Best week ever

Hey everyone,

I just got back into St. Louis last night after spending 11 days down in Eminence. This is about the time of the year that the Missouri Department of Conservation starts prescribed burn season. With that being said, my team spent a lot of time these past few days walking around and doing last minute prepping of burn units all around Eminence. Last week, we carried all of our gear, chain saws, weed whackers, leaf blowers, and gas around a different burn unit each day. 

Walking around these units isn't much fun and there really isn't a lot to do, so I get bored and need to find something to do. On the Coot Mountain fire line, there is a fire tower really close. With it being on MDC land, I had the key to let me inside. Of course I had to go up it and I'm glad I did. I could see for miles and miles. 

Looking north I believe. There's a river over yonder.

Blue Hulk just hanging out.

Lunch time on the steepest part of the fire line

After carrying our gear around the 4 mile burn unit, Susan, our contact, took us to see what she said was a really neat little gorge. It was pretty cool, and I almost fell off.

Sticking my feet of the edge.

On Friday, we found out that we were going to do a prescribed burn on Saturday. After switching some members on my team out with another team, we were ready to light up the forest. I did a pretty good job at that because I was given a drip torch to do it. Using a drip torch is awesome, you can start a fire so fast! I worked with two other people, they were from the Park Service, on igniting one side of the burn unit.

Hello fire

The tools of the trade

We started the fire at Rocky falls. It's a really cool shut-in.

Blue hulk parked like a rock star.

 I took a lot of pictures of the fire because it was really cool to see.

4 other ERT guys starting the other side of the line.

Boss man just standing in the fire.

There's my line!

1 of 3 engines that helped hold the fire.

The People Mover. This UTV went everywhere. Through rivers, in the fire, over logs.  You name it, it went there.

Hello sun

I think this is my favorite picture.

Post fire party picture.

The next day we were on fire standby so after doing some prepping of a fire line, we sat on the side of the rode and waited for our name to be called on the radio.

We got a little bored of that, so we drove down the road to Alley Springs. I later found at that this is part of a huge burn unit that I would work on a few days later.

On Monday, we were called to do another prescribed burn. This burn was much smaller, but it was much more fun. I was able to use the drip torch again to light the forest on fire again.

Blue hulk in rock star formation again

Burn baby burn

I was the last man making sure there are were no spot overs.

Smoke!

No spot overs

Smoke in trees.

My turn to light the forest on fire.

Lets let the AmeriCorps guys start the fire going down the steep hill. Thanks MDC, that was hard work.

Wind blowing the wrong way.

Another ERT took over at the bottom of the hill

The fire went about 50 feet in 10 seconds.

Down in the river bed.

The fire took off up the hill, so I didn't really have to breath too much smoke.

Point G. Still in the river bed.

Post fire looking up the huge steep hill I hiked down using a drip torch

On the last day, we were on the other side of the Alley Springs burn unit. I just walked around carrying a chain saw, chain saw gas and oil, food, fire shelter, radio, water, rake, and my camera. I slept so well that night. We hiked another 3 miles that day cutting down snags and moving fuel away from the line.

I'll be in St. Louis this weekend and then it's up in the air where I go. With the tornadoes this week in Branson and Southern Missouri, ERT has already been deployed. One team is in Branson, another in Buffalo, and another in Lebanon. So we'll see where I go.

Until later,

Shamucas.