On June 30, 19 firefighters lost their lives battling wildfires in Yarnell, Ariz. This disaster marked the deadliest wildfire in 80 years and the worst firefighter tragedy since September 11.
While the firemen of Auburn Station No. 1 will certainly not be combatting any forest fires with flames reaching 40 feet high, as they did in Arizona, it still faces inclement situations every day that make the job just as dangerous.
Auburn firefighter Tom Moore commended the fallen Arizona firemen for their service.
"I think that what they were doing was pretty extraordinary. That's a very difficult job. It's extremely physical, and you have to have a lot of endurance for that kind of firefighting," Moore said. "But that was a calculated risk they took, going out there and trying to put out a forest fire. They all knew the dangers, but they've also been trained to respond to that danger."
Corey Donaldson, also an Auburn firefighter, said the Auburn firemen know the risks involved with such a dangerous profession.
"It's tragic. It's something that's hard to handle for the families, but when we sign up for the job, when we sign that paper work to work here, it's something that everybody knows about. But it's a risk that we're willing to take for the city," Donaldson.
Even though the Auburn Fire Department responds to more house fires than forest fires, the conditions are just as dangerous. Moore said having a good plan is the best way to ensure their safety.
"It's all calculated. We're not just going to run into some situation," Moore said. "If we go into a structure fire, we have a plan. We know what to do. We've been trained. We're going to have a strategy of how to get out of dangerous situations. Those (Arizona firefighters) did too; it's just one of those things you can't control."
One similarity between combatting forest fires and structure fires is the effect wind can have on the flames. Donaldson said a change in wind direction can turn the blaze on the firemen in an instant, as it did in Arizona.
"The wind can change the direction of a fire going through a house too," Donaldson said. "One of the ways we try to avoid those kind of problems is to have a designated safety officer for every big call we go to. He's set aside to watch and make sure that if anything changes significantly, he can tell the commander that's in charge and we can get everybody out or take the necessary steps to fix that problem."
Moore added that keeping staying attentive is also key when fighting fires.
"You want to always have all the information before you go in to a dangerous situation to form a (mental) picture, and then color everything else in as you go," Moore said. "We're very safety oriented. You've always got to be thinking 'stay focused' and keep your situational awareness and be aware of all the different factors going on around you. We're very good about that in this department. We all take care of each other to make sure we're not putting ourselves in a dangerous situation."
The firemen of Auburn Station No. 1 are all highly qualified and trained public servants. They engage in training exercises every day and always take the steps necessary to ensure their safety, no matter the severity of the call.
But as evidenced by the tragedy in Arizona last week, sometimes things don't always go according to plan. Auburn Deputy Chief Rodney Hartsfield said taking risk is all part of the job description.
"You never know what kind of situation you are walking into," Hartsfield said. "We can do everything right and still get hurt. You can have all of the safety officers and all the training in the world, but it's just the nature of the job."
Editor's note: Although sharing the same last name, Jeffrey Moore and firefighter Tom Moore are not related.
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