By Barbara Arrigoni
Chico Enterprise-Record (California)
Copyright 2006 MediaNews Group, Inc. and ANG Newspapers
All Rights Reserved
Fighting wildfires is stressful — on and off the battle line.
Although the pace Tuesday morning at a temporary tent city for firefighters at Elk Creek Elementary School was not frenetic, people were busy — and intense.
“Everybody on this incident is working at very high stress,” said X Kellogg, chief of operations. “They have to bury that stress ... keep an even keel, so we can get the job done.”
Bearing much of the brunt of that stress are the men and women battling the flickering flames and stifling smoke.
Firefighters are assigned a maximum of 14 days on a wildland fire. Scott Isaacson, Forest Service spokesman, said they can only work twice the amount of time they rest. This means they can work a maximum shift of 16 hours, but most work 12.
“It’s hot, arduous, demanding — and can be scary,” Isaacson said. “So many people do it over and over again. They really love the work.”
One of those crews at the command camp Tuesday was a group of firefighters from Contra Costa County, sitting at a picnic table in front of the school playing cards.
It’s been a busy summer, they said. One said the Hunter was his third fire in one month.
The 20-member crew, which includes two women who are sisters, was called at midnight Sunday and arrived in Elk Creek at 4 a.m. Monday.
At 6 p.m. they were briefed and rolled out toward the fire.
The crew spent 12 hours on duty. Curt Clausen said their primary responsibility was to backfire, which is to start a fire to burn into the main blaze.
“Fight fire with fire,” said Nick Ronchetto.
At 10 p.m., the strike team — paid, full-time firefighters from Rodeo-Hercules Fire Department — was back at Elk Creek for the night.
When the crew first arrived back from its shift, members had to clean their rig, get dinner, set up camp, rest and rehydrate, some said.
Clausen said it was a little noisy in the camp. He said firefighting is strenuous and “very smoky conditions, very hot.”
So far there haven’t been any injuries, and the crew may be in Elk Creek for seven days.
The crew had most of Tuesday to get everything in order and prepare for the new shift, and leave about 7 p.m. to continue “fighting fire with fire” throughout the night.
Contra Costa County is one of many counties providing firefighters to the Mendocino Forest. Crews have also come from Arizona, New Mexico, Washington, Oregon and Kentucky.
Clausen said it’s a great job. Although Contra Costa pays its firefighters, some crews are with volunteer companies.
“It’s amazing. We all come together like this and it doesn’t matter whether we are paid or not. We’ve got a job to do,” he said.
He agreed it’s stressful.
“Sure. You’ve got to be on your best behavior, aware of what’s going on around you at all times,” Clausen said. “The first thing they stress is safety, not just watching out for yourself, but for your brothers and sisters, too.”
Like their counterparts waging war on a different kind of front, most said they are aware of leaving families behind. One crew member has a 3-week-old baby at home. He said he worries about it, especially without cell phone service in Elk Creek.
“Their lives still go on,” said Keith Ryanfern.
Although firefighters camped at Alder Springs at the end of their shifts, all crews will stay at the command center. Up to 1,000 people are expected to be there within the next few days.