September 16, 2008

Forty-metre-tall flaming redwood trees, bears, snakes and next to no water, those were some of the challenges a Northland firefighter had to contend with in California's vast forest fires.

Trevor Bullock, the Department of Conservation's Northland firefighting specialist, has just returned from five weeks of 16-hour days as a division supervisor for fires covering areas the size of Kerikeri and Kaikohe combined.

Mr Bullock, who is based at the Bay of Islands area office in Kerikeri, was one of three DOC staff, six from rural fire brigades and the forestry industry, and 44 Australians, who helped battle the 36,000ha Butte lightning complex and 40,000ha Iron complex fires in California.

California has been in drought for nearly four years and 90 per cent of its fires were started by lightning strikes, he said.

One storm could start several fires that burned for much of the year _ so huge numbers of people were needed not just to fight the fires, but also to support those on the fire line.

'There were 1300 people at the Butte fire, and when we arrived some of the crews had been on for 38 days straight, often in 40C heat because of a shortage of trained people,' Mr Bullock said.

'Generally you work 14 days on, then two off, but they didn't have the numbers for that, so they were pleased to see us.

'CalFire, which operates California's firefighting, runs very good line management and our systems are similar, so we were able to hit the ground running.'

The Kiwis and Aussies manage the crews rather than actually fight the fires. As division supervisor, Mr Bullock managed five crews of 20, plus an assortment of fire engines, bulldozers and tree-loggers.

The Kiwis had to contend with flaming 40m-tall redwood trees, bears, snakes, high temperatures and huge logs so dry that they could be set alight with a match.

'A Kiwi skill which the Californians appreciated was Water 101,' said Mr Bullock.

'They don't use water much over there _ partly because there's a shortage _ so they use dry firefighting methods such as handtools and shovels.

'We pump water through long lengths of hose, and our techniques in water management held us in good stead.'

The benefits to DOC and other firefighting agencies of sending staff to the US include experience in mass personnel and resource management, and experience in fast-moving fires.
Personal highlights for Mr Bullock included being the last one off the mechanical bull at a California bar and being made an honorary citizen of California.