The Chiefs Blog - Klamath River Fire Department

Currently Klamath River Fire is waiting for an invitation to go to the Angeles National Forrest to fight the monster, "The Station Fire" which now stands at over 105,200 acres burned and only 5% containment. USFS Engine 15 from Oak Knoll is already on the fire.The Klamath River Engine will be 3412 and the crew will be Janet Jones, Mike Close and Lisa McCauley.

The Station Fire ranks about 15th in size in state history, according to government records and could and probably will get a lot bigger. Officials said there's little prospect the massive Station Fire will be brought under control for at least two weeks. Two firefighters have already lost their lives in a vehicle roll over on this incident.

Dave

August 23, 2009

Janet and I went to Cal Fire in Yreka yesterday to pick up Engine 3410. It is a retired USFS Type III Diesel Engine but is very different from 3412 as it doesn't pump off the drive line, it has its own dedicated gas motor that operates the pump. The engine is not ready to roll and will need quite a few things, including a hard line for the passenger side and assorted brass. This is another Type III engine and even though it's not 4 wheel drive should go just about anywhere.

We have assigned engines to individual firefighters to make them responsible for their engines organization, functionality, operation, cleanliness and scheduled maintenance.

3410 is assigned to Firefighter Pierce Jones, Captain Mike Huff and the Explorers

3411 is assigned to Captain Scott Morgan and Captain Ron Olson

3412 is assigned to Captain Dave Jones and Firefighter Mike Close

3440 is assigned to Lieutenant Lisa McCauley

John McCauley is our resident mechanic on all apparatus and board member.

Dave

August 19, 2009

Klamath River Fire was asked by the Siskiyou County sheriffs Department to help with a landing zone for 3 law enforcement helicopters. Our job is to keep the landing zones wetted down to help eliminate dust that could get up into the turbines of the helicopters. Without a working water tender, keeping 3411 fed isn't an easy task. We even had to call our neighboring department Seiad to bring their water tender today.

This is in a combined effort to eradicate a large cartel set of marijuana plantations between Horse Creek and Seiad. Today an conservative estimate of plants confiscated so far is 17,000. The Law Enforcement includes Siskiyou County Sheriffs Department, Jackson County, Oregon Sheriffs Department, US Forrest Service Law Enforcement, California Department of Fish and Game and DEA. They were suppose to be wrapping this operation up tomorrow, but the sharp eyed pilots keep finding more grows both large and small, near and far.

Meanwhile Engine 3412 is still down in Yuba City fighting the Yuba Fire.

I received a phone call today our new (to us) Type III Engine 3410 is ready for pick up from Cal Fire in Yreka.

Dave

August 18, 2009

It appears Engine 3412 will be down there a while longer.

Currently there are approximately 40 wildland fires burning in the state. It appears the season started late.

3411 is active and manned today on the river.

Dave

August 16, 2009

An update:

The Gypsy Klamath River Engine 3412 is being "Demobed" (demobilized) today which means they don't need you anymore and is being sent to yet another fire. The Coffin Fire is under control.

Instead of heading north for home this time, 3412 is headed south again for another fire. The new hot spot is Yuba City with the Yuba Fire in the Dobbins area, Lake Francis near Colgate Powerhouse. It currently stands at 2,000 acres involved with only 15% containment.

Thanks, Dave

May 1, 2009

April 2009 was a busy month for Klamath River Fire. We had our first wildland fire, which was an escaped “controlled burn” in Seiad. The fire wasn’t major and proved to be an excellent training opportunity. We had our relatively new Type III Engine 3412 there and it pumped a decent hose lay.

This call was followed closely by a combination structure fire-medical call in Hamburg. The patient’s cabin’s roof caught on fire and while he was attempting to fight the fire, he fell off a ladder and broke his leg. He was life flighted to Medford and is recovering. The structure was in a very remote location, about one mile up a steep Jeep road and through a creek. Janet and I were first on scene in our Nissan Xterra and using a 5 pound extinguisher and a garden hose were able to save the structure with a minimum of damage to the roof and ceiling. After about 1 hour we were able to get the Seiad and Klamath River Type III engines up the road to begin our mop up operations.

Apparently our water tender is done but the radio needs to be installed before it is ready for service.

We have been invited to a Wild Fire Awareness Day in front of Wal-Mart in Yreka. We will have Engine 3412 there and there will be a table set up, we will have hats, patches and baked goods for sale; all profits will go to the Klamath River Explorer Post.

Within a month or two we are anticipating the beginning of the wildland fire season. Don’t forget conditions are already dry.

Training in the department is going well. We have attended classes such as;

I-200 Incident Command System

I-300 ICS for Expanding Incidents

S-200 Initial Attack

S-212 Wildland Chainsaws

Fire 66 – Basic Fire Fighting

Fire 57- Fire Control 2

Fire Control 3

Fire 32- Basic Wildland USFS

Wildland 67 – CAL FIRE Wildland

Haz Mat FRO – Hazardous Materials and Refresher

Chief Janet & Captain Dave Jones

March 16, 2009

On Saturday, March 7th was the Siskiyou Firefighter’s of the Year Annual Award Dinner. Our own Captain Mike Huff or “½ Grunt” as he like to be called, was our departmental nominee for all of his help with Klamath River Fire. Mike along with 14 other nominees from other county departments received the beautiful metals. Mike received his metal for Merit.

At the dinner Klamath River Fire was mentioned for our 2006 response to the “TC” or traffic collision of a VSS tractor-trailor big rig that resulted in a hazardous materials spill. We were honored by California Fish and Game representative Captain John Dawson.

Klamath River Fire has been very busy throughout the first three months of 2009. We have had numerous emergency calls including a tragic “TC” or traffic collision on Highway 96 in which a 14 year old girl lost her life. The other two occupants were delivered to hospitals one by air to Medford and the other by ambulance to Yreka.

The new Klamath River Firefighters and Explorers are keeping up with their training at the College of the Siskiyous. On Saturday March 14th and Sunday the 15th, we were trained nine hours a day at the College of the Siskiyous “tower” and car fire prop. All did a fantastic job and learned allot. Hats off to the fine instructors at the fire science instructors College of the Siskiyous.

Chief Janet Jones & Captain Dave Jones

January 26, 2009

2009 has been quiet for Klamath River but you can’t judge a year’s calls by the first month.

Our Auxiliary Junior Firefighters have been baptized with two calls in January of 2009, a life flight and medical call and done very well. The young firefighters have shown promise and dedication and are learning.

We are officially announcing that Cal Fire is preparing a 1,000 gallon water tender for Klamath River and the search is on for another Type 3 engine.

The classes and training are continuing for all personnel in the department. This is a never ending process for our firefighters, keeping us up to date with our certifications.

Chief Janet and Captain Dave Jones have taken over the Firefighter of the Year Dinner and changed it to Firefighter’s of the Year Dinner. This means there is no one County winner. Each departmental nominee is honored. The change is very well received and the quantity of nominees has grown from last year. They have also paid for a window at the Siskiyou County Fair and plan on doing it up right again this year. Any suggestions for the theme of the window or help is always greatly appreciated.

Thanks to generous donations and also strike team money, Klamath River Fire is in fairly good shape. We still need to receive payment for two more of last year’s wildland fires.

Chief Janet Jones, DJ

Last night was our last official training for 2008. Another great year on the river.

It was also the initiation of our Junior Firefighter program, better known as the Explorer Program. We had a great turn out of KR fire fighters, parents and youths. The program is off the ground with nine excited youths.

Our first official training in 2009 will be the first Thursday evening in January.

At the Explorers first training, we discussed scene safety, BSI, and scope of training. We set up three stations, structure gear and SCBA, wildland and web gear, and a medical O2 kit, BSI and backboard demonstration. It was hands on for everyone. Even parents got involved and strap to a board or two. Thanks Bill! Many photos were taken and everyone was having a great time, one of the longest trainings we have had in a while. Thank you Barbara Farrell for all the goodies and warming the hall ahead of time.

Klamath River Fire has been busy throughout this fire season with strike teams and numerous calls all summer.

We have been on 4 strike teams including a strike team located in Seiad, which was titled the "Slinkard Fire".

We have been dispatched twice by the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office to assist in wetting down a helicopter LZ (or landing zone) for the MET team.

Unfortunately this year we have had a high quantity of TC's (or traffic collisions), there were three motorcycle fatalities on Highway 96.

Hot dry conditions right up to November seem to still be perfect for wildland fires to start. A small fire broke out adjacent to Quigley's Market on October 21. We had the Forest Service from Oak Knoll, Cal Fire from Hornbrook and Klamath River Fire had its new Type 3 Engine, 3412 on scene, KRFD personnel was: Janet Jones, Brittany Jones (home from Cal Fire), Dave Jones, Wes Morgan and Scott Morgan. Our own Mike Huff was there, he's the captain on USFS Engine 15.

Engine 3411 just left this morning on yet another strike team. This time down in Shasta County. This fire is called the "Motion Fire". Chris Baker is the strike team leader.
On June 21 we had a mutual aid call for a structure fire in Happy Camp. The house was a total loss but no one was hurt.

Klamath River was toned out on the afternoon of July 7 for a "Public Assist" call. It was for a puppy who had locked itself in a car. In this kind of heat that's a very serious matter. With some heavy wire on the interior lock, the puppy was free.

Again, don't forget that the fire department will be doing Fair parking again this year. I know that you will all want to sign up early for the best slots. We all look forward to those sunny days in the parking lot and all those smiling faces that are there to see the 2008 County Fair. We also will be having a display window again this year. This year's theme is for "years of service" and it's for all Siskiyou County Departments.

Engine 3411 just came back from the Humbolt strike team down in Butte County. Benny Austin was the strike team leader, 4610, 4611, 408 and 1410 rounded out the team. We got to have some new experiences, putting wet stuff on red stuff and then the usual wait in the parking lot for another assignment scenario. On Thursday's training we will give more information.

Yesterday at 9:30 there was a TC on Hwy. 96. A motor home left the road and rolled about 75 feet onto its roof. A passenger was unfortunately killed as she was not wearing her seat belt. KR helped in the recovery effort along with the Cal Fire and USFS. All who attended the call were professional and respectful to those at the scene. The team work was great.

Last Friday Klamath River Elementary had its Rally-A-Thon. Wes Morgan took rescue 3440 to the school for the activities.

Saturday there will be a chiefs meeting in Etna. June 28 and 29 there will be Eric Hall Drills. I-Zone and Progressive Hose lay, Fire Shelters, Water Supply Drill, Vehicle Inspection, and Live Fire, Vehicle Fire. Engine 3411 and 3412 will be going. Get with me and let me know which engine and day you are going. 3412 pumps in neutral when stationary. We will go over pumping the new engine on Thursdays training.

July 19 will be the swift water training.The fire department will be doing Fair parking again this year. I know that you will all want to sign up early for the best slots. We all look forward to those sunny days in the parking lot and all those smiling faces that are there to see the 2008 County Fair. We also will be having a display window again this year. So lets get together with the theme for this years window. It is a good time to inform the public about us and other fire departments in the county.

Janet Jones