“In Haver, Montana if you have a dog you can watch that joker run away for a week”
“I asked somebody how bad the mesquite’s are in Alaska, and the man responded that they’re the state bird”
“I like watching paint dry as much as I enjoy going to a ball game”
“I introduced those Montana folks to tea so sweet they could see sound”
Waking up on day two next to the Mount Misery Warming Hut in the driver’s seat of 4501, our mission was unclear. Four hours of consecutive rain restricted the fire behavior and our accessibility to various spots on the fire within Division Golf.
Given that the mission was unclear, the 4501 crew began the day by playing cards while waiting for instruction. Warrior is our game of choice, with 31 occasionally being mixed in ever since the Pomeroy Forest Crew taught us the game on the Gooseneck Fire. Warrior is a simple game, where the goal is to get rid of all your cards. Jake’s on a hot streak right now, winning the majority of the games through the first two days of the Cougar Creek Fire.
After some time, Tuzaga hit us on the radio (tactical channel to get ready to work off the 40 road so we packed our lunches in our packs, double checked our waters, and prepared one chainsaw as ordered. While the 43 road we burnt off of on day one was no trouble for Type 5 engines to navigate, the 40 road has a different reputation. The 40 road is covered with sharp rocks and deep ruts. Steep slopes lead to rock slides over the road and inconsistent road conditions is the result. The 40 road is only to be accessed by foot or UTV and luckily for 4501 crew we were picked up in the latter.
After riding in the UTV for a little more than a mile down the 40 road, we stopped on the ridge-side overlooking three different plumes of smoke, all of which indicating spot fires. The first spot was being worked on by Hotel Papa, a local Blackhawk stationed at the Lewiston airport and serviced by Hillcrest Aviation. Given that Hotel Papa is stationed in Lewiston, the rotor is a familiar sight on local fires. While Hotel Papa was dropping water every 20 minutes or so on the first spot, Tuzaga was waiting for us to descend down to the second spot fire.
The descent was a serious one, the steep slope and rocky terrain heightened the risk of falling hazards. Situational awareness was at a premium as we hiked down to the second spot. Jake carried a Pulaski, Karson carried a chainsaw, and I carried a Rogue hoe. The second spot fire was a snag (a dead tree) laying up against a C-tree (the biggest category of tree on the fire line). The snag was on fire and the fire was threatening to spread to the C-tree and other fuels nearby. Tuzaga gave us the order to create a trench of 360 degrees around the the snag and the C-tree. The trench in total was probably around 200 yards long, not by any means the longest line but the slope made the task exhausting.
Following the completion of the oval, **Tuzaga was tasked with cutting down a handful of trees to assist in creating a new heli-base and I was his swamper. Swamper is a fancy term for someone who moves cut down limbs and trunks into a place that is out of the way. It’s a monotonous task, but dangerous nonetheless due to working in close proximity with the chainsaw. Tuzaga showed his strength and experience with the chainsaw, but continued to reveal his closed off view of the world. At one point he shared that he believes that teachers don’t work hard, which sent me into a spiral of rage but I settled down after explaining to him my favorite Abraham Lincoln quote that has been passed down to me from my father “It is better to keep your mouth shut and let people presume you are ignorant, then open it and remove all doubt”. Time and time again Tuzaga reveals his ignorance towards the world of public education.
Day 0/1 of Cougar Creek, Engine 4501, E-573, and an unmarked truck red driven by Engine Boss Trainee Robert Tuzaga with Engine Boss actual Connor Rupert arrived at the Wenatchee lookout at approximately 14:00. From 14:00 - 24:00, the 10 man squad assisted the Eagle Cap Hotshots from Enterprise, OR (ran by a guy named Fidel) in a burn operation off the 43 road. I drove 4501 while Jake Wells and Karson Krouse watched the burn to make sure no sparks, embers, or flames crossed over into the “green”.
One of the many guarantees when on a 14 day roll is that you’re going to meet new people. On this particular roll it took less than a day for 4501 to make a new friend. Justin (who didn’t include his last name in his introduction) is apart of the Mississippi crew that has been assigned to the Golf Division. Justin is about as southern as a man can get besides the fact that he does not care nor watch any football. He told stories about frying catfish and trapping beavers in-between lulls of southern drawl that were incomprehensible. However, it took little to no comprehension to understand that Justin is a good man with an honest soul. He enjoyed making us laugh and he was curious about the west. He worried about the small businesses around the fire despite the fact that he’ll only be in the area for a mere 14 days of his life. Born and raised in Walnut, Mississippi, Justin spent his entire life in the Dixie Alley apart from six months he spent in Haver, Montana. He talked about Montana and was astonished by the big sky country. “In Haver, Montana if you have a dog you can watch that joker run away for a week!”
The sunset outlasted the sun going down on day one as orange flame lit up the mountain side as far as the eye could see on the south side of the 43 road. Despite an hour long wind shift that pushed smoke over the green the operation went smooth. Unburnt fuels were turned black, and the cameras from unmanned Romeo (a DNR owned drone the size of a wood pallet) confirmed at 2300 that the green remained green.
At 0300 we settled down for the night despite my urge to continue conversation with Tuzaga about religion and the proximity of our extended families. Both of which have roots in Southern California. Tuzaga, as prideful and confident as he is religious, insisted that tents would only slow down our departure in the morning. Sleeping under no shelter became problematic around 0400 when the rain became steady. At 0542 we departed our campsite for the Mount Misery Warming Hut, a popular snowmobile hangout in the winter and a potential shelter for our group of 10. Driving 4501 with bare feet, and cold, wet clothes we arrived at the warming hut only to find that it had been wrapped in fire protective material that would replicate industrial strength tinfoil if that was a product sold on the open market. Tuzaga did not want to remove the wrapping but Rupert insisted that we use the structure to dry our sleeping bags and fire blankets. At around 0645, I closed my eyes in the driver’s seat of 4501 still with no shoes on.
Grab your helmet, darling! Today we faced a wildfire that had a serious attitude problem. Here’s how we served it some major flames and got out with style!
It’s not just about fighting fires; it’s about looking fabulous while doing it! Here’s my must-have gear to slay those flames and strut my stuff!
Let’s talk fitness, hun! I’ll spill the tea on workouts that’ll keep you fierce and fabulous, ready to take on any blaze that comes your way!