Here are some numbers and a few lessons from incidents that occurred during the first half of 2020 (January - June).
Engines
Do the Exercises
Each year the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center analyzes and summarizes reported incidents to create an Incident Review Summary. Each summary includes exercises to aid crew leaders and instructors with facilitation. (Pro-tip: Do the exercises.)
Road Learning
This Blog post highlights 5 recent reports regarding motor vehicle accidents in the wildland fire service. Links are provided to every report, all of which contain valuable lessons.
Standard Response
This article is from our 2019 Summer edition of Two More Chains. Thoughts from Three Focused Fire Folks By Alex Viktora and Travis Dotson Eric Graff Eric Graff is the Helicopter Program Manager for Grand Canyon National Park. With a positive shout-out to interagency collaboration, he is currently on detail as the National Assistant Helicopter Operations … Continue reading Standard Response
How We Roll
Here is more from our forthcoming 2018 Incident Review Summary. By Travis Dotson In 2018 we collected 17 reported Rollover Incidents. Mostly Water Tenders and Dozers (5 each). The others were chase vehicles, an Engine, a UTV and an ATV. Almost all of the rollovers involved slipping off the road shoulder. We move big heavy … Continue reading How We Roll
Chainsaws and Drip Torches
We are working on the 2018 Annual Incident Review Summary. As we compile the summary we’ve got some highlights to share with you. Read this. Do the Exercise. (Maybe include it in your Refresher Training.) Give us feedback. The final version of the 2018 Annual Incident Review Summary will be out soon! By Travis Dotson The … Continue reading Chainsaws and Drip Torches
Crash and Burn
The following is an excerpt from the Sheep Creek Burnover Report The Sheep Creek Fire occurred on August 18, 2018. A helicopter crash in a remote area near Battle Mountain, Nevada ignited a wildfire, resulting in a burnover of a Type 4 engine on a Search and Rescue mission responding to the helicopter crash. The … Continue reading Crash and Burn
Sorting the Lumps
As our work on the 2017 Annual Incident Review Summary continues, we've got some more analysis to share with you. Read this. Do the Exercise and give us some feedback. The final version of the 2017 Annual Incident Review Summary will be out soon! By Travis Dotson There it is - the 2017 season boiled … Continue reading Sorting the Lumps
Fatal Attraction
We love to know how many firefighters died.
“I Noticed My Skin Falling Off”
By Travis Dotson This quote: “I had been hit by IED in Afghanistan. I’d rather go through that than be burned again.” Damn - for real? That says a lot. That scares me. This quote: “When the hose burst it got me in the groin. I spun around. I ran to the shade. I was … Continue reading “I Noticed My Skin Falling Off”