California Burning: Photographs from the Los Angeles Examiner

Wildland Firefighters

In 1905 the US Forest Service was formed with fire suppression as its number one goal.[1] During this time, service employees fought fires on foot by clearing brush and debris using axes, shovels, and hoes. Firefighters' primary practice was to eliminate combustible materials from the path of the fire to slow the fire’s spread. This traditional practice is still often used and can be seen in the image of the 1957 Chatsworth Brush Fire, as local volunteers attempt to seize an oncoming fire with handheld tools.[2] However, after the implementation of the 10 AM policy in 1935, the importance of firefighters increased. This added importance caused firefighting techniques to expand beyond traditional ground crews.[3]

With the increased focus on fire suppression, firefighting saw many beneficial changes, including an increase in jobs and the production of better tools. More funding and greater numbers of employees allowed for an expansion of hand crews, mainly focusing on constructing fire lines using hand-held machinery like chainsaws. Fire lines, one of the most practiced techniques by firefighters, mainly consist of creating a perimeter around the fire and stripping the outside area from any fuel (usually about 10 to 1,000 meters).[4] This period also saw the use of aircraft and chemical suppressants, as well as the rise of a crucial type of firefighter: smokejumpers. Smokejumpers are firefighters deployed via parachute to provide the initial response to a wildfire. After years of testing, in 1944, the first smokejumping camps began to form.[5] Different types of fire crews began to develop with the creation of jump teams. Engine crews, which traveled to the fires’ perimeter and used hoses to strike the flames, became a primary attack force. Helicopters and airplane crews fought wildfires by air, dumping water, chemicals, and retardant on the flames. Bulldozer crews used heavy machinery to clear extensive vegetation, stripping the earth of everything.[6] Furthermore, the service made a team of "supermen" called hotshot crews. This group of firefighters is sent to the most life-threatening fires, often the largest fires in the most challenging terrain. These firefighters are considered the most elite and tactical experts and are in peak physical shape.[7]

Wildfire firefighting is one of the most demanding jobs imaginable. Completing immense physical and mental training prepares firefighters for fire suppression's numerous challenges. Firefighters must endure strenuous hikes, carry up to 65 pounds of gear, and work for shifts up to a day in length. On top of their life-threatening conditions, firefighters work many weeks, spend extended periods away from loved ones living in rough conditions, and face the degrading effects of blazing heat and exhaustion.[8] “You feel like you're on the surface of the sun,” said Pat Moore, a hotshot firefighter, in 2014.[9] Despite these potential adverse effects, firefighters display an immense camaraderie for one another and often have a burning passion for the betterment of our wilderness.[10] Wildfire fighting is a team effort, so it is essential for firefighters to trust their counterparts, as exemplified in the 1952 Warner Brothers Studio Fire image.[11] It is necessary to acknowledge wildfire firefighters’ tremendous courage and sacrifice for our safety and environment.
 
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[1] Fantina Tedim, et al. “Chapter 6 - Firefighting Approaches and Extreme Wildfires.” Extreme Wildfire Events and Disasters: Root Causes and New Management Strategies, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2020.

[2] https://scalar.usc.edu/works/california-burning/media/chatsworth-brush-fires-2

[3] Kurt F. Kipfmueller, et al. “Human Augmentation of Historical Red Pine Fire Regimes in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.” Ecosphere, vol. 12, no. 7, July 2021. ProQuest Central; ProQuest One Academic; SciTech Premium Collection, https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3673. Accessed 11 Nov. 2022.

[4] M.P. Plucinski, Fighting Flames and Forging Firelines: Wildfire Suppression Effectiveness at the Fire Edge. Curr Forestry Rep 5, 1–19 (2019).

[5] History of Smokejumping. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service Northern Region, 1968.

[6] Tricia Culligan, "Into the Fire: Firefighters in California have been battling some of the biggest wildfires in state history." Scholastic News/Weekly Reader Edition 4, vol. 81, no. 5, 15 Oct. 2018, pp. 4+. Gale In Context: College

[7] Lincoln Bramwell, “Hotshots: The Origins of the Interagency Hotshot Crew.” Fire Management today, vol. 73, no. 3, 2018.

[8] Joe Bubar, "Battling blazes: firefighters called hotshots battle wildfires by getting up close to the flames." Scholastic News/Weekly Reader Edition 4, vol. 77, no. 1, 1 Sept. 2014, pp. 4+. Gale In Context: College

[9] Battling blazes. (2014, Sep 29). Scholastic News, 71, 1-2.

[10] Hannah E. Kling, et al. “Firefighter Well-Being Defined and Operationalized at the Organizational and Worker Level.” Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, vol. 64, no. 11, 2022

[11] https://scalar.usc.edu/works/california-burning/media/warner-brothers-studio-fire-burbank-1952

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