Our trip to Colorado gave me insights into a different fire culture, was an invaluable chainsaw training experience, and connected us with Ember Alliance leadership We were able to learn about recent wildfires that have shaped public opinion and policy in CO, an escape turned wildfire, and even a prescribed burn on the Ben Delatour Scout Ranch that helped to slow and catch a wildfire that was threatening adjacent neighborhoods. Seeing areas that were burned, and the fires’ effects on the land helped to bolster our understanding of prescribed fire in the west, and some of the challenges that fire practitioners and landowners face out there.
We were able to work closely with our sister crew, Ember Alliance’s Northern Colorado (NOCO) squad, on their three-month long project on a wolf/wolf-dog sanctuary land (W.O.L.F.). We learned about identifying trees in the area, their roles in fire, and their properties that sawyers need to consider when cutting them. By the first work day, we’d begun to become competent in constructing burn piles. We also got to watch how a crew operates that specializes in using chainsaws daily. We picked up some great habits and operating procedures, as well as techniques for handling tree hang-ups and sawing on steep rocky terrain.
A large part of our excitement and goals leading up to this trip was to meet and get to know our leaders and the people who comprise the different projects in our organization, and they did not disappoint. Ember is made up of gregarious, affable, highly intelligent, and experienced people. Our conversations were invaluable, and we ultimately came out the other side with a better grasp on the context of Ember’s history, current struggles, and how our crew fits into the tapestry of fire practitioners.
We were soon presented with the opportunity to travel to a prescribed fire in western New Mexico at an adventure camp for kids called Cottonwood Gulch. Driving from northern Colorado all the way south to New Mexico is an undeniably breathtaking experience. Seeing the fall leaves and the towering Rocky Mountain range drop into the New Mexico desert will impress on my mind for the rest of my life. Our delightful traveling companion in The Ember Alliance type 6 engine was none other than CEO Jennifer Mueller, who has over a decade in leadership on prescribed fire crews in the Southeast, and was more than willing to give us insight on lessons from her experiences. During the 12 hours or so of driving we also learned more about Ember, funding, future goals, as well as many of the obstacles that Jennifer is working to overcome while running a non-profit.
The briefing the following morning was unlike any briefing we’ve had in the southeast for a burn. There were almost forty participants from more than eight organizations who came together to burn a plot that has been on the books for three years. We got to work closely with county fire departments, The Nature Conservancy, A Youth Corps, and a hotshot crew to name a few. This 120 acre unit took two days to complete firing operations, which I had the opportunity to play a part in. Jennifer was able to open some of our Firefighter Type 1 (Squad Boss) task books, which allowed us to take on the roles of trainees for the first time on an incident. It was my first experience using what I’ve learned about fire and ignitions in North Carolina as a leader of many brand new fire practitioners, and we got to do it in a new terrain with brand new fuels. I gained new understandings of what it means to be a more experienced firefighter in taking greater responsibility for the people you’re accountable for as well as the similarities and differences in firing techniques and effects in Ponderosa Pine fuels when compared to Longleaf and hardwoods. I had the opportunity to work directly under the amiable, experienced, and knowledgeable Will Joy, who works for The Nature Conservancy- a man who’s personality and character shine as bright as his confidence in wildland fire.
At the end of firing, our focus shifted to setting up our mop up operation for success, which was more in depth and different from any we’d done in the southeast. While many squads were dry mopping, I was placed on an engine to assist with wet mopping. I learned how to mix water, duff, and dirt into a slurry to extinguish any areas of heat until there’s no fire and no smoke. This process took a lot more water and energy than I thought it would, and certainly bolstered my appreciation for the humidity, fuels, and more regular burning rotations we have in the south.
After nearly two weeks of hard work in altitudes higher than anything east of the Mississippi, we were happy to return home armed with new knowledge along with a renewed sense of belonging and hunger to keep progressing in our fire careers. We are looking forward to applying these skills and knowledge to our current job in the UWharries National Forest, and wanted to thank our UWharries partners for allowing us to go collaborate for these unique opportunities.
By Nathan Dominey