A Special Thanks

[BrysonHesperiaResort]

Words can't even describe how scary this was... thank you CDF & FHL for putting this one out. This was a close call, two miles from the backside of the resort- steep terrain with lots of fuel on a hot windy day.
I didn't quite know where to put this- but since I hang out here the most - here it is...thank you to JHO member Surf n' Turf for staying to help with the fire system here at the resort- thank god and CDF we didn't need it. We had six planes flying; two spotters, 2 helicopters and two bomber planes. And a dozer. CDF & FHL got to our rural area within 45 min. Hand crews just left left yesterday. These photos all kind of look the same but they are shots of different loads within minutes of each other- the helicopters found a pond close, bombers were 20 min apart from Paso Robles-

Firefighters rock.

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[DEERSLAM]

Wow!! That must have got the heart poundin Deedy. Glad those hard workin firefighters got it under control.

 

[beastslayer]

Deedy,

Happy you are safe.

 

[hntboar]

Hi Deedy-
Great to hear all is OK. I am sure it was very scary during this time.

Hntboar

 

[Redneck75]

I know we all want to see that spotted pig on a B-B-Q but not like that!

I understand how you feel with the fires. Glad to hear it all worked out OK. Real scary! That happened in our neck of the woods back when I was in high school. Grandpa's ranch and house (where I grew up) would have been lost if it weren't for the D9 Cat and the Front-end loader he had left over from when he owned a logging company. Thank god for heavy equipment! The Henry Winery is next to our ranch, so the county assets went that way and we were left to fend for ourselves.

 

[BrysonHesperiaResort]

Yes- I know exactly how you felt- we were surprised to see CDF here so soon- we are not all that important either. Not a bad thing- we're just really far back in a rural area with no fire dept other than CDF. This station here doesn't open until June. The locals here fought it with shovels for 45 min. & the stupid water storage tank system on the property where the fire started was built without any kind of a valve. DUH. So we couldn't get any water out of the holding tank to help put the fire out on the property. The guy that started the fire was mowing his weeds at 1:00 PM in 90 degree weather in dry grass. DUH. He probably built the spiffy water system too.


Good job on your fire! Thank god you had a BIG MONSTER D9 dozer and a loader, how did you end up putting it out? Did you do a fire break?

 

[Redneck75]

Lots of fun when you can't get to the water you stored up when you really need it! Seems like you never think of it ahead of time. I know I don't anyway.

Sounds familiar with an idiot starting the fire. Ours was a guy showing his brother from California how well his new chainsaw worked. Mid-August, 100+ degree weather, no rain since early May. Perfect timing! The problem with that was the guy was/is a licensed timber faller. He knew all logging operations in the area had been shut down for over a month due to the dry conditions. We had talked to him a couple days before and he was complaining about not being able to work.

We did build a fire break. We got one about 25 yards wide and were in the process of widening it to 50 yards when the fire got there. I was knocking the trees down with the D9 while Gramps was dragging them away from the break with the front-end loader. Fortunately it was in an area that had all been logged about 20 years before so we were only dealing with about 30-35 foot trees. The D9 was able to knock them over and the loader could move them without a whole lot of trouble. If it would have been the 100' plus Doug Firs at the other end of the ranch we'd have been in a whole bunch of trouble. It was getting a little ugly for about an hour. There's stories told during family gatherings about an idiot 17 year-old (me) running a D9 full-speed in a 30' Doug Fir or two that was fully engulfed in flame and then pushing dirt/running over it until the fire went out. Not the brightest thing to do but I think God has a way of looking after us when we're young and dumb.

We never actually put any of the fire out (other than about a dozen trees where it tried to jump the break) we just turned it away. More realistically, stopped it until the wind went the other direction and it went back the other way. We did end up running the equipment for about a week, helping out neighbors with their breaks as the winds shifted back and forth. We got lots of offers for gifts, money, etc but never took anybody up on any of it...until hunting season anyway! It's rather nice to be able to hunt on any ranch in the area, any time you want. Alas, most of the ranches have been sold by now so it's a thing of the past but it was nice while it lasted.

 

[Mt Goat]

Glad to hear your safe and sound Deedy. Its that time of the year when you need to watch for fires and snakes so keep safe up there.

Larry Lowell

 

[BrysonHesperiaResort]

Redneck75- Thank you for all the great info- coming into fire season you can never know enough or ask enough questions...thanks for taking the time to share your story, I appreciate it.
Hopefully these fires will be our last fires stories for a while anyway- Im glad we both had happy endings (as far as fires go anyway) . Thanks to everybody else for your show of support

- we are great- back to hunting hogs as usual. Got one last turkey hunt tomorrow before archery closes too... had a GREAT time in the field tonight with the pigs... I'll let the guys tell their stories though, both are JHO members - we'll get some great pix for you tomorrow.

 

[easymoney]

Deedy, I am a firefighter from a small community south of you and it has been a busy year already.The wildland season opened on May 15th this year and I anticipate a very busy summer. CDF or Calfire is always there and always gets the job done right, right away...
Glad to hear you had no losses. CDF throws everything they can at these fires now, as they do not want a BIG one to sprout...

 

[hoytrdye]

kelly106 you help to put this fire out?

 

[kelly106]

Hoytrdye,nope I was up at choppers!serving and protecting!

 

[hoytrdye]

well good too hear--- to serve and protect that PIG FEVER!!!!

 

[BrysonHesperiaResort]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (easymoney @ May 19 2007, 02:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Deedy, I am a firefighter from a small community south of you and it has been a busy year already.The wildland season opened on May 15th this year and I anticipate a very busy summer. CDF or Calfire is always there and always gets the job done right, right away...
Glad to hear you had no losses. CDF throws everything they can at these fires now, as they do not want a BIG one to sprout...[/b]

Hey Easy$$- you be careful out there this year, thank you for all that you do,

firefighter's ROCK. It's going to be dry (heck, it never got wet in the first place) and hot I think. Be safe. It's going to be a long fire season, it certainly is starting very early. It's not even June yet

and we just had another fire at Liggett today. I have a question... Do they open the wildland season according to a certain date that is pre-set, or does it change yearly according to the conditions/ fire hazards of our areas?

 

[easymoney]

Deedy,
Thanks for the kind words, but I'm just a humble volunteer, the real thanks should go to CDF and the seasonals.
Yes, fire season normally opens June 1st, but can be moved up depending on the weather and other factors like total rainfall. Which was minimal this year.