What We Do

2024 Assignment Summaries

Twenty twenty-four was a busy fire season for the entire nation, and for us was no exception! Here is a seasonal summary of where Winema Hotshots went and what we did.

Winema started the year with a two-week critical training beginning on April 22 2024. Field training included a crew hike on Hogback, practice shelter deployments including an uphill escape, and multiple PT activities requiring teamwork. We received a presentation on mental health strategies, and Wenatchee Short Haul visited Moore Park to allow us time to practice packaging patients. At the end of this two-week period, Winema began its fieldwork by prepping the Raccoon Rx units.

 After critical training, Winema honed its field skills by continuing to prep and then burn Bly Ridge Rx and J-Lo Rx units. When the window to conduct prescribed burns closed, the crew continued to pursue field work by clearing several FS roads on the forest, before engaging in 4 IAs: Round, Eagle Ridge, Timber Butte, and Wickiup, all resulting from lightning on the forest. After those fires were contained, the crew briefly engaged on Little Yamsay for training opportunities.

The crew was originally ordered to the Pioneer Fire before, 30 minutes to its arrival, being rerouted to the Dearinger Fire. For one week the crew acquainted itself with the fuel and terrain and climate of Western Washington: muggy, thick, mossy. Lots of saw line, line dig, and cold trailing later, the crew got an order to preposition in the Rogue-Siskiyou forest for the remainder of the roll and to cover local resources for the fourth of July. Hosted by the Cave Junction Unit, the crew was able to put in some line for Rx units, become familiar with the district, and practice medical scenarios and our TRS and ropes systems on staging days.

 One of this year’s largest R6 complexes, the crew started off their roll in Vale on the Cow Valley fire. A few days of cold trailing Juniper mountain, a small burn op, and some cold trailing around a cabin started the crew off well before a major lightening bust came through the area on day 5. From it, new starts materialized and the crew was sent to IA the Durkee fire with Rogue River and other local resources. The Durkee ultimately burned over 200k acres and connected to the Cow Valley Fire over 20 miles away. For the remainder of the roll, the crew engaged in a number of operations in order to anchor, flank, and attempt to pinch the fire at its head. Many days were spent cold trailing, some were spent burning off dozer line, and some were spent securing line to try to contain the fire in upcoming 50mph winds. Most days were over 100 degrees and the crew was going through 5-6 five gallon cubees a day. As a collective, spirits remained high through the heat, long days, head colds, and abrasive public.

Beginning this roll was a nice road trip up to the Colville forest in Washington. Upon arrival at the Six Mile fire, there was little work to be done other than patrolling dozer lines and constructing water bars. The crew got to spike out on the Columbia River. Three days later, the crew solemnly headed home to Klamath falls, when, luckily, they got rerouted to the Umpqua national forest to the Homestead Complex. Here, the crew got to prep and monitor a containment line along a four mile trail, watch wind direction and determine the burn window for the area. Unfortunately, the crew did not get to burn the piece they had been studying, but handed over a great data set to Redmond IHC on day 14.

Winema’s only out of region assignment this year was down to So. Cal. Upon arrival to the Line fire, the crew began road prep and structure prep on day one. For the first few days the crew was jostled around from division to division, until finally finding a home in division H. Here, Winema cut a helispot, sawline and handline in southern California’s finest; chaparral. Once completing Division H’s assignment a few days later, a thunderstorm rolled through the area causing many resources to stage with wheels on pavement. The lightening came with much moisture, and unfortunately on day 9, the crew to get de-mobed. Taking the scenic route home with an overnight in Reno, NV, Winema got ordered to their neighbor forest, the Deschutes to a record acreage fire there; Flat top/Firestone. A few nights of cold spike outs in La Pine, and a few long days of cold trailing in the pumice finished out this final full 14 day roll for the 2024 Winema IHC.

Young Grasshopper//Willamette Complex

Willamette National Forest

10/02/24-10/13/24

A ragtag conglomerate of Winema folks plus four fill ins brought this year to an end. Karl was able to step away for an IC3(T) assignment while the crew was run by Vic and Schell(T). With the sun setting and rising later at this time of the year, the crew was waking up and getting to dinner in the dark. The crew put in some very good work on contingency lines and plumbing contingency lines to continue keeping this fire out of specific areas that the forest didn’t want it to get into. Winema can rest assured that the Young Grasshopper will be held inside it’s containment lines until the season ending event that the entire western united states is waiting for. On day 12 we came home and had one much appreciated day off before coming back into the office for end of year refurb.