Away We Go!!!!

Yep thats right we are off again......but it is not to the zaca fire!!!!!! Yes I am pretty amazed by this fact since the fire is still burning but nope we got a different order


it was really weird that we got this order because technically we weren't even back available for fires yet but hey I am not complaining.

Where are we off to you may ask????????

IDAHO!!!

yep we are finally leaving this state!!! As of right now we are not assigned to one fire in particular we are just going there so they have extra crews on hand...most likely as we get closer they will assign us to whatever fire need resources the most.

The best part is that it is a two day drive and that means a hotel stay...so by the time most of you read this I will be on my way to Idaho.



Talk to you all in about 2 weeks

adios!!!

ZACA...the little fire that wouldn't go out

Oh where do I start....I guess with a picture would be a good thing


I got a little bored this day and decided to take a panoramic photo of the helibase where we were waiting to get on a helicopter. The fire is currently blowing up and it turns out we didn't go in to the fire this day since what we were supposed to do didn't make sense anymore...this was also the day that they started putting evacuation orders into effect for an area that has homes near the helibase

Well we thought we had the Zaca fire almost contained but Zaca had other plans and those plans included blowing over containment lines and making more work for the rest of us.

I just got home from spending another 14 days on this fire...this run was a little different than some of the others to this fire....we got the chance to spend some days stagging and waiting to see what the fire did. This fire keeps "blowing up" as we call it which means that it makes big runs certain days and pretty much does its own thing. There are lots of stategies and plans for this fire but everyday something seems to happen and those plans change. I dont think this fire will be out until it gets rained on which could be a while...right now it is just burning brush that needs to burn but it does have the potential to head towards Santa Barbabra. ....At any rate I can see use going back there again.

I am ok with going back since we have been getting lots of overtime from this fire and also because sometimes it stuff like this happens


Also I am just finishing up having three paid days off...why haven't I posted sooner you ask...well that is because I have been at the beach enjoying myself and getting a tan.
My roommate Jessica and I drove to the coast and had a couple of nice relaxing days....our goal was to become golden brown...not sure if we succeeded but I didn't get burnt so that is good..






all right here are more pictures



In the first photo the saw teams are working their way thru the thick brush










Next is the smoke column from when we were hanging out that the helibase waiting to find out if we were flying into a helispot










Fire running up to a dozer line.. .the line is meant to stop the fire, this one pretty much did only a few slop overs that had to be taken care of hte next day.....we were about a mile or more away watching this.....we were up a lot higher so we had a good view






















Here is the column of smoke building behind us it was really interesting to watch all the different columns build up and try to pull other ones in....it was like everything around us was burning although we could only see a small part of it...dont worry we were sitting in a black burned area so we weren't at risk of getting burnt up.







Later that night we slept up on a helispot and had a good view of all the fire around us. Yes I took lots of pictures this time, there was lots of fire activity all around us and some






























Finnaly here is what you have all been waiting for a picture of me. yes I am dirty..we had been spiking out for 3 days which means sleeping out on the fire line...anyway when we got back to the helibase I had a nice dirt line going on. Dont worry I washed it off right after the picture was taken!