Wild Land Fire Fighter

This was my first official day as a Wild Land Fire Fighter. We are going to be training which means we are going on a hike and preparing for a wild land fire. My friend helped me carry all of my fire gear over to the bus. I met out Captain who my friend raved about and she did make a very good first impression. She is certainly a people person and appeared not to have a huge ego. We loaded up my things on the bus and I officially met my fire crew. I do live near everyone on the fire crew so these were familiar faces. I took my seat in the back of the bus adjacent to my friend. Seats are assigned by seniority and since my friend was the last to start before me, he and I rode on the bench seat – often called the wino bench – which faces the rear of the bus. This is not a good seat for people with motion sickness and thankfully I don’t have this.

The bus ride was very brief and the Captain explained what we were doing. This was a training session which meant we would carry full gear but not wear the fire protective clothing. I put on my backpack which probably weighed about 70 pounds which is half my body weight. This is something I am going to have to get used to. I have no problem hiking so with the added weight on my back, I will probably turn into a billy goat! I was assigned the third Macleod (tool used for scraping and raking the ground) which was right next to my friend who is the second Macleod. The Captain led us on a hike through very steep rocky terrain. I was near the back of the hook line and again right behind my friend. The hike lasted an hour and the only problem I was having was that the backpack seemed to be digging into my bony shoulders. I had to keep readjusting it, but I was fine with the hike.

A few of my crew members had to take quick breaths as we were hiking. I did my best to encourage my friend and we did make it up to near the top of the mountain in little less than an hour. The Captain then had everyone take a break and catch their breath. I was reluctant to sit down because I didn’t really need the breather. I did take off the backpack which gave my shoulders some relief. Most everyone on the crew was sprawled out on the ground resting. I knelt down for a few minutes but as soon as I saw the Captain get up, I got up.

The Captain went to scout around for a place to cut a fire line. After 10 minutes, she returned and we were hiking again. About 15 minutes later, we found the spot where the Captain wanted the fire line cut. The fire crew is an assembly with the purpose of clearing brush for a fire line which is a line about 4 foot across a path which could go for miles. The key to the fire line is it must be cleared to the mineral soil. This does not burn and would stop a fire from burning. At the front of the fire line are the chain saws which are the first ones to cut the brush. These are followed by the pullers who pull and clear the brush which was cut by the chain saws. Then comes the Pulaskis (axes) which tear up any roots and stubs. After this comes the Macleods which ensures the fire line is clear of debris which could burn. Finally, the last man has a rake which is the final clean-up of the line. When the line is done, it looks like a four foot dirt path cut around the fire.

We cut line for an hour and this was the part I thought I would have problems with. However, with my friend in front of me, basically clearing all the debris, there was little else for me to do. I also listened to my friend who offered helpful tips. I am no longer fearful of working on the fire line and do realize under fire conditions things change and I must be aware of the situation at all times. However, according to our Captain, safety comes first and it is her duty to keep us all-safe.

After we finished a good sized fire line, the Captain was pleased. My friend was very impressed with everyone on the crew. He told me that it was very unusual for everyone on the crew to make the line at the same time. Usually there are a few stragglers coming up after everyone else but our crew stayed together throughout. They were all business clearing the fire line and I was feeling much better about serving on a real fire. The Captain then directed us back down the mountain which took about 45 minutes to get down as opposed to an hour going up. I am not fond of walking down the hill and as I walked, I could feel a significant blister forming on both feet which is nothing unusual nor was it very painful. I took this as a reminder to wear two pair of socks and a reminder as to where I am. I also have two blisters on my ankles but they didn’t stop me and my ankle would have to fall off for me to stop. The Captain drove us to a local fire station where we ate lunch in a park like setting. In fact it was a park adjacent to the fire station. She instructed us to sharpen our tools then to eat lunch. My friend and I were the two who listened as the rest of the crew dived into their lunches. He showed me how to sharpen the Macleod and he basically sharpened it for me. We ate our lunches under a very nice shade tree. As we ate lunch, we watched the cars go by and the other guys had an impromptu touch football game with another crew who were also at the park. I turned to my friend and said, “So this is prison life at a fire camp. I think the next 9 months are going to go by very quickly.” It has been a long road to get to this point, but I am finally here. I am sure some very interesting experiences are ahead of me as we move into fire season. For now I will enjoy one day at a time.