The evolution (or devolution) of fire fighting has been an interesting and frustrating thing to watch since I dug line for the state (not feds) 40+ years ago.

Way back then, we had a good number of lookouts that covered pretty much all of the western portion of the state as well as multiple two-man "squads" out patrolling during the height of the season. When lookouts spotted a smoke, it was called in and the crews would head to it on the multitude of old forest/logging roads we have (had) around here and typically we'd get right to it or close enough for a short hike in with a pulaski, a mcleod, a piss pump or two and maybe a saw if you felt like carrying it. Most times you could get close enough to drive up, pull out some hose, fire up the pump and get on them.

Having that initial attack done quickly, most were kept small enough where a couple of squads could take care of them easily. It was rare for any fire to get over even a couple of acres.

Nowadays, it is not uncommon for fires to see 10-15-20,000 acres. Gone are the lookouts, gone are the many crews out patrolling. The Clinton administration gated all the roads that are now overgrown and undrivable. The fires aren't spotted quick enough to get on them small and the crews can't get to them to keep them small. They call in helos with bambi buckets and bombers when needed (often) and these are ineffective most of the time. Couple all of that with a DEI infested bureaucracy filled with scores of lefty tree-hugging twenty-somethings with forestry degrees and the decimation of the logging industry, and you have an ineffective money pit trying to manage overgrown and unmaintained forests just waiting to go poof.

Just my two cents.

Back in 2017, lighting started a fire back in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness in SW Oregon. The fire got to 100 acres when the District Ranger pulled crews off to go fight fires elsewhere because the fire was in a wilderness area, it was a let it burn situation. Thanks to her, the fire quickly grew to 191,125 acres and threatened the town of Brookings, OR and burned many homes and structures. She was close to retirement, so she was given a desk job in D.C. till she retired. She should have been fired on the spot.

Merlin's Old School Garage.

I liked Merlin's take on it.

Well cas, right off the bat Merlin says the fire was up on “the Kaibab National Forest.” No, it wasn’t. It started and remains on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Tell me, does he say anything after that glaring error that makes it worth my time to listen?

I did a little of this in my youth. I still have a pulaski and a McLeod. Great tools.