For this weeks blog I watched three videos from class and chose to compare and contrast them to each other and class material. The first video I watched was “Becoming a Wildland Firefighter”. This video went over the procedures and drills that made up a new wildland firefighter’s initial training. It breezed through the types of tools and tactics that are employed at fire scenes as well as explained the expectations that come about when you decide this career path. Based on readings, the notes from class, and general knowledge of the destructive power of fire itself it is no small feat to make this career choice.
The second video I watched was the “Pioneer Fire Salvage on the Boise Idaho Forest”. This video goes over the different some of the post fire operations that occur to restore forest areas and the natural environment. This could be reforestation, salvation logging efforts, breaking up soil, etc. It goes on to explain that salvation logging money often goes back into the funds for other projects that may be required in the future for that site to maintain a healthy reforestation and habitat. Though it should be noted that from this weeks presentation salvation logging efforts are not always profitable based on the type and age of the trees that are being logged.
The final video I watched was the “Cow Fire: Proactive Fire Management in Action”. This video pertained to how the Cow Fire actually created a better forest ecosystem that allowed for better fire management and fighting in the future. When it was ignited monitoring and discussions about the impact, current and future, were ongoing and changing the whole time the fire burned keeping the flow of information constantly up to date. Due to this flow of information, containment lines and the fact that fire activity in other regions were low, this fire was able to be treated as a prescribed burn, though its ignition was unplanned. Based on the constant flow of information and available resources this fire, I believe, is a great indicator of how fire management can be done in a safe and productive way for people and the environment.
2 replies on “Week 2 Blog Post”
Hi Madison,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about the various videos. I will have to check out the first video you mentioned. I think that we often can take for granted what firefighters actually go through. A family friend of ours works for Redding Fire Department in California and has been faced with devastating fires for the past two years. He is forced to leave his family for weeks on end. I think that videos like the one you described can show us how hard firefighters work and how thankful we should be that we have them. Great work!
Hi Madison,
I didn’t watch the Cow fire video last week, but your discussion intrigued me, so I just went back to watch it. I really enjoyed it because it shows how much we have learned about fire in the nearly 100-years since William Greeley’s light burning article we read last week. This video also ties directly to John Bailey’s lectures from the fall term where we discussed using natural fire to treat areas that are prone to burn. Even with the knowledge I have on the subject, I fully recognize the risk that goes into those decisions. I’m glad the fire worked in their favor. Do you think there should be windows of opportunity during a fire season that we use more fires like this? And why do you think we do not use more fire in this capacity on the west side of Oregon? Thanks for the post.