CAMINO, Calif. — El Dorado County is mourning the death of George Osborne, a retired CAL FIRE chief and longtime public servant who spent more than four decades in the fire service and more than 20 years representing residents on the El Dorado Irrigation District Board of Directors.
Osborne died peacefully Sunday at age 83, according to his daughter, Wendi Osborne Reed. In a statement shared with family and friends, Reed said her father died following a conversation about seeing Heaven and Jesus.
“He was full of grit, humor, honor, and integrity,” Reed wrote. “He will be missed by many.”
Osborne’s public career was deeply connected to the foothill communities of El Dorado County. A longtime resident of Camino, he became one of the region’s most recognizable fire and water-service leaders, serving in positions that affected communities from Camino and Pollock Pines to Cameron Park and beyond.
Four decades with CAL FIRE
Osborne began his firefighting career in March 1960 after growing up in Oakland and attending Fremont High School. He spent 41 years with what was originally the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection before retiring from active fire service.
His career eventually brought him to the top leadership position of the CAL FIRE Amador-El Dorado Unit.
Osborne served as Unit Chief from July 1, 1995, through his retirement in 2001. The position placed him in charge of fire protection, emergency medical services and forestry operations across Amador, El Dorado, Alpine and Sacramento counties.
His leadership came during a period when communities throughout the Sierra foothills were confronting the challenges of rapid growth, increasing wildfire exposure and the need for coordinated emergency services.
One of his notable accomplishments came in 1996, when Osborne signed the agreement that brought the Cameron Park Fire Department into a CAL FIRE cooperative contract. CAL FIRE’s Amador-El Dorado Unit has recognized the agreement as an important milestone in the region’s fire-service history.
Osborne’s responsibilities also extended beyond the fireground.
During his CAL FIRE career, he served a five-year temporary assignment as a statewide business manager, overseeing administrative responsibilities involving personnel, law enforcement, fire prevention, accounting and major budgets. He also earned Peace Officer Standards and Training certification through his work with the department’s law-enforcement responsibilities.
A second career in public service
Retirement from CAL FIRE did not mean retirement from public life.
Osborne was elected to the El Dorado Irrigation District Board of Directors in 2001, representing Division 1, which includes Camino, Pollock Pines and Diamond Springs. Public records and EID materials identify him as one of the district’s longest-serving directors.
He served multiple times as EID president and vice president during his tenure. District records from previous years identify Osborne as a Division 1 director and board president.
His approach to public service reflected his background in emergency management: assess the risks, understand the consequences and make decisions with the long term in mind.
In an EID discussion about capital projects and infrastructure, Osborne emphasized the importance of maintaining the district’s aging systems before failures occurred.
“We don’t like to wait until something breaks,” Osborne said. “That’s just too costly to our customers.”
Osborne announced his retirement from the EID board in 2024 after more than two decades of service.
His final chapter in public service came as he continued to advocate for issues affecting residents of the Sierra foothills, including the growing difficulty of obtaining affordable homeowners insurance in wildfire-prone communities.
He was featured by regional news organizations as a local voice on the insurance crisis after his own homeowners policy was canceled and replacement coverage became substantially more expensive.
Service beyond the boardroom
Osborne’s community involvement extended well beyond CAL FIRE and EID.
He was active in Rotary and served as president of the Placerville Rotary Club. His civic work included projects involving local parks, recreation and youth activities.
His service also connected the communities along the Highway 50 corridor, including Placerville, Camino and Pollock Pines. His decades of involvement ultimately led to his recognition as Grand Marshal of the Pollock Pines-Camino Rotary Club’s Fourth of July Parade.
For many residents, however, Osborne’s most significant contribution was not a position, title or election.
It was the personal relationships developed over a lifetime of service.
His daughter described him as a husband of 63 years, a father for 62 years, a Pop for 30 years and a friend to hundreds.
“He held many titles; his favorites were Husband, Dad, and Pop,” Reed wrote.
That distinction offers perhaps the clearest measure of how Osborne’s family wants him remembered.
Remembered as a husband, father and Pop
The public record documents the fire chief, the elected official and the community leader.
His family remembers the man behind those titles.
Reed thanked those who gathered around the family during Osborne’s final hours, writing, “Thank you to those who were here for support, a shoulder, and the hugs.”
For a man who spent much of his professional life responsible for protecting communities, managing emergencies and helping shape public policy, his final legacy is being described in simpler terms: family, faith, friendship, and service.
George Osborne leaves behind his wife, Carol, his family, generations of friends and colleagues, and a long record of public service in the foothills of El Dorado County.
For those who knew him through CAL FIRE, EID, Rotary or the communities of Camino and Pollock Pines, his name is likely to mean something different to each person.
But the common thread is service.
And according to his daughter, the titles that mattered most were the ones he carried home.
Husband. Dad. Pop.
Funeral or memorial-service information was not included in the family’s announcement and was not available in the public sources reviewed for this report. Additional information can be added when released by the family.
