Relaxing around the fire

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Shelly Fire - sun set

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Day 2 - sparring

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From Shelley Fire - wilderness

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Shelley Fire - JP, Pine and ground fuels

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Shelley Fire - Unloading

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Shelley Fire - Wilderness from Helicopter

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Shelley Fire - Take off

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Days 3-5 Shelley Fire. During the following days we mopped up the fire. In wilderness areas fire fighters are expected to disturb the area as little as possible. That means working smokes 5 feet in from the line rather then 60 feet in. At night we got hot buckets flown in. Hot buckets are meals put in a bucket by a local restaurant. Nice break from MRE's. Also we got to hangout with the Silver City shots around the campfire. Silver City IHC is the closest geographical shot crew to us. We hiked out the last day to the closest road our buggies could manage. For the first two miles it was a nice walk in the wilderness. However, Silver City IHC decided they would follow on our heals which Dewey didn't like so much. The next five miles turned into a power hike. After we arrive as a group at the buggies Silver City IHC ended up being 10 minutes behind us spaced out in three groups. Schooled ‘em.

Day 2 Shelley Fire. Long day of "H"(Hazard) pay and digging line. The plan was to continue the line we dug yesterday around a few fingers and up the east flank. Early in the day we got spread out doing other things. One group had to deal with a spot fire created from burning out a section of line the day before. Yet another group had to cut a heli-spot close to the fire for Silver City IHC to land in. The remaining five including me continued the line. Silver City IHC arrived late in the day. By night fall we had line around the fire and the approx. acreage is 120.

Shelly Fire. May 28 - June 1. The Shelly Fire had been burning for a couple weeks before Gila IHC arrived. The fire is in the Gila wilderness area where it is common practice to let the fire burn itself out (fire use).

On the 27th the winds picked up in combination with hot/dry temps. The acreage grew to approximately 30.

On the 28th the decision for Gila IHC to suppress was made. Due to the remote location a helicopter was detailed to fly us in and provide our extended attack gear (sleeping bags and MRE's). The helicopter took off from lookout point and landed 2 miles from the fire in non-wilderness NF. Helicopters have to be approved by the Head Forest Ranger for flights into wilderness as well as use of chainsaws. From there we hiked in and meet with the IC and wilderness crew that had been monitoring the fire. The plan was made to anchor and flank the fire. A common practice in wildland firefighting. The East flank was hot and moving fast so we took the cooler west flank down from the ridge line. By the end of the day we had the west side lined. Dewey (Gila IHC foremen) and the IC felt that the fire could make a move to the east tomorrow. They called for an additional type 1 crew the Silver City Hotshots.

Cowboys in route to East Elk Fire

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wild west

In route to East Elk Fire

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El Caso Fire

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Mop-up

El Caso Fire

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18 acres

Inside of the buggies

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We drove a lot recently so I figured a picture of the back of the buggies would help show what I was up to. Also as you can see a lot of sleeping goes on.

Dirty Steve

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Rob this is for you... he wanted a picture of the Hawk.

Light House

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When staging for fires it is common to take a tour of the national forest your working in. Since Hiawatha NFis surrounded by three of the great lakes you can't go far without reaching water. For some on the crew this was their first time seeing the great lakes.

Michigan - fish habitat

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Tossing buckets around

Michigan - fish habitat

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I'm not sure why everyone is looking at their feet. They used a bobcat to get the rocks close to the stream then we used the buckets.

Michigan - fish habitat

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Waiting for rocks to arrive...

East Elk Fire. My six person squad got called to a 1/4 acre fire in the Gila NF. We lined it in 15 minutes and spent the rest of the afternoon mopping up and cold trailing.

The Gila had red flag warnings today due to winds and RH/temp. If it had not been a red flag day they might "fire use" a small fire like this. Fire use is when they let a naturally occurring (lighting) fire burn itself out so it can consume forest fuels like a controlled burn would.

El Caso Fire, 21-22nd. We arrived in Negrito after to much traveling on the 20th. No large fires have been taking off in the US. Almost all the Hotshot crews nation wide are headed back home from fires or available(waiting). After depleting our beer supplies upon arrival the night before we expected slow day of fixing tools and revamping gear. Just before noon we got a call to fire in Gila NF. Always expect a fire when you least expect it. The burned area is about 18 acres and they need us to help line it and mop-up.

I don't think anyone expected our first fire to be this late in May. This could turn out to be a slow season. Or at least the slowest in the last few years.

Over before it begin. Another day of fish habitat building. The only difference is our buggies have arrived. We spent the 15th driving to Green Bay to return the rentals then back to Escanaba with the buggies.

The same deal with moving buckets of rock all day long. Around noon we heard the region was sending us home to NM. Severity was over with temps in the 30's and precipitation on the way. The fire in Minn. is completly controlled, Georgia/florida fires are controlled and no one else needs us.

Hiawatha National Forest. No fires in sight, its off to make fish habitat. In the 1980's the YCC (Youth Conservation Corps) added rocks to streams that feed lake Michigan to form spawning areas for fish. Over the years the rocks have been silted over and washed down stream. Since the habitat increased the fish population around 10 percent they figure its worth having some hotshots rebuild it.

All we did was pass buckets of rocks down the line and into the water. In the end it will prove to be some very expensive fish habitat. Hotshot crews aren't cheap to stage.

Rapid River Ranger District. We arrived in Escanaba, Michigan and I couldn't help wondering what we are doing here. The grass is green and its about 45 degrees out. Michigans idea of severity is far different then New Mexicos. Which reminded me during the plane ride I had been reading Fire and Ashes by John Maclean. He mentions briefly the Peshtigo fire in Green Bay, Wisconsin that burned 2400 square miles and killed 1500 people in 1871 (a fire the helped start the suppression mentality). So, fire can rip in this area given the right conditions.

We spent the afternoon planting fire resistant tree species around a local high school. A nice break from traveling but not the big fire I had been expecting. The good news is the last two crews to stage in Escanaba got sent to fires in Minnesota as soon as their buggies arrived.

Change of plans. Our flights have been changed from Minnesota to Green Bay, Wisconsin. From there we are driving rental cars to Michigan to stage for severity in the Upper Peninsula (Escanaba). Mean while our buggies will be driven to us in case we get dispatched to a fire elsewhere (Minnesota?).

Brett burning piles

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Gabe our fill in from Quemado

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Hotshot crews fill open crew spots with local engine and handcrew people. Its a chance for both the crew to recruit and for people to see if they want to hotshot for a season.

Alex being camera shy

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Slash pile burns

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Due to the steepness the slash from clear cutting under the power lines in some areas could not be chipped. The forest service was called in to do the burning.

Back to Negrito. We got called off staging by SWICC (Southwest Coordination Center) http://gacc.nifc.gov/swcc/ Gila got ordered to help with a controlled burn in Silver NM. On our way home we got another call to dispatch instead to Minnesota. We will get Friday off for RR then fly to somewhere in NE Minnesota. Rumor is a large fire with extreme fire behavior and crowning.

Sierra Vista, Arizona. We got called to stage in Sierra Vista due to fire severity. The weather was red flag for the first few day but we never saw any fire. They had us doing PT in the mornings and working on a thinning project until about noon. After lunch we went to Fort Huachuca and played volleyball for hours waiting for a fire call. Our accommodations were hotels and eating at local restaurants. Easy day and plenty of over-time. Not much to photograph in the desert so I only took a couple pictures.

Pile burns. We've spent the last two days burning slash piles underneath power lines that run to Tucson Arizona. The lines can arc using smoke as a conductor to the ground. So we got training from the power company on what to do. The smoke never got thick enough to cause a problem however the second day a few piles caused spot fires about an acre in size.

Day 2 - Sheep Basin Rx

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Some times you burn what you want to save. Like this fence was set first so that it would cool off before the real heat set in and nuked it.

Day 1 - Pine duff

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The pine duff really gets going. Far better then the grass.

Strip of fire - Day 1 Sheep Basin Rx

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One of my goals this season is to take far more pictures of my crew members. Lots of room for improvement.

Fueling Torches - Day 1

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Every hour we filled torches due to the large volume of fuel needed to get the burn hot enough to kill small trees.

Drip torch

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Drip torches are filled with a mix of gas and diesel fuel. As one can see they can be less then effective in some fuel types.

B Faller. This morning we went to the Bear fire that occurred last June a few miles from Negrito Fire Base. The fire actually threatened Negrito and now we have to keep spare car keys so they can move our vehicles this summer while on a roll (off forest 14 day fire dispatch). The Bear fire left plenty of burned out tree for us to fall in order to re-certify our sawyer qualifications. Last year I was certified as an A faller meaning that I could only cut up to an 8 inch tree unsupervised. After falling two trees the Gila superintendent decided to give me a chance for a B cert (8-24 inch trees). He said "I was the best A faller he had ever seen". Nice complement, anyways I got my B cert falling big hooter (large tree).

No word on dispatches yet. Hotshot crews have been sent to Georgia, Arizona and North Carolina. We should be next in line to go out.

Day 2 Sheep Basin Rx. Today we continued to complete the 900 acre burn. The winds shifted direction 180 degrees since yesterday. Instead of continuing were we left off we burned towards the fire we had previously started. Everything went much smoother, a drop in RH and increase in temperature spread things along.

Sheep Basin Rx. Today we are committed to a 900 acre burn just a few miles from Negrito Fire Base. Our objective is to burn the under story and duff leaving the large trees. Coming up to the burn the grass was green and it looked like it wouldn't light. Gila was lined out in groups of 10 on the west and east of the burn area. The test burn about an acre in size burned good and hot. Each person had a drip torch and was instructed to use fuel liberally. We spent a good 6 hours torching about 450 acres. For me it was a great first controlled burning experience.

Saws Harris Rx

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I'll post more and better pictures of the crew soon.

Harris RX

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Harris RX

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Time for line. We started the day out with four saws running. The line we needed to cut/dig was short so we used our spare time doing practice drills. The main goal being to find and deploy fire shelters at suitable sites in the case of an emergency. We completed the line and loaded up by 3pm. I should mention that the line is intended to spare an old mining camp from the burn. Never got to see the camp.

And the over time begins. Arrive at the Harris Rx 9072.50acres(prescribed burn). The long road there was unimproved to say the least. We left at 6am and arrived in time to find the dozer sent to improve the road broken. We cut brush back as the trucks followed for about a mile. When we arrived it was about 6pm and time to close up shop.

Mohawks all around!

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A tradition on Gila Hotshots is to get as many crew members the first night to get a mohawk. The girls maned up first! Say hi to Erin as her hair goes.

Feel the burn. Today is the required pack test. A 3 mile hike with 45 pounds in less then 45 minutes. The crew’s goal was to all cross the lane at the same time to reduce paper work complexity. We all achieved 42 minutes. The course was set up on the old landing strip the smoke jumpers used to use about a mile from base.

After lunch is the famous power hike where Dewey the Superintendent (head guy) leads the crew with full packs for an "easy 6 mile walk in the woods". The trail is a steady up hill grade for between 3-4.5 miles (distance remains disputed). Dewey is 6 1/2 feet tall and all legs. He leads the hike at the pace he would use if a fire were chasing him in an emergency situation. The goal for the crew is to stay with him for as long as possible. Only one person achieved that goal and it wasn't me. Tough hike but I held my own.

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In all we didn't beat the record 13 hawks we had to settle for 9.

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First day as a Gila Hotshot. Thats right and I have the brick colored (pink) shirts to prove it. Today is gear issuing, CPR/First Aid and orentation. We got a tour of the facilties and pointers such as flush all bunk house toilets twice. Picked out our seats in the buggies, got issued band spank'in new packs and got to know our squad and squad boss.

Negrito Fire Base has housed Hotshots, Helitak and Smoke Jumpers. Currently its just us. We use two buggies to transport the crew members and a smaller large truck for the supervisors and extra gear.

Currently the crew is 18 strong and we expect two more hires. 18 is just enough to become available for dispatch. The plan is to train for a week and become available nationally however we will be doing controlled burns in Gila N.F. for at least a week.

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Home sweet home. I will be spending little time here after the fire season starts. The bunk houses are very nice and the rent is only $60 a month. They even have a hot tub but its not working yet.

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I'll get a better picture of them soon enough. It will look like this with no shadows and a smoke plume in the background.

The long haul is over. I left Colorado on April 13th with Erin who was on my Americorps crew last year. After 13 hours of driving and a night sleeping in the car at the Reserve Ranger District station we arrived at the Negrito Fire Base. The closest town is 30 minutes away (Reserve). The next closest town that actually has produce and cell service is over an hour (Socorro).

At the base we have a bunk house where we share a room with another crew member. My bunk mate is Jesse who is from New Mexico and is also starting his second year of wildfire. As for phone and internet we share two land lines since we have no cell service. Rules for the phones are: No calls made or received during work hours. Sun -Thur, 8am - 6pm. Phone calls are also prohibited after 10pm curfew. For internet same rules apply however the US government blocks sites such as Myspace.com. Leaving simple Google.com searches, Blogger.com and email.

You can request my phone numbers via email.

Lake Dillon Trail

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Another nice snowshoe area. Lake Dillon is a huge reservoir about a mile from my apartment. One can also see that mountain range from my house.

Argentina Pass, Keystone, CO

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One of my favorite snow shoe spots. The trail is used for backcountry skiing and in the summer 4x4 recreation. The picture isn't great but it gives an idea of what the area is like.

It’s about time! I apologize to anyone who has checked this blog since December. I owe you a few minutes of your life back.

Since the last post I've accepted a job with the Gila Hotshots. Gila is based 3 hours into the interior of Gila National Forest in southern New Mexico. I will be living in a bunkhouse in a small room with a roommate. The crew is made up of 20 people who are considered Type 1 firefighters (I was Type 2 last season). Being a "Hotshot" crew means that we are available nationally and travel to any of the 50 states and US protectorates. For traveling we have two 10-person trucks that look like a green SWAT team vehicle. I start working on April 16th and will end in mid-September.

In preparation for a summer of hard work I've been snow shoeing with weight too simulate a 45-pound IA pack. Going to the Silverthorne recreation center and snowboarding. Posted are some of my pictures from snow shoeing this winter.

Merry Christmas. It’s a white Christmas in Keystone Colorado. I'll be sure to post some pictures of the snow-capped mountains soon. So look forward to it.

Life after Americorps. Since completing AmeriCorps NCCC I've moved to the mountains. Currently residing in Silverthorne Colorado. Conveniently located near Keystone, Arapaho Basin, Breckenridge and Vail ski resorts. I've found gainful employment driving a bus for Keystone resort. The perks are a ski pass, best starting pay at the resort, free CDL training and a sweet ride (Blue Bird).
Future goals? I've sent applications to US Forest Service Hotshot crews in CO, NM and UT. All 9 of whom I've been in contact with and will be visiting this winter. As for now I'm working toward 100 days of riding and Cross Country skiing.