1 00:00:14,881 --> 00:00:16,916 [♪♪♪] 2 00:00:17,050 --> 00:00:19,352 [train horn blowing] 3 00:00:22,722 --> 00:00:24,190 [thunderclap] 4 00:00:28,928 --> 00:00:30,663 [thunderclap] 5 00:00:40,540 --> 00:00:44,344 [♪♪♪] 6 00:00:54,788 --> 00:00:58,625 [♪♪♪] 7 00:00:58,758 --> 00:01:00,693 [phone ringing] 8 00:01:01,961 --> 00:01:04,497 [phone ringing] 9 00:01:04,631 --> 00:01:05,965 [woman] Good morning, Southeast Fire Centre. 10 00:01:06,099 --> 00:01:07,534 [man] Yeah, hi. There's a lot of smoke, 11 00:01:07,667 --> 00:01:10,003 um, just right now, coming, uh, into town... 12 00:01:10,136 --> 00:01:11,671 [man] This is Fire Centre, go ahead. 13 00:01:11,805 --> 00:01:13,973 [man] Yeah, hi. I see a... a lot of smoke 14 00:01:14,107 --> 00:01:16,509 coming off on, uh... on-- just on the side-- 15 00:01:16,643 --> 00:01:17,677 [woman] Good morning, Southeast Fire Centre. 16 00:01:17,811 --> 00:01:18,978 [man] Hi, I'm calling in about smoke we can see 17 00:01:19,112 --> 00:01:21,114 across the Valley from our house. 18 00:01:21,247 --> 00:01:23,216 -I woke up and looked-- -[man] Hello, Fire Centre. 19 00:01:23,349 --> 00:01:24,684 [woman] There's a fire on the mountain 20 00:01:24,818 --> 00:01:26,119 just outside town! 21 00:01:26,252 --> 00:01:27,887 [man] I think it might be a fire. 22 00:01:28,021 --> 00:01:29,289 It's under... 23 00:01:29,422 --> 00:01:30,356 [radio announcer] You're listening to COOP Radio. 24 00:01:30,490 --> 00:01:31,691 If you're on the way to work 25 00:01:31,825 --> 00:01:32,725 you might have noticed 26 00:01:32,859 --> 00:01:34,127 a lot of smoke in the air this morning 27 00:01:34,260 --> 00:01:36,129 and planes buzzing overhead. 28 00:01:36,262 --> 00:01:38,331 Turns out there's a fire just outside of town. 29 00:01:38,465 --> 00:01:40,300 It's already got water bombers on the scene 30 00:01:40,433 --> 00:01:41,201 and the province has issued... 31 00:01:41,334 --> 00:01:44,070 We're going to check out Sitkum 2023, 32 00:01:44,204 --> 00:01:46,906 an area that's burned a least four times 33 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:50,543 in my time working at the Kootenay Lake fire zone. 34 00:01:50,677 --> 00:01:53,012 There was a lightning strike on the hillside 35 00:01:53,146 --> 00:01:54,013 just north of Nelson. 36 00:01:54,147 --> 00:01:56,015 It's highly visible 37 00:01:56,149 --> 00:01:57,517 to everybody living along the lakefront, 38 00:01:57,650 --> 00:02:00,086 and, basically, the entire community. 39 00:02:00,220 --> 00:02:01,154 [airplane engine overhead] 40 00:02:01,287 --> 00:02:02,455 When assessing fires, 41 00:02:02,589 --> 00:02:06,926 you measure its potential risk to what we consider values, 42 00:02:07,060 --> 00:02:09,762 life and property being the most important, 43 00:02:09,896 --> 00:02:12,432 so these fires will be a higher priority. 44 00:02:16,503 --> 00:02:17,704 Hopefully, we get our unit crew 45 00:02:17,837 --> 00:02:19,873 and the resources that were requested last night, 46 00:02:20,006 --> 00:02:22,408 but it's pretty tight province-wide right now, 47 00:02:22,542 --> 00:02:25,411 so we're basically, like, triaging, 48 00:02:25,545 --> 00:02:27,780 and, like, pulling all of our crews off of fires 49 00:02:27,914 --> 00:02:29,048 that are deeper back country 50 00:02:29,182 --> 00:02:30,583 that we were putting out before, 51 00:02:30,717 --> 00:02:31,918 and just working on stuff like that, 52 00:02:32,051 --> 00:02:33,019 like, front country. 53 00:02:41,694 --> 00:02:47,834 [♪♪♪] 54 00:03:14,294 --> 00:03:16,329 [Lee-Anne] In the past, 55 00:03:16,462 --> 00:03:19,065 we were able to put crews on pretty much every start, 56 00:03:19,199 --> 00:03:20,500 regardless of where it was, 57 00:03:20,633 --> 00:03:22,068 because we didn't have these massive fires 58 00:03:22,201 --> 00:03:23,970 that took up all the resources, 59 00:03:24,103 --> 00:03:27,740 and we would put everything out that we would find, 60 00:03:27,874 --> 00:03:28,641 whereas now, it's, like, 61 00:03:28,775 --> 00:03:30,577 so many more fires on the landscape, 62 00:03:30,710 --> 00:03:34,447 we're unable to suppress all of them. 63 00:03:34,581 --> 00:03:36,115 When you become a response officer, 64 00:03:36,249 --> 00:03:37,517 that's what you're doing, 65 00:03:37,650 --> 00:03:40,186 you're--you're coordinating response of helicopters, 66 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:41,621 aircraft crews. 67 00:03:41,754 --> 00:03:43,323 I can do it either from the field, 68 00:03:43,456 --> 00:03:45,658 which is the response-officer piece, 69 00:03:45,792 --> 00:03:48,661 or the, uh, ZWCO-- 70 00:03:48,795 --> 00:03:50,697 or, Zone Wildfire Coordination Office. 71 00:03:50,830 --> 00:03:52,632 I prefer the field. 72 00:03:52,765 --> 00:03:54,100 I'm not quite fully into the office yet. 73 00:03:59,572 --> 00:04:01,474 [door alert tone chiming] 74 00:04:02,275 --> 00:04:06,312 I'm gonna head out with Mitch, the other response officer, 75 00:04:06,446 --> 00:04:10,149 to discuss tactics and potential resourcing. 76 00:04:10,283 --> 00:04:13,620 You're on day, what, 13, 14? 77 00:04:13,753 --> 00:04:14,621 15. 78 00:04:14,754 --> 00:04:15,488 Yeah, so... 79 00:04:15,622 --> 00:04:16,189 I'm, like-- I'm reset, 80 00:04:16,322 --> 00:04:18,391 but I think you're at... 81 00:04:18,524 --> 00:04:19,025 I should shotgun this... 82 00:04:19,158 --> 00:04:21,894 You still can. 83 00:04:22,028 --> 00:04:24,163 We, uh, gotta get going. 84 00:04:24,297 --> 00:04:25,898 -Um... -Are you in front or am I? 85 00:04:26,032 --> 00:04:27,300 No, I was thinking, you should probably do it 86 00:04:27,433 --> 00:04:30,203 until we do a changeover, kinda, proper. 87 00:04:30,336 --> 00:04:31,371 [Mitch] I agree, 88 00:04:31,504 --> 00:04:32,672 I just didn't wanna steal your thunder. 89 00:04:32,805 --> 00:04:34,307 Well, I didn't wanna steal 90 00:04:32,805 --> 00:04:34,307 your thunder. 91 00:04:46,185 --> 00:04:47,654 [woman] Copy that. 92 00:04:57,130 --> 00:04:57,964 [Mitch] Yeah. 93 00:05:10,310 --> 00:05:11,577 [Lee-Anne] It looks like it started 94 00:05:11,711 --> 00:05:13,713 kind of on the northeast corner, 95 00:05:13,846 --> 00:05:17,083 and spread up to the ridge and back down the gulley, 96 00:05:17,216 --> 00:05:18,584 so that's where we'll pinch it off, 97 00:05:18,718 --> 00:05:21,187 up high, up on the ridge, where it's flat. 98 00:05:21,321 --> 00:05:22,455 [Mitch] Yeah. 99 00:05:24,357 --> 00:05:25,191 [Lee-Anne] It looks like we're gonna need 100 00:05:25,324 --> 00:05:26,292 multiple rounds of airtankers, 101 00:05:26,426 --> 00:05:28,094 some medium bucket support. 102 00:05:28,227 --> 00:05:31,564 I think this fire's well beyond initial attack, 103 00:05:31,698 --> 00:05:33,366 so we'll need a unit crew in here as well. 104 00:06:02,295 --> 00:06:04,030 What a mess. 105 00:06:11,304 --> 00:06:15,541 [♪♪♪] 106 00:06:19,812 --> 00:06:23,616 [radio] Fire Centre, Echo-Papa-X-ray. 107 00:06:25,952 --> 00:06:29,389 [Dan] An A.T.R. is an "Air Tanker Request". 108 00:06:30,957 --> 00:06:31,624 Airtanker requests 109 00:06:31,758 --> 00:06:32,825 can be generated one of two ways. 110 00:06:32,959 --> 00:06:35,528 Echo, we a new target on the board, 111 00:06:35,661 --> 00:06:39,298 fire number Q-025354. 112 00:06:39,432 --> 00:06:40,500 [Dan] They're either generated 113 00:06:40,633 --> 00:06:42,201 from the people in the field, 114 00:06:42,335 --> 00:06:44,203 or someone in the zone, or a fire centre. 115 00:06:44,337 --> 00:06:47,840 I use the example of a ground crew out in the field 116 00:06:47,974 --> 00:06:50,276 arriving on the scene of the fire, 117 00:06:50,410 --> 00:06:53,379 recognizing that this fire has some potential, 118 00:06:53,513 --> 00:06:55,882 and saying, "Hey, you know what, we're gonna need-- 119 00:06:56,015 --> 00:06:57,650 we're gonna need some additional support," 120 00:06:57,784 --> 00:06:58,418 so they'll get on the radio, 121 00:06:58,551 --> 00:07:00,353 they will call the Fire Centre 122 00:07:00,486 --> 00:07:02,822 and ask for an airtanker request. 123 00:07:02,955 --> 00:07:06,859 B launch route 5 of Kamloops 124 00:07:06,993 --> 00:07:10,663 to Kilo-25354. 125 00:07:12,198 --> 00:07:13,332 Logistics, this is Central. 126 00:07:13,466 --> 00:07:16,302 Can we please launch BC-5 off of Kamloops 127 00:07:16,435 --> 00:07:18,971 to Kilo-25354. 128 00:07:19,372 --> 00:07:24,977 Okay, I'm launching BC-5 off of Kamloops to Kilo-25354. 129 00:07:25,111 --> 00:07:28,347 [Dan] That information will generate an email, 130 00:07:28,481 --> 00:07:30,983 then that's sent off to the entire crew 131 00:07:31,117 --> 00:07:32,485 that's expected to go, 132 00:07:32,618 --> 00:07:33,419 so that would be myself, 133 00:07:33,553 --> 00:07:36,422 all of the associated pilots, 134 00:07:36,556 --> 00:07:39,859 the loaders that are on base that load the aircraft, 135 00:07:39,992 --> 00:07:40,860 the mechanics-- 136 00:07:40,993 --> 00:07:42,895 everybody's basically in the loop. 137 00:07:43,029 --> 00:07:44,831 The response of the folks in Kamloops know, 138 00:07:44,964 --> 00:07:47,366 "Okay, everybody got the dispatch, 139 00:07:47,500 --> 00:07:50,336 and they're headed to their airplanes." 140 00:07:50,470 --> 00:07:52,405 Basically, I fly around in a fixed-wing aircraft 141 00:07:52,538 --> 00:07:54,373 directing fixed-wing tankers 142 00:07:54,507 --> 00:07:59,245 to either put a suppressant or a retardant on the ground 143 00:07:59,378 --> 00:08:00,346 to slow the fire down, 144 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:04,350 in order to help and assist the ground crews. 145 00:08:04,483 --> 00:08:07,119 I am not a pilot myself. 146 00:08:07,253 --> 00:08:09,522 I started on the ground fighting forest fires, 147 00:08:09,655 --> 00:08:11,657 and worked my way into this role. 148 00:08:12,391 --> 00:08:14,360 So I sit beside a pilot 149 00:08:14,494 --> 00:08:17,230 that has a whole bunch of training 150 00:08:17,363 --> 00:08:19,565 tied to what he does... 151 00:08:19,699 --> 00:08:21,234 Okay, right side clear of platinum plugs, 152 00:08:21,367 --> 00:08:22,535 chocks moved? 153 00:08:22,668 --> 00:08:25,771 Clear flat, no chocks, no plugs. 154 00:08:25,905 --> 00:08:27,440 [Dan] ...and the two of us basically make up 155 00:08:27,573 --> 00:08:29,308 what we call the "Bird-Dog Platform". 156 00:08:29,442 --> 00:08:31,344 Rotation. 157 00:08:47,426 --> 00:08:49,762 [fire crackling] 158 00:08:58,704 --> 00:09:00,606 [Anthony] Okay, everybody, round up. 159 00:09:03,109 --> 00:09:04,010 [man] IA as well? 160 00:09:04,143 --> 00:09:06,045 [Anthony] Yeah! Everyone, the whole shebang. 161 00:09:11,884 --> 00:09:14,587 So, we can put two at the burn. 162 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:16,422 We're all pushed over the burn, right? 163 00:09:16,556 --> 00:09:17,323 So ATV in and double-back. 164 00:09:17,456 --> 00:09:19,325 [Anthony] Before I forget-- 165 00:09:19,458 --> 00:09:20,660 well, good morning, for starters. 166 00:09:20,793 --> 00:09:24,297 I'll just chat about a few things. 167 00:09:24,430 --> 00:09:25,364 Medevac. 168 00:09:25,498 --> 00:09:29,035 If we're actually needing to fly someone out, 169 00:09:29,168 --> 00:09:32,838 it's gonna be quicker to go to the upper pad. 170 00:09:32,972 --> 00:09:36,042 Your safest zone is away from the fire, okay? 171 00:09:36,175 --> 00:09:38,844 Important that we stick to that, because... 172 00:09:38,978 --> 00:09:41,380 well, you guys know what it's like up there. 173 00:09:41,514 --> 00:09:42,715 Let's buckle down, 174 00:09:42,848 --> 00:09:45,318 and really try to get a foothold on this thing. 175 00:09:52,959 --> 00:09:53,693 [Lee-Anne] What I'm seeing on the landscape 176 00:09:53,826 --> 00:09:56,963 is so much different than it was. 177 00:09:57,096 --> 00:09:59,732 Fires are burning hotter, bigger, 178 00:09:59,865 --> 00:10:01,600 more aggressively. 179 00:10:02,601 --> 00:10:04,570 We're unable to do it, 180 00:10:04,704 --> 00:10:06,505 unable to get crews on the ground, 181 00:10:06,639 --> 00:10:08,474 it's not safe, 182 00:10:08,607 --> 00:10:10,476 so it's kinda like recognizing 183 00:10:10,610 --> 00:10:12,178 that we're in that shift right now, 184 00:10:12,311 --> 00:10:14,580 and that things are probably gonna get worse 185 00:10:14,714 --> 00:10:16,582 before they get better, 186 00:10:16,716 --> 00:10:18,884 and so, yeah, we're kind of... 187 00:10:19,018 --> 00:10:21,787 in the midst of climate change. 188 00:10:35,001 --> 00:10:37,536 So you guys are, uh, cleared in over the fire. 189 00:10:37,670 --> 00:10:39,605 Bird-Dog will be at 6,500. 190 00:10:39,739 --> 00:10:41,707 [Mitch] That's all, copy. 191 00:10:41,841 --> 00:10:42,708 Who's the Bird Dog? 192 00:10:42,842 --> 00:10:44,744 [Dan] Uh, Purcell. 193 00:10:44,877 --> 00:10:46,312 [Mitch] Roger that. 194 00:10:53,386 --> 00:10:55,588 [Lee-Anne] We're looking for cooling action, 195 00:10:55,721 --> 00:10:57,556 essentially just off our 2:00 upslope 196 00:10:57,690 --> 00:11:00,993 to hold it until ground crews get in. 197 00:11:13,072 --> 00:11:13,739 [Lee-Anne] Yeah, yeah, that's all good. 198 00:11:13,873 --> 00:11:15,975 Retardant should be successful, 199 00:11:16,108 --> 00:11:18,411 it's more of an open canopy at the top. 200 00:11:49,608 --> 00:11:51,777 136 clear. 201 00:11:52,645 --> 00:11:56,015 [Lee-Anne] So we just completed our assessment, 202 00:11:56,148 --> 00:11:59,118 and it looks like the fire's gonna require airtankers. 203 00:12:01,454 --> 00:12:03,756 [Dan] Uh, 481-137. 204 00:12:17,736 --> 00:12:19,038 [Lee-Anne] It's really important 205 00:12:19,171 --> 00:12:20,840 that they're accurate in their drops, 206 00:12:20,973 --> 00:12:23,743 'cause that can be waste if they're not good at it. 207 00:12:27,780 --> 00:12:28,514 [Lee-Anne] They nailed it. 208 00:12:28,647 --> 00:12:29,615 [Lee-Anne] Once completed, 209 00:12:29,749 --> 00:12:31,717 the sentinel unit crew can come in 210 00:12:31,851 --> 00:12:34,120 to action the fire. 211 00:12:34,820 --> 00:12:36,555 [Sentinal 1] Okay, Lee, 212 00:12:36,689 --> 00:12:38,324 I think we got everything set up 213 00:12:38,457 --> 00:12:39,992 at staging here. 214 00:12:40,126 --> 00:12:40,659 Anything else we can take care of 215 00:12:40,793 --> 00:12:43,062 before you come down? 216 00:12:43,195 --> 00:12:43,996 [Lee-Anne] No, that's all good, Anthony. 217 00:12:44,130 --> 00:12:45,731 The zone was gonna bring a couple quads 218 00:12:45,865 --> 00:12:48,400 to the bottom there at your staging, 219 00:12:48,534 --> 00:12:50,569 so that might be worthwhile, 220 00:12:50,703 --> 00:12:51,103 to get the quads up there 221 00:12:51,237 --> 00:12:53,472 at some point. 222 00:12:53,606 --> 00:12:54,006 Okay. 223 00:12:54,140 --> 00:12:56,008 Yeah, those ATVs, 224 00:12:56,142 --> 00:12:58,077 they're gonna be your best way to get around, 225 00:12:58,210 --> 00:13:00,546 so we'll make sure that we got those, 226 00:13:00,679 --> 00:13:03,415 and, uh, some water ready for you down here, 227 00:13:03,549 --> 00:13:05,084 and we'll get some heavy machines 228 00:13:05,217 --> 00:13:07,086 pushing a road in shortly. 229 00:13:07,219 --> 00:13:08,988 [Lee-Anne] Okay, sounds good. 230 00:13:10,022 --> 00:13:12,324 We'll do multiple rounds of retardant drops 231 00:13:12,458 --> 00:13:14,927 just until we're confident with that lower corner, 232 00:13:15,060 --> 00:13:16,729 but I'll let you know when it's safe for your crews 233 00:13:16,862 --> 00:13:17,663 to get back in. 234 00:13:17,797 --> 00:13:19,865 [Anthony] Okay. 235 00:13:19,999 --> 00:13:22,201 Yeah, that sounds good, Lee. 236 00:13:22,334 --> 00:13:22,968 Thanks for, uh, 237 00:13:23,102 --> 00:13:25,104 painting the picture there. 238 00:13:25,237 --> 00:13:26,338 [Lee-Anne] No problem, Tony. 239 00:13:26,472 --> 00:13:28,641 [♪♪♪] 240 00:13:36,549 --> 00:13:38,083 Are we gonna start cutting right away from here? 241 00:13:38,217 --> 00:13:42,188 -It's, uh... -It's a bit sordid. 242 00:13:47,059 --> 00:13:49,695 Just leave it 4-low, and put the parking brake on. 243 00:13:49,828 --> 00:13:52,097 and, like, twist the wheels, right, 244 00:13:52,231 --> 00:13:54,066 so it doesn't just start to slide out. 245 00:13:57,670 --> 00:13:58,804 Yeah, and then... 246 00:13:58,938 --> 00:14:00,940 we'll see, like, how far we get. 247 00:14:01,073 --> 00:14:02,741 Like, that old fire, I guess, is not that far away, 248 00:14:02,875 --> 00:14:05,277 so we might be able to connect to that. 249 00:14:05,411 --> 00:14:08,714 Where is the water coming from is the question. 250 00:14:08,847 --> 00:14:11,050 -TBD. -Yeah. 251 00:14:11,183 --> 00:14:13,018 Yeah, big TBD on that. 252 00:14:15,454 --> 00:14:18,624 -I'm gonna go start looking. -Sounds good. 253 00:14:18,757 --> 00:14:21,393 -Bye. -Bye. 254 00:14:33,706 --> 00:14:35,174 [fire crackling] 255 00:14:42,214 --> 00:14:45,084 [Laurence] We're doing what we call "D.T.A.-ing". 256 00:14:45,217 --> 00:14:47,753 It stands for "Danger Tree Assessment". 257 00:14:47,886 --> 00:14:49,922 Watch out! 258 00:14:50,055 --> 00:14:52,157 [wood splintering] 259 00:14:52,291 --> 00:14:54,593 They're called "danger tree" for a reason. 260 00:14:54,727 --> 00:14:55,828 [shouting alert] 261 00:14:55,961 --> 00:14:57,763 [Laurence] One of them can kill ya. 262 00:14:57,897 --> 00:15:00,366 Essentially, before the crews join, 263 00:15:00,499 --> 00:15:02,768 we wanna make sure that it's safe for them, 264 00:15:02,902 --> 00:15:05,337 so we, uh, send people ahead, 265 00:15:05,471 --> 00:15:06,872 and then it's all marked in orange... 266 00:15:12,845 --> 00:15:14,980 and then, as soon as we can open ground, 267 00:15:15,114 --> 00:15:17,583 then the rest of the gang can keep going. 268 00:15:20,252 --> 00:15:22,154 In the green, there's a lot of, uh, 269 00:15:22,288 --> 00:15:25,691 kind of punky, old trees that look snaggy... 270 00:15:25,824 --> 00:15:27,393 [fire crackling] 271 00:15:31,530 --> 00:15:34,633 ...and then, in here, we can see how it's all hollow, 272 00:15:34,767 --> 00:15:36,302 so, like, big shells, 273 00:15:36,435 --> 00:15:37,002 and then with the drought conditions 274 00:15:37,136 --> 00:15:39,505 we've been experiencing... 275 00:15:39,638 --> 00:15:41,473 [hacking with axe] 276 00:15:43,475 --> 00:15:45,577 ...like, the roots are just not anchored 277 00:15:45,711 --> 00:15:47,546 as if the soil was healthy, 278 00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:49,848 so we're seeing a lot more green timber 279 00:15:49,982 --> 00:15:50,816 that normally would kind of pass, 280 00:15:50,950 --> 00:15:54,219 failing, 281 00:15:54,353 --> 00:15:57,423 so it's a little bit of a tricky time at the moment. 282 00:16:02,294 --> 00:16:03,562 [Lee-Anne] From the air, 283 00:16:03,696 --> 00:16:04,863 I realize that we're gonna require heavy equipment 284 00:16:04,997 --> 00:16:07,199 to open up an old road, 285 00:16:07,333 --> 00:16:08,400 and then, we, hopefully, 286 00:16:08,534 --> 00:16:11,003 push a line along the top ridge as well, 287 00:16:11,136 --> 00:16:13,205 just to create access to the back side of the fire-- 288 00:16:13,339 --> 00:16:14,873 depending on fire behaviour, of course. 289 00:16:18,744 --> 00:16:19,611 [Sandy] Rough road. 290 00:16:19,745 --> 00:16:20,779 This is a hell of a lot better than it was. 291 00:16:20,913 --> 00:16:22,181 Christ. 292 00:16:24,083 --> 00:16:25,117 So we're just getting access 293 00:16:25,250 --> 00:16:26,919 for these boys to get up to the fire, eh? 294 00:16:27,052 --> 00:16:28,053 [man] Yeah. 295 00:16:28,187 --> 00:16:29,621 You know, then we'll smooth 'er out 296 00:16:29,755 --> 00:16:30,556 on the way down a bit, but-- 297 00:16:30,689 --> 00:16:32,591 Anyway, the first part of the road's 298 00:16:32,725 --> 00:16:34,259 probably the roughest. 299 00:16:34,393 --> 00:16:37,129 I guess we'll jump on the CAT first. 300 00:16:40,332 --> 00:16:41,433 Good thing these boys left that CAT 301 00:16:41,567 --> 00:16:43,102 in the right goddamn spot, makes it easy. 302 00:16:43,235 --> 00:16:45,471 [starting engine] 303 00:16:46,839 --> 00:16:47,840 [♪♪♪] 304 00:16:56,515 --> 00:16:58,584 The fire crews can't do bugger all 305 00:16:58,717 --> 00:16:59,752 till we get 'em access. 306 00:17:19,071 --> 00:17:21,106 Now the boys will be able to drive up 307 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:22,674 to the top of the fire. 308 00:17:22,808 --> 00:17:25,244 My granny could drive up this goddamn road now. 309 00:17:31,083 --> 00:17:32,918 [helicopter overhead] 310 00:17:33,051 --> 00:17:34,453 You always have to look up. 311 00:17:34,586 --> 00:17:36,922 It's what above ya that you gotta watch out for. 312 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:43,829 He's coming to bucket. 313 00:17:43,962 --> 00:17:45,697 Here he comes! 314 00:17:47,266 --> 00:17:48,834 Let's get out of the way. 315 00:18:11,990 --> 00:18:13,926 [helicopter departing] 316 00:18:19,298 --> 00:18:20,999 That's, uh, bang on. 317 00:18:21,133 --> 00:18:23,669 That should cool it down for a bit. 318 00:18:30,175 --> 00:18:32,077 [Lee-Anne] That's looking a lot better. 319 00:18:32,211 --> 00:18:32,978 It hasn't come down the slope at all. 320 00:18:33,112 --> 00:18:35,147 The tanker action definitely helped, 321 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:37,249 especially in that lower corner, 322 00:18:37,382 --> 00:18:40,085 and they are forecasting precip for this afternoon, 323 00:18:40,219 --> 00:18:41,520 which should really help. 324 00:18:43,989 --> 00:18:46,191 [Lee-Anne] Yeah, the rain's a real gamechanger. 325 00:18:46,325 --> 00:18:47,192 Like, realistically, 326 00:18:47,326 --> 00:18:50,128 tactics will change to direct. 327 00:18:59,638 --> 00:19:00,138 Okay. 328 00:19:00,272 --> 00:19:02,141 [engine powering down] 329 00:19:04,009 --> 00:19:04,943 Hi! How was it? 330 00:19:05,077 --> 00:19:08,113 -Hey, dawg. -Look at you! 331 00:19:08,247 --> 00:19:08,947 How's it going? 332 00:19:09,081 --> 00:19:10,082 Good. 333 00:19:10,215 --> 00:19:11,884 [rain pelting] 334 00:19:12,017 --> 00:19:12,117 Whoa, that's rain. 335 00:19:14,520 --> 00:19:15,120 I know. 336 00:19:15,254 --> 00:19:16,054 Working tomorrow? Oh, yeah. 337 00:19:16,188 --> 00:19:17,923 One more day. 338 00:19:18,056 --> 00:19:19,291 Oh, you guys have one more day? 339 00:19:19,424 --> 00:19:20,759 -Yeah. -Oh, okay. 340 00:19:20,893 --> 00:19:21,860 I thought today was it. 341 00:19:21,994 --> 00:19:22,661 That's good. 342 00:19:22,794 --> 00:19:24,396 No, 'cause we had one reg day. 343 00:19:24,530 --> 00:19:25,297 Oh, okay. 344 00:19:25,430 --> 00:19:26,098 -All right, man. -Nice. 345 00:19:26,231 --> 00:19:26,965 That was fun? 346 00:19:27,099 --> 00:19:29,668 Nice. 347 00:19:30,769 --> 00:19:33,605 Any time we get a season-ender rain event, 348 00:19:33,739 --> 00:19:35,240 I'm into it. 349 00:19:35,374 --> 00:19:37,943 It wasn't always that case, though. 350 00:19:38,076 --> 00:19:39,311 I... There was a time 351 00:19:39,444 --> 00:19:39,945 when I used to get excited about it, 352 00:19:40,078 --> 00:19:42,581 but now I'm... 353 00:19:42,714 --> 00:19:43,849 I'm over it. 354 00:19:45,050 --> 00:19:46,118 Problem is, 355 00:19:46,251 --> 00:19:49,087 we all have, like, PTSD from last season, 356 00:19:49,221 --> 00:19:51,823 where it was well into November, 357 00:19:51,957 --> 00:19:53,058 and we were still seeing fire behaviour 358 00:19:53,192 --> 00:19:56,762 that you would never expect to see, 359 00:19:56,895 --> 00:19:57,229 in November, 360 00:19:57,362 --> 00:19:59,565 in the snow, 361 00:19:59,698 --> 00:20:03,502 so, I think a lot of us are, like... 362 00:20:03,635 --> 00:20:06,171 any time we get stuff like this in our backyard, 363 00:20:06,305 --> 00:20:08,774 we're, like, "How long is this gonna last?" 364 00:20:08,907 --> 00:20:12,411 and "Are we gonna have weather that's gonna be favourable, 365 00:20:12,544 --> 00:20:16,448 or are we just gonna be battling till November again?" 366 00:20:21,053 --> 00:20:22,621 Yeah. 367 00:20:22,754 --> 00:20:24,456 [♪♪♪] 368 00:20:29,595 --> 00:20:30,963 Who's the Bird Dog? 369 00:20:37,135 --> 00:20:39,104 [Dan] Depending on what my strategy and tactic is 370 00:20:39,238 --> 00:20:41,006 with the fire, 371 00:20:41,139 --> 00:20:42,741 I've got a bunch of different options. 372 00:20:44,076 --> 00:20:46,478 Water, foam, or foamed water, 373 00:20:46,612 --> 00:20:49,781 is basically put directly on the fire 374 00:20:49,915 --> 00:20:50,582 to cool it down. 375 00:20:50,716 --> 00:20:52,217 Just like any other firefighter 376 00:20:52,351 --> 00:20:54,219 on the ground with a hose, 377 00:20:54,353 --> 00:20:55,988 they're trying to take the heat out of the fire 378 00:20:56,121 --> 00:20:56,955 with the water. 379 00:21:00,192 --> 00:21:02,194 As opposed to retardant, 380 00:21:02,327 --> 00:21:05,664 which retards the actual flame, 381 00:21:05,797 --> 00:21:08,066 so as the fire burns into it, 382 00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:09,801 it actually slows it down. 383 00:21:09,935 --> 00:21:11,236 It's a chemical change in the fuel 384 00:21:11,370 --> 00:21:13,438 that's on the ground. 385 00:21:15,474 --> 00:21:17,175 It's basically a salt fertilizer 386 00:21:17,309 --> 00:21:20,078 with a colour package in it. 387 00:21:20,212 --> 00:21:22,180 Now, I don't recommend anyone drink it, 388 00:21:22,314 --> 00:21:24,349 but, um, the information that we have, 389 00:21:24,483 --> 00:21:26,018 it's "yes" that it's non-toxic. 390 00:21:30,322 --> 00:21:32,824 So, for us, being overhead, 391 00:21:32,958 --> 00:21:34,226 looking down into a green forest, 392 00:21:34,359 --> 00:21:37,262 having that red line 393 00:21:37,396 --> 00:21:40,232 really tells us where the coverage is, 394 00:21:40,365 --> 00:21:42,968 and where we're going. 395 00:21:46,204 --> 00:21:47,172 When we're building retardant lines, 396 00:21:47,306 --> 00:21:50,542 trying to get around the entire fire, 397 00:21:50,676 --> 00:21:52,844 or trying to tie it from one anchor point 398 00:21:52,978 --> 00:21:53,512 that's not gonna burn 399 00:21:53,645 --> 00:21:55,380 to another anchor point 400 00:21:55,514 --> 00:21:57,516 that's not gonna burn. 401 00:21:57,649 --> 00:22:00,585 So, bodies of water are good ones. 402 00:22:00,719 --> 00:22:03,755 Control lines that the crews put in. 403 00:22:03,889 --> 00:22:06,792 CAT guards that the crews put in. 404 00:22:06,925 --> 00:22:09,394 These are all different anchor points that we use 405 00:22:09,528 --> 00:22:12,030 when we're building a retardant line... 406 00:22:13,031 --> 00:22:16,768 ...and it's not uncommon for a tanker to miss. 407 00:22:16,902 --> 00:22:17,669 There are a lot of different factors 408 00:22:17,803 --> 00:22:20,739 that come into play on that drop. 409 00:22:20,872 --> 00:22:23,475 [♪♪♪] 410 00:22:25,610 --> 00:22:26,878 It's tough for us, sometimes, 411 00:22:27,012 --> 00:22:30,115 to figure out how much movement a drop is gonna have 412 00:22:30,248 --> 00:22:31,316 in the wind. 413 00:22:31,450 --> 00:22:33,885 Speed can be a huge factor. 414 00:22:34,019 --> 00:22:35,454 There's so many different factors 415 00:22:35,587 --> 00:22:37,489 that can play on that particular load, 416 00:22:37,622 --> 00:22:41,093 and trying to get it exactly where you want can be-- 417 00:22:41,226 --> 00:22:42,728 it can be quite challenging and difficult. 418 00:22:51,436 --> 00:22:53,271 [Lee-Anne] A lot of the push from the public 419 00:22:53,405 --> 00:22:54,673 came to suppress fires, 420 00:22:54,806 --> 00:22:55,974 because they're scared of it. 421 00:22:56,108 --> 00:22:57,342 They don't like seeing it in their backyard, 422 00:22:57,476 --> 00:23:00,145 but if they would just understand 423 00:23:00,278 --> 00:23:02,948 that 70 years of mismanaged forests 424 00:23:03,081 --> 00:23:05,183 lead us to the state that we're in now, 425 00:23:05,317 --> 00:23:08,653 where forests need to burn. 426 00:23:08,787 --> 00:23:12,290 Massive fuel build-up, all of that, 427 00:23:12,424 --> 00:23:15,293 and that's kind of contributing to the fact 428 00:23:15,427 --> 00:23:18,697 that we are unable to put everything out now. 429 00:23:21,333 --> 00:23:23,502 Oh. 430 00:23:23,635 --> 00:23:24,636 I'm fueling it, 431 00:23:24,770 --> 00:23:26,171 but I'll let you know on the radio. 432 00:23:26,304 --> 00:23:27,873 Okay, thanks. 433 00:23:28,006 --> 00:23:30,375 Anthony, we kinda got shut down with weather 434 00:23:30,509 --> 00:23:31,810 to do the Creston flight, 435 00:23:31,943 --> 00:23:35,380 so I think we're just gonna head back to 2615 436 00:23:35,514 --> 00:23:37,215 if you wanna do a recce. 437 00:23:37,349 --> 00:23:38,550 There's a bit of a system 438 00:23:38,683 --> 00:23:40,819 that looks to the north of where we are now. 439 00:23:40,952 --> 00:23:42,387 I'm not sure if you guys are in it, 440 00:23:42,521 --> 00:23:44,222 or if it's clear. 441 00:23:47,192 --> 00:23:47,959 Okay. 442 00:23:48,093 --> 00:23:49,227 Okay, I'll chat in a bit. Okay, bye. 443 00:23:50,629 --> 00:23:52,731 So I'm just gonna drop it off. 444 00:23:52,864 --> 00:23:54,900 Well, yeah, we'll do a quick fly-by-- 445 00:23:55,033 --> 00:23:56,034 Yeah, like, a recce, 446 00:23:56,168 --> 00:23:58,637 and we can probably do what we need to do. 447 00:23:58,770 --> 00:24:00,705 And then drop this off on H2, 448 00:24:00,839 --> 00:24:02,974 which I've been assured that it's been cleared. 449 00:24:03,108 --> 00:24:03,475 Nice. 450 00:24:03,608 --> 00:24:05,844 [♪♪♪] 451 00:24:34,506 --> 00:24:36,274 [Lee-Anne] Yeah, that's affirmative. 452 00:24:47,519 --> 00:24:51,189 We need to get these bodies on the ground now. 453 00:24:51,323 --> 00:24:52,557 [Lee-Anne] Yeah, yeah, we do. 454 00:24:52,691 --> 00:24:55,060 We need to get that water source established on the south flank, 455 00:24:55,193 --> 00:24:55,994 where it's the hottest, 456 00:24:56,127 --> 00:24:57,562 then we can get some crews in there 457 00:24:57,696 --> 00:24:59,130 to attack the moving groundfire. 458 00:24:59,264 --> 00:25:02,033 And let's set up some bladders on the northwest side. 459 00:25:02,167 --> 00:25:04,302 If we can do that, we can get containment. 460 00:25:04,436 --> 00:25:07,772 -For such a little fire... -Yeah. 461 00:25:07,906 --> 00:25:08,974 ...it has a lot of challenges. 462 00:25:09,107 --> 00:25:09,875 -Yeah, -You know? 463 00:25:10,008 --> 00:25:10,909 Totally. 464 00:25:12,911 --> 00:25:14,279 [Anthony] Well, um... yeah, I've seen what I need to see. 465 00:25:14,412 --> 00:25:16,882 [Lee-Anne] Okay, cool. 466 00:25:17,015 --> 00:25:18,550 Let's return. 467 00:25:22,687 --> 00:25:23,822 [Anthony] Picture that I've painted for the zone 468 00:25:23,955 --> 00:25:26,157 is that, like, nothing's easy on this thing. 469 00:25:26,291 --> 00:25:29,294 Everything from the air looks easy and achievable, 470 00:25:29,427 --> 00:25:30,562 but then you get down on the ground, 471 00:25:30,695 --> 00:25:32,664 and it's another story. 472 00:25:32,797 --> 00:25:35,333 Right now, this fire's sitting at around 50, 60 hectares, 473 00:25:35,467 --> 00:25:36,601 and it's looking like 474 00:25:36,735 --> 00:25:38,470 we potentially have a bit of a window. 475 00:25:38,603 --> 00:25:39,838 We wanna shift, 476 00:25:39,971 --> 00:25:42,107 and look at going direct on this thing. 477 00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:45,110 Let's kick the shit out of this thing today. 478 00:25:54,452 --> 00:25:55,487 [Lee-Anne] It looks like 479 00:25:55,620 --> 00:25:57,088 there's a bit of an access issue, 480 00:25:57,222 --> 00:26:00,358 so I'm gonna have to go and recce it on a quad. 481 00:26:06,665 --> 00:26:08,400 [starting engine] 482 00:26:10,135 --> 00:26:12,203 [♪♪♪] 483 00:26:27,852 --> 00:26:31,523 It's not until I do that initial quad trip 484 00:26:31,656 --> 00:26:33,024 through the fire 485 00:26:33,158 --> 00:26:35,126 that I realize that most of the creeks have run dry, 486 00:26:35,260 --> 00:26:37,996 and we need to supply a 20-person crew 487 00:26:38,129 --> 00:26:41,733 with enough water to action all the flanks of the fire. 488 00:26:41,866 --> 00:26:44,569 That's gonna require a lot more manpower. 489 00:26:44,703 --> 00:26:48,773 [helicopter overhead] 490 00:26:51,643 --> 00:26:52,811 Yeah, we got bladders going in. 491 00:26:52,944 --> 00:26:54,245 That's a good call. 492 00:26:54,379 --> 00:26:56,314 Uh, we're gonna start getting these filled shortly. 493 00:26:56,448 --> 00:26:56,948 Awesome. 494 00:26:57,082 --> 00:26:58,483 Put one bladder there, 495 00:26:58,616 --> 00:26:59,851 and one bladder there or something? 496 00:26:59,985 --> 00:27:00,652 Like-- 497 00:27:00,785 --> 00:27:03,655 [chainsaw buzzing] 498 00:27:31,516 --> 00:27:34,219 [voice crackling indistinctly over radio] 499 00:27:37,589 --> 00:27:39,591 [distant chainsaws] 500 00:27:39,724 --> 00:27:42,260 We're headed to a water source. 501 00:27:42,394 --> 00:27:44,796 We're looking to try to get flooders on the south flank, 502 00:27:44,929 --> 00:27:46,965 'cause that's the most active part of the fire. 503 00:27:52,037 --> 00:27:54,005 Heads up! Here comes a pump. 504 00:27:55,607 --> 00:27:56,641 Goddamn Mark 3! 505 00:27:56,775 --> 00:27:58,443 [starting motor] 506 00:27:58,576 --> 00:28:01,579 [♪♪♪] 507 00:28:01,713 --> 00:28:03,982 [starting motor] 508 00:28:06,551 --> 00:28:09,421 [♪♪♪] 509 00:28:26,738 --> 00:28:29,741 My name's Ken Sjogren. 510 00:28:29,874 --> 00:28:31,776 My primary role 511 00:28:31,910 --> 00:28:33,678 is to turn and burn these Mark 3s, 512 00:28:33,812 --> 00:28:36,414 and pumps, and chainsaws, and generators, 513 00:28:36,548 --> 00:28:38,683 and pretty much everything they return to the warehouse, 514 00:28:38,817 --> 00:28:40,251 turn it into serviceable again, 515 00:28:40,385 --> 00:28:42,420 and get it back in, uh-- on the fire line. 516 00:28:43,822 --> 00:28:46,357 They're our only pumps we have here-- 517 00:28:46,491 --> 00:28:49,627 1,200, 1,500 Mark 3s. 518 00:28:49,761 --> 00:28:51,162 The Mark 3s are pretty much 519 00:28:51,296 --> 00:28:53,131 the bread and butter of the organization. 520 00:28:53,264 --> 00:28:54,933 It's what we spend most of our time on. 521 00:28:55,066 --> 00:28:56,501 They come in from the fire lines. 522 00:28:56,634 --> 00:28:58,703 I receive 'em up in here, and triage 'em. 523 00:28:58,837 --> 00:29:02,040 Goes to show you how hot a fire can get, I guess. 524 00:29:02,173 --> 00:29:02,774 Sometimes, they fall out of helicopters, 525 00:29:02,907 --> 00:29:04,509 sometimes, they-- you know, 526 00:29:04,642 --> 00:29:05,977 they get hooked onto water tenders, 527 00:29:06,111 --> 00:29:07,712 sometimes they-- Just, like, things happen. 528 00:29:07,846 --> 00:29:08,980 [♪♪♪] 529 00:29:09,114 --> 00:29:10,315 This year, for some reason, 530 00:29:10,448 --> 00:29:12,884 we're having a lot of problems with carburetors. 531 00:29:13,017 --> 00:29:14,018 Some of these are super old. 532 00:29:14,152 --> 00:29:14,686 They-they're dinosaurs, really. 533 00:29:14,819 --> 00:29:16,721 They've been on since... 534 00:29:16,855 --> 00:29:20,225 Oh, we have some, probably... 30 years old. 535 00:29:20,358 --> 00:29:23,294 We take 'em, we bead blast 'em, we clean 'em all up, 536 00:29:23,428 --> 00:29:26,030 and they will turn out just like they were brand-new. 537 00:29:26,164 --> 00:29:27,632 Sometimes, I can see the same pump 538 00:29:27,766 --> 00:29:28,733 70 times in a season. 539 00:29:28,867 --> 00:29:32,704 I swear that I remember certain numbers. 540 00:29:32,837 --> 00:29:34,172 Your mind starts playing little tricks on you. 541 00:29:34,305 --> 00:29:35,740 You're thinking, like, "Oh, you've seen this pump before," 542 00:29:35,874 --> 00:29:38,676 and you start remembering all the history of the pump. 543 00:29:38,810 --> 00:29:40,311 That's when you start to think that maybe 544 00:29:40,445 --> 00:29:41,679 you've been doing this a little bit too long, right? 545 00:29:41,813 --> 00:29:43,148 You get a little bit-- little bit sideways. 546 00:29:44,649 --> 00:29:45,650 It's a little bit intense 547 00:29:45,784 --> 00:29:47,819 when you get fire seasons like this, 548 00:29:47,952 --> 00:29:50,088 but we do the best we can. 549 00:29:53,124 --> 00:29:54,292 [helicopter overhead] 550 00:30:05,537 --> 00:30:06,571 We're trying to establish a water source 551 00:30:06,704 --> 00:30:08,740 in the creek at the moment. 552 00:30:08,873 --> 00:30:10,108 That's not optimal, 553 00:30:10,241 --> 00:30:13,444 but we've dug it out quite a bit for a large sump. 554 00:30:13,578 --> 00:30:15,180 We're gonna get a tarp 555 00:30:15,313 --> 00:30:16,915 and pool it out, 556 00:30:17,048 --> 00:30:18,917 and then, uh... 557 00:30:19,050 --> 00:30:20,084 I just don't like the tarp pins. 558 00:30:20,218 --> 00:30:21,352 I'm getting poked by all these things-- 559 00:30:21,486 --> 00:30:23,588 and then the water can kinda come up higher on the walls, 560 00:30:23,721 --> 00:30:26,691 but... we'll see. 561 00:30:26,825 --> 00:30:28,526 This is cold. 562 00:30:28,660 --> 00:30:29,994 [helicopter thudding overhead] 563 00:30:44,676 --> 00:30:44,742 [chainsawing] 564 00:30:57,722 --> 00:30:59,657 See what they're doing here with the mesh on the flip valve? 565 00:30:59,791 --> 00:31:03,228 It'll, like, keep that debris from clogging it up. 566 00:31:12,904 --> 00:31:15,874 [starting motor] 567 00:31:18,576 --> 00:31:20,511 [pump motor rattling] 568 00:31:41,266 --> 00:31:42,800 First water on the fire, 569 00:31:42,934 --> 00:31:44,869 or on this side anyway. 570 00:31:45,003 --> 00:31:47,272 How's the pressure? 571 00:31:47,405 --> 00:31:48,406 Good. 572 00:31:50,842 --> 00:31:52,944 [voice over radio] Bravo five, Kelly three? 573 00:31:53,077 --> 00:31:54,479 Go ahead. 574 00:31:54,612 --> 00:31:55,813 Yeah, you can tell that 575 00:31:55,947 --> 00:31:58,082 we're gonna have no problems down here. 576 00:31:59,584 --> 00:32:01,085 [helicopter overhead] 577 00:32:14,632 --> 00:32:16,200 [shouting] Hey-oh! 578 00:32:16,334 --> 00:32:17,969 [distant voice responding] Hey-oh! 579 00:32:18,102 --> 00:32:19,304 [Lee-Anne] We got D.T.A., 580 00:32:19,437 --> 00:32:21,406 D.T.F. happening along the roads 581 00:32:21,539 --> 00:32:23,875 so that we can gain access to the ridge. 582 00:32:24,008 --> 00:32:26,311 With this continues burning, 583 00:32:26,444 --> 00:32:28,880 we're gonna have to do this the next, like, few hours 584 00:32:29,013 --> 00:32:31,215 just to prevent danger trees from burning out, 585 00:32:31,349 --> 00:32:32,817 and then falling across the road, 586 00:32:32,951 --> 00:32:34,419 or hitting a vehicle, 587 00:32:34,552 --> 00:32:38,089 or, um, crews that are walking up here. 588 00:32:38,222 --> 00:32:39,924 [helicopter overhead] 589 00:32:40,058 --> 00:32:41,993 Another chainsaw. 590 00:32:43,728 --> 00:32:46,798 [helicopter overhead] 591 00:32:59,978 --> 00:33:01,779 [Laurence] You go over, I'll go under. 592 00:33:01,913 --> 00:33:06,517 I go underneath this shit 'cause my legs are short. 593 00:33:09,721 --> 00:33:12,790 Let's go find the trees Lee-Anne flagged. 594 00:33:18,696 --> 00:33:21,232 Attention, uh, all Sentinels there. 595 00:33:21,366 --> 00:33:23,968 Starting falling operation 596 00:33:24,102 --> 00:33:26,537 on the road corner, 597 00:33:26,671 --> 00:33:29,774 splitting west to the south line. 598 00:33:29,907 --> 00:33:31,909 [starting chainsaw] 599 00:33:54,298 --> 00:33:56,267 You always have to keep your heads up, 600 00:33:56,401 --> 00:33:57,468 look at the top of the trees, 601 00:33:57,602 --> 00:33:59,737 so you can see hazards like widow-makers. 602 00:34:01,105 --> 00:34:03,174 A widow-maker is a broken branch, 603 00:34:03,307 --> 00:34:05,643 or a broken top stuck in a tree 604 00:34:05,777 --> 00:34:07,912 that might fall at any time and... kill ya. 605 00:34:11,149 --> 00:34:13,017 I'm using a wedge in this tree 606 00:34:13,151 --> 00:34:15,686 to make it fall where I want. 607 00:34:16,754 --> 00:34:18,523 [hammering] 608 00:34:22,960 --> 00:34:26,130 [chainsaw revving] 609 00:34:29,634 --> 00:34:30,902 [tree splintering] 610 00:34:33,938 --> 00:34:33,971 [Laurence gasping] 611 00:34:40,912 --> 00:34:42,713 Holy fuck! 612 00:34:42,847 --> 00:34:45,416 [panting] 613 00:34:54,092 --> 00:34:56,327 Do you have an idea how to do it? 614 00:34:56,461 --> 00:34:57,895 -A little bit. -A little bit? 615 00:34:58,029 --> 00:34:59,063 Just stand around the edge for the first one. 616 00:34:59,197 --> 00:35:00,698 For that, yeah. 617 00:35:00,832 --> 00:35:02,733 I recommend just... 618 00:35:02,867 --> 00:35:03,634 so when the wind blows, 619 00:35:03,768 --> 00:35:05,203 this whole thing's gonna flap, so... 620 00:35:05,336 --> 00:35:06,838 [radio] There are a couple of trees 621 00:35:06,971 --> 00:35:07,872 across the road. 622 00:35:08,005 --> 00:35:09,841 Yeah, something like that. 623 00:35:15,813 --> 00:35:18,416 Yeah, if you can bring a bucket or a few 624 00:35:18,549 --> 00:35:20,384 to help start filling up the, uh, bladder 625 00:35:20,518 --> 00:35:22,320 up by the white truck on the upper line, 626 00:35:22,453 --> 00:35:23,121 that would be great. 627 00:35:23,254 --> 00:35:25,256 [pilot] Yeah, we're gonna try. 628 00:35:25,389 --> 00:35:26,757 We've got some cloud-- 629 00:35:26,891 --> 00:35:28,860 we got a bit of cloud forming on the ridge here. 630 00:35:28,993 --> 00:35:30,695 We'll see how we go. 631 00:35:30,828 --> 00:35:32,830 Okay, we're set. 632 00:35:32,964 --> 00:35:33,898 Awesome. 633 00:35:34,031 --> 00:35:36,267 I'll guide you in whenever you get close. 634 00:35:36,400 --> 00:35:39,203 [helicopter approaching] 635 00:35:39,337 --> 00:35:40,505 Okay, here she comes! 636 00:36:57,582 --> 00:36:59,150 That's the same pilot who, uh, dumped half a-- 637 00:36:59,283 --> 00:37:01,786 half a bucket on me the other day. 638 00:37:01,919 --> 00:37:02,787 Really? 639 00:37:02,920 --> 00:37:03,721 Yeah, he was... 640 00:37:03,854 --> 00:37:04,388 dumped it in, thought he was empty, 641 00:37:04,522 --> 00:37:05,156 so he started pulling up, 642 00:37:05,289 --> 00:37:07,425 and just... right on me. 643 00:37:07,558 --> 00:37:08,759 I don't know how you can see, though. 644 00:37:08,893 --> 00:37:09,894 I don't blame him. 645 00:37:10,027 --> 00:37:12,563 You got a that little window right by your foot. 646 00:37:13,731 --> 00:37:15,700 Wanna try this one on your own? 647 00:37:17,268 --> 00:37:18,202 Wanna try the next one on your own, 648 00:37:18,336 --> 00:37:20,438 or do you want me to support? 649 00:37:22,306 --> 00:37:24,875 Go for it! 650 00:37:55,373 --> 00:37:57,041 [Lee-Anne] Like, would it live? 651 00:37:57,174 --> 00:37:58,309 That's my question. 652 00:37:58,442 --> 00:37:59,243 -Would it? -I wonder. 653 00:37:59,377 --> 00:38:01,145 I don't know, you tell me. 654 00:38:01,278 --> 00:38:03,547 Well, spruce is not notorious 655 00:38:03,681 --> 00:38:06,017 for, like, being very fire-resilient, 656 00:38:06,150 --> 00:38:10,554 but it makes good cavity nesters for animals. 657 00:38:10,688 --> 00:38:13,658 Like, that's gonna make a mess. 658 00:38:13,791 --> 00:38:15,326 You can reassess if you think that they're not-- 659 00:38:15,459 --> 00:38:16,894 [distant tree splintering] 660 00:38:17,028 --> 00:38:18,429 Well, no, I'm happy to-- Like, it doesn't take much, right? 661 00:38:18,562 --> 00:38:20,231 -Yeah, they're little. -Yeah. 662 00:38:20,364 --> 00:38:22,533 That one spruce is quite large, though, 663 00:38:22,667 --> 00:38:23,668 and it's very hollowed out, 664 00:38:23,801 --> 00:38:26,003 so you're gonna have to fall it high. 665 00:38:26,137 --> 00:38:27,071 Um... 666 00:38:27,204 --> 00:38:29,273 Nothing's really hitting the road 667 00:38:29,407 --> 00:38:30,875 when you're falling, either? 668 00:38:31,008 --> 00:38:32,076 -You're, like-- -No, I'm trying to keep it off. 669 00:38:32,209 --> 00:38:33,077 Okay. 670 00:38:33,210 --> 00:38:34,679 Although, I-- Yeah. 671 00:38:34,812 --> 00:38:35,880 [Lee-Anne] For those nine months 672 00:38:36,013 --> 00:38:36,414 that I'm working in fire, 673 00:38:36,547 --> 00:38:39,083 it's basically... 674 00:38:39,216 --> 00:38:42,253 I eat, sleep, dream-- 675 00:38:42,386 --> 00:38:44,755 all of it-- fires. 676 00:38:44,889 --> 00:38:47,224 I know it's hard for family members, 677 00:38:47,358 --> 00:38:48,392 and that kind of thing, 678 00:38:48,526 --> 00:38:50,761 to be, kind of, on the outside of that, 679 00:38:50,895 --> 00:38:52,096 but it's-- it's just all-consuming, right? 680 00:38:52,229 --> 00:38:56,100 You can't be only half in it. 681 00:38:56,233 --> 00:38:58,736 It basically takes over your life. 682 00:39:02,873 --> 00:39:06,277 Do I ever think about the associated risks 683 00:39:06,410 --> 00:39:07,144 of what I'm doing? 684 00:39:07,278 --> 00:39:08,913 Yeah, absolutely. 685 00:39:10,581 --> 00:39:12,750 It was most recently, actually, this past summer, 686 00:39:12,883 --> 00:39:14,552 flying around in a helicopter. 687 00:39:16,087 --> 00:39:19,256 It just lost elevation really quickly. 688 00:39:19,390 --> 00:39:21,559 You know, fire coming in up the hill, fast, 689 00:39:21,692 --> 00:39:22,259 trying to track it, 690 00:39:22,393 --> 00:39:23,327 because we need to get 691 00:39:23,461 --> 00:39:26,597 these accurate sizes of the fire, 692 00:39:26,731 --> 00:39:28,499 and, all of a sudden, losing power, 693 00:39:28,632 --> 00:39:32,403 and actually, like, beginning to rotate out of it. 694 00:39:32,536 --> 00:39:34,438 Nothing happened, and we were safe, 695 00:39:34,572 --> 00:39:36,340 because the pilot's trained, 696 00:39:36,474 --> 00:39:37,942 he knows what he's doing, 697 00:39:38,075 --> 00:39:40,945 but in those moments, you're, like... yeah. 698 00:39:41,078 --> 00:39:43,781 You certainly think about your safety. 699 00:39:46,283 --> 00:39:47,284 [flames crackling] 700 00:39:51,389 --> 00:39:52,623 Just putting a bit of fire down 701 00:39:52,757 --> 00:39:54,625 to try and clean this section up. 702 00:39:54,759 --> 00:39:58,195 Instead of chasing this gnarly, squirrely edge, 703 00:39:58,329 --> 00:40:00,297 we got road right down here. 704 00:40:00,431 --> 00:40:03,300 We'll bring the fire down to the road, 705 00:40:03,434 --> 00:40:06,036 and, uh, create a straighter line, 706 00:40:06,170 --> 00:40:07,271 and essentially, um... 707 00:40:07,405 --> 00:40:10,374 just speed operations up 708 00:40:10,508 --> 00:40:13,277 by, uh, using fire in our favour. 709 00:40:25,422 --> 00:40:27,291 [chainsawing] 710 00:40:46,811 --> 00:40:48,345 [Lee-Anne] How's it going, Tony, 711 00:40:48,479 --> 00:40:49,647 with your burn-off? 712 00:40:49,780 --> 00:40:52,249 Are you getting good consumption. 713 00:40:52,383 --> 00:40:54,418 [Anthony] Yeah, it's just been slow-going. 714 00:40:54,552 --> 00:40:55,753 Just doing dot ignition 715 00:40:55,886 --> 00:40:58,722 to keep it, you know, low and on the ground. 716 00:40:58,856 --> 00:41:01,358 It's just taking time to consume itself. 717 00:41:01,492 --> 00:41:02,993 [Lee-Anne] Yeah, okay. 718 00:41:03,127 --> 00:41:04,929 Sounds good. 719 00:41:11,035 --> 00:41:11,602 [Lee-Anne] It's interesting to see 720 00:41:11,735 --> 00:41:13,270 how it burned a little bit 721 00:41:13,404 --> 00:41:15,372 through this old burn, hey? 722 00:41:15,506 --> 00:41:16,440 [Dan] Oh yeah, no, this one was, uh-- 723 00:41:16,574 --> 00:41:18,609 was going pretty good. 724 00:41:18,742 --> 00:41:21,212 We were worried about it wrapping up in the air. 725 00:41:21,345 --> 00:41:22,446 [Lee-Anne] Yeah. 726 00:41:22,580 --> 00:41:24,381 There's Mitch's section. 727 00:41:24,515 --> 00:41:27,885 7-10 Alpha, it's XAI. 728 00:41:28,018 --> 00:41:29,787 [Mitch] Hey, Lee. 729 00:41:29,920 --> 00:41:30,521 [Lee-Anne] Hey, Mitch, how'd you make out 730 00:41:30,654 --> 00:41:34,525 on your north flank there? 731 00:41:34,658 --> 00:41:35,626 Yeah, really well. 732 00:41:35,759 --> 00:41:36,927 The most northern flank there 733 00:41:37,061 --> 00:41:39,597 is, uh, very close to being done, 734 00:41:39,730 --> 00:41:42,700 and, uh, we're, like, setting ourselves up, 735 00:41:42,833 --> 00:41:44,602 and infrastructure and lines 736 00:41:44,735 --> 00:41:46,403 on the south of our little bump. 737 00:41:46,537 --> 00:41:48,572 [Lee-Anne] Okay, sounds good. 738 00:41:48,706 --> 00:41:50,407 Looks really quiet on your side, so... nice. 739 00:41:50,541 --> 00:41:53,177 [Mitch] Great, thanks. 740 00:41:56,547 --> 00:41:59,216 A little bit quicker than expected, hey? 741 00:41:59,350 --> 00:42:00,551 Yeah. We're done. 742 00:42:00,684 --> 00:42:01,318 We're good. 743 00:42:01,452 --> 00:42:03,087 Awesome. 744 00:42:03,220 --> 00:42:04,788 You think that, uh, 745 00:42:04,922 --> 00:42:05,589 your guys coming from that side 746 00:42:05,723 --> 00:42:07,725 will actually be able to, like, 747 00:42:07,858 --> 00:42:09,226 hose up to the end of that line before the end of day? 748 00:42:09,360 --> 00:42:10,261 Totally. 749 00:42:10,394 --> 00:42:11,262 -Yeah? -Oh, yeah. 750 00:42:11,395 --> 00:42:12,897 [line ringing] 751 00:42:13,030 --> 00:42:14,064 I love having cell service on fires. 752 00:42:14,198 --> 00:42:15,065 It's so nice. 753 00:42:15,199 --> 00:42:16,467 -Wave of the future. -It's unbelievable. 754 00:42:16,600 --> 00:42:17,501 Hey, buddy. 755 00:42:17,635 --> 00:42:19,403 Hey, buddy, I got ya! 756 00:42:19,536 --> 00:42:20,738 -Yeah. -Bug you for-- 757 00:42:20,871 --> 00:42:22,907 I'm on speaker here with a couple others. 758 00:42:23,040 --> 00:42:23,974 Perfect. 759 00:42:24,108 --> 00:42:26,310 Uh, I'm just here with Mitch having a chat. 760 00:42:26,443 --> 00:42:29,313 We've connected up our lines, 761 00:42:29,446 --> 00:42:33,350 and, presumably, we'll have solid containment 762 00:42:33,484 --> 00:42:36,453 on this whole west side by end of day. 763 00:42:36,587 --> 00:42:38,289 End of day today? 764 00:42:38,422 --> 00:42:39,857 End of day today. 765 00:42:39,990 --> 00:42:40,758 Wow. 766 00:42:40,891 --> 00:42:41,892 -Yeah. -That's great news. 767 00:42:43,494 --> 00:42:45,029 [chainsawing] 768 00:42:47,264 --> 00:42:47,898 [Lee-Anne] Although we won't call it out 769 00:42:48,032 --> 00:42:50,167 for a few more weeks probably, 770 00:42:50,301 --> 00:42:53,504 we feel that the fire's under control now, 771 00:42:53,637 --> 00:42:54,471 and we don't need to worry about it spreading down 772 00:42:54,605 --> 00:42:57,207 towards the community anymore. 773 00:42:57,341 --> 00:43:00,511 Uh, Sentinel 1, it's SKK. 774 00:43:00,644 --> 00:43:02,846 [Anthony] Go ahead. 775 00:43:02,980 --> 00:43:05,482 Hey, just overhead your fire, just taking some photos. 776 00:43:05,616 --> 00:43:07,518 How'd that burn go? 777 00:43:07,651 --> 00:43:09,386 Did it burn clean to the road? 778 00:43:09,520 --> 00:43:11,488 [Anthony] Yeah, affirmative. 779 00:43:11,622 --> 00:43:13,490 A couple patches 780 00:43:13,624 --> 00:43:14,391 where it didn't take well, but, yeah, 781 00:43:14,525 --> 00:43:16,393 brought it down to the road 782 00:43:16,527 --> 00:43:18,662 and, uh, got it mopped up. 783 00:43:18,796 --> 00:43:20,965 How's it looking otherwise? 784 00:43:21,098 --> 00:43:21,799 [Lee-Anne] Yeah, really quiet. 785 00:43:21,932 --> 00:43:23,667 The only smoke I'm really seeing 786 00:43:23,801 --> 00:43:25,369 is up at the top of the ridge, 787 00:43:25,502 --> 00:43:26,637 kind of along that bike trail, 788 00:43:26,770 --> 00:43:30,808 and, uh, Mitch's section looks really quiet this morning. 789 00:43:30,941 --> 00:43:32,009 I'll send you a picture 790 00:43:32,142 --> 00:43:34,311 just so you have it for reference. 791 00:43:34,445 --> 00:43:36,347 [Anthony] Thank you. 792 00:43:36,480 --> 00:43:36,847 [camera clicking] 793 00:43:36,981 --> 00:43:40,451 [♪♪♪] 794 00:43:46,690 --> 00:43:47,625 [Chris] My role is investigations, 795 00:43:47,758 --> 00:43:51,228 so I'll go out and follow the fire sciences, 796 00:43:51,362 --> 00:43:53,597 and bring the fire back to where it started, 797 00:43:53,731 --> 00:43:54,765 and hopefully, from there, 798 00:43:54,898 --> 00:43:56,700 we'll be able to see how... 799 00:43:56,834 --> 00:43:59,403 how it started and where it started. 800 00:43:59,536 --> 00:44:00,671 Just build a case. 801 00:44:00,804 --> 00:44:03,007 We can solve the puzzle. 802 00:44:05,209 --> 00:44:08,445 Every fire is investigated in some capacity. 803 00:44:08,579 --> 00:44:10,047 A small fire might be-- 804 00:44:10,180 --> 00:44:11,715 the investigation might just be the crew leader 805 00:44:11,849 --> 00:44:13,784 taking a photo of a lightning-struck tree, 806 00:44:13,917 --> 00:44:16,286 saying, you know, "It's in the middle of nowhere. 807 00:44:16,420 --> 00:44:17,521 Here's a lightning strike." 808 00:44:17,655 --> 00:44:18,856 We do the... 809 00:44:18,989 --> 00:44:21,725 the high damage, high cost, 810 00:44:21,859 --> 00:44:25,195 high impact to communities and neighbourhoods. 811 00:44:25,729 --> 00:44:28,465 There is a lot of roadside fires, 812 00:44:28,599 --> 00:44:30,768 mostly from vehicles, 813 00:44:30,901 --> 00:44:33,570 so it'll be the exhaust-- carbon exhaust-- 814 00:44:33,704 --> 00:44:36,407 and then, also catalytic converter pieces 815 00:44:36,540 --> 00:44:37,841 shooting out of the exhaust pipe. 816 00:44:38,942 --> 00:44:41,078 We do have arson files, 817 00:44:41,211 --> 00:44:43,614 so if it's a big fire or it has a... 818 00:44:43,747 --> 00:44:47,651 a high impact on nearby communities and stuff, 819 00:44:47,785 --> 00:44:48,919 we have to go out and make sure 820 00:44:49,053 --> 00:44:50,454 that it was, in fact, lightning 821 00:44:50,587 --> 00:44:52,456 and-and not something else. 822 00:44:52,589 --> 00:44:55,526 Start packing. 823 00:44:59,763 --> 00:45:00,631 Good to see ya. 824 00:45:00,764 --> 00:45:01,832 Yeah, you too, man. 825 00:45:01,965 --> 00:45:03,567 -It's been a while. -Yeah, no kidding. 826 00:45:03,701 --> 00:45:04,601 The retardant, was this from yesterday? 827 00:45:04,735 --> 00:45:05,569 -Yeah. -Okay. 828 00:45:05,702 --> 00:45:07,671 Yeah. 829 00:45:07,805 --> 00:45:10,407 There might be a couple of boot prints in there 830 00:45:10,541 --> 00:45:11,408 that are recent. 831 00:45:11,542 --> 00:45:12,576 Okay, so it's just from you walking around? 832 00:45:12,710 --> 00:45:14,645 Okay. 833 00:45:14,778 --> 00:45:17,347 We'll be hanging out in this area for the day, and... 834 00:45:17,481 --> 00:45:18,515 -Have fun. -Yeah. 835 00:45:18,649 --> 00:45:20,784 I'll let you know when we're out? 836 00:45:20,918 --> 00:45:22,453 -Okay. -Check-in's through you? 837 00:45:22,586 --> 00:45:23,087 -Yeah. -Okay. 838 00:45:23,220 --> 00:45:26,090 [distant chainsawing] 839 00:45:26,223 --> 00:45:29,193 [Chris] Every fire is different. 840 00:45:36,433 --> 00:45:38,669 I'll do some overall scene photos, 841 00:45:38,802 --> 00:45:41,839 and take a look at some fire-direction indicators. 842 00:45:41,972 --> 00:45:43,941 Yeah, we're catching the south side here. 843 00:45:45,275 --> 00:45:47,945 [Chris] The area over there is pretty covered in retardant, 844 00:45:48,078 --> 00:45:49,546 which makes indicators difficult. 845 00:45:49,680 --> 00:45:50,681 Over in this area, 846 00:45:50,814 --> 00:45:52,483 I'm able to look at the angle of char 847 00:45:52,616 --> 00:45:53,150 on some of the trees 848 00:45:53,283 --> 00:45:55,119 that show the fire is a-- 849 00:45:55,252 --> 00:45:57,688 was a backing fire in this location, 850 00:45:57,821 --> 00:46:01,125 meaning the fire didn't start down here below us. 851 00:46:01,258 --> 00:46:03,494 Uh, so it kind of gives me an idea 852 00:46:03,627 --> 00:46:04,561 of what the fire was doing. 853 00:46:04,695 --> 00:46:07,364 [helicopter overhead] 854 00:46:07,498 --> 00:46:08,999 With the elevated fuel, 855 00:46:09,133 --> 00:46:11,568 the flame essentially wraps under, 856 00:46:11,702 --> 00:46:14,071 and then comes back and scorches this side. 857 00:46:16,106 --> 00:46:18,509 You can see on some of the rocks, 858 00:46:18,642 --> 00:46:19,576 there's some good staining, 859 00:46:19,710 --> 00:46:22,579 where one side will be stained with, uh, soot 860 00:46:22,713 --> 00:46:24,915 on the side the fire came from, 861 00:46:25,048 --> 00:46:27,417 and the other side will be a little cleaner, 862 00:46:27,551 --> 00:46:29,319 and less... less dark. 863 00:46:31,855 --> 00:46:33,991 A lightning-struck tree-- 864 00:46:34,124 --> 00:46:37,494 normally, you'll see bark peeled off the side of the tree, 865 00:46:37,628 --> 00:46:39,863 and it's pretty... 866 00:46:39,997 --> 00:46:41,665 it has that fresh look to it, 867 00:46:41,798 --> 00:46:43,066 like freshly-broken wood, 868 00:46:43,200 --> 00:46:46,303 so it's... pretty bright in colour. 869 00:46:58,849 --> 00:47:01,552 [camera snapping] 870 00:47:05,889 --> 00:47:07,891 Just finished up walking the fire. 871 00:47:08,025 --> 00:47:10,627 Very remote location. 872 00:47:10,761 --> 00:47:13,564 We did identify a tree 873 00:47:13,697 --> 00:47:14,565 that was struck by lightning. 874 00:47:14,698 --> 00:47:15,465 [camera snapping] 875 00:47:18,368 --> 00:47:19,236 My report-- 876 00:47:19,369 --> 00:47:22,372 it's gonna be lightning is the cause. 877 00:47:25,209 --> 00:47:26,710 Sentinel 1 from Oscar-Charlie-five. 878 00:47:26,844 --> 00:47:27,644 [Anthony] Go ahead. 879 00:47:27,778 --> 00:47:30,414 Hey, we're all finished in here, 880 00:47:30,547 --> 00:47:32,082 and we'll be, uh, hiking out back to the truck, 881 00:47:32,216 --> 00:47:33,650 so I'll check ourselves off with Fire Centre. 882 00:47:33,784 --> 00:47:35,953 [Anthony] Much appreciated. 883 00:47:36,086 --> 00:47:38,422 Thanks for your help. Have a good day. 884 00:47:38,555 --> 00:47:40,157 [Anthony] You as well. 885 00:47:42,559 --> 00:47:44,094 [♪♪♪] 886 00:47:50,934 --> 00:47:52,769 [Lee-Anne] We just Demob'ed the fire 887 00:47:52,903 --> 00:47:53,804 on this side of the mountain, 888 00:47:53,937 --> 00:47:56,673 and all this gear's gonna be bumped 889 00:47:56,807 --> 00:47:57,941 to the other fire 890 00:47:58,075 --> 00:47:58,809 on the other side of the mountain. 891 00:47:58,942 --> 00:48:01,111 Count again. 892 00:48:01,245 --> 00:48:04,748 Two, four, six, eight, ten, 12. 893 00:48:04,882 --> 00:48:07,084 They're gonna be choked, 894 00:48:07,217 --> 00:48:07,851 because they're gonna get melons 895 00:48:07,985 --> 00:48:09,686 instead of nice, clean rolls, 896 00:48:09,820 --> 00:48:12,689 but that's all we got. 897 00:48:12,823 --> 00:48:13,957 [over radio] I reserved a request 898 00:48:14,091 --> 00:48:15,659 for just the one Mark 3. 899 00:48:15,792 --> 00:48:18,562 [Lee-Anne] Yeah, okay, copy that. 900 00:48:19,896 --> 00:48:23,467 It's what we call the "bazooka". 901 00:48:23,600 --> 00:48:25,602 [laughing] 902 00:48:25,736 --> 00:48:27,204 Mark 3 complete. 903 00:48:27,337 --> 00:48:30,540 15 lengths of inch-and-a-half. 904 00:48:30,674 --> 00:48:31,708 A couple of Jerrys. 905 00:48:31,842 --> 00:48:34,778 That should tide them over, 906 00:48:34,911 --> 00:48:39,483 and the rest of it will be... 907 00:48:39,616 --> 00:48:40,684 truck. 908 00:48:40,817 --> 00:48:42,719 Got all the crews in, 909 00:48:42,853 --> 00:48:45,489 got all the gear in... 910 00:48:45,622 --> 00:48:46,890 Think we're good. 911 00:48:47,024 --> 00:48:50,360 This is what I do now. [laughing] 912 00:48:50,494 --> 00:48:51,094 I organize gear. 913 00:48:51,228 --> 00:48:53,830 I hang out at staging sites. 914 00:48:53,964 --> 00:48:56,466 They get to do the fun stuff. 915 00:48:59,036 --> 00:49:01,238 Are you tamping on the fire tonight? 916 00:49:01,371 --> 00:49:04,641 No, I'm gonna head back to Nelson here with Mike. 917 00:49:04,775 --> 00:49:06,243 Ah, okay. 918 00:49:06,376 --> 00:49:08,645 I should grab my overnight kit, though, 919 00:49:08,779 --> 00:49:09,913 just for times like this, eh? 920 00:49:10,047 --> 00:49:11,848 Take a good bed when you can get it. 921 00:49:16,353 --> 00:49:17,587 [laughing] 922 00:49:17,721 --> 00:49:18,789 Next time. 923 00:49:21,024 --> 00:49:23,760 Next week on Wildfire... 924 00:49:27,631 --> 00:49:28,765 It's not a natural thing 925 00:49:28,899 --> 00:49:32,769 to exit an aircraft at 1500 feet 926 00:49:32,903 --> 00:49:35,739 into what is sometimes not the easiest terrain, 927 00:49:35,872 --> 00:49:37,607 with a wildfire burning. 928 00:49:39,976 --> 00:49:42,346 I supervise a 22-person crew. 929 00:49:42,479 --> 00:49:43,847 We generally take the larger incidents, 930 00:49:43,981 --> 00:49:47,351 what we know as "project fires". 931 00:49:47,484 --> 00:49:49,920 We're watching the wind super closely. 932 00:49:50,053 --> 00:49:52,689 I'm a little nervous it may be taking a turn. 933 00:49:52,823 --> 00:49:54,891 It's really cool to work with my older brother, Connor. 934 00:49:55,025 --> 00:49:57,961 We're trying to establish lines 935 00:49:58,095 --> 00:49:59,963 before the significant wind event comes in, 936 00:50:00,097 --> 00:50:01,031 which means that 937 00:50:01,164 --> 00:50:02,265 we're looking at 938 00:50:02,399 --> 00:50:04,368 60- to 80-kilometre winds passing through here. 939 00:50:05,936 --> 00:50:07,104 This is a dangerous job. 940 00:50:07,237 --> 00:50:07,871 Despite all our efforts, 941 00:50:08,005 --> 00:50:11,141 sometimes, the worst can happen.