Marshall McClung
Readers are no doubt aware of all the large wildfires that have burned most of the summer in the western states.
They may not be as aware that there is a long-standing connection with firefighters in Graham County.
Dating back for over 50 years, firefighters with both the United States and North Carolina forest services have been shipped to more than 15 different states and Canada to assist in fighting wildfires –sometimes in excess of 100,000 acres in size.
In spite of dangerous, hard work, firefighters endured weather extremes of temperatures in excess of 100 degrees and/or well below freezing. On one fire in northern Montana, temperatures dropped from the 90s to the 30s in less than 24 hours, and it began snowing. In Arizona, they fought fire in 114-degree weather. In southern California, it was the Santa Ana (Devil Winds) blowing strong enough to almost knock you off your feet. A hard hat without a chin strapped in place went flying to other parts.
Then there were the scorpions, rattlesnakes, prickly cacti and other-not so-friendly inhabitants. They also have yellow jackets – and they are just as mean and hurt just as bad when their nest is disturbed.
Most of the fire assignments were supposed to be a 14-day limit, but by the time you got from a fire camp in the middle of nowhere, got to an airport and reached this end of the country, it was sometimes closer to 21 days. Other fire assignments were much longer.
You might be wondering about food and lodging.
In the early days, the food was mostly military-C rations, but improved greatly over the years. As far as lodging is concerned, the last time I was out there, it was the “Hillside Inn” – a paper sleeping bag on the hard ground.
This summer, Graham County Ranger Frank Cline with the N.C. Forest Service spent three weeks on the Cougar Creek Fire in Washington, as part of a helicopter-operations team. The helicopters were used to carry fighters to different parts of the fire and also to drop water on the fire.
The fire – which was started by a lightning strike – burned over 20,000 acres near the town of Anatone. The fire started on private property, but threatened a wilderness area and the Wenatchee National Forest.
Firefighters were hampered by temperatures that reached as high as 104 degrees.
Marshall McClung is the historical columnist for The Graham Star. He can be reached via email, mcclungs@email.com.