Wildfire news, October 16, 2013

Boulder Fire Department to convert seasonals to full time

In a budget approved by the City Council on Tuesday, the Boulder, Colorado Fire Department will be able to convert its seasonal wildland firefighting crew to full time.

NFPA announces first Wildfire Preparedness Day

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) today announced its first national Wildfire Community Preparedness Day (Wildfire Preparedness Day) will take place on Saturday, May 3, 2014. Projects on May 3 can range from a short time commitment up to an entire day and can be undertaken by individuals or groups. Potential projects include hosting a chipping day, distributing wildfire safety information to neighbors, organizing brush clean up and more. Residents of all ages are invited to join in the effort. A list of project ideas is available at www.nfpa.org/wildfirepreparednessday/.

The 2014 Wildfire Preparedness Day comes on the heels of NFPA’s Colorado Wildfire Preparedness Day of Service that was piloted in May 2013 where nearly 600 volunteers participated in more than 16 projects across the state.

Charities raise millions for families of Granite Mountain 19

Charities have raised over $11 million for the families of the 19 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots that were killed June 30 on the Yarnell Hill Fire at Yarnell, Arizona.

Granite Mountain Hotshot Girls host benefit for Yarnell

A group of women made up of Hotshots’ mothers, wives, sisters, fiancées, and more, have joined forces to help give back some of the support they received. The group that calls itself the “Granite Mountain Hotshot Girls” will be hosting a benefit to help with the rebuilding efforts after the Yarnell Hill Fire swept through Yarnell destroying more than 100 structures in the town.

An all woman engine crew responds to a fire in Lexington, KY

It is surprising that this is a news item in 2013, but on September 5 in Lexington, Kentucky a three-person all women engine crew responded to a fire in the city. This is the first time an all women crew has responded to a fire in Lexington. The city made a big deal of it Wednesday, presenting the trio — Captain Maria Roberts, Amanda Arbogast and Sarah McGill — with certificates.

The women appreciated the recognition, but all agreed that they were just doing their job.

“It was just another run for us,” said Roberts, who joined the division in November 1999. “I had two really good firefighters riding in my truck and that’s not any different than any other day.”

In the 523-person fire department, 14 of them are women.

It will actually be news when similar occurrences are no longer news.

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Author: Bill Gabbert

After working full time in wildland fire for 33 years, he continues to learn, and strives to be a Student of Fire.

4 thoughts on “Wildfire news, October 16, 2013”

  1. Great to see money raised for the families of the Yarnell 19.

    Terrible enough stress on the wives etc in losing their man, but adding financial stress just compounds it. Hopefully it will make this terrible incident a bit easier to heal from…

    The people who donated THANK YOU

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  2. I worked regularly with an all woman engine crew from the Hat Creek Ranger District on the Lassen NF…..in 1974. Then it was news!

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