- Title: At annual training, firefighters 'feeling good' for California wildfire season
- Date: 3rd May 2022
- Summary: PAYNES CREEK, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (MAY 3, 2022) (Reuters) VARIOUS DRONE SHOTS SHOWING CALFIRE FIREFIGHTERS CUTTING LINES ON HILLSIDE AS PART OF TRAINING (MUTE) VARIOUS OF KEVIN COLBURN, CALFIRE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER FOR TEHAMA GLENN UNIT, WITH COLLEAGUES (SOUNDBITE) (English) KEVIN COLBURN, CALFIRE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER FOR TEHAMA GLENN UNIT, SAYING: "So this week we have the annual Ishi crew exercises. It’s our crew preparedness drills. The purpose of the drills is to make sure our fire crews are proficient in their skills for when they're out fighting fires." VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS BEGINNING HIKE TIMELAPSE SHOWING START OF HIKE (MUTE) (SOUNDBITE) (English) KEVIN COLBURN, CALFIRE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER FOR TEHAMA GLENN UNIT, SAYING: "So the fire crews – there are multiple components that go along with the crew exercises. It starts with tool out where the crews actually, they get out of their bus, they grab their tools, they simulate air tanker drops. Additionally, they're asked questions as far as standard firefighting order, situations to watch out (for). After that they go do a shelter deployment. So it’s a practice shelter deployment to make sure they can deploy their shelters successfully in case they're overrun by fires. Once that’s complete, then they go on a hike and at the end of the hike they have a 300 foot line cut where they have to cut line and everything is graded." FIRE OFFICIALS OVERLOOKING HILLSIDE WHERE HIKES AND LINE CUTS TAKE PLACE VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS ON HIKE VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS STARTING TO CUT LINE (SOUNDBITE) (English) KEVIN COLBURN, CALFIRE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER FOR TEHAMA GLENN UNIT, SAYING: "It’s important because the crews, they do need to be proficient in their skills for various reasons. They need to be in shape. They need to be able to use their tools successfully, and basically know their job." VARIOUS DRONE SHOTS SHOWING CALIFORNIA NATIONAL GUARD FIREFIGHTERS CUTTING LINES (MUTE) VARIOUS OF MISTY CALVO, FIREFIGHTER 1 IN CALFIRE TEHAMA GLENN UNIT VALLEY VIEW FIRE CENTER, GRABBING GEAR (SOUNDBITE) (English) MISTY CALVO, FIREFIGHTER 1 IN CALFIRE TEHAMA GLENN UNIT VALLEY VIEW FIRE CENTER, SAYING: "We got a good kudos. They said our line looked good. It was clean. We had no deductions on our line, so that's always a great positive, knowing that we're training well and that when we get out there, knowing that we're putting out good line. The hike went (unintelligible). We all did good. We all stayed together and pushed each other and motivated each other." VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS OUTSIDE TRUCK CALFIRE LOGO ON TRUCK (SOUNDBITE) (English) MISTY CALVO, FIREFIGHTER 1 IN CALFIRE TEHAMA GLENN UNIT VALLEY VIEW FIRE CENTER, SAYING: "With how we got critiqued and just from what our superiors said, we're feeling pretty good. We didn't have any deductions. So feeling good about this fire season, going in feeling prepared and ready, knowing we can do our job to the best of our abilities." CALFIRE TRUCK PULLING UP TO STOP VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS DURING A TOOL-OUT EXERCISE IN WHICH THEY EXIT THE VEHICLE, GRAB GEAR AND GET IN LINE VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS HOLDING TOOLS AND SETTING TOOLS ON GROUND FIREFIGHTERS HITTING GROUND DURING AIR TANKER DROP SIMULATION OFFICIALS INSPECTING CREW VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS DURING FIRE SHELTER DEPLOYMENT OFFICIALS INSPECTING CREW MORE VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS DURING FIRE SHELTER DEPLOYMENT
- Embargoed: 17th May 2022 23:55
- Keywords: CalFire CalFire training California California wildfires climate change firefighter training
- Location: PAYNES CREEK, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- City: PAYNES CREEK, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Disaster/Accidents,United States,Wildfires/Forest Fires
- Reuters ID: LVA001559003052022RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Nearly two dozen firefighter crews gathered in Paynes Creek, California, on Tuesday (May 3) for the annual Ishi Conservation Camp Preparedness Exercise, a three-day training event hosted by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire).
The crews arrive on-site and immediately face inspection as they collect their gear and face questions on firefighting techniques, tools and more.
“The purpose of the drills is to make sure our fire crews are proficient in their skills when they’re out fighting fires,†said Kevin Colburn, a public information officer with CalFire’s Tehama Glenn Unit.
California’s wildfires are as destructive as ever. The past two years have seen the biggest wildfires in state history. In 2021, the Dixie Fire burned more than 963,000 acres, while in 2020 the August Complex Fire consumed more than 1 million acres.
This year’s training involved the highest number of crews in the event’s 37-year history. Twenty crews, including various CalFire units, California Conservation Corps (CCC), and the California National Guard.
During inspection, firefighters also simulate air tanker drops, which are frequently used during wildfires.
Officials also inspect the fire shelters, which are then deployed as part of the training.
Firefighters then embark on a timed three-mile hike after which they are instructed to cut a 300-foot line on a hillside.
Line cutting is a firefighting practice designed to create a perimeter around the fire to contain it. Factors for determining the size of the line include fuels and weather.
Misty Calvo, a firefighter from CalFire’s Tehama Glenn Unit at the Valley View Fire Center, is in her second year as a firefighter. She was assigned to scrapes, cleaning up the line and removing all the debris toward the back of the line.
"We got a good kudos. They said our line looked good. It was clean. We had no deductions on our line. That's always a great positive, knowing that we're training well and that when we get out there, knowing that we're putting out good line,†Calvo said afterwards.
“With how we got critiqued and just from what our superiors said, we're feeling pretty good. We didn't have any deductions. So feeling good about this fire season, going in feeling prepared and ready, knowing we can do our job to the best of our abilities."
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