3 local firefighters deployed to California to help wildfire effort
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The following is a news release from Madison Fire Department.
On December 6th, amid the snow of eastern Idaho, Madison Fire Department sent a wildland
engine with three firefighters down to southern California to help with the outbreak of intense wildland fires.
Full-Time Firefighters David Ivey (wildland engine boss) and Korth Petersen,
along with Paid Call Firefighter Trent Munns, worked on the Lilac Fire and the Thomas Fire.
They returned late last night, December 21st, after their full two-week deployment.
This morning, Madison Fire Department received a request for another wildland engine to go
help on the Thomas Fire in southern California. Three firefighters volunteered to leave their families for Christmas and go help. Full-Time Firefighters Robert Kohler (wildland engine boss) and Gary Landon, along with Paid Call Firefighter Ches Ricks will leave tomorrow, just one day before Christmas Eve, to help with fire suppression efforts.
“Even after a fire is contained and controlled, there can be areas inside the control line with active flames or smoldering materials. ‘Mop-up’ involves a number of different tasks aimed at putting out the fire and eliminating fuels that could reignite. This includes knocking down flames with dirt or water, separating and securing large fuels like fallen tree trunks and branches that could tumble over the fireline, and digging out and extinguishing still-burning fuels like roots, peat and pine needles.”
“It’s not easy being away from your family for Christmas, whether being on shift here in
Rexburg or being far away on a wildland deployment,” said Chief Corey Child, “and we really
appreciate those who volunteered to go to California to help and those who volunteered to
staff the fire station here in their stead.”