Wayne Werne, fighting fire with fire
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Southern Indiana has been fortunate on the weather front this year. After two years of drought, milder than usual temperatures and fairly regular precipitation was the norm this summer.
The same cannot be said for the American West. The area, already known for its less humid, drier climate, posed ideal conditions for a wildfire which unfortunately became a reality for the forest area near Yosemite National Park.
Helping combat the blaze was Wayne Werne, who recently returned from two-weeks in California.
Werne, who lives in the St. Meinrad area, was part of a Hoosier contingent of firefighters representing the Hoosier National Forest and Indiana Dunes.
This was the third team Indiana sent out this year. Werne’s team spent the last week of August and early September in California.
Werne served as part of a “hand crew,” whose main responsibility was to create conditions to stop the raging blaze from spreading elsewhere.
One method was through controlled fire.
Fighting fire with fire — the old axiom is apparently true.
What the firefighters were doing was attempting to burn out brush and small trees so when the inferno reached the stop point, it would lose its ability to regenerate itself because one of the three essential components fire needs to continue had been taken away. The three are heat, oxygen and fuel. The fuel is destroyed through the controlled burn.
Even under the best of circumstances, firefighting is not an exact science. Werne reported the crew’s first attempt was near a road, but the fire was able to “jump” the road and continue its destruction, using the tree canopies for passage. Western trees grow much taller than their eastern counterparts. Heights between 100- 200 feet are commonplace, whereas in Indiana, a 120 ft. tree would be one of the largest in the area.
The species also causes problems. In the west, pine trees are dominate and have adapted to the dry conditions. They are also much more likely to burn. Here in the east, where more hardwood varieties are the norm, this would not produce as much trouble because hardwood species take longer to burn and humid conditions, needed would also hamper the fire’s ability to spread.
Combining the species and height reveals the third issue – fire jumps through sparks. The higher the spark, the further it can travel before burning out or landing on other burnable material. The canopies in the forest, already dry, serve as a tinderbox to spread the flame.
Werne, who has participated in ten or so missions to the west since 1996, said this experience was unique in that when he arrived the fire was not under any control.While being driven to the first base camp, he passed through areas where the canopies of the trees were burning.
Earlier this year, Americans were jolted by the loss of all but one of what Werne called the “hot-shot” team. They were wildfire pros whose camp was unexpectedly and quickly engulfed by the raging fire. That event, Werne said, caused firefighters to refocus on safety efforts to prevent another tragedy from occurring.
During his two week stay, his base camp was evacuated as the fire got too close to headquarters. The crew then had to make due with a spike camp before being moved to their second base camp.
The camps are fairly close so firefighters can get to the action quickly. The spike camp was more remote and essentially had no amenities to speak of so firefighters were essentially roughing it.
This is nothing new for Werne. In the DNR, he is stationed at Harrison/Crawford State Park and is an expert in firefighting. He assures readers that because of the different (more humid) ecosystem in southern Indiana, it is highly unlikely the Eastern United States would ever see the scale and scope of fires being fought in the west. Lightening storms are also less likely.
This fire, considered the third largest in that area in history, has consumed nearly 100 sq. miles of property or 257,000 acres as of last check. Werne reports that 30% of the area has been “severely burned,” and what was there before will not be able to rejuvenate without help.
Werne paints a more optimistic picture for the wildlife. Flying animals have been able to keep ahead of the flame. Animals not gifted with flight also have a better chance of survival because they have adapted to the environment, and although the fire has spread through a large area, there has been time for wildlife to escape.
The housing situation is better than in some previous fires. The vast majority of the fire is contained to the forest, which is sprinkled sparsely with homes and the odd town here and there. Most of the homes are in the Sierra Nevada foothills and the fire has not chosen to head that way.
What was in danger, however, was a national treasure – Yosemite National Park.
Some of the signs are unmistakable and impressive in their own right. One would be the billowing clouds of smoke near the mountain. This sight was rather new for Werne as he didn’t arrive at earlier tours until the fire had mostly been contained. This time he began when the fire was “0% contained,” but by the time he left, it was “80% contained.”
To control this blaze, Werne reports 540 fire trucks have been involved, along with 5,000 personnel and 42 helicopters (so far). The helicopters drop water and other items to stop the fire.
Firefighting crews are called to the west when fires reach a certain severity (usually 3 on a 5 point scale). The Eastern crews are brought in to relieve crews who have been fighting the blaze non-stop, in this case, weeks and weeks. Usually, the eastern crews arrive near the end of the event and are given the more mundane and less glamourous “mop-up” operations (small burn-out, clean-up, etc.). The main firefighting is generally reserved for the Western departments and “hot-shot” troops.
As previously mentioned, this has not been the case here, partly due to the severity of this year’s fires and the longevity of containing the blaze.
Regardless of east or west, firefighters work in two week increments, meaning 14 days of solid work. Werne describes the day as 16 hours of firefighting with the remaining eight for sleep. Firefighters are then required to take a minimum two days off before joining another tour.
Anyone can volunteer to serve on one of these “tours” if the following requirements are met: Potential fighters must take Basic Firefighting I and II plus three separate courses in wildland firefighting. Upon successful completion, the applicant receives a Red Card, making him or her eligible to be deployed.
Werne said the hardest task for newcomers is being assigned their first mission, because crews are limited to five rookies. Once that hurdle has been overcome, the fighter generally can serve when he or she likes.
There is an unwritten, but equally important requirement. Fire doesn’t operate on a convenient schedule and when the call comes, there is little time to make arrangements, possibly less than 24 hours to pack for the two weeks and go. This requires a certain amount of flexibility. In Indiana, crews are formed and deployed from Martinsville. Werne doesn’t have as much of a problem getting away as he works for a state agency. For others, however, this tends to require understanding employers as well as families.
Certification is not for life and refresher courses are required. Physical requirements — the ability to carry a 45 lb bag three miles in 45 minutes — are part of the training.
With all the devastation, what will Mother Nature do to address the aftermath (barring human intrusion)?
Werne said beetles and woodpeckers would slowly break down the decayed wood too far gone to rejuvenate. As that happens, vegetation will re-establish. He said some of the most severely scarred area could revert to grasslands as is the natural development of ecosystems. One potential deterrent is erosion.
Small trees will begin to emerge, followed by larger trees. As the canopies develop, lower vegetation would be reduced and ultimately returned to forest.
Those who study the region hope for significant snowfall tis winter. As the snow melts, the water is more likely to seep into the ground instead of running off, bettering the chances for vegetation to grow, beginning the rejuvenation.
However, human intervention is likely. Man’s general inclination is to preserve what is there, which at times is contradictory to the processes of nature. In trying to protect today’s forest, fire suppression is an important tool, yet one with definite advantages and disadvantages.
Some people who love nature are appalled that professionals would consider using controlled burns. “Leave nature alone,” is a common refrain. On the other hand, brush, debris and provide kindling for large fires to spread. The question becomes a balancing act – burn a little to preserve the risk or let it go, potentially risking thousands upon thousands of acres being scorched.
Mother Nature never makes the decision easy.
