Georgians head West to fight Wildland Fires

As the current wildfire season outlook indicates an increasing threat to forests and grasslands in Western states, a crew of firefighters from the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests is providing support to local communities in the Rocky Mountains.  A 21-person crew traveled from Georgia by vehicle to the Pike and San Isabel National Forests (@PSICC_NF) near Walsenburg, Colorado, where it is prepared to respond to any fire outbreaks that are expected in the region. The crew includes seven trainees on a veterans group.  While this is the second fire season for the veterans crew, this is the first assignment to a Western wildfire. The Southern regional firefighter crew is normally stationed on the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, conducting prescribed fire and other work to manage the forest and prevent wildfires in Georgia. They are enrolled in a 9-month training program, through the Southeast Conservation Corps (@southeastconservationcorps), which provides them the experience and certification needed to become permanent firefighters for the U.S. Forest Service or other land management agencies.  Crew leader Peter Myers said, “It’s an honor and privilege to come out West and support these local communities, and our Forest Service colleagues”.  Myers serves as the Assistant Fire Management Officer on the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, where he manages operations for prescribed fires and wildfire response, such as what occurred during the Southeastern drought of autumn 2016.  Conditions in Colorado are extremely dry, with little moisture and lightning expected in the coming days and weeks. If a new wildfire ignites, the Georgia crew is ready to respond using all the tools used by wildland firefighters, such as hand tools used to create a fireline, drip torches, and chainsaws. The crew has one fire engine and several trucks to get them to remote areas and keep them supplied for more than three days.  Based on long-term weather forecasts and expected dry conditions, 2020 is projected to be a higher than average year for wildland fire. Aggressive initial attack, supported by airtankers and helicopters, will be used wherever possible to extinguish wildfires quickly and minimize the need to bring large numbers of firefighters together. More than 95 percent of wildfires are contained in the first few hours, meaning tens of thousands of fires are extinguished before becoming large wildfires.  Wildland fires are a force of nature that can be nearly as impossible to prevent, and as difficult to control, as hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. Fire Management involves both fire suppression and proactively using fire to achieve set goals. The Forest Service has been managing wildland fire on National Forests and Grasslands for more than 100 years, working closely with other federal, tribal, state, and local partners.  However, this is an unprecedented year, with the additional challenge of keeping firefighters and the public safe by slowing the spread of COVID-19. Health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic may affect how we fight fire, but it will not alter our commitment to protect the American people and our lands.  The wildland fire community’s greatest resource is our personnel, and ensuring our personnel are healthy is the first step in meeting the wildland fire mission. We have established wildland fire response plans,  interim standard operating procedures to ensure our firefighters are safe and fit for duty.  Consistent and continual monitoring of personnel will be a crucial step in preventing the movement of potentially infected individuals and the spread of COVID-19. A “Module as One” approach is being used for crews and modules to insulate as one unit and reduce exposure to the public and other crews.  The Georgia crew is putting safe practices to work, wearing masks when in public, wiping and cleaning fire trucks and equipment every day, monitoring each firefighter’s health condition and fitness, and carrying gallons of hand sanitizer as part of their personal protection equipment.  Each firefighter did a health assessment before traveling out West, to prevent bringing COVID-19 to the area where they will be working. Fortunately, the remote and rural location in Colorado has few reported cases of infection, but the crew will continue to exercise caution and practice social distancing guidelines. The crew also has a plan to quarantine in place if needed, just in case.  This is the first fire assignment for a Georgia crew since 2018, and includes 12 full-time staff from the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, as well as two firefighters from the Savannah River Site, managed by the U.S. Forest Service.  The most important thing members of the public can do to help during the 2020 fire year is to do their part to prevent human-caused fires.  Fewer human-caused fires will not only help protect communities from wildfire, but will also preserve firefighting resources and help slow the spread of COVID-19 by reducing the need to move firefighters throughout the nation.