pack up

Last month, The Times reported that firefighters had complained that the ground was still smoldering but they were ordered by a battalion chief on Jan. 2 to pack up their hoses and leave the burn area anyway.

"I immediately went back to pack up my things," the 66-year-old resident said.

They told him simply to "pack up" - that he was being moved - even though an immigration judge had already granted him protection from removal five months ago.

Instead of charging the hoses that were already laid out, the firefighter said he was told by his chief to roll up the hoses and pack up.

The Times reported in October that a battalion chief ordered firefighters to pack up their hoses and leave the burn area the day after the Lachman fire, even though they complained that the ground was still smoldering and rocks were hot to the touch.