JAMES MERTZ

Wildfires have burned roughly 200,000 acres of California land as of August 29th, 2022. Peak fire season typically begins in September/October. With climate intensified droughts, heat waves and dry lightning storms, fire seasons will continue to worsen in the future. Featured are images from the Six Rivers Lightning Complex Fire in Northern California, which threatened the town of Willow Creek. Firefighters from CalFire, US Forest Service and Hotshot groups from across the U.S. responded and managed to turn the approaching flames away from the town. With the burn largely contained, wild land firefighters engaged in "mop-up", which consists of painstakingly long shifts spent dowsing burning root holes, shoveling over hot spots and controlling burning trees which can fall without notice.

Members of the Big Bear Hotshots prepare to head onto the fire line early in the morning. This particular shift would last 16 hours.

For large complex fires, hot shot units from across the country can respond. The Six Rivers Lightning Complex Fire was lead jointly between NPS and CalFire.

A Big Bear Hotshot awaits the call to begin the trek into the woods to the fire line.

Wildland firefighters carry a range of tools and supplies in their backpacks, which are designed to help them operate effectively and safely in remote and rugged environments. The specific contents of a firefighter's backpack can vary depending on their agency, the type of fire they are fighting, and their specific role in the firefighting effort.

In the instance of a remote fire, water has to be pumped from local water sources and driven to response locations via tanker truck. Most trucks used for wildfire suppression efforts are designed to carry between 1,000 and 4,000 gallons of water.

Ethan, a firefighter from the City of Angels Camp Fire Department tens to an arriving water tanker. Once water arrives at response locations it is pumped into “Pumpkin Pools” which hold anywhere from 500 - 1500 gallons.

A firefighter concentrates his hose onto a hotspot in order to prevent further spread.

Firefighters carry hand tools such as a Pulaski, shovel, or McLeod. A Pulaski combines an ax and an adze in one head and can be used to dig up soil and chop wood, making it a very versatile tool. A McLeod has a tooth-like blade on one side for raking firelines and a large hoe-like blade on the other for cutting branches and sod.

The length of a wildland fire hose can vary depending on the specific needs of the firefighting operation, but they are usually between 50 and 100 feet in order to reach far off ‘dozer’ paths. 

“Hot holes” are deep burning tree roots and stumps that can burn for days, weeks, or even months after the initial fire has been extinguished.  

A hotshot does maintenance on his chainsaw, a vital tool in   Wildfire prevention.

Members of the Buena Vista Hotshots take a lunch break after a long day of mop up duty.