Favorable Weather Conditions Allows for Insertion of Firefighters above Stehekin

Helispot constructed on ridge above Pioneer Fire

information released, Photos courtesy of Derek Sams, Division Supervisor, and Matt Fox, Remote Emergency Medical Responder

Yesterday, after a very thorough review of the expected weather forecast, fire behavior, and safety risk, a helicopter inserted two firefighters using their short-haul capability onto the ridge between Boulder Creek and Rainbow Creek about 4,000 feet above Stehekin.

This new strategy is not always available, but when conditions align it can provide an opportunity to place firefighters in critical locations. The two firefighters successfully cut trees and removed brush to construct a landing zone for a Type 3 helicopter to transport additional firefighters to the area. This area is currently lined with fire retardant but needs water bucket drops to keep the fire from spreading.

This landscape is what firefighters call “jackstrawed”: dead and down debris is piled atop other dead and down debris, making a thick and challenging landscape for firefighting. Boots on the ground are needed – retardant and water cannot find all the hot spots that may be under logs, inside logs, in the root systems or buried under debris.

Depending on safety considerations, expected weather conditions, and expected fire behavior, additional firefighters will be transported to the ridge via this newly constructed helispot to further secure the fireline.