Photo By Master Sgt. Timothy Chacon | Washington Air National Guardsmen assist Washington State Department of Natural...... read more read more
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CAMP MURRAY, Wash.—When the Washington State Department of Natural Resources has needed support during recent wildfire seasons, members of the Washington Air National Guard’s 194th Wing have responded to the call. They have formed grid formations and moved across burned forest land to check for hot spots, mopped up with hand tools after a fire has devastated agricultural areas, distributed food and water to people impacted by fires, and worked with local law enforcement to conduct presence patrols in eastern Washington towns.
In 2014, Air Guardsmen conducted health and wellness checks and delivered food and water to communities during the Carlton Complex fire in Twisp and Winthrop, Washington. Air Guardsmen provided communications support, conducted presence patrols and secured entry points during the Okanogan Complex fire, the largest in state history, in 2015. A crew joined in wildland firefighting mop-up work during the Sheep Creek and Crescent Mountain fires in 2018. And this year, 15 members of the 194th Wing and one member of the 225th Air Defense Group conducted dry- and wet-mopping during the Washington State Department of Natural Resources fight against fires near Davenport and Inchelium in eastern Washington from September 12-22, 2020.
In order to perform actual wildland firefighting work, members have to complete rigorous training by the Department of Natural Resources, resulting in an Incident Qualification Card, known as a “Red Card.”
Maj. Matthew Rieger of Bothell, an electrical engineer in the 248th Civil Engineer Flight and a trained wildland firefighter, said that Red Card holders are eligible to “go anywhere in the U.S. and fight fires.” He said that the training “gives you the fundamentals of what you need to be a wildland firefighter: how to dig a line, how to work with a firefighting team, how to grid. You get some [training in] basic hose operations [and] controlled burns.”
Rieger served as the officer in charge of the 2020 wildland firefighting crew that consisted of 194th Wing and 225th Air Defense Group members. They conducted dry mop-up work in livestock grazing lands and other open areas at the Whitney Fire near Davenport, Washington before moving on to dry and wet-mopping at the Kewa Field Fire and Inchelium Complex Fire in the hills near Inchelium, Washington on the Colville Reservation.
“We had a team which was multi-agency, and we were able to integrate the Guard just like any other crew,” said Allen Estep, the Department of Natural Resources crew chief who worked with the Air Guardsmen. “We were an autonomous unit that could fit into the shift plan and do whatever the division heads and section chiefs needed.”
On the fire lines near Davenport and Inchelium, Red Card crew members checked for hot spots and applied dry or wet-mopping techniques. Staff Sgt. Christoph Blessing of Lacey, a member of the 143rd Cyberspace Operations Squadron, said that crew members used their tools to pick up soil to sample for heat with the backs of their hands. If a member discovers a hot spot and need to flag it for follow-up, he said, “You tell everybody, ‘Hold for heat,’ you work it a little bit and see if further into the soil it’s cooler. If it isn’t, you flag it for additional operations later, trying to cool it down.”
In the course of dry-mopping operations on September 16, Airmen encountered numerous craters in a wooded area near Inchelium, many marking the location where tree stumps and roots were incinerated. In instances where crew members discovered embers in the craters, crew members shoveled them together so they could burn themselves out, according to Chief Master Sgt. Mark Soulier, the noncommissioned officer in charge for the fire crew.
Wildland firefighters must be “meticulous” in their work, said Staff Sgt. Waylen Anderson of Reardan, an imagery analyst in the 194th Intelligence Squadron. “We’re trying to get a 150-foot barrier between the green patch and the black, checking everything in there. In my head, I thought we’d be rolling through it, not super in-depth, but it’s in-depth. You go over everything. You look at something on the ground, like a little warm spot, and you think this isn’t that big a deal, but [the DNR crew says] ‘No, we have to get that out,’ so we do.”
Rieger said that the crew perfected its teamwork and effectiveness after some initial extra effort. “Anytime you do something new with people you haven’t done it with, you see some growing pains,” said Rieger. “At the very beginning, we were having to call every command, and as the days went on it got better and better, anticipating movements and gridding more efficiently. It’s come together pretty well.”
“The team dynamic is great,” said Senior Airman Sean Tarbell of Port Orchard, a member of the 116th Weather Flight. “Everybody has been getting along great. You look to the person left and right and you know they’re doing their job.”
“It’s hard work, a lot of hard work,” said Staff Sgt. Jessica Furby of Poulsbo, a member of the 194th Logistics Readiness Squadron who returned to fire duty after serving at the Sheep Creek and Crescent Mountain fires in 2018. “A lot of walking, a lot of exercise, but it’s worth it in the end.”
When the crew returns to the fire camp in the evenings, they head for the showers, eat dinner, get ready for the next morning, and catch a brief window of downtime before getting sleep, according to Anderson. At mealtimes, the food is plentiful, according to Staff Sgt. Morgan Grant of the 143rd Cyberspace Operations Group. “I’m really surprised by how much they feed us,” he said. “The food has been great. I love the food,” said Staff Sgt. Saad Khokar of the 262nd Cyberspace Operations Squadron, who works for the Microsoft Corporation when he’s not in uniform.
Anderson points to a recent significant increase in State Active Duty pay as a benefit of firefighting duty. Beyond that, he said, “It’s just the job that needs to be done and somebody needs to do it. I’m glad I get to be part of the team for that.”
DNR crew members spend time training Guard members on firefighting skills and knowledge, including weather topics like dry heat and humidity, according to Khokar. Other topics include safety and proper use of firefighting tools, said Senior Airman Tyler Richardson of Port Orchard, a member of the 194th Intelligence Squadron.
According to Senior Airman Melvin Williamson of Thurston County, a member of the 111th Air Support Operations Squadron, fire crew members can apply their Red Card training and experience in the event of future wildfires. “This can happen potentially every year,” said Williamson.
One of the best benefits of joining a wildland fire crew is the opportunity to form friendships with fellow Airmen, according to Senior Airman Josh Richardson of Port Orchard, a member of the 194th Logistics Readiness Squadron. “It’s really cool being able to meet a bunch of people I wouldn’t be able to meet just doing my job,” he said.
“It’s a rewarding experience,” said Estep. “You go to other places in the state and help them out. You see interesting geographic places, and you work with a group of people with a specific goal in mind. It’s bringing together not just a small crew, but it’s hundreds of people coming together with one objective. It’s satisfying knowing you did that work and got that accomplished.”
| Date Taken: | 10.08.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 01.10.2021 12:06 |
| Story ID: | 380605 |
| Location: | CAMP MURRAY, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 25 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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