For over two weeks, angry flames have scorched parts of central Idaho. Now that region is dialing up some help from Central Pennsylvania.
“I am just nervous for the unknown, excited,” said Forest firefighter Su Ann Shupp.
It’s the first time deployment for Shupp. As an ecological specialist, she knows the environment. But a wildfire environment is a whole new experience.
“Eight to 10 hours a day spending creating a fire break or cleaning up or mop up after a fire has gone through the area,” said Shupp.
“It’s dirty. It’s long days, steep hills. They are in the field all day long,” said Wildfire Operations Chief Mike Kern.
The 40 volunteers from Pennsylvania began saddling up this morning in Dauphin County, preparing for the tough conditions ahead. Once the boots hit the ground, it will be at least 14 long days of work.
We do a lot of training and preparation for this type of thing,” said David Warfel, crew boss for one of two 20-man Pennsylvania firefighting teams.
Fourteen days worth of equipment has to fit into a bag that weighs no more than 55 pounds of bag. That bag includes everything you need from clothes to survival stuff. A 20 pound line pack goes on the back for up to 10 miles of hiking a day.
“It’s very steep and rugged with very heavy timber,” Kern said.
That heavy timber is adding fuel to the flames. The Lodgepole fire has been burning since July 20 and is only 40 percent contained, scorching over 20,000 acres.
“It is contained up to a certain percentage and we are going to go out there and help that out,” Shupp said.
That help will include both fire fighting and fire protection. But the most important thing is safety. After the tragic loss of 19 firefighters in Arizona in June, coming home alive is mission number one.
“Everybody is responsible. We go out as a 20 person crew, we come back as a 20 person crew,” said Warfel.
There are about 300 forest firefighters in Pennsylvania. They go on deployments on a rotating basis.