When we were kids we all wanted to be a firefighter at one point or another. We wanted to wear the outfits, ride in the trucks, be a part of a team, extinguish the flames and be a hero. Well, hotshots are some of those heroes. They go into the most dangerous conditions to protect nature and communities that are threatened by wildfires, as depicted in the upcoming movie Only the Brave, in theaters October 20th, which is based on the inspiring untold true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots.
The name “hotshots” comes from these firefighters being the ones who go directly to the hottest parts of a fire. When it comes to firefighting, the Hotshot crews are arguably the most elite.
Fire crews are the backbone of any fire suppression effort. A hotshot crew, is a hand crew of 20 firefighters specially trained in a variety of tactics used to suppress wildfires.
Their ability to undertake difficult and dangerous assignments (primarily large, high-priority wildfires), along with extensive training and standards, hotshot crews are considered to be like the SEAL teams of wildland firefighters. Hotshots are trained and equipped to fight fires for extended periods of time – sometimes required to work up to 24-hour long shifts. They bring with them enough water and personal supplies to last two or three days. The terrain, remote locations, and the conditions of a fire can create logistical nightmares – the hotshots are often in situations where there is little support. They have to rely on the strength of their team.
Hotshots are sent to battle the worst of the worst conditions, so they require almost all of their team to have at least one season of wildfire fighting experience under their belts. These teams can’t have any weak links, and having the most experience possible on the front line helps for the hotshots to trust each other and be as effective as possible.
Hotshots have to go through intense training. As part of becoming a hotshot, they must participate in physical fitness and conditioning programs and pass the Work Capacity Test at the Arduous level. The Arduous level fitness test requires the individual to perform a three-mile hike with a 45 pound pack in 45 minutes. Other minimum PT standards commonly adhered to are, 1½-mile run in 10:35 or less, 30+ push-ups in 60 seconds, 45+ sit-ups in 60 seconds, and 7 pull-ups all completed consecutively. These standards are an absolute minimum, and most hotshots’ capabilities far exceed those numbers.
A typical five-day span of training for these guys can include alternating days of directed weight lifting/calisthenics, hill work, and running… It’s exhausting just thinking about it.
A wildfire or wildland fire is an uncontrolled fire. They burn extremely hot, travel rapidly, and can change direction at any moment. These wildfires often occur in rural areas, but they can occur in more populated areas harming any homes, agriculture, humans, and animals caught in their path. The majority of wildfires are started by humans, originating from something as simple as a dropped match or cigarette, campfires, or exhaust sparks, but many wildland fires are also ignited by lightning.
An average fire will reach temperatures of 800 degrees Celcius, but if conditions get extreme, flame temperatures can be more than 1200 degrees Celcius. A really large fire is able to generate hurricane-force winds, up to 120 mph!
In a wildfire, you are guaranteed to have a long-lasting fight in just about every fire. It’s very rare for a quick knockout blow to be delivered to a wildfire that can quickly become overwhelming in size and heat. These things take time to contain and control, especially when the fire occurs on terrain with so many unknown variables . The time it takes to fight a wildfire is generally much longer than a structural fire. Wildfires are much larger, and just about everything around them is flammable, so they’ll just keep growing and growing.
A structural fire often occurs in areas that are more urban or developed, so it has more defined boundaries that don’t allow it to spread at the rapid rate of a wildfire. This is part of why endurance is a key factor in hotshot training.
One of the most important tactics used by hotshot crews is constructing firelines. A fireline is a break in fuel (any part of the terrain that will burn), made by cutting, scraping or digging to reach mineral soil (that won’t burn). It can be done by mechanized equipment like bulldozers, but in most cases, it’s done using hand tools. Crews work together to begin constructing firelines from an anchor point, like a road, lake, stream, river, or large rock outcropping. This method is used to prevent the fire from flanking the crew as they construct the line around the perimeter of the fire.
A key aspect of wildfire prevention actually consists of setting purposeful, managed fires. Crews will conduct prescribed burns or controlled burns, deliberately igniting a fire for the purpose of forest or prairie management, often to remove heavy fuel buildup or simulate natural cycles of fire in an ecosystem.
One of the most important pieces of a prescribed burn is actually lighting the fire. The ignitions are supervised by a qualified firefighter known as a firing boss, who have extensive experience in how to light fires so that they burn along the ground without igniting tree trunks and branches. If the fire is not properly lit, the fire could burn out of control with disastrous results.
Helicopters are often deployed to help fight wildfires – this part of the crew is the Helitack crew. Helitack refers to “helicopter-delivered fire resources,” and is the system of managing and using helicopters and their crews to perform aerial firefighting and other firefighting duties.
Helitack crews are used to attack a wildfire and to help with early control efforts, especially when inaccessibility would make it difficult or impossible for ground crews to respond in the same amount of time. A fire crew is trained to use helicopters for initial attack against large fires through bucket drops of water/retardants, and for moving personnel, equipment and supplies.
At least one of the first crews carrying the name “hotshots” grew out of a former Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp in the San Bernardino National Forest in Southern California. The CCC was a work relief program (1933-1942) that employed young men primarily in natural resource conservation projects. However, CCC members were also utilized for fire suppression operations, marking the first time that standing crews had been established for this purpose.
As of 2013 the number of IHCs had grown to 110, with crews employed by the USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal programs.
With an uptick in wildfires in our country over recent years, these hotshot crews are needed more than ever. We thank our lucky stars there are these brave individuals who are prepared to step forward and engage the fires directly to keep nature, communities, and lives safe.
Be sure to check out Only The Brave, based on the inspiring true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, when it hits theaters on October 20th.
You can help support firefighting, as well as the towns and families impacted by hotshots and their work by donating to the Granite Mountain Fund HERE.
