Room for Three?

One Fire Shelter = One Firefighter and Two Civilians

Aerial overview of deployment location showing approximate location of vehicles, firing pattern along road and around cabin (destroyed), and dozer line coming up from drainage to the northeast.

The Division Group Supervisor (DIVS1) is driving on a dead-end back road when the Kincade Fire cuts him off in both directions. He is entrapped. He radios for bucket drops and declares an Incident Within an Incident.

Preparing for a burn over, he uses a fusee to burn out a larger area of refuge from the approaching fire.

Suddenly, a pick-up truck with two civilians—wearing t-shirts and pants—arrive at this imperiled location.

They have one fire shelter for three people.

To learn the lessons and what happens next, read this “Fire Shelter Deployment” Green Sheet:

https://www.wildfirelessons.net/viewdocument/kincade-fire-shelter-deployment

Thirtymile Fire

This isn’t the first time that civilians have been required to share a wildland firefighter’s fire shelter.

On the fatal 2001 Thirtymile Fire, when firefighters were entrapped, two civilians also joined the imperiled firefighters and took shelter with one of the crewmembers.

https://www.nwcg.gov/wfldp/toolbox/staff-ride/library/thirtymile-fire