2. 2009

Crazy Mountain Complex Fire - Circle, Alaska

An engine crew assignment on a portion of a 500,000 acre fire complex in Circle, Alaska. We were on this fire for two weeks, total.
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It is the norm when working a forestry assignment to not know what is going on, and to spend a lot of time waiting for someone to figure it all out. John Atwell sits patiently before we find out what fire we are actually going to.
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It is the norm when working a forestry assignment to not know what is going on, and to spend a lot of time waiting for someone to figure it all out. John Atwell sits patiently before we find out what fire we are actually going to.

CMSFDCrazy Mountain ComplexFirefightingAlaskaJohn Atwell2009

  • Originally on this assignment this was the truck we were to take, one of Central's new type 1 engines. Plans changed early on and we took Brush 62, a type 6, instead.
  • Several engines embarked from Mat-Su forestry as a group, including our Brush 62, Willow's Brush 12-1-1, and two type 3 brush trucks from Chugiak.
  • Steven stocks up Brush 12-1-1's supply of water before we hit the road.
  • It is the norm when working a forestry assignment to not know what is going on, and to spend a lot of time waiting for someone to figure it all out. John Atwell sits patiently before we find out what fire we are actually going to.
  • John Atwell reflected in the lenses of Gary's sunglasses, still waiting for word on where we will be going. It wound up being the next day before we actually hit the road.
  • Passing through Nenana, we got to see a little of the action on the Rail Belt fire which has been burning for a large part of the summer. Here, a bucket drop passes over our heads enroute to the fire.
  • A heavy smoke column can be seen a few miles from the highway on the Railbelt fire, and the air is filled with smoke from quite a few large fires across the state.
  • Leaving the pavement behind on the Steese Highway, we were happy to be in the lead. 100 miles of dirt road, and it still makes the list of Alaska's state highways.
  • Our main goal on this fire was protection of structures in the town of Circle, a tiny town on the edge of the Yukon River. Fortunately, the fire never came close and even the few structures out of town near the fire itself were saved.
  • A large map of the area shows the fires burning on this complex. For perspective, the Bluff Creek fire that we worked, just below the "Briefing" sign, is 42,000 acres.
  • Briefing takes place each morning, and the heads of various crews working the fire get their assignments for the day.
  • Danny Clemons checks out the workings atop the truck on he first day on the fire.
  • A forestry crew works to start a Mark III pump at a small pond which made a convenient water supply.
  • Danny and John wait for the water works to start to top off our tank.
  • Smoky haze covers the country for literally hundreds of miles all around. Some days were a bit more clear than others.
  • A hand crew works with the water we supplied to put out some hotspots.
  • School buses were contracted to haul the many hand crews around the fireground.
  • Danny Clemons relaxes for a moment while John fills fedcos for a crew.
  • We dropped a few loads of water beside the road for crews working in the brush.
  • Danny and John fill a fedco for a crew member as a forestry engine approaches through the smoke.
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