FIREFIGHTERS

[Quick Draw]

I just heard on the news that two firefighters were killed fighting a fire in central Idaho. Here's the story from Komo 4 news website.
"SALMON, IDAHO - Two firefighters died Tuesday night when they were overrun by flames on the 1,000-acre Cramer fire in the Salmon-Challis National Forest near Salmon, Idaho, KBCI-TV reported.

Spokeswoman Jennifer Rabuck said the "helitack" firefighters were just doing their jobs when an unexpected fire run overtook them.

The deaths are the first wildfire-related fatalities in Idaho this year.

The names of the crew members haven't been released.

Helitack crews travel by helicopter to provide initial attack response to wild land fires incidents. They deal with the most remote, steep, and smoky environments.

All firefighters are being taken off the fire line for safety reasons.

The blaze in the national forest was sparked by lightning Sunday night. It rapidly advanced from its original 220 acres to about 1,000 acres Tuesday.

Large fires in Montana and Idaho were extremely active Tuesday due to hot temperatures, low humidity and windy conditions. The Hot Creek fire in central Idaho grew rapidly from about 30 acres at noon to 4,000 acres by early evening.

A fire weather watch is in place Wednesday for increasing winds, low humidity and isolated thunderstorms in northern Idaho and western Montana."

I hope that the fires this year will clame no more lives. It is truely sad.
Quick Draw

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 07-23-2003 18:23: Message edited by: Quick Draw ]</font>

 

[FLIPPER]

Man I hate to hear this

BTW...what state is Russ,[ELKCHSR] working in ??

 

[Elkhunter]

I don't know. He just dissapeared. I hope he is OK.

 

[trophy_killer]

Dang that's a bummer!! Good thing I wasn't 18 and living there right now I could have been one of them!! I know that one of the firefighters was a local guy named Jeff Allen and they were both young guys out there. My prayers are with the families of them two.

 

[Mini Moose]

Now I am all worried because i have alot of friends that are out fighting fires this summer and i only know where one of them is at, fire is to dangerous to be jumping out of a helicopter to stop it. If i prayed my prayers would go to the families and friends but since i don't someone else pray for me

 

[Quick Draw]

I like fire and everything but not enough to jump out of a helicopter to try and put it out. That is just crazyness.
Quick Draw

 

[Mojave]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Firefighters are my heros.

 

[Oak]

An all too common occurance. Stories like this are just another reason to "let 'em burn". There isn't a tree or a house out in the woods worth a human life.

Oak

 

[Ithaca 37]

The shame of these fatal accidents is that these fires usually don't need to be fought. They get put out now and most of them will be burning again in another year or two because there's so much fuel there. The only practical way to solve the problem is to let them burn as nature intended.

 

[ELKCHSR]

Hello all..
I am back for a couple of day's...
Sorry I wasn't able to let any one know of my quick exit, but duty called in the form of a fire just north of Helena and I didn't have much time to do any thing but grab my gear bag and get out of Dodge, so to speak.
I will watch myself, I don't want my epitath put on this board for many years, if it is still alive and well by then...
I still have not heard of the particulars from the deaths on the fire in the Salmon area, but will forward on the info when I get it....
Russ..