Wildland firefighting: 'Hot work, rough at times'
By Laura Rillos KVAL NewsSWEET HOME, Ore. -- More than 200 wildland firefighters file off buses and stare down a field of flames. It's the first time most of them are facing a real wildfire.
It's the final day of the annual fire school, hosted by the US Forest Service, Oregon Department of Forestry, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service and Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde. After a week of classes, the men and women are eager to put their newly-acquired skills to work during this field exercise. A landowner has donated the field for the carefully controlled exercise. Crews start the fire suppression techniques with gusto. Some use axes to chop through thick roots, others dig in the dirt with shovels. Their goal is to create a fire line around the flames, which will prevent them from spreading. Nearby, others concentrate on keeping the water supply full. "He said it would be hot work, rough at times but the rewards would outweigh the negatives," said Ryan Jamison, a Eugene resident and first time wildland firefighter, of advice he was given. "And they have so far."
The fire school is held every summer, and every summer, every spot is taken. The number of applicants increased this year, which may be due to the economy. "I can't speak for everyone but we did see that at our unit," said Paul Hiebert, with the Willamette National Forest in Sweet Home. "Found out three days before it was supposed to start that I got it," he said. "So that was a relief. Having a job in this time is nice." The firefighters will work for different agencies. They will fight wildfires in Oregon and could be sent other parts of the country.
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