The Forestry Forum

There are very few things worse than fighting a structure fire at -52° wind chill.   But two, are probably someone losing a loved one and their home at these temps.
After all these years as a firefighter, it hasn't got any easier.

I can't imagine trying to fight a fire in those conditions. Stay safe!

I did my time, recently retired from it due to my age and reflexes. Now way was I going to endanger someone on my crew because I was too slow. Too many stay in the game too long and get badly hurt. The winter work is tougher. Frozen hoses that have to be rolled into pickups to be thawed, dried, and re-laid at the firehouse. Ice everywhere, and the water to deal with.
 We were at a commercial building fire once (2am), and during mop up the drain tube from the (full) 1,000 gal.  dump tank dropped inside. Everybody looked at it as if it might jump back out. It was 15 below and I wanted to go home, so I reached down to the bottom and grabbed it, pulled it up, un-tied it, then shoved my arm back in to push it back though the way it should have been. By the time I climbed into the truck to leave, my glove was frozen solid to my bunker coat and I couldn't bend the sleeve of that coat. Took two guys to help me get it off so I could drive.
 Yeah, good times.
Tom