LLC Incident Report Staff Picks II
These are the final three Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center staff members’ recommended incident reports from 2024 that appeared in the 2025 Two More Chains Winter Issue.
I Suggest: Sheep Fire Hit by Log RLS
Why I Liked it: This is a classic “meat and potatoes” RLS. A short story about crews doing crew stuff when the bad thing happens. A log rolls and crushes a firefighter on steep ground. Crews rally and use lessons from previous events to take care of their fellow firefighter. The main reason I love this report is they are USING LESSONS! Someone out there had a soft stretcher in their pack. When they had to figure out how to get their homie off the hill, they didn’t have to make a stretcher out of sticks and tape. I love concise reports with concrete lessons. More than that, I love seeing our workforce take care of each other by putting lessons into practice.
Recommended By: Travis Dotson, LLC Analyst
I Suggest: Balsom Root Fire Narrow Escape RLS
Why I Liked It: This RLS tells the story of a task force of engines, a dozer and overhead from Western Washington assigned to preposition in Central Washington. During a fast-paced initial attack with structures threatened, firefighters made a hasty escape to avoid an entrapment, with flames coming within 25 feet of their lookout. The RLS stresses doing the work to create crew cohesion when modules work together for the first time. Though it takes time, finding common ground and opening communication can pay dividends when hazards need to be called out and decisions made quickly.
Recommended By: Erik Apland, LLC Field Operations Specialist
I Suggest: Cougar Fire Commo Issues RLS
Why I Liked It: If you like a good mystery story, you’re gonna appreciate this RLS. It’s a “Who Done It?” concerning a mysterious repeater system breakdown on the Cougar Fire. While this true caper has special resonance with communications folks, we can all learn from how troubleshooting was carried out to resolve this serious dilemma. Here’s the plot: The Communications Unit Leader on this fire knew deployment of multiple repeaters in a linked configuration would be necessary due to this incident’s size, the topography and multiple jurisdictions. Several Forward Operating Bases required daily briefings via radio. Four repeater sites were therefore linked into a “hub.” Next, a lightning storm hits the fire in the vicinity of the hub. Afterwards, the repeaters remained locked open—preventing radio transmissions for extended periods of time. This anomaly was occurring at the exact same time of the day/evening. So, who/what was the culprit/villain? You might be surprised.
Recommended By: Paul Keller, LLC Writer-Editor