Leon Worden, SCV News contributed to this article.

Six years ago, two Los Angeles County firefighters were killed tried to escape part of the largest wildfire to ever affect L.A. County history.

Firefighter Specialist Arnaldo “Arnie” Quinones, 34, and Captain Tedmond “Ted” Hall, 47, lost their lives on Aug. 30, 2009 in the “Station Fire” in the Angeles National Forest.

Photo courtesy of SCV News.

On Aug. 30, 2009, the fourth day of the Station Fire, Hall and Quinones gave their lives performing their last act of courage. While a plan was in place to defend Camp 16 if the fire approached, including a firing operation along Mt. Gleason Road, something tragic occurred.

As Hall and Quinones performed the firing operation, the fire quickly and unexpectedly pushed across the west end of the Camp, and instantly surrounded and burned through the entire compound. There was no time for them to return to the safety of the Camp area.

They were killed in the line of duty when their emergency response vehicle went over the side of Mt. Gleason Road and fell 800 feet into a steep canyon.

The interchange of California State Route 14 and Angeles Forest Highway was dedicated to the firefighters in 2012 as the “Los Angeles County Fire Captain Ted Hall and Engineer Arnie Quinones Memorial Interchange” to honor their heroic actions that took their lives during the largest wildfire in L.A. County history.

Widows Loressa Quinones (left) and Katherine Hall flank a mockup of the signage that was placed along the freeway in 2012. Photo courtesy of SCV News.

Family members of the firefighters unveiled signs affixed on SR-14 at both the northbound and southbound entrances to the interchange in 2012.

“It is so special that the millions of motorists that go by now will be able to remember Ted and Arnie for what they did, but hopefully all of the men and women in public safety throughout our state and country who put their lives on the line every day for all of us,” said P. Michael Freeman, retired Fire Chief for L.A. County.

Hall was a member of the L.A. County Fire Department for 28 years, joining the organization in 1981 as a student worker and entering the Department Fire Academy two years later, graduating in 1983 with the 64th Recruit Class.

He served at fire stations in the communities of Lakewood, Whittier and La Puente until 1987, when he became part of the Command and Control team of fire dispatchers. He was promoted to Firefighter Specialist in 1988 and spent the next 12 years at Fire Stations 149, 165 and 90, as well as Camps 2 and 11. In 2001, he was promoted to Captain and served at Fire Stations 73, 11 and 33.

Photo courtesy of SCV News.

Hall’s final assignment was to Camp 16 in the city of Palmdale.

He spent his last eight years serving as the superintendent of the inmate brush fire camp and was greatly respected for his professionalism and firefighting skills.

Quinones was a member of the L.A. County Fire Department for 11 years.

In 1998, he joined the Department’s call firefighter program and was assigned to Fire Station 84 in Battalion 11.

In November 2000, he was accepted into the Department’s Fire Academy as a member of the 104th Recruit Class and graduated in February 2001.

Quinones joined the crew at Fire Station 24 in his own community of Palmdale. During his fire station tours of duty, he also served the communities of Covina and La Canada Flintridge.

In December 2005, he was promoted to the rank of Firefighter Specialist and joined the crew at Camp 16, which was his last assignment.

Quinones served as foreman of one of the inmate brush crews and was held in high regard by all inmates and staff assigned to the camp. His daughter was born three weeks after Quinones died.