Several members of the Maine Forest Service are back home, after assisting with wildfire control out west, while some have returned west for even more fire protection work.
“We had several rangers from the Northern Region who went to assist with fighting wildfires, including: Joe Mints, Robby Gross, Justin Carney, Will Barnum, Mike Daigle, Kevin Somers and myself,” said Regional Forest Ranger Bill Greaves.
In addition, Greaves said they had two 20-person fire crews consisting of local firemen and women who made the trip.
“These are highly-trained hot shots from all over northern Maine who bring their experience and skills back to use at local fire departments back home,” said Greaves.
Greaves said the average length of each assignment is 14 days, plus any travel time.
Covering regular Forest Service duties in Maine, while personnel are away assisting with fires, is done through careful scheduling.
“We limit the amount of rangers who can mobilize at any one time and have many more requests than we can fill. Those listed above have been staggered throughout the summer. We base that decision on time of year, fire danger, fire occurrence and needs here in Maine. While rangers are out of state, adjoining rangers will provide coverage and, on occasion, we can call others in on their regular days off. Any additional cost incurred here in Maine for ‘back filling’ can be billed according to our national cooperative agreements,” explained Greaves.
Greaves said both homes and businesses have been affected by wildfires from Washington state to California.
“In Washington we assisted on the Carlton Complex and Chiwaukum Complex fires. At this time of year, they begin to harvest agricultural crops such as apples, plums, cherries and other fruit. In addition, they have large range lands where they harvest hay and alfalfa. These crops can be destroyed by the large fires which have significant impact on the local economy. Additionally, the Carlton complex lost over 350 homes. I spoke with a displaced homeowner who was living in a friend’s spare bedroom with her husband and teenage daughter. Her home and belongings were a total loss and she did not have any means to recover financially,” said Greaves.
He said here at home firefighters work for a “broad range of businesses, such as local fire departments, EMS, manufacturing or are self-employed. Most businesses are very understanding and allow them time whenever it is possible.”
The cost of sending firefighters to cover such incidents is covered in various ways.
“All the costs, including salaries, travel and expenses, and a small administrative fee are paid by the requesting agency. Due to our active involvement nationally, there are grants available to help pay the cost of our Nomex clothing, fire shelters, tents and sleeping bags, and other necessary gear,” said Greaves.
He said these funds “help support the budget at home.”
“The money we receive from the personnel services savings is used to pay for fire equipment and training here in Maine. Examples are the recently purchased type VI engines and the Bell 407 helicopter,” he said.
Nick Royal of Houlton was one of the volunteers who made the trek out west to fight fires. He came home for a brief time before making a second trip out west.
“Wild land fires have a large impact on more than just the area that is burning,” he said. “When we receive a call to mobilize, it’s important to roll fast. The support and praise from the residents in the fire regions is overwhelming.”
One outstanding issue that most of firefighters face is that most don’t have the support or flexibility from regular employers.
“Our hope is someday we will be able to answer the call of duty and still have a job when we get home,” he said. “It’s stressing enough to leave our families and risk our lives to save others, then add the worry of losing our jobs because of it. That should never have to be on our minds. These adventures are hard work, in extreme conditions with hazards we don’t face at home. Never did I think I would have to check for rattlesnakes before slipping my boots on. But it’s also very rewarding to see how many people and homes you saved from your efforts.”
California
Gross, of Mapleton, recently returned from the Happy Camp Complex in Happy Camp, Calif.
“I was mobilized as a single resource. I did task force leader work while at the incident that focused on structure protection. My main duty was to identify structures at risk and then implement a plan to mitigate the hazards that were around them so that they could be defensible against the wildfire,” said Gross.
Several people were under his direction during this time.
“At one point in time, I was responsible for managing four crews of five engines and one water tender, which totaled about 100 people,” said Gross, who returned from this assignment last week.
Oregon
Carney, of Washburn, spent over two weeks out west, landing in Redding, Ore., then he was reassigned to McKenzie River Forest Service, also in Oregon.
“I left Aug. 10 and came back Aug. 28. I was basically with the first initial attack crew on a nine-acre fire. It was extremely steep terrain, many vertical portions. It was loose terrain, with boulders whipping by randomly as we tried to fight the fire. We had about 20 people from Maine, with a heavy complement of EMTs and paramedics on board,” said Carney.
Carney explained the difference between crews.
“You have the Type 1’s who do it for a living, like the hotshots who were killed last summer. Type 2 crews stay together, working one section of line together. Then there are the Type 2IA’s, which we were part of — similar to Type 1’s but not full-time units. Type 2 handle the initial attack and are a lot more mobile, with their own vehicles,” he said.
Maine has three units in the state: south, central and northern. Carney was part of the south unit, which included personnel from Lewiston, Houlton, Presque Isle, Washburn and other communities.
He said once he left McKenzie, he was reassigned to Oak Ridge, Ore.
“I pretty much worked two teams: a type 3 management team, then transitioned to a type 2 management team. Our primary mission was to do an initial attack for the last week. All the fires I was assigned to were lightning-caused events,” said Carney.
Though the experience was “extremely challenging, both physically and mentally, and the schedule was taxing on the body,” Carney said he had “a fantastic crew.”
“We were one of the few crews who didn’t have major issues or injuries,” he said.
He said the tragedy of last summer, where 19 hotshots lost their lives, brought the limelight to the dangers of this occupation.
“The appreciation we got out there was heartfelt. I can’t count the times people came up and said ‘I really appreciate what you guys are doing,’” said Carney.
While in Oregon, Carney and the other firefighters lived in a makeshift village.
“Toward the end of the incident, we had about 900 people living on about six acres — a mini town with caterers, showers, laundry. We had trailers with supplies and fuel,” he said. “The biggest problem was hygiene issues, with folks suffering from ‘camp crud.’ But it could have been worse; at least we didn’t have any serious injuries.”
Carney said being away from Maine can be trying for those left behind — both at work and at home.
“It puts a strain on fellow rangers back home to cover my area of responsibility. Our division adjusts accordingly to provide services back home,” he said.
He credited Forest Ranger Steve Wipperman for “stepping up and coordinating activities, such as Landowner Cleanup Appreciation Day, and other activities” in his absence.
Carney, who co-owns Afterlife Affections — a pet cremation service — with his wife, Alisa Carney, said being away can be difficult on the family.
“I’m blessed to have a wonderful wife who believes in what I do. The support back home is tremendous. The hard part of leaving is knowing what’s landing on her plate. With four kids, working full-time and the home business, she has to carry the whole load — kids’ sports, work. Sometimes I wonder if she realizes how much I appreciate that,” said Carney.
Carney need not worry, since his wife totally supports her husband’s work.
“I know that fighting fires is the part of the job he loves the most. Of course, it does put a big strain on me, staying here working my normal job, running the business and taking care of our four children. On top of that, just the stress and worry of him being out there on a dangerous fire and never knowing when I’ll be able to hear from him,” said Alisa Carney. “But it’s all worth it in the end when he finally comes home.”
End result is experience
Greaves said the experience and qualifications that forest rangers and local firemen receive is extremely valuable here at home.
“These large incidents give us a clear understanding of how the national incident management system (NIMS) and the incident command system (ICS) work. They are used by all emergency response agencies throughout the country and allow for interoperability across jurisdictional lines,” said Greaves.
He said such training has proved beneficial, both nationally and here at home.
“Events such as the Gulf Coast hurricanes, 9-11, the Boston bombing and Hurricane Sandy proved their effectiveness. We had responders from Maine at each of these events. Recently, these systems were used locally to help manage the World Acadian Congress,” said Greaves.
Joseph Cyr contributed to this story.
