Texas Wildfires and flying home DFW to SAF

As I took seat 17A on AA #2848 from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Santa Fe  (SAF)last Wednesday morning, I noted that I was completing the last row and sitting next to a young lady and her two pre-adolescent sons that were across the aisle in seats C & D. I’d been gone for 16-days and looked forward to being home again (singing the Byrds tune “Get to You” in my head). The fire assignment had been an O.K. one, which I’ll tell you about in a few moments, but I had already identified those early signs of post-incident reintegration funk that often clouds my world: it often rears its ugly head the worst when I’m getting home and readjusting. Talking with the mom in 17B made a noticeable positive difference. I forgot to give her THANKS, but am way ahead of myself – more later…

Arriving at DFW on my travel day I found I had to wait (and wait) for the van to the Rental Car Center. Of course the van was standing room only with little room for my 4-bags: traveling with line & safety gear for a firefighting assignment is not a “light” adventure. The customer service rep for Enterprise was “super” getting me into, as requested, a 4x4 Silverado pickup. Then a quick departure to McGregor, Texas: where I checked-in at the ICP (Incident Command Post) for the “Texas A&M Forest Service” (TFS) 2018 Initial Attack assignment. For months Task Forces of firefighters and equipment had been staged at different locales around Texas. I was reporting to relieve the Safety Officer (SOF) that had been with Task Force 19 in the Hillsboro area. However, first I had to go through a PowerPoint “In-Briefing,” along with some engine relief personnel also headed to TF19: we’d become friends (OK, they put up with me over the next fortnight). I was provided a written & e-copy as well. That night I tied-in (fire speak for “met with”) with Ron, the SOF I was replacing. Ron had worked with me in 2002, when he was a SOF Trainee on the Rodeo-Chedeski fire in Arizona.

Ron & I met up with TF19 the following morning. It was comprised of a Division Supervisor (Div. Supv.), a Task Force Leader, 2-dozers (and “swamper”/ support), 3-engines, a facilities/logistics person and myself. By early afternoon we were off-to-the-races and the County Road (CR) 308 fire in south of Llano, while Ron started his demob/checkout process. I had heard for decades about some of the peculiarities of firefighting in Texas, as compared to “out west.” On the fireside of the equation the local VFD (Volunteer Fire Dept.) usually provided the Incident Commander (IC), with TFS providing operational leadership as aircraft (slurry bombers & helicopters for bucket drops) are brought in. The TF Div. Supv.  & I are to establish Unified Command with the above, which sometimes results in taking over a division instead.  Our logistics contact in the mean time arranges for motel rooms and meals. The rooms allow us air-conditioned rest at night after battling fire in 108-100F temperatures. Meals are brought out to us on-the-line was we work so we don’t use energy supplying ourselves (we’re expected to be self-sufficient when in standby at staging, but not when engaged in active firefighting). I give the Comfort Inn in Llano two-thumbs up for taking care of us while on the CR308.

The CR 308 fire was interesting for its work around a ranch’s herd of longhorns. After several days there, and fire containment for the most part, we were released and reassigned directly to the Harmon Road fire north of Copperas Cove, Texas.. It had blown-up growing tenfold. We were able to help contain and check that one. TF19 had a handcrew added to it. The Los Diablos  are a Type 2 Initial Attack crew, an international crew from northern Mexico with  leadership & sponsorship from Big Bend National Park. I had worked with them the previous November on St. John, V.I. They’re a very good crew.

While on the Harmon Road fire I saw several instances of a “only in Texas” fire apparatus: a small chair strapped to the bumper of an engine (brush or pumper truck) or water tender with a firefighter and hose sitting in the chair squirting the flames ahead. Fortunately, “Attack from the Black” is the safety rule of thumb they go be there, but it still rang of for a potential “Darwin Award” to me.  

After several days of progress we were again reassigned directly to the CR 108 fire north of Burnet, Texas.  There we were met by the TFS Operations Chief (Shane) we’d worked with/for on the 308. We also had John Philbin, a ICT3 that had been an ICT2 in Arizona: good guy. As we arrived on the line my Silverado received a light misting of slurry on one side as a SEAT (Single Engine Air Tanker) finished his pre-treatment at the fire heel (near point-of-origin). NOTE: it comes off with some vigorous cleaning (windows easier than paint though). Much of the CR108 fire was on a ranch that specializes in exotic (African) game animals. Some very tall fences & gates to navigate. I found myself thinking: “Are these truly African animals without predators in the mix?” I decided they weren’t, being more zoo-like.

From the CR108 fire we drove north back to being staged in Alvarado near Hillsboro. When in staging you have to be ready for response, 12-hours per day. Though they were technically shorter than the 16-hour days when assigned to a fire, I can testify that the staged days were much longer. Geesh, they were long… 

After 14-work days I was sitting on a plane going home: why was I feeling down? I could probably blame years of concussions (primarily work related), but that is another post altogether. I already identified that I was coming from primary focus emergency operations to a world of what I’ll call “trivial pursuits.” So many focused on their phone. It didn’t help that the night before I’d waited 1.25 hours at the Rental Car Center waiting for a shuttle back to the Holiday Inn Express at DFW (was supposed to take 15-minutes; instead 3-calls and 5X as long + then they cruised all the terminals). Plus, during my Texas deployment my cousins Steve (Riley) in Redding, CA lost his home (and some pets) to the Carr fire. I just wasn’t in a “Happy Camper” place. Then some kind words and later a wave at the Santa Fe terminal turned my day-week around.  I learned she was a violinist, whose husband was in finance, living a short way west of DFW. Her sons were going for a weeklong visit with her parents that lived in Taos. They were all going to Meow Wolf that day, until her return flight home that afternoon; her mother had lived in Woodland Hills, CA while in high school (class of ’68 or ’69), just like Meme (class of ’75), and her father (Canoga Park) had worked as an engineer for Lockheed (ah, the Burbank connection). Anyway, many THANKS to the lady that sat next to me, for helping me to a better place. Hope everyone has a great day/week/month…

https://sierranewsonline.com/what-happens-at-the-incident-command-post-on-a-wildfire/