fireline observations and adventures

by Jared Randall

My road to the fireline began last year when I contacted Dr. Beverly about my interest in wildland fire science and the possibility of student research opportunities. About a year later, I was in northern British Columbia with my pulaski in hand, working as a wildland firefighter with Northern Fire WoRx. The experience wasn’t just an adventure with great memories, it also taught me more about fire behaviour and fire response than I could have imagined. On the job, I learned through direct observation and deduction and also from conversations with my incredibly knowledgeable crew. 
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​It's one thing to read and learn about fires as a student and research assistant, but to experience them firsthand takes it to a whole new level. There is never a typical day in wildland fire; weather changes, flare ups, and other variables can quickly change the Incident Commander’s plan of attack. Our fire was situated in a valley, meaning that wind changes were common. Even with an abundance of theory and science to guide our strategies, the volatile nature of our wildfire meant that every action had to be adaptable, and we had to be ready to pull-out and change strategies at a moment’s notice. Given the number of flare-ups, hotspots, and stubborn nature of the fire, it was clear to us that this valley wanted to burn. 

One element that surprised me greatly was how deep our fire was burning into the duff layers of the forest floor. After actioning a spot with a pulaski or shovel, it was standard practice for us to cold trail the area. Cold trailing is the process of sticking one’s bare hand into the soil to feel around for heat. If the area was still warm, we would keep on digging until our hands reached cold soil. Oftentimes we found large rocks in the soil, which retained heat long after the fire had moved through the area.
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On one occasion, I dug out a large rock that was quite hot, and, deposited it in a small puddle formed by the hose line. When I rechecked it 45 minutes later, I could still barely pick it up due to the heat. Had I not experienced it first-hand, I would not have thought rocks could retain such intense heat and potentially contribute to drying and reignition of the duff layer. 

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​Another surprising aspect of firefighting was the amount of work needed to declare an area extinguished. Our fire had plenty of hotspots, and without proper patrolling, it would have been easy to overlook particularly small hotspots. On one of my first days on the fireline, I had naively thought to myself that an area we had actioned was almost ready to be declared extinguished. Minutes after reaching this conclusion, I saw a tree flare up, and heard the crackling of dry, burning wood. Needless to say, this was another excellent lesson in fire behaviour. Although there was little smoke left, the embers in the ground were very much alive and well and were ready to begin burning once conditions were favorable. We actioned this hotspot, and a few others, and after some patrolling, we were moved to another area of the fire.

There were also times when there was no visible smoke, but cold trailing revealed heat sources, and after disturbing the ground with my Pulaski, smoke began to emerge from the duff layer. Without the proper technique, this could have been missed easily. Luckily for me, my crew was more experienced than I, and taught me the best strategies for ensuring that we worked both efficiently and effectively. ​
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​This experience on the ground taught me a great deal about wildland fire and the importance of field experience to bridge the gap between the classroom and real-world scenarios. I am incredibly thankful to Dr. Sonja Leverkus for this opportunity, as well as to the rest of the Northern Fire WoRx crew for their guidance, friendship, and wisdom.  
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​The incredible crew I had the privilege of working with. Huge thanks to Northern Fire WoRx for this experience!