Uno Peak Fire Egress 2017

On September 10, the decision was made to move the three masticators closer to the fire. At approximately 1630 the larger of the two excavators had an equipment failure. The operator was unable to move the machine—that was now blocking the primary egress from the fire. The Group Supervisor and Safety Officer were promptly notified of this situation. It was determined that the cut-bank could be dug out and the road widened sufficiently for a standard-sized pick-up to pass by.  Meanwhile, on this same road, a truck pulling a trailer with a UTV also broke down—blocking the road. This new breakdown was blocking-in three water tenders, an Interagency Hotshot Crew, and a Corrections Crew between the two road blocks. This new breakdown/road block was dealt with quickly. The truck and trailer were pulled off to the side of the road, allowing the two crews and their vehicles to pass by and use the alternate egress. The water tenders, however, were not able to navigate the upper road and had to be left on the Grade Creek Road for the night while their operators were shuttled back to the Incident Command Post by pickup truck.

Driving, LCES, Heavy Equipment, RLS, Heavy Equipment