On the fire line

WALLACE — Ashley McCarthy, an engineer for the Forest Service and former Marine Corps helicopter mechanic, sees wildland fire training as a return to her roots.

"There are so many parallels between wildland firefighting and the military," McCarthy said. "Being able to take a small group of people who we train with and go in and effectively accomplish the mission, you've got this beautiful camaraderie and everyone's working hard all the time together."

In June, the firefighting academy, known as Guard School, hosted 76 first-year students and 35 advanced students at Shoshone Mountain Retreat. McCarthy was among the advanced participants in the multi-agency training, which included the U.S. Forest Service, Idaho Department of Lands, Bureau of Land Management, Selkirk Fire Rescue and Northern Lakes Fire District.

Live-fire field training allowed instructors to replicate fire conditions, enabling students to demonstrate their new skills in a safe, controlled environment. For McCarthy, the advanced course offered a way to develop leadership and tactical skills while dealing with unknown variables.

"You're coming into these mixed groups with people you've never met from all over the Panhandle from different agencies, backgrounds and experiences," McCarthy said. "It was an effective way to give a course on how to fill these leadership roles."

During the simulation, crews were assigned to tackle four large bonfires. They dug fire lines using shovels, hoes and pulaskis to prevent fire spread. To enhance realism, crews could request water bucket drops from a Type 3 Bell 407 helicopter. The Panhandle Helitack crew provided a hands-on briefing about the aircraft's capabilities for fire suppression.

After aerial assistance, firefighters "mopped up" the fires by improving fire lines, extinguishing flames and searching for hidden hot spots that could reignite.

While firefighting isn't McCarthy's primary role in the Forest Service, she values the experience. She serves on the militia wildland fire team near Coeur d'Alene, primarily managing logistics for Forest Service firefighters.

"It's a very small group of very skilled professionals," McCarthy said. "Every time I go out on a fire with them, I have a whole other level of respect for the work that they do."

    Ashley McCarthy
  

    Wildland firefighting trainees from different agencies recently returned home after honing their firefighting practices with real-life experience.