Training films have been around a long time.
Many of the topics we talk about today; communication,
fire behavior, safety, for example, have been
incorporated into training films since the 1950s.
Even though these historic films may seem dated there are
still many lessons to be learned from them.
[Narrator - Doug Maxwell, Fire Boss] Sometimes wildfire,
especially in the west, truly lives up to its name.
This one has been licking at the eastern slopes of the
Cascades for well on to 24 hours.
By mid-day high winds turn fire against man.
It's gone over the hill on the east flank.
We've lost it. It's out of hand.
The call for help, men respond, from over a dozen states.
Veteran Indian crews leave the southwest to fight a fire
Thirteen Hundred miles to the north.
The fire that also needs fresh suppression crews.
Man experienced in fire management and material
by the tons to back them up.
I'm Doug Maxwell, fire boss on my way
to take over down there.
And it's a tough one.
By now called Canyon Creek Fire.
Already ten thoasand acres of blackened timber.
Three miles out, I look over my responsibility.
When, where, we'll we stop it.
It's going to take know how, strategy, the strategy we'll
work out here in the fire camp.
First off, I'm briefed.
I learn the number of men already out on the line.
What equipment is up front and more is on the way.
The Campaign Fire is just like war.
And war as we all know... is grim.
Ok, what's the weather picture?
Based on this afternoon's condition and tomorrow's
forecast, my Plans Chief brings the fire map up-to-date.
He tells me at glance the present fire edge and where it
will be by morning.
My Line Boss and I agree, by midnight the fire
should begin to calm down.
Now if we can just build our control lines in the morning,
and connect them before 3 pm, the heat of the day,
we stand a good chance of gaining the upper hand IF we
can hold the lines.
As I said, this fire is a mighty big one.
So we got to split it up into two zones.
Each zone has its own boss.
And I keep close contact with both of them.
Camp's buzzing.
Equipment's got to be kept sharp, in tune, ready to go
back out on the line.
With today's frozen meals, a few hands can turn out a
barrel full of dinners in no time.
It's important to have men have their chow piping hot and
refrigerator cold.
Road blocks will tell the public the bad news.
Recreation areas are closed. Maybe burned out.
Night fall.
The work goes on, so does the fire.
Will it quiet down?
Or will wind or low humidity keep it spreading all night?
Zone Two meets a 9 pm.
The zone is divided into Three parts...divisions.
Divisions One and Two are hand lines shows.
Division Three is a tractor show.
Now completing the line between Divisions two and
three by noon and holding that line during the heat of the
day, that's going to be the big job.
Well we're in luck.
The Canyon Creek Fire calms down but our work doesn't.
Four am., big day lies ahead.
I hold a morning briefing.
The idea behind it is to communicate to every level.
In other words, if we don't all get
the message we're in trouble.
Can't afford to miss a trick.
What's the revised weather forecast, wind speed and
direction, the humidity, where are the hot spots going to be?
Will all our forces be in the right place,
at the right time?
And I can't stress safety for our crews too much.
We don't want a casualty list.
Yes our objective goes pretty much without say.
Put the fire out as quick as we can. Point is,
We must all see eye to eye to how to do it best.
Not enough men in Zone Two.
More tractors than hose for Zone One?
We thrash it all out until our plan feels solid to everyone
around the table.
Men of Forest Service and federal organizations, local,
county, state....total cooperation.
At dawn, the men move out.
Loggers, mill crews, volunteers, people from town,
military men, you name it.
And they take with them, today's training and technology.
Yes, technology.
For instance, the details of a fire, are hard to see
at night or thru thick smoke.
Used to be a problem, but isn't anymore.
Fire research has developed an
airborne electronic scanning system.
It can detect small fires and map big ones.
It electronically senses details of the fire.
The fire's location, size, it's perimeter,
its direction of spread.
Seconds later, a photo of these fire details is air dropped.
And headquarters gets the picture... the big picture.
Reinforcements continue pouring in.
It's a mighty battle of men and machines.
A battle that can take many directions and does.
The fireline gets hacked out for some of these men,
it's their baptism of fire.
This cup trench will catch rolling embers
and cool them down.
More men to fill the divisions needs.
Bad news. Winds up to Fifteen mile an hour now
with peak gusts of Twenty Five, that could mean trouble,
might have to change our strategy.
One thing's for sure; we must widen the line
and clear out the fuel.
Firefighting needs water.
Water needs equipment.
We use fire retardant chemicals too.
To help the men in their battle,
helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, knock down
hotspots with retardant drops.
It's 3 pm now, heat of the day.
A few hours ago at noon time the fire was driving
hard on Division Three.
Harder than we predicted.
Pick up of the wind made the flame spread faster.
So now we do have to change our tactics.
No use giving up.
We'll considerate on hot spots
and try to hang on to our lines.
It's pressing our men. Pressing them hard.
Now it's a case of redirecting our crews and
being sure to hold the line.
So I've got to talk over the changes with
the boss on Division Three.
We agree on the new tactics.
The chips are down.
Men of Division Three try to hold up their end
of an exhausting battle.
Canyon Creek fire claims a community
along with its playground.
The new strategy works.
At last we strangle the fire.
We've got control now.
But we've got to be sure.
We snuff out and mop up and r
the Campaign fire we demobilize to a skeleton crew.
Meanwhile it's time for me to move on.
The blood, sweat and grief of some thousand men,
the strategy...
they did the job.
KOE823 from fire boss Maxwell, leaving Canyon Creek,
you know...it's good to see green again.
This next exercise is designed to compare
and contrast the things you see in the video to
how we practice firefighting today.