Page 22 - Flathead Beacon // 4.27.16

The 1966 Flathead Hotshots.
COURTESY FLATHEAD HOTSHOTS
107 hotshot teams across the country. Yet fewer than 20 remain from the origi- nal era of the 1960s, such as the Flathead Hotshots.
“The fact that they have been in place and been as respected as they are as a crew for 50 years is a signi cant accom- plishment,” says Steve Frye, a longtime wildland re ghter and Type I incident commander with the Montana Depart- ment of Natural Resources and Conser- vation in Kalispell.
“The Flathead Hotshots, and the Region One hotshot crews in general, are the standard against which I judge all other hotshot crews — their experience, the level of leadership, training and cohe- siveness. They really embody the concept that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.”
Frye added, “The Flathead Hotshots are a known commodity. They’re the best of the best.”
As another summer approaches, the local hotshots are preparing for six months of non-stop action. Even if this corner of Montana is quiet in terms of activity, the hotshots travel the conti- nent chasing re, from Canada to Alaska and anywhere in the U.S. On average, the Flathead Hotshots work 100 operational shifts a season with two days o every two weeks. An operational shift can run anywhere from eight to 16 hours without a break.
The number of large, catastrophic wild res has increased dramatically in the last decade. Wild res have consumed
millions of acres of forest and destroyed hundreds of homes on an annual basis in recent years, and the number of wild- res larger than 1,000 acres has doubled across the West since the 1970s. Six of the worst re seasons in terms of burned acreage have occurred since 2005.
In the heart of re season, hotshots are among the most in-demand resources in America.
The 20-person crews boast a lean-and- mean reputation as an elite unit of men and women who can do it all. Outside of re season, hotshots respond to natural disasters, such as hurricanes, and search and rescue operations.
They use every re tool in the arse- nal, from Pulaskis to chainsaws and drip torches, which are used for burnouts and back res. Their ability to “ ght re with re” distinguishes them as partic- ularly unique and useful. Only a select few resources in the nation can carry out burnout operations. A burnout or back- re involves sparking a new re that con- sumes the fuels in the path of an opposing blaze, creating a bu er. It e ectively halts a cataract of ames in its tracks. It also can doom re crews and create hundreds, if not thousands, of acres of trouble.
For this reason and many others, including the severity of the situations crews regularly nd themselves in, hot- shots undergo rigorous training. In the coming weeks, the team will embark on an 80-hour critical training program that includes classroom and eld work. It will also involve serious physical training and
“hell day,” an experience described as similar to the military’s boot camp.
“It’s all designed to push humans to the limit of their capability. But it’s not their capability that I’m interested in testing, it’s their will,” says Shawn Bor- gen, who rst joined the Flathead Hot- shots in 1996 and is in his second summer serving as superintendent of the crew.
“What I care about is the heart you put into the job. That’s what everybody respects.”
The grueling regimen that goes into preparing for summer is not just a test; it’s a series of vital measures seeking to
ensure survival.
Not only do hotshots take part in the
most complex re operations and situa- tions, they also stand atop the food chain in terms of physical and mental require- ments and self-su ciency.
“We’ll hike whatever distance through broken terrain, then we’ll ght the re and then we’ll cut and dig and end and bleed and sweat as long as that takes,” Borgen says.
Hotshot teams can survive alone in the wild for 72 hours, carrying 50-pound packs with minimal gear and shelter while eating military-style rations. They
The Flathead Hotshots respond to res across North America. GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
22
APRIL 27, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM