Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Lillooet Fire Complex




Just back from 4 days at Lake Koocanusa and off immediately for Lillooet to build helipads. Pad building is something that I always look forward to. Usually there is some type of time clock on you from an irate fire boss, fire activity below is in the back of your head as you see plumes of smoke rise through the day, and it always separates you from the pack with your ability to get trees on the ground. No cold trailing through old burns, no soot or ash in my lungs (black boogers), and only saw dust and sweat at the end of my shift to brush from my hardhat. The immediate concept is to fly into an otherwise inaccessible area and rappel in to a location that we think is appropriate (semi-level or something approaching it). We scout the area and try to locate two large trees perpendicular to the slope, 14' apart from one another, and free from defects (cat-face or other obvious structure deficiencies). These we save until the end, and fall everything else for a 100' diameter from pad centre. Using materials that are already on the ground, we lug, curse, and heave 16-20' logs towards the centre and begin construction. From year to year, I always forget fires, but always remember the pads we built and the teamwork it took to get it in place.

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