The Miller Fire: adventures in southwest New Mexico

(Courtesy of Santa Fe Hotshots)

On the morning of July 3^rdI received a call from dispatch (Santa Fe Zone) asking if I was available for a Safety Officer 2 assignment down in the bootheel of New Mexico (Coronado National Forest). They wanted me at the Incident Command Post/ICP (Chiricahua Desert Museum - Rodeo, NM) for briefing the following morning. I quickly initiated mobilization pack list inventory and headed into town to pickup my ride at Enterprise through the NERV (National Emergency Rental Vehicle) program: I’d be living from a Ford F-150 (double cab). Due to time factors, fatigue and thinking: “it might be my last chance for a shower” for a while, I spent the night in Lordsburg’s Comfort Inn. I got up early the following morning, and made it to the evolving ICP well before my reporting time/briefing. I found out that though in New Mexico (Mountain Daylight Time) we’d be managing the fire on Arizona’s Mountain Standard Time. So, was quite early- I used the time to start my “check-in” process with various Units at Plans (Check-in/Resources), Finance (Time), Logistics (Communications, Supply, Ground Support), and of course with “Team Safety.” 

I found out that a lightning storm in the Peloncillo Mountains had started the Miller Fire on June 29^th. It was in rough and remote country, in the Bunk Robinson Wilderness Study Area, with two satellite “Spike Camps” (away from ICP) that firefighters were working from. I’d be working with the Type 2 Southwest Area Incident Management Team (IMT) 4,who had taken over management of the fire that morning. I was being assigned as the Safety Officer at the Oak Grove Spike, several miles west of Cloverdale, NM. A little over a century ago the area had quite a few residents during the homesteading era. Before that it was home to the Chiricahua Apache, and of course before that Ancestral Pueblo that made a pottery type named Cloverdale Corrugated (or Incised). 

Communicating with the IMT was challenging, especially the first 24-hours: everyone using the radio’s Forest Net channel. As often the case, there were many blind spots for radio use. Emergency repeaters soon provided much improved capabilities, but we’ve become so reliant on our phones for information & communication. There was no service available, except some weak signals via Mexico (they had an interstate highway running semi-nearby south of the border): usage came with a cost, which most of us did not initialize. Eventually a mobile unit was established for WiFi, so email could be utilized to communicate.

The Oak Grove Spike Camp was centered at an old historic dance floor. Rumor was that old maps showed it as a Forest Service (FS) Ranger Station. Some research into that might be in order. It worked well, providing a solid level surface for tables & chairs: often we end up eating while standing at tailgates & hoods, but here we could sit and exchange information. The Camp Manager was a good one, a local FS District employee that made sure trash was being backhauled every night so to limit an attractive nuisance that’d bring in bears and their activity. When bear proof trailer was brought in, indeed a bear did show interest and we ended up taking the trailer several miles east for the evening. Other wildlife encounters included a crew and a mountain lion surprising each other: all kept their distance.

The historic Cloverdale Store became DP-5 (Drop Point). It was a point of interest, BUT a safety alert was issued when we learned that last year an engine crew went into it and came out covered with fleas. As we know fleas can carry disease, like bubonic plague. That pretty much stopped the use of DP-5. Each day we had more Safety Officers checking in at ICP and being assigned out to the spike camps. In short order we had a strike team for safety. During my career we’ve come a long way folks in providing emergency fireline medical services, and the EMTs and Paramedics were really “top shelf.” I’m really glad they were there.   

"Normandy" barriers at US/Mexico border

I also had a couple of Safety Officer Trainees assigned for short periods of time. One I want to mention by name: David Simpson. His day job is being the Superintendent for the Santa Fe Hostshots (they took the header photo during our t-storm July 6^th). I didn’t know him very well before this assignment, but certainly look forward to working with him again: he struck me as a conscientious “safety first!” firefighter.
Overall SAFETY record was outstanding + really enjoyed getting to see BLM's Boise based UAS (drone) efforts = they helped with recon, intel & potential Initial Attack (IA) efforts: well done!

Safe travels to ALL…

P.S. - As a retired federal law enforcement officer I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the U.S. Border Patrol and their efforts during this emergency incident. Recently they've often been vilified, but I found them consummate professionals while integrating with our operations. In a switch from the norm: I met one BP Agent that had been a National Park Service (NPS) Ranger back east a decade ago, but he left because he experienced it becoming "too law enforcement oriented" (his words) and he wanted to be able to be more full-service public safety oriented. What we used to refer to as "a Protection Ranger." So, even though his degree was in Criminal Justice, he left the NPS for BP. He has now been with the Border Patrol 10-years and likes it because it has been a better experience for him.