The wildfires of 2015 – more heroes behind the headlines PART 3

AFTER A FIRE IS NO LONGER NEWS, ANOTHER GROUP OF HEROES STEPS IN

Have you ever noticed that news stories roll across the television like an endless banner of drama? We’ll pay attention to the unusual and to the stories affecting our lives, especially if they are hyped with dramatic words.

Historic Flood
Breaking News!
Special Report

A few get our attention for a short time but most are lost in the barrage of new tragedies or scandals. Though I have to admit that the anniversary of the Titanic sinking doesn’t quite rate in my mind a BREAKING NEWS banner.

The fires of 2015 are like other stories. They have faded from national news even though some of the fires are still burning and massive cleanup on other fires will take months.

It may not be breaking news but the aftermath of these fires is no less critical and there are crews of workers doing essential jobs.

WORK IS JUST BEGINNING FOR THESE HEROES

A few weeks ago my son Ryan, my grandson Davie and I drove the back roads where this summer fire crews battled the Stouts Fire that threatened our homes. Most roads were still closed though the blackened landscape could be seen all around. It was sad.

The fire was out but the work was not over. Forest Service Security officers, like those on the Tepee Springs Fire in Idaho, patrolled the area to keep folks out for the safety of all concerned. Other crews were doing land repair to minimize dangerous erosion during the coming winter. Some crew members patrolled looking for flare-ups that remain a possibility until the snows and heavy rains saturate the land.

People like these folks are working all over the nation in the aftermath of one of the worst fire seasons so far on record.

THE CLEAN UP IN BURNED OVER COMMUNITIES

The more I learn the more I am awed by the magnitude of the work needed after a fire ravages an area.

I had been following the fires in Washinghton, Oregon and California closely for my heart ached for the families there. As the fires were “controlled,” the damage was evident.

Things melt in a fire; that is why we like smores and burnt marshmallows at a campfire. Multiply that fire by millions and imagine it roaring across a community. It is no longer a family outing to be remembered with joy. It is dangerous and toxic.

I have seen picture after picture this month of melted cars, stoves and a thousand other toxic wastes oozing and running across the land.

Sometimes the fires exposed illegal dumps like this one of tires in the Soda fire complex. The toxic and complex nature of these dumps increases after the fires, making it a difficult job for clean up crews.

The amount of hazards after a fire are complicated by the unusual and unexpected forms and patterns. Fire is not orderly and nor is the aftermath. It takes trained crews to assess the thousands of new hazards.

Now imagine that in community after community and state after state. The work is immense. The health and future of our communities owe much to these crews. Thank you.

THE BURNED OVER FORESTS AND RANGE LANDS

Fires in forest areas create other challenges. Crews assess the land for erosion and habitat viability as in the Soda Fire. An Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation team worked 5 days assessing damage caused by the fire. In this photo a wildlife biologist records a GPS point and damage to a sage-grouse habitat. Another team member photographs burned conditions near a creek. Photo credits: J.Alleman, BLM

What do you do with miles and miles of burned over hills to prevent landslides? While some crews are assessing fire damage in the forests and other less populated areas, other crews are beginning the work of prevention.

I had a landslide at my home last winter so the job of these crews fascinated me the more I researched them. I won’t pretend to write anything intelligent so I will just quote a section from one article I read.

The folks in the photo are loading “hydromulch into the machines where it is mixed with water, polyacrylamide binder and an annual cereal grain.” All this muck and thousands of gallons of water are mixed into slurry and then carried by helicopters to cover burned areas. I never knew they did that and you bet I am glad they do. I know too well the damage that mudslides can do to roads and homes and watershed. link to the rest of the “slurry” story

All of these people are heroes to me and to the communities they have helped. Thank you. Thank you!

There are hundreds of other workers out there after a fire. If you know of their stories and fields of expertise I would be fascinate to hear of them. Please contact me if you do. I would like to highlight some of them.

to contact Shaun with your stories

Follow on
Share with