I agreed this evening to take an engine from Minnesota to California to fight fire. Mentally ready but at 51 figure it is my last trip out west to fight fire.
Hey man, You are a STUD!! I live in the San Gabriel Valley in So Cal. and have for the last 40 years. I have watched you guys fight fires from my balcony on the front of my house. There is no question that you guys are trained professionals and brave as hell! My prayers are with you and your battalion. We have had a lot of rain this year and the brush is high. It was 104 deg F today and 30 % humidity , ripe for wild fire. Bless you and thank you man. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
Thanks a mil Sota. As much as I joke about Cali breaking off the map this is No Joke! My prayers are with you guys. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
I have not run a hand crew since 2011, my days of doing that are done. I will get paid the same per hour to run an engine where I look after 2 people instead of 19. It looks like Thursday morning we get assembled to go where we are going to go. It is taking some time to get the strike team assembled they want to send us as a group of 5 engines and evidently people are not available till then. I really hope that they can assemble a full strike team. I want to run an engine and put fire out, I do not want to get sucked into doing strike team leader stuff where I run a clip board. I figure this is my last trip west on a fire detail I am 51 I want to go out on my own terms and take time to saver one last trip. As far as being safe and appreciating what we do, I don't see it as doing a great service or hero stuff. It is an all expense paid trip to a fat farm. I will lose 10-20 pounds flush a gallon and a half of water per day thru my system it is a great detoxing. We get paid very well and work 16 hours per day so to be honest we are all in it for the money. Safety yes there are concerns with different fuel types and topography you have to draw on your experience and know when to go. I have approached it with the mindset that I did not start the fire and my property isn't burning up so think clearly act decisively and be calm. I am excited to go but I know that there will be mornings when I wake up at 4:30 and ask myself why the hell am I doing this, then again you can not imagine the cool places in parts of national forests I have got to eat lunch. I have got paid to take a beaver flight in and out and around the BWCA, free tour of Mesa Verde from a helicopter, held a piece of Columbia in my hand after the break up over Texas, found an old mining claim in a pile of rocks in Utah. I could go on and on but my point is it has been a great experience.
Be sure to take a camera in case you see a bigfoot, I want pics. If your footage is the next Patterson/Gemlin film I want a cut of the profits for reminding you to take a camera.
