel Kurtis Najera, Mark Loutzenhiser and Pablo Cerda.
In June 2009, Raymond Lee Oyler was sentenced to death for starting the fire.
The fire spread rapidly in moderate Santa Ana winds, and flammable brush due to the fire's proximity to the Chaparral biome, charring in 18 hours. In comparison, the Ventura County Day Fire burned in two weeks. There were reports that smoke from the fire could be smelled as far away as San Diego.
The firefighters who died were overwhelmed by the fire when the winds shifted and blew the fire towards them. They were trying to defend a house above Cabazon, ultimately lost. Captain Mark Loutzenhiser, 43, from Idyllwild, California; Fire Engine Operator Jess "Gus" McLean, 27, from Beaumont, California; Assistant Fire Engine Operator Jason McKay, 27, from Apple Valley, California; Firefighter Pablo Cerda, 23, from Fountain Valley, California; and Firefighter Daniel Hoover-Najera, 20, from San Jacinto, California, were killed defending the "Octagon House".
McLean and McKay died next to their fire engine without having time to enter it. Hoover-Najera's body was found to the west of the structures they were trying to protect. The surviving two firefighters were transferred to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, where Loutzenhiser succumbed to his injuries shortly after arriving. Cerda died at 5:08 p.m. PST on October 31, 2006, in Arrowhead Regional Medical Center from his injuries.
On October 26, 2006, FEMA announced it would pay 75% of the costs associated with fighting the fire. The following day, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in Riverside County and ordered flags at the California Capitol building and all California Department of Forestry stations to be flown at half-staff.
Firefighters from as far away as Alameda County worked to control the blaze.
The Riverside County Sheriff Department's Central Homicide Unit arrested Raymond Lee Oyler, a mechanic from Beaumont, on October 31, 2006, for setting two wildfires in the summer of 2006. Inside his car, authorities found a wig, latex gloves, cigarettes, black spray paint, and a partially burned slingshot that was used to launch incendiary devices into the brush. His DNA was found on two cigarette butts used in other nearby wildfires. "Oyler's girlfriend told police that he had bragged about setting fires and had complained that they weren't big enough. She threatened to leave him if he didn't stop, so he quit for six months, Hestrin said."
The Riverside County Sheriff's Department announced on November 2, 2006, that Oyler also was charged for his involvement with the Esperanza Fire.Staff report (November 2, 2006). Authorities File Arson and Murder Charges in Deadly Southern California Wildfire. KABC-TV Overall, he was charged with almost two dozen counts of arson and 17 counts of setting fires with an incendiary device.
Prosecutors alleged that Oyler had set as many as 25 fires throughout the San Gorgonio Pass during the summer of 2006. The fires combined and became more difficult to extinguish. He used a combination of matches and cigarettes to start a fire in Cabazon at the base of the San Jacinto Mountains. "The defense conceded that Oyler set 11 fires, just not the 2006 Esperanza fire that killed five firefighters."
On November 11, 2006, it was announced that Oyler was also a suspect in the 2003 Old Fire.Staff report (November 11, 2006). Oyler Investigated as Possible Arson Suspect in 2003 'Old' Fire. KABC-TV However, another person was later convicted of setting that fire.
After a week of deliberation, a Riverside jury on March 6, 2009, found Oyler guilty of first-degree murder in the deaths of the five firefighters in the Esperanza fire.
On May 9, 2007, Riverside County District Attorney Rod Pacheco said that he planned to seek the death penalty against Oyler.Reston, Maeve (May 10, 2007). Execution sought for arson suspect. Los Angeles Times On June 5, 2009, Oyler was sentenced to death for starting the 2006 Esperanza fire.Kelly, David. "Oyler sentenced to death for starting Esperanza fire". Los Angeles Times, June 5, 2009.
On May 5, 2025, the Supreme Court of California affirmed Oyler's conviction and sentence by a 5-2 vote. Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero wrote the majority opinion, while Associate Justice Kelli Evans filed a dissenting opinion joined by Associate Justice Goodwin Liu. People v. Oyler, __ Cal. 5th __ (Case No. S173784, May 5, 2025).
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