[music]
[dramatic music]
Fighting a forest fire takes some doing.
It means equipment.
Pumps, pulaskis, dozers.
But equipment alone won't put out a fire like this.
It takes man.
Man and his ability to make the right decision, at the right time.
His ability to manage other men.
I'm Len Krout.
The Sector Boss of Division Two.
First, I've got a lot of listening to do.
Briefings are more than just cut and dry details.
We've got to clearly understand the strategy plan for controlling the fire and the tactics
we'll use on the division.
We wanna see if we can develop any more copter sites in the division, I'll expect you to
keep going all the time as soon as you get a little line built ahead and keep burning up.
Get your crewbosses to keep pushing their crews, particularly your mill crew Chuck,
cuz they're quite a bit less experienced than the loggers and they need closer supervision.
If we can get them all to go like these interagency crews, that's what, that's what we're after.
These crews will produce, but they must have good direction, and that's our responsibility,
Keep the direction flowing.
So they'll know what's to be done and what we want done.
From division briefing to sector briefing.
I pass along my plan to my three crewbosses; Brody, Jacobs and Cramer.
Be on the lookout for good helispot locations.
The sooner we get them built, the better.
Are we gonna have any water source down below, so we can use that on our handline
to fill those backpack bags? You bet Tom, there's a good chance for water.
That's another thing.
This morning, make sure your crews take backpack bags along with tools.
We'll need it on that burnout on that lower part, because it could spot on us there, more
so than up above.
Division Boss has asked for all burnouts to be completed by 1200.
My crew bosses are top notch men.
We've worked together before.
We covered the plans of the day and how our sector will fit into the overall strategy.
Figure on double tooling.
Make up your own saw teams from your own crews.
Take fusees along.
Be sure to check in with me before any major burnouts so we can clear it with the Division Boss.
One other thing.
I want you to take responsible members of your crew and assign them to search outside
the fireline for spotting.
Now on the upper sector, above the bluff, we're gonna have a dozer in there.
Fred, this is gonna be your area.
The terrain and fuel types vary, so each of my crew faces a different problem.
At 0500, we leave camp.
Destination; Rough Ridge.
Crew safety is a must.
Jacob's men know how to handle tools.
As his men go in the fireline, they keep an eye out for fallin' snags, rolling rocks, and
keep a safe distance.
As for me, I've got plenty on my mind.
Build the shortest line.
Check on escape routes.
Locate, build helispots.
And what about our deadline?
Can we complete the burnout by noon?
Always the nagging question every sector boss has.
What have I missed?
You keep you overhead notebook handy, you can check yourself out.
When in doubt, check it out.
Jacobs and crew are moving right along.
Good handline, just wide enough and down to mineral soil.
[scrapping, running water]
A little creek, not on the map.
Pays to scout around.
There's enough water here to put in a pump.
[roaring fire]
And we need all the help we can get.
You know before you really know your sector, it sure takes a lot of hiking and a lot more
to stay on top.
Radio traffic.
Say, I've located a small intermittent creek, about half mile west of the ranch.
We can use a 1 inch pump pretty nicely.
I'd like to have one delivered to H2 helispot in our sector.
Over 10-4, Iíll get it ordered for you over.
On top of the bluff, Brody points out another good site for a helispot, well clear of trees,
good visibility, safe approach and take-off paths.
It will take equipment to build this helispot.
An alert sector boss makes sure the order goes through right away.
When you have steep terrain, you need cup trenches to catch rolling embers.
[helicopter] Pumps here.
This means water to hold the line, and later on, water for mop-up.
Whenever we approach the helicopter, our men know they must strap on their hats or else
clamp them close to their body.
In fact, helicopter safety is a subject in itself.
We don't always need fusees and driptorches, sometimes you improvise.
In fact, whenever you don't have just the tool you like, use some ingenuity, make do
with what you have.
Fire's still boiling.
Burnout by noon remains the key factor.
Now, where do we stand with burnout?
Along the road, done.
Along the tractor line, nearly done.
Along the hand line, we're ready, as soon as the pump show is ready.
Okay, sump's going in.
Once again, the men take advantage of every opportunity and improvise.
Snags gotta come down.
You know, when you get right down to it, Sector Boss has gotta have eyes in the back of his head.
Line scout comes through with new intelligence.
From a helicopter, he's seen that our division is getting the line tied together, but there's
some spotting over the line.
Just up ahead, on my sector.
Looks like I've got the critical sector.
If spot fires get outta hand, call for outside help.
"[unintelligible name] this is Krout," "this is [unintelligible name]" "Ah, Floyd, we got some pretty serious spotting
here, well it's about, over the line uphill from the draw.
We're going to need a retardant drop, about 200 yards below the helispot."
"I'm moving the crew out now, Floyd. over"
"10-4, I can see the smoke down there and I'll call ya on the ETA for the plane when I find out, over."
"10-4 Krout clear."
[airplane]
"Clear out men!"
The men are told to clear the immediate target area just in case a treetop or limb breaks loose.
What's more, retardant dispersal is unpredictable and the sheer density of the material is a
man killer. We don't want any casualties.
Meanwhile, I tie in with the adjoining sector to find out how Donovan's line is comin' along.
He's got the same problem with brush and snags, but looks like we'll connect up on schedule.
Tractor show, finishing up.
Water bars, in.
Burnout line, complete.
Our sector's through with the cats.
They're going over to Donovan in sector D. Equipment costs money.
We keep it working.
Finish the job in one sector, gets a new assignment.
Man power can be deployed the same way, but first clear it with the Division Boss.
More footwork.
A Sector Boss makes sure mop-up begins on each position of the line as soon as possible.
And he's gotta keep checking with all his Crew Bosses and check back with Brody.
Okay so far, but, keeping the pickup crew humping now, that's a headache.
Your men are just gardening with their water, I tell Cramer.
You know how to do it, why don't you show them?
Cramer has a knack of showing a man how to dig in.
The point of mop-up is to do it thoroughly and do it right the first time.
The crew can't keg up or slow down.
I send a message to Brody about marking spotfires, meeting night shift relief and transportation
back to camp.
And there's at least dozen and a half things for me to work out with my relief.
Map revisions, problem areas, site for spike camp, surplus equipment, getting all this
info to the Division Boss.
Day like this has 48 hours.
What's the secret of running a good sector?
There is no secret.
Follow the book.
Use your eyes.
Use your head.
Keep at your men.
Inspire their confidence.
Walk your legs off and don't run out of steam.
Develop sense #6.
Then, you've got it made.
And oh, uh, make sure you put the fire out.
Make doubly sure.
[music]