PARK FIRE HELMET CAM - CAL FIRE EMERGENCY BACKFIRE OPERATION, CLOSE-RANGE RETARDANT DROPS

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Күн бұрын

WARNING FOR STRONG LANGUAGE 7/29/2024: Helmet cam footage from Lanes Valley Road near Manton, CA where CAL FIRE conducted an emergency backfire operation due to the rapidly spreading Park Fire. Firefighters gave a valiant effort, however a large spot fire became established on the other side of the road.
#calfire #california #parkfire #wildfire #gopro #californiafire #californiawildfires

Пікірлер: 86

@norcalstormchasing 6 ай бұрын

A backfire is a controlled fire set by firefighters in front of an active wildfire to consume fuel and change the direction of the fire. Backfires are often used as an indirect attack method to stop the spread of intense wildfires. The backfire is set along the downwind side of the fireline, and the main fire's natural draft pulls the backfire toward it.

@richarddeichler2172 2 ай бұрын

That is interesting, I had never guessed the main fire drafting up would pull the fire against what would be the prevailing winds. Good info. I am researching on the best way to fight the most dangerous fires where I am in Southern California, which happen during what we call Santa Ana winds. I wonder how well this technique works when the winds are 40-60 mph.

@taufikhidayatullah2126 27 күн бұрын

Trump faces the reality that the hell promised to Gaza is now happening in LA

@Fivetogoable 6 ай бұрын

Great perspective on the reality of wildfire fighting. Thanks and keep up the great work!

@theloneracer1935 6 ай бұрын

Ever since going through the camp fire here on the ridge, I've wanted to do what you are doing. Working towards it. Keep up the great work and major props to all them firefighters. God they're bonified badasses.

@lindabeauchamp4596 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing this video. Great information. Be safe out there 🙏

@dgsantafedave1 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for this informative video!

@dulcevendetta 6 ай бұрын

its amazing how easy it is just to create fire and it already starts spreading like nuts

@josephastier7421 6 ай бұрын

3:00 OV-10 Bronco observation aircraft from the Vietnam war era.

@dubby6665 6 ай бұрын

NICE team work good work

@wendy3992 6 ай бұрын

These people are amazing! But my God the reality, the animals that perish. But I am so thankful for fire fighters❤

@XAlpineSuptDN 6 ай бұрын

@@wendy3992 While fires do kill some animals a lot of them survive just fine.

@Bobbyd0052 6 ай бұрын

PRAYERS FROM MICHIGAN. PLEASE STAY SAFE ! 🇺🇸

@shilowaters6082 6 ай бұрын

Fascinating! What a bunch of Studs!

@XAlpineSuptDN 6 ай бұрын

Interesting that they put the retardant on the burnout side of the line. Maybe fire was close enough that they needed it slowed down but typically when burning out you want the retardant on the green side (non burn side) to help you stop the spotting from your burn out.

@Mrbfgray 6 ай бұрын

Possibly a mistake, they dropped on green side shortly after.

@jimmccabe801 6 ай бұрын

probably not a mistake.@@Mrbfgray

@Mrbfgray 6 ай бұрын

@@jimmccabe801 Most likely was.

@MacPNW 5 ай бұрын

There's no reason to put mud between your fire and your burn. Should've made that drop on the green side. But it's a going fire. Things happen.

@XAlpineSuptDN 5 ай бұрын

@@MacPNW Yes that is so true but it happens often enough because of a variety of factors. Sometimes they just set up on the wrong line and they aren’t talking to anyone on the ground telling them to move over wingspans etc. Or as you know the LATs and VLATs are not the most nimble of aircraft as far as turning once dropping so not knowing how the road runs maybe they were on a line outside the burn but the road turned and they just dropped a little long. I’ve been douched by a few retardant drops because they dropped a little too long and that was just a LAT (P2V with jet assist) back in the day. The greatest benefit of the retardant when burning out is to have it on the side of the line you are holding. But yeah it happens and it’s a dynamic environment.

@deloradeabel8487 6 ай бұрын

Thank God for our angels in yellow!

@IonOtter 5 ай бұрын

A small, light drone would be really useful in keeping watch for pop-ups behind the line. You wouldn't have to keep it up continuously, either. Just pop it up every so often to check for spot-fires beyond your line of sight.

@watchthe1369 6 ай бұрын

With all the fuel sitting out in that scrub, it was about the only way to get a barrier in place. The flame heights and ember that would have created would easily cross the road. Instead the draft from the approaching fire feeding on the air will pull the embers into it and the fire they are setting will follow the draft into the fire front. That will likely stop the fire at the road and burned space, if not it will at least slow it so some dozers can maybe get some line in.

@mikegomery12 6 ай бұрын

My old lady has turned me into a softy, now I think about the poor animals going through this shit too!!!!

@slackjawedyokel1 5 ай бұрын

so is there a road or break to the right tying into the main fire ?

@mikeforster8798 5 ай бұрын

Firing out can work but it is risky for the reason that it can spot in places you don't want it to. And there are a lot of aspects that go into a burnout operation that most people don't know about.

@XAlpineSuptDN 6 ай бұрын

There you go at 11:07 or so they put the retardant on the correct side of the road w/ that VLAT.

@XAlpineSuptDN 6 ай бұрын

This is firefighting in a nutshell. Sucking smoke while holding a burnout.

@MarkGTLLC 6 ай бұрын

Were you Sup of Alpine around '13-14? Don't remember which fire exactly but pretty sure we met on an SQF fire. I was night shift at ECC and inbriefed you guys cause nobody else was awake. 😂

@XAlpineSuptDN 6 ай бұрын

@@MarkGTLLC No I was the Supt on the crew 1997 - 2007. There were 3 Supe’s after me. It might have been P. Cerda or J. Champ you briefed.

@MarkGTLLC 6 ай бұрын

@XAlpineSuptDN copy so you would have worked alongside Horseshoe Bob at some point(s). What a kick in the @$$ that would have been - I started with the FS in 08, so just after you moved on and Bob "retired" and became the country's most famous dispatcher. 😎

@patrickmcmahon7735 5 ай бұрын

where do i go to see the pics that was taken?

@piknick111 6 ай бұрын

I had to chuckle at your thumbnail

@XAlpineSuptDN 6 ай бұрын

Only thing I can think of is that they are trying to buy the burnout more time to get good depth before getting hit by the head of the fire. Or it was a mistake. Or part of the road was actually over there and they dropped a little long. Those VLATs aren’t the most nimblest of ships.

@seanvyka2496 6 ай бұрын

That's bad ass

@XAlpineSuptDN 6 ай бұрын

Typically you’d like to have more prep done on that road too reducing ladder fuels and jackpots near the road to reduce spotting potential. Probably didn’t have time to do so.

@dgsantafedave1 6 ай бұрын

Notice that none of the firefighters on the line are overweight!

@josephastier7421 6 ай бұрын

Or older than 40.

@Joseph-vf8op 6 ай бұрын

No shit they work hard

@BritishGreen70 6 ай бұрын

@@Joseph-vf8op Yes, that's why it was clearly a compliment.

@Mrbfgray 6 ай бұрын

No Buffs allowed. If you know you know. HA!

@roseannarios7312 6 ай бұрын

I've seen some a few significantly overweight firefighters in random videos and thought "how in the world are they even able to carry their gear let alone up stairs, ladders, etc...or perform proficiently in general?" Somehow they obviously pass their physicals but it's crazy.

@victorchairez7356 5 ай бұрын

Its like a tornado you can hear it coming towards you 😨

@bayjay864 6 ай бұрын

Serious question, what’s the point of a back fire and dropping flame retardant n the head of the fire?

@ry-guy_ 6 ай бұрын

If it's where I think it is they are moving quick to tie this road in for a long direction and this is the only good spot to fight the fire and the fire expanded to 300k acres really fast so the head fire was likely moving way too fast to build depth. Ideally you do these burn ops days in advance but the fire is only like 5 days old or something at this point.

@Mrbfgray 6 ай бұрын

Likely an error. Everyone is asking.

@MarkGTLLC 6 ай бұрын

@ry-guy_ were you on Horseshoe around 2008-12? I knew a RyGuy back then...

@timwalker5646 5 ай бұрын

when you are doing a back burn you start it 1 to 2 m outside the trail that way the fire stops at the trail but the front of it starts towards the main fire because they are drawing each other together. In the mean time the fire you started is burning all the fall before the main fire gets to it and puts it out basically. This firefighter has gone to far into start it up

@rd4660 6 ай бұрын

LOL, Phos-Chek on the GoPro lens. Yep, you were close, come to Jesus close.

@Mrbfgray 6 ай бұрын

Most nervous cammer in brief history of humanity but love the content! First fire obviously, best to be vigilant.

@norcalstormchasing 6 ай бұрын

Not nervous, as this isn’t my first rodeo at a fire. But constant vigilance/situational awareness is needed to: A) not get in the way of fire personnel, B) to not get myself in harms way, C) to look for spot fires as this fire has caused erratic fire behavior - Michael

@Mrbfgray 6 ай бұрын

@@norcalstormchasing Clearly out of your element, no one else there was acting like that. Big props for getting access and vid even if it made our heads spin. :D) Seriously--no one else 'got the shot', great fodder for conversation on this difficult problem. Keep up the good work!

@MarkGTLLC 6 ай бұрын

@Mrbfgray You would be surprised how much movement a helmet GoPro catches. I've been in fire going on 20 years and I'm surprised how small of movement it catches. Also, "head on a swivel" is a thing and if you put GoPros on the other guys' heads, if they're doing what they're supposed to be doing as holding forces they would be looking around just as much.

@BritishGreen70 6 ай бұрын

@norcalstormchasing Did you see any animals when you were out there? Did they run out of there, away from the fire?

@Gonefishing-hm3jv 6 ай бұрын

Yeah I was a eagle, had to scram because of the smoke, fire 🔥 😅

@BritishGreen70 6 ай бұрын

Does your mom know you're on the internet past your bedtime?

@jordanb3577 6 ай бұрын

Which date is this footage from?

@norcalstormchasing 6 ай бұрын

7/29/2024. Apologies for not having the date. Thank you for reminding me, it has been included into the description. It's been a long day... - Michael

@jordanb3577 6 ай бұрын

@norcalstormchasing thanks! No worries, it looks like it's been a long day out on the line! Great video too!

@bobwilson4648 5 ай бұрын

ever used a camera before??

@CFII172 6 ай бұрын

why did they light a fire on purpose ?

@norcalstormchasing 6 ай бұрын

@XAlpineSuptDN 6 ай бұрын

It’s a common tactic w/ large fires that you can’t get up near the edge on to build line. This fire is creating a black line that that not only helps to hopefully stop the spread off the main fire but also creates a safety zone for crews working the line. Blackline or burnouts are often used. It’s a lot easier to burn from a road where you can have engines help hold the line than to try to build dozer line or hand line following all the fingers of the fire’s edge.

@ry-guy_ 6 ай бұрын

@@CFII172 another part of it is that the massive head fire can shoot embers for over a mile ahead of it that spread the fire more. That is what is happening where the fire fighters start seeing fires on the wrong side of the road. So by starting small fires at the road you hopefully consume enough fuel in a slightly controlled manner and "build depth" so that the head fire embers aren't landing behind you.

@Bayareafree22 6 ай бұрын

The cause of this fire was a drunk man who drove his vehicle into a dry grassed area and started revving his vehicle.

@bobcaygeon6799 6 ай бұрын

😧😲😡

@f0rumrr 6 ай бұрын

They needed to fell those trees to make a back burn work, but looks to me they already over worked and dont have qualified tree faller.

@CaptainRon13 6 ай бұрын

HEY, this is great content. It’s great for classroom training, and educating the public on what we do. But, please check your language . Otherwise, keep up the good work.

@BritishGreen70 6 ай бұрын

Oh come on, they are guys doing hard, dangerous work out in the field. Who cares?

@Petalflipper 6 ай бұрын

Bro nobody in training for this kind of thing is going to care about language, get real.

@jolarent3940 6 ай бұрын

in gemany it is normal language at hard work so we can use without peeep ;-) for training

@rd4660 6 ай бұрын

Kaptan Karen.

@TNsher776 6 ай бұрын

Crazy how much forest is being burnt! Alot of wildlife habitat destroyed

@Mrbfgray 6 ай бұрын

The result of half to a full century of bad management. The real destroyer is what allowed all this fuel build up and loss of scattered big fire resistant shading trees. Ideally these backfires would have been prescribed burns roughly November to April when conditions are right, but now they are forced to do it the expensive, much less forest friendly way in July.

@Mrbfgray 6 ай бұрын

This is the East side (or NE) where essentially all the damage is occurring, the West half is 100% ecologically beneficial, Forest Service wanted to burn that part for yrs but afraid to do it and knowing it would happen anyway, far less safe but also without their liability.

@TNsher776 6 ай бұрын

@@Mrbfgray their chance to burn 🔥 forest

@Mrbfgray 6 ай бұрын

@@TNsher776 What?

@rd4660 6 ай бұрын

Yes and no. It's actually not destroyed, it's converted to another type of habitat. You'd be amazed at the signs of life that will be in this area next spring and the new growth over the next couple of decades. We humans want things to stay the same, Mother Nature has other plans. Just think what happened hundreds and thousands of years ago when a lightning strike started a fire and there were no firefighters. The wildfire burned until it burned out. The cycle of life.