Engine 621 Closes Out the Fire Season
It's been a very slow fire season here in Washington. With
the exception of a
couple of project fires in Spokane and around Mt. Rainer in August,
firefighters haven't had a whole
lot of suppression work. An early, wet Fall means most of
the
seasonal fire crews will go back to school and their normal lives
by October 1.
But before the foam proportioners are winterized, the hand tools
sharpened, and
the hose cleaned and rolled, Engine 621 had a little end of season
fun. Our mission,
safely burn some slash piles from a timber sale.
The piles of unsalvageable timber were about 15 feet high and 30
feet wide. Once
we got them burning, they really cooked.
Of course you can't have a slash burn without lunch. Here
I'm roasting some
hotdogs. Very extreme heat (even if you can't see the flames).
Two bandannas over my
face and I still ended up with a sunburnt bridge of my nose.
The piles burned down to charred blackness.
Fire Watchout number 18. Taking a nap near the fireline.
Obviously "Overhead Jim" doesn't approve.
And at the end of the day, we did mop-up. It's typically
the least favorite task in firefighting,
but important to get all the fire out. Here Shawn and Zack
apply a thick coat of foam to make a
wetline around a burned out pile.
So, as the 1997 fire season ends, DNR Engine 621 (alias Smokey's
Engine) wishes
you a safe and happy 1998 season. We'll be out there again
next year.
Zack, Sarah (our Forest Service friend), and Joel
photos and text by engine leader Joel
- 9/16/97
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