The Front Line

(We had some great "on-scene" photo's built into this article but it made it 4 Meg. Go HERE to see the related pictures)

The commander yells saddle up, the troops stand up and pull on their packs, pick up their weapons and head out. More troops come into camp, walking single file. Some went to the supply tent while others seek out medical attention while still others go the commutation center to change out their radios. After their immediate needs were fulfilled they all headed to the mess tent for a quick meal. After eating its time to go to their tents and grab a few hours sleep. Sleeping is difficult for them because the enemy is sweeping up the slope hard and fast. Their comrades in arms are up there now trying to stop or slow its advance, and in a few hours they themselves will once again pick up their weapons and head to the front lines. This will be repeated over and over until the enemy has been stopped.

This scene was not a military operation, nor was it an army training exercise. The troops were firefighters and hotshot crews from all over our state. The enemy is a wild fire; their weapons are picks, shovels, Pulaski’s and water packs. These men and women put their lives on the line to save the San Francisco Peaks from a wild fire. A fire that was caused by a human, a fire that had grown to over 1200 acres and was still on the move, threatening to make a run up the side of the peak, clear to the top.

Upon arriving at base camp I was met by Connie Moen of the National Forest Service. Connie gave me a walk through tour of the base camp. The first place we stopped was the supply station; here I saw stacks of hoses, shovels, ice chests, boxes of pants, shirts, fire shelters, water bottles, hard hats, rope, marking tape and flares. Next we stopped by the mess section where the crew will come to get a good hot meal before catching a few winks or heading out to fight the fire. Today they will have BBQ pork loins, baked, vegetables and a dessert. The cooks have to make enough food to feed over 800 people.

Our next stop was at the medics’ tent where I learned that a firefighter was taken to the hospital. Fortunately his injuries were not serious. The medics explain that most of the injuries they see are burns, blisters and dehydration.

The next stop was the commutation section. Although I am not allowed inside I can tell that it takes a lot of coordination to work this fire. There are several satellite dishes outside and Connie explains that they are able to get infrared pictures of the fire to help determine where it is the hottest.

Now its back to the fire information center where Connie introduces me to Dick Fleishman, Dick will take me up to the fire lines for a first hand look, but first I have to be dressed for the occasion. He took me back to the supply section where I was fitted with pants, a yellow fire shirt, a hard hat, gloves and a fire shelter. After I had changed Dick showed me how to use the fire shelter. It is used when the fire blows back on you. Dick says getting into the shelter is easy but some how I think that trying to get into that thing with a fire raging down on you would not be easy at all.

We climbed into his truck and off we go to the front lines and my first real look at the enemy. The first thing I see is at the point of origin. This is where the fire started. The area is all taped off and looks like a crime scene. Dick says that a crime scene is exactly what it is and that whoever started the fire could be held liable for the cost of putting it out. He says that it is thought that some campers did not properly attend

to their campfire and that the wind blew the fire from its ring of rocks starting the nearby dry grass and dead pine needles on fire.

Further up the road we came upon a crew working to put out hot spots along a firebreak. The firebreak must be patrolled so that the wind does not blow hot embers across the firebreak and start another fire behind the crews up the mountain. If this were to happen the results could be disastrous.

We pulled into a small meadow that was marked "Jump Point 20". Here there were trucks from the Geronimo and Laguna hotshot crews. Dick parked the truck and we headed to the fire line. As we get closer I can see the fire line. Crews have made one all the way up the hill. A three-foot wide path was dug down to bare dirt. This backbreaking job must be done to keep the fire from spreading. After a short walk we were standing in the black zone. This is the area that has already been burned by the fire. I stood there looking out over a small valley when suddenly I realized that I had been here before. I looked in amazement, I could remember how beautiful it was, but now it looks like a war zone. Only the skeletons of the burned trees are left standing. It’s a shame. This is as far as I am allowed to go because I do not have a red card. (A red card is given to those who have completed all the necessary fire fighting training and emergency procedures.)

Dick points up the mountain to a spot about a half-mile away and explains that they are worried that the fire could get into a major drainage area causing a chimney effect. A chimney effect is when a fire gets into a canyon with very steep walls. As the fire burns the heat dries out the trees above the fire and then blows across the treetops leaping ahead at a tremendous rate of speed. If this happens they will not be able to stop it. The fire will go to the top the San Francisco Peaks.

I heard a helicopter overhead and looked up. It has a sling loaded with supplies for the fire crews. Dick thinks that some of the crews may coyote out. This is when a crew does not go back to base but instead sets up a spike camp and spends the night close to the fire.

We went back to the truck and the base camp; it was only a 15-minute drive back. When we arrived people were standing out in the meadow watching the area most likely to get the chimney effect. Things were getting very active. Helicopters were flying in water in an effort to knock it down before it could chimney out. Each helicopter can carry 500 to 2000 gallons of water depending on the size of the helicopter. It was quite a sight to see.

Back at the fire information center Dick and I have a chance to chat. I learn the he is a second-generation forester, his dad a forest service retiree. Dick began his forestry career in Prescott back in 1977. Three years later he went full time. He has helped fight over 150 fires all over the country. He says that the Forest Service is like one big family and when a fire fighter is hurt or looses their life it is hard on all of them. I asked Dick if he could say anything to the public about this fire what would he say.

He shook his head and replied. "Wind and campfires don’t mix. Never leave a fire unattended. Be smart and make sure you drown your fire out. Pour water on the fire and shovel in dirt stirring it until the fire is completely out. Then use the back of you hand to make sure."

I would like to recognize Dick and Connie and especially the crews that are put their lives on the line to save a wonderful piece of nature that was threatened by a wild fire THAT DID NOT NEED TO HAPPEN.

So from AZOD and myself, a heart felt thank you is the least that we can do. We appreciate your work.

R.L.Gray

Team AZOD