On the Road
Diggin' this thread, thanks for sharing your adventures. Did you find out how many gallons that tender held? She's a biggun, I'd guess 3500ish?
We were filling up off of a Bexar County tender that was 3000 gallons. The tender in the photos is from the base, it's a DOD Air Force apparatus.
These photos are from the base's combat photographer. At the point at which the pics were taken I was just too busy to pull my phone out. I would like to get a different Go Pro and just put it on record.
I learned a few things in Texas. One is that you automatically consider the drip torch on almost every fire. In California it is more common to initially go for the hose lay on engines and when I was on the hotshot crew we would always take a drip torch but there are many more things to consider when you put fire on the ground.
The thing with TX is the grass fire can possibly out pace the fastest hose lay operation. Also, TX is a bunch of flat squares. You can put fire on the ground and in at least a mile section you've got a road you can back fire off of. The hills and drainages of California can create a rather uncontrollable situation if you were to put fire in the wrong location so terrain and wind has to be considered more.
Another is the volunteer fire departments can either be very professional or very very unsafe and rogue. Less of a unified command when the State or Feds pull on the scene of a local fire. There were a few times when some volunteers tried to put fire out that we were putting down. Then there are times when they want to put fire on the ground and it is absolutely not the right time or place. Standards aren't always practiced.
Anyway, it's good to be home and enjoying a few days off.
