Firefighter returns from US wildfire frontline

Ahuroa’s newly-appointed chief fire officer Chris Taylor has returned home with a new appreciation of the sheer scale and power of wildfires after spending 35 days in the north-western United States.

Taylor, an eight-year volunteer firefighter who works as a Police firearms safety and education officer, was part of Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s Team Bravo deployment.

The 57-strong contingent included volunteer and career firefighters, Department of Conservation and forestry personnel, New Zealand Defence Force members and incident management specialists.

It was Taylor’s first overseas deployment and started with a crash course in doing things the American way.

“Our first couple of days were spent familiarising ourselves with the US fire appliances, learning to drive on the other side of the road and doing some survival training,” he says.

Taylor was initially based near Entiat, Washington, working on the Little Giant Fire, which was sparked by lightning.
Crews worked 12-hour shifts for 14 days straight, often on steep and unforgiving terrain. After three days off, Taylor’s team headed further north to another fire near the Canadian border.

“It was hot, dirty work and we were working at altitudes of between 1400 and 2000 metres, which was pretty tough.”

As a rural brigade, Ahuroa specialises in vegetation fires and Taylor has undertaken additional training in wildfire behaviour. He is also a member of the Waitematā Wildfire Taskforce.

Even with that experience, the size of the American fires made a lasting impression.

“My takeaway memory will just be the scale of the fire. Everything is big in America, including their fires. In the right conditions, they can cover a massive amount of ground very quickly.”

He was also impressed by the resources available to US crews, including Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters and fixed-wing firefighting aircraft capable of scooping thousands of litres of water in seconds.

Another eye-opener was the personal fire shelter issued to firefighters – equipment Taylor describes as being like an aluminium foil-lined sleeping bag.

“If you get caught in a fire, perhaps when there is a sudden wind change, you find a piece of unburned ground, climb into the shelter and let the fire burn over you.”

The risks were very real. During Taylor’s deployment, a firefighter working on the Austin Fire was killed after being struck by a falling tree during suppression operations.

But there were lighter moments, too. Taylor encountered chipmunks, squirrels, coyotes, deer and snakes, although fortunately no bears or moose.

He says the warmth shown by local communities was memorable, with handwritten signs thanking firefighters regularly appearing in shops and other businesses.

“There was a lot of genuine praise and thanks for the job we did.”

Just as important was the camaraderie among the international contingent.

“By the end of the deployment we were all pretty close. That’s what the fire service is like – there’s a real brotherhood among firefighters.”

The experience gained overseas will now be brought home as New Zealand prepares for its own summer fire season.

Despite being more than ready to see home again after 35 days away, Taylor says he would volunteer for another international deployment.

“I couldn’t wait to get home, but I felt like I had left unfinished business because the fire was still blazing. Yes, I would definitely do it again.”