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MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A LOOKOUT POSTED AT WILDLAND FIRES
Tuesday, November 6, 2007 
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I was a helitack crewleader with the NCFS we had flow to a fire in a very high-class neighborhood on top of a mountain the fire conditions that day were severe with tornado warnings being called for that evening after making our way up the mountain and checking in with the IC it was determrned that a regular crew would handle putting in the line and we would be released to return to our landing zone we were loaded up in POVs and started the trip back down the mountain halfway down we were orderded to return to the top to assist the handcrew because the IC was worried about getting the volunteers off the fire we were give orders to construct our line right on the fires edge with active fire inside the line and the wind picking up we were assisted by a spotter plane and our 205 helicopter making water drops a dozer attempted to construct a dozer line but the IC decided that since this was a (Expensive neighborhood)that he would risk just handlines as not to disturb the landscape as we proceded downhill constructing line we lost our air support because the helo had to refuel we were told not to worry that there was a lookout in place a few minutes later we noticed a large amount of smoke below us and called the IC by radio and asked him what was going on below us the spotter plane advised that he could not see due to the smoke and that we should continue building line the IC advised that everything was fine and to keep going about five minutes later we were hit with a large spot fire that was building speed and intensity as it made an uphill run straight at us myself and the other crewleader ordered our crews into the black for safety when the IC ordered us to catch the fire! at this time i was informed we had injuries in the crew and that one of my crewmen had been burned we called a wounded firefighter alert and continued through the black to the bottom of the mountain to meet with EMS. LESSONS LEARNED: During severe fire conditions do not let someone talk you into doing somethig dangerous just to save some trees also post a lookout of your own when working in dangerous conditions if it dont feel right stop and give it a second look most of the time your gut is right and last even if the IC has years of experence you still have the right to say no for safety reasons and shoud use that right

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