Firefighters, Wildland Firefighters, Wild Firefighters, explained.
There are Firefighters, Wildland Firefighters and Wild Firefighters.
First Responders come in many different shapes and sizes. They are typically the first ones to respond to an incident. EMS, FIRE, and Sheriff.
Firefighters typically show up in big fire trucks. But what happens when a fire in a remote location spreads quickly and threatens towns and communities? When you can see the smoke plume, from a different State?
Wildland Firefighting is its own specialty; few even know what we do, except when you see us at work, on the Six PM Oh-Know! News.
Wildland fire suppression is more like a military operation. We operate in conjunction with Federal, State, and Local authorities, Fire Departments, and Private Contractors.
They are "Warriors of the West". This documentary by The Wildland Firefighter Foundation will explain the story in more detail.
Then there's the Wild Firefighters. These folks are on the edge of the fire fringe. You will find them on every crew, department, and in every agency. They are the ones that extinguish medoricity, with a strange glow in their eyes and a grin on their faces. They dance in the flames and fight fire, with fire. I call them 'The Wolfpack' because they tend to howl at the moon, like me.
This website is dedicated to those I've worked with, those who inspired me, and the memories of those we've lost.
Everything here is Open Source, for educational purposes; you are free to share it and use it, just don't abuse it. It's filled with links to rabbit holes for you to explore if inclined. If you like what you see, visit the Wildland Firefighter Foundation and show your support.
When I'm fighting fires, I don't typically carry camera equipment. Some media is mine, some came from Pixabay. I have attempted to give credit to the artist by leaving the file name intact.
Welcome to my world, I'm Wildman Woody.
Montana Mountainmen With Heavy Metal. A bunch of Yaaksters, kickin ASH, with Soft Track Skidgens and other heavy equipment on the fireline, since Montana Firestorm 2000. Known far and wide as "Plumb Crazy!"
My specialty is also fire; it's called 'The Hearth', the heart of the home. The fireplace, wood cooker, woodstove, furnace, and boilers using free renewable energy. My family and I created a Hearth enterprise, from the middle of nowhere, as a Homeschool project.
I enjoy engineering, design, fabrication, research and development, prototyping, product development, and sales and marketing.
For fun, I enjoy my son, some sun, beaches, and boats, when I'm not dispatched.
Basically, I created myself another business, just so I could hang around these folks, I love 'em that much. My Tribe.
Dedicated to the memory of Marc Mullenix, mentor, friend, and instructor. RIP, Bro.
Supporting Smokejumpers and Hot Shots on mountaintops in the Rockies, for over 25yrs.
Most wildfires occur in remote locations, and getting to them can be challenging without specialized equipment or aircraft. Soft Track Skidgens ride on boggy wheels with a torsion-bar suspension system and tracks like a battle tank. The tracks conform to the ground, increasing traction on steep, soft terrain and minimizing environmental impact, unlike rubber-tired vehicles, which create ruts when their tires spin, contributing to erosion.
We work under NIFC, 'National Interagency Fire Center', through NWCG, 'National Wildfire Coordinating Group', GACC, 'Geographic Area Coordination Centers' and NRCC, 'Northern Rockies Coordination Center'. All of which uses NIMS, 'National Incident Management System'.
Once dispatched, we work for an Incident Management Team.
Our customers are the USFS FIRE, BLM FIRE, BIA FIRE, CALFIRE, and other agencies, as well as the private sector, such as Constellis Fire.
Our emergency equipment is in VIPR and dispatched through IROC from Region 1. This is done through Flathead and Missoula Dispatch Centers in Montana.
We have two Soft Track Skidgens (an FMC 220 & an M548), a Water Tender/Transport, a Type 4 Dozer, and more. Pumper Cats are in the works.
From fire suppression to emergency disaster response, Obadiah’s Wildfire Fighters has the right tools for the job. Operated by experienced personnel ready to go wherever the call takes us.
Led by Wildman Woody, Obadiah’s team has been supporting Smoke Jumpers, Hot Shots, and Tribes on mountain tops and responding to disasters of all sizes across North America since 2000.
We are highly adaptable and self-sufficient: Whether it’s providing support at a large complex fire, providing initial attack on small incidents, assisting in disaster relief efforts, or rehabbing after the disaster, we come prepared to help with no hidden requirements.
In the Forest Service, the post-fire emergency stabilization program is known as the Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER)
We also support non-agency local response efforts and private landowners in fire suppression and mitigation through fuels management. Our goal is to prevent wildfires before they go wild.
Contract fire suppression for the private sector requires an on-site fire risk assessment, completed fuel management and mitigation, and an escrow account in place for priority dispatch consideration.
So what are you waiting for? Give our team a call at 1-800-968-8604, or visit our contact page.
Extinguishing mediocrity, no matter where it is.