Attending a Live Fire Event as a Newcomer to Fire - October 2022
In October of 2022, I had the opportunity to attend the Canadian Prairies TREX, held by the CPPFE in Saskatoon. As someone who had very limited experience with fire on the landscape, I was obviously very excited, and I am happy to say that the event surpassed expectations! I anticipated a lot of classroom work, which can be tedious at the best of times, but we lucked out with the weather and were able to take part in what I found to be, a much more valuable experience, as we put fire on the ground 4 out of 5 days. This is not to undermine the classroom learning; each day started off with valuable lessons and an in-depth fire plan, outlining safety and logistics.
Having experienced fire wizards like Renny Grilz, Kerry Hecker, Kody Wohlers, Brad Elder and others meant that we were able to take confidence out to the field for burning safely and efficiently. The leaders were very approachable and made great efforts to ensure that everyone was able to experience all facets of the team, from ignition to holding.
I also appreciated the organizational diversity that the CPPFE brought to Saskatoon. It became clear that prescribed fire requires a lot of equipment and people power that not all organizations have and being able to share these resources was important from a logistical perspective and from a social perspective. Hearing and learning from a variety of organizations was important to me as I get my feet wet in this industry and being surrounded by like minded people did wonders for morale. We put fire on the ground for 4 different organizations all within driving distance of downtown Saskatoon.
I feel incredibly fortunate to have taken part in this event. Being able to contribute to the ecological health of the prairie (one of Canada’s most endangered habitats) while playing with fire felt like a dream.
-Jeff
A total of 40 participants from 11 agencies/organizations- students, conservation staff, wildland fire personnel, and fire departments- participated in the Canadian Prairies TREX, engaging in a diverse variety of training opportunities throughout the week.
Two igniters work in tandem to build black along the mowed fire guard at Beaver Creek Conservation Area. The right wind direction allows them to know how much to light and when.
Spot Fire Training at Kernen Prairie. After building a secure guard, trainers lit spot fires and had crews move quickly and efficiently to practice extinguishing them.
St. Denis National Wildlife Area Before and After. 160 acres.
Crews Being Crews. Many different tools and roles.
Renny conducting a site briefing with drone footage from the Northeast Swale. Daily morning briefings let crews know the objectives for the day and where they would be working. We’d talk through the plan, identify any safety concerns, and make sure everyone knew their role for the day before leaving the operations compound.
The crew receives the operational briefing once reaching the burn unit site. This briefing lays out the plan for the burn unit, communication plan, medical plan, organizational structure, and site-specific information prior to igniting.