2/1/2024 0 Comments Dauntless air![]() It began with two essays – one in Air Attack, a New Zealand magazine that profiles innovations in aerial firefighting and a second in FIRELINE, a publication of the National Wildfire Suppression Association, which is run by Debbie Miley, who I have known for about 30 years. Production work on my book was already well underway when I began to see stories in other publications that told me my story was about to charge off in a new and unanticipated direction – like an unplanned ignition gone astray. Lots of very constructive suggestions for where “the story” goes from here. Me, too, given the enormous response to the interview. I interviewed Carroll after he wrote to say he enjoyed reading First, Put Out the Fire! but he wished I had brought the story forward another 20 years to include unplanned ignitions. We have been made aware of several such incidents in Idaho and Montana. ![]() Ignitions that got away from firefighters, incinerating private forest plantations. Carroll and his business partner, Van Elsbernd, advise law firms representing clients who are suing the Forest Service for damages done by unplanned ignitions. The Forest Service has added layers of confusion and suspicion in its failing attempt to achieve “managed fire” goals - by simply allowing “unplanned ignitions” to run their course.īlowtorch Forestry, last week’s post on our website, recounts Frank Carroll’s experience with Forest Service misuse of unplanned ignitions. Landscape and fire ecologists are constantly in the hunt for remote locations where they can safely pre plan and test their assumptions about the natural role that fire plays in ecosystem health and species succession.Įven under ideal conditions, “managed fire” is controversial because of the attendant risks to air and water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, and of course, the public’s forest playground. The cacophony of voices questioning Forest Service misuse of “unplanned ignitions” in service to “managed fire.” The meticulously planned use of fire to restore natural resiliency in fire adapted forests that have grown so dense that they invite insects, diseases and, eventually, fire itself. If this craft teaches nothing else, it teaches patience and humility. So, you’d think I’d have all the story-lines down pat…and you would be wrong. Forests and forestry have been my beat – the focus of my writing - for 35 years. I know this because it took me years to realize that the events that form stories often take weeks – and sometimes years - to develop. Sheley, this is how it’s supposed to be.” Patience and humility are uncommon virtues among journalists… L’Esperance and his staff developed it to document their company’s quite successful partnership with the Washington Department of Natural Resources. It’s cover story, “Save a Billion Dollars a Year: The New Fire Triangle,” written by Managing Editor, Chuck Sheley, builds on the Air Attack and FIRELINE essays.Īll three essays add significantly to the body of work contained in First, Put Out the Fire! So, too, does Dauntless Air’s vision paper and a PowerPoint presentation. Within days, we found a second article in FIRELINE, a publication of the National Wildfire Suppression Association, written by L’Esperance and titled “Five Ways to Avoid Wildfire Destruction in 2020.”ĭays later, our copy of SMOKEJUMPER, the National Smokejumper Association’s quarterly magazine arrived. Air Attack, a New Zealand magazine that showcases aerial firefighting technology, published an article by our colleague, Mike Archer titled “Rapid Initial Attack: The Wave of the Future?” L’Esperance appeared on our radar screen last January, about the same time First, Put Out the Fire! went to press. This week, we are featuring an interview with Brett L’Esperance, CEO and one of the owners of Dauntless Air, an aerial firefighting company that recently moved its maintenance facilities to Pappy Boyington Field, about 15 minutes from our home here in Dalton Gardens, Idaho.ĭauntless and Mr. Last week, our article Blowtorch Forestry profiled Frank Carroll’s blistering criticism of current Forest Service firefighting practices. He believes the agency is illegally allowing big wildfires to run in hopes of achieving the same environmental benefits that “managed fire” can deliver when planned well in advance. To that end, we are featuring articles that continue to develop the themes set forward in our book. ![]() Several readers have offered “what comes next” suggestions that add substance and clarity to our book. Editor’s Note: Sales of First, Put Out the Fire! have been brisk.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |