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September 10, 1982 Page 11
SPILYAY TYM iin
The story of a fire---------------------------
by Marsha Shewczyk
It’s a hot,* dry September
lay— fire season. The lookout
catchers are aware of that.
From above the trees
inything that looks like smoke
s carefully watched. Most of
:he time what looks like smoke
s simply dust from the logging
operations in the forest.
Experience in the tower makes
[hat easier to detect.
But off towards Mutton
Mountain something can be
seen that doesn’t quite resemble
lu s t.. E x am ination with
binnoculars indicate that the
dust-like cloud has movements
much like smoke. It is smoke.
Where is the smoke coming
from? The exact location is
important when calling Fire
Control. The location is
charted and the call is made.
A second lookout makes the
same report. Smoke is seen
coming from Mutton Moun
tain.
A tone-out. Firefighters stop
what they’re doing, jump in
th e ir c a rs an d r e p o r t
im mediately to the Fire
Control office. The first men
there board the helicopter and
start out for the area whCie
moke nds been reported.
Upon arriving the officer in
charge surveys the situation,
reports the conditions and with
the Other firefighters begin to
halt the fire’s progress as much
as possible. Other firefighters
and trucks are on the way.
The dispatcher at Fire
C o n tro l h ea d q u arters is
keeping busy with information
coming in and information
goingout. Directions are issued
to firefighters. Trucks are given
directions.
The extent of the fire is
greater than the 33 Warm
Springs firefighters dan handle.
The dispatcher notifies other
units. Before the night is out
he’ll call in a hot-shot crew
trained specifically to combat
range fires.
Firefighters battle the fire
until exhaustion overwhelms
them. Their Pulaski and
shovels continue to make fire
lines despite the fatigue of their
bodies.
Bulldozers are working on
firelines at the other end of the
blaze. At another location,
back-burning occurs in hopes
tnat tne tire will stop when it
comes in contact with an
already burned area.
Fire retardant is dropped
until eventually 36 thousand
gallons covers the area. The
noise of the helicopter does not
muffle the sound of crackling
juniper and bitterbrush.
Firelighters are cautioned
and reminded of their training.
Any size fire can result in loss of
life. Winds are continously
checked. Terrain is examined.
Areas called chimneys are
avoided as fire can sweep
quickly through these gulleys.
Four hours of firefighting
seems like 12 but firefighters
continue to work at containing
the blaze. Some firefighters are
sent away to sleep for a while.
A lw a y s, m a n p o w e r is
important. Other firefighters
work twice as hard.
Five hundred firefighters
fighting for eight days finally
bring the fire under contol. It
seemed like the end would
never come. 7698 acres were
burned.
Inexperienced firefighters
are no longer that. ITiey’ve
learned m uch. O ld-hand
firefighters learned more, too.
Each fire brings with it new
conditions-different terrain,
d iffe re n t fu el, d iffe re n t
firefighters.
' Only a few minor injuries
resulted in; the days spent at
fighting this fire, a few sprained
a n k le s , a b ru is e d leg.
F ortunately, no one was
seriously hurt.
The fire smolders. A few
firefighters remain keeping
watch. For months the roots of
this range vegetation will
smolder. The roots go deep in
this country.
Wildlife was not affected to a
great degree this time. Most
escaped before the fire
encroached upon their homes.
T he. lookout watchers have
their chairs turned in the
direction of the charred, still
smokey area watching carefully
for any signs of rekindling. The
helicopter flies over occasional
ly also m aking c e rta in
conditions remain stable.
Back at Fire C ontrol
headquarters experiences are
exchanged. Stories are related.
Comparisions to previous fires
are made. Things to do
differently at future fires are
examined.
Firefighters at home are
recovering from exhaustion
and smoking-filled eyes and
lungs feeling satisfied that they
were able to help combat the
fire before it destroyed more
than it did. Drifting off to sleep
they wonder if they’ll be able to
sleep all night or if their pager
will again tone-out calling them
to another fire.
It’s still hot and it’s still dry.
It’s possible that this fire may Unsightly remains cover burned areas. Destruction to foliage ana
be the last one of this fire wildlife can be extensive due to fire.
season and it’s possible that it’s
not.
Jim Keene has watched fo r reservation fires fo r many years. H e daily checks conditions, reports them
to the Fire Control office and then spends the day in the lookout tower searching fo r smoke.
Three towers over 100 feet in height located on buttes in the area
over look reservation lands. From these towers observers can see
smoke many miles in the distance.