Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire I was in a BLM/Rancher Firefight in Nevada

As a matter of fact, I've been in a lot of them where rancher and BLM were on the same side, like the one below.



A wildfire in Nevada was heading for a remote ranch where two firefighters had just been seriously burned trying to save it. There was a group of Alaska Smokejumpers and Boise Smokejumpers (both BLM bases) standing by in a nearby Winnemucca, Nevada. For some reason, instead of us parachuting to the fire they sent us by van. When we got close the "civilian" driver saw the flames whipping across the road and decided she wasn't getting paid enough, so one of the jumpers took the wheel and we drove through the narrow flame front and got to the ranch shortly before the fire hit.

The only sensible option was to back fire, so that's what we did. The bright red dot in the extreme lower left in the above photo is one of the fusees we were using to light the backfire. Luckily it worked perfectly and we managed to hold the line. The rancher lady hugged each of us with tears running down her cheeks. The ten of us secured four more miles of fireline that night. We worked that day, all night, and until 8 PM the next day, a 35 hour shift.

We got our butts kicked plenty of times as well. I took the shot below from the plane just before we jumped this Nevada fire. We ended up dragging all our gear into a clearing as the fire burned all around us.



There are, no doubt, plenty of buffoons in the federal government, but there is also a whole lot of people trying to do a good job for the public. In considering the federal government, it's important not to throw out the baby with the bathwater.

Smokejumping

Good post.

God Bless and Keep ALL of you and your crews, Mister.

May you always be upwind, and have the wind at your back when lighting off those potentially treachorous BFs.

May Cool fresh Water be yours always, and Teeth achingly COLD beer be found at your R & R sites.

May your nose be clear of the mornings, and the first crap you spit out not too dark.

Been a LOT of years since I worked on a fireline, and never jumped,

...can damned sure rlate to your job, though.

BRAVO !

GTC

\
mighty good post

Actually, I feel sorry for the good folks who work for the govt, cuz when it come to them or the politicians, I know who will get thrown under the bus.

Dang allergies.

Good post Buck.

Go on any new adventures?

A positive note, on the 'fire, about the .gov?

Someone alert Ripley's!

Buck, thanks for your time and efforts.

No doubt. Same with cops. Same with...teachers.

Just read Young Men and Fire by Norman Maclean a few months ago. Brave men, sad story.

Thanks for your service Buck.

that was a great book! His son followed it with "fire on the mountain" about the South Canyon tragedy in 1994.

Sycamore

It was by the Bundy Ranch.

Good on you and all your kind! Great job!

Great post! My Dad packed out smokejumpers in central Idaho in the mid 50s'. That fostered his love for mules and dislike for horses.

If you're ever in the Ely, NV area we'll buy your crew a brew.

Interesting site on Nev wildfire issues, Smoked Bear LLC, not sure how to post the link.

Thanks folks!

My smokejumper days are over. Nobody owes me any thanks although I appreciate the sentiment nonetheless. It was a great job and it left me with many good memories and friends.

?????

pretty hard to fight a fire in creosote bush and cheat grass. If started, it would be in the next state before anyone got there.

With the grazing, and the 6" annual rainfall, probably not enough fuel to carry a fire around Bundy ranch.

I have seem sign of a fire up on Grand Wash Bench, looked like it went fast, through the blackbrush and cholla.

nothing to fight, really, just watch it go.

Sycamore

Great post Sir, those crews don't get near the recognition they deserve. I fought some minor wildfires down here as a volly with the PC-CH VFD as a very young man. Those folks that do the big ones have all my admiration, I was NEVER even near their class of FF!

Great job, Buck. Respect.