Homeward Bound

Today we finished our tour of 21 shifts in a row. We are all tired. Nothing a bit of R and R won't fix. When we get home we will rest for two days and then be back available for the next dispatch.

It will take us a couple days to get home. We will be back late Saturday.

Here is a few pictures. Enjoy!

 See you all soon

Day 16 of the Route Complex

Today our assignment is to mop up and patrol from H-2 to drop point 98. We took one pass and there isnt a lot to mop up. There will be more hot spots that show up as the days heating continues. Otherwise it will be a patrol job. 

The pictures below are of a map of our area and also the cedar trees that have cat faced.

Sorry about the backwards maps. Some things I can't seem to fix while i am mobile.

Extended Time

Just an update for you. We were given a seven day extension. What that means is we will be working 21 days straight. Then  we will have to take some time off. It is likely we will be heading home. But from the sounds of it we wont be home long.

Here is some photos of what we have seen and been doing:

Burn operation

Its been a busy several day's. We have been supporting a burn. They burned about 20 miles. 

After the burn we started mopping up and that is what we will do today to. The main part of the fire has been growing and doins some torching and running. The fire has spread ash and embers across the line. This has caused a number of spot fires. So they pulled everyone off of mop up to grid the green.We were able to get all of the spot fires so far.

I hope to have another update for you soon.

Cold mornings slows fire

We have been getting up to cold mornings. This morning it is foggy and 43 degrees. Feels like fall. But it is supposed to warm up this week.

We had one night in a spike camp. It was really a neat spot. Our fire is mopped up to 100 feet. We will find out this morning if we are going to be patrolling it or not. 

All the nearby fires have layed down the last two days. But with it getting warmer they look to get cooking again. They have been expecting ours ro blow up. This fire is a little different. The fire has an additional feature. Slope driven terrain.

Here is some more pictures. See you all soon....

Route Complex

It has been a busy few days. The fire is over 10,000 acres. 

We have been putting in hose lays all over the mountain. We have also done some mop up work. Now we are running a pump operation. We are pumping down to the hand crew. 

The fires around us have been blowing up every day. The fire we are on is a slop over off the main fire. It is called the   "Chance" fire. 

We have seen some awesome aircraft on this fire. From large passenger planes to small helicopters.

If you are hearing that fire is all over, well it almost literally is. We are surrounded by fire in all the mountains around us.just about every ridge has some kind of fire on it. In fact right above fire camp is a fire.

Checked in and ready to go

We're finally checked in. Long day. I will try to fill you in tomorrow on what is going on. But i thought i would show you our dinner menu tonight.  Oh and it was the best steak. Fabulous!

Until tomorrow have a great night.

California bound

We made it to Bend and have checked into a motel for the night. We checked in around 11:00 pm. Tomorrow we will leave early and go to the Route complex. It will be a long day of driving. Looks like it will be about 8-9 hours drive from here in Bend.

When we get there we will get checked in and then have our truck and equipment inspected. Then we will set up camp and rest up before we go out on the line. 

It looks like we will be there for a while, maybe a month or so. But the only thing you can count on in fire work is that it always changes. So don't get to comfortable. 

I want to thank all of you for your well wishes. We will be as safe as we can. We will be home. Love you all.

Until my next post see you soon.

Correction

We got our resource order in hand and we are not going to the one that we thought we're going to the route complex fire. It is north of the other fire the mad River fire.

Dispatched: Mad River Complex

California here we come. We are getting ready to leave town within the hour.

Here is some information on the fires: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4436/

I will update you as I can as always.

Phillips Creek Fire Evacuation Notice

The Phillips Creek fire has shifted direction. There is now a level 1 evacuation notice for Valley View and also Gordon Creek road.

Phillips Fire Update

Elkhorn Media Group

1 hr · Edited · 

PHILLIPS CREEK FIRE EVACUATIONS: Union County officials have issued a Level I evacuation notice for residents of Ruckle Road and Sanderson Springs Road west of Elgin. Level I means residents should be READY to leave their homes at a moments notice.
Traffic is still moving on Highway 204, but watch for emergency vehicles.

Phillips Creek Fire Evacuation Update

Ruckel Rd and Sanderson Springs are under a level one evacuation notice. If you live in those area you will be informed on what to do and when.

Phillips Creek Fire

The Fire west of Elgin made a run late this afternoon. There is a level one evacuation notice. I am trying to get confirmation of the areas as I write this. The Sheriff department is working to inform the public in these areas.

Just to inform you of the evacuation notices. It is a simple as "ready, Set, Go".

Level one is be read to go
Level two is leave at next notice
Level three is go now!

Please if you live in the Elgin, Summerville  or areas on the north end of the valley, please be cooperative with the authorities. If they ask you to leave.....GO! Don't risk your life or that of the authorities or of the firefighters...You cant be replaced but your property can. Don't be a hero just leave.

This season isn't a season to play with.....Be safe and help others to do so as well!