In preparation for the upcoming fire season, Lassen National Forest’s Almanor Ranger District recently staged a multiagency wildfire suppression exercise. The exercise took place 10 miles north of Chester inside the Almanor Basin’s defensible fuel profile zone, which serves as a buffer between the undeveloped forest and community of Chester. The participating agencies included the Forest Service, Cal Fire, and Lassen National Volcanic Park.
The exercise was planned as a prescribed fire, but resources treated it as if the fire were accidental for training purposes. First on the scene was the assigned incident commander, Tom Sanchez from the Lassen National Forest. His job was to assess the scene and ensure that the area was safe enough for crews to engage. He considered the type, location, size, and the status of the fire as well as weather conditions and access routes. He determined which structures or resources might be threatened, identified special hazards and concerns, and called for resources. The Jim Rust Patrol 12 arrived on scene to act in the role of Fire Investigator to determine the general fire origin area.
After assessing the situation, Sanchez called the crews to the scene. Battalions 11 and 12 Prevention 1 and engines 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 HeartLake Crew 3, and Helitack Crew 1 from the Almanor Ranger District responded, along with Cal Fire Engine 2261 And Lassen Volcanic Park engines 76 and 701 and Battalion 7. The engines parked as close to the fire as possible, while the crews parked further from the scene and marched in.
Although it was a drill, the firefighters were dealing with a live fire and had to contain it. The incident commander briefed the crews and directed them to use an anchor-and-flank strategy, which involves building a barrier around the sides of the fire to prevent spreading. Engine crews put in hose lays and set up pumping systems to help extinguish the flames while hand crews dug fire lines, raked potentially flammable forest debris, and used chainsaws to cut large dead and downed woody debris that could serve as potential fuel sources.
“It’s common for firefighters to be stressed on the scene, but they know they must stay aware, remain calm, and have a clear mind to get the job done quickly and safety,” said Sanchez.
Fifteen acres were ignited for the drill and called contained at 23 acres six hours later.
