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Dry, Dry, Dry!!

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  • Dry, Dry, Dry!!

    Until yesterday late afternoon this area I live in hadn't seen any real rain since June or July with maybe a minor soaking in the middle of August when I was on holidays in western Canada. The last few weeks despite the lack of any regular work for me I had been busy off and on with our local Volunteer Fire Department fighting grass and brush fires, most of them we were able to get under control quite quickly without any loss to property or lives. We had one bad fire that almost went to hell in a hand basket very quickly with our main mutual aid partner but some quick thinking and actions and a fairly well thought out piece of kit kept the fire from jumping a road and cutting us off. Then over this past weekend a number of area Fire Departments were fighting fires that were being pushed by heavy southerly winds some crossed our border with the U.S. so firefighters from both countries were going back and forth trying to extinguish them using conventional fire apparatus, heavy equipment, and water bombers. Monday came and we got called out to a large fire south east of town here in an area that had about four or five farms or ranches about a mile square broke out. Getting water was an issue for a little while until we got a large portable pump setup in a dugout. We had worked until ten or eleven at night trying to get it under control, the fire had gotten into a large brush pile made from somebody clearing land. We had witnessed off and on through the evening with how dry the wood was fire twisters cork screwing into the sky! We had tried putting water on the fire to no avail. And the Provincial Government wouldn't send us any water bombers so all we could do was try to wet down the surrounding area. Tuesday morning came I was sent with our wannabe brush truck to patrol hastily made fire breaks that were made the previous evening with a Cat D6R XL a couple of very young firefighters and I tried using backpack pumps to put out hotspots in the 'duff' or leaf layer which was anywhere from 4"-12" thick. I got a call on the radio to bring the water tanker to the north end of the fire where a main highway cut through as a strong wind from the south had picked up and started blowing embers and flames across the highway. I shuttled water all day to various places where pumpers were set up trying to protect private property, we didn't lose any homes but a garage was lost as well a pole barn and a motor home (self-propelled caravan). The smoke was so thick it stung the eyes and nobody could see anything unless a breathing apparatus was worn. Just the radiant heat from the grass fires a couple hundred feet away was enough to start building and hoses on fire. At one point a crew trying to keep the fire from jumping the highway had to make a hasty retreat with a pumper without disconnecting hoses, several lengths of hose were lost including the expensive nozzles that went with them. We still couldn't get any air support as it was being used on a much larger fire south east of us and to the north east. However a number of graders and bulldozers as well farm tractors with cultivators and discs were successful in making fire breaks as well the wind died down and started coming out of the north enabling our crews to get a handle on the situation. About eight o'clock at night I said **** it my feet are blistered, my knees can't move anymore I'm no use to any one and I fetched a ride home. Yesterday a big low pressure system moved in from the Northern U.S. and it started raining and finally cooled right down and it's been snowing off an on too, hopefully its soaking into those smoldering leaf layer and peat layers. We have a big meeting tonight at our fire hall our Chief is pissed off about a bunch of things including when I left but what was I supposed to do when I can't even walk anymore. Oh well I'll leave you guys with some pictures.

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      • #4
        Preety bad looking fire Burt . By the look of the photo of yourself ,you would have been a danger to yourself and others if you had stayed .

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        • #5
          Yeah I had been one of the first people on the job that morning, many of our guys hadn't showed up until later. Many of them thought I was just being a slacker hauling water with the water truck but I was in and out of that thing constantly and hooking up to the pumper trucks and even setting up portable pools where the pumper drafted water out of. But there are some problems within the ranks of our Fire Department and I'm not a 100% sure if I wanna continue being a member of it...

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          • #6
            Firstly a well done Bert on the minimum loss of property and no loss of life. Politics get involved in every organisation with certain parties looking to further themselves at the expence of the organisation.
            We don't have too many issues of fire here never stops raining long enough.....................
            A driven man with a burning passion.

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            • #7
              Well it was the first time in my life that it felt good to wake up to snow, sleet, and rain yesterday. lol

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              • #8
                Burt , If you need a hand opening the door into the back room I will go to facebook and help you if you need it .

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                • #9
                  Well done bert!!

                  i love being a fire fighter but I hate the politics too! We have the same at our station!!

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                  • #10
                    Wow ........ good job fella ... bet theres a lotta people greatful (and dont know who to thank) for your input
                    Please don't PM me for plant advice.. thanks .. Post in the forum where I will gladly help, as will many of our contributors.. as the info and responses will help everyone else, which is why we exist

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