Complacency Hurts!

Wolfie

Member
Jul 3, 2016
287
Arrey, NM
WARNING: GRAPHIC 2ND DEGREE BURN PIC IS ATTACHED TO THIS POST!

I was burning away some weeds yesterday evening. There was barely any breeze and it was overcast enough for the sun to not roast me. Everything was going fine, and then it happened - the wind picked up and changed direction at almost the same moment. I had engineered my burn to burn away from the house and vehicles. That change in air didn't take long to catch a stack of pallets. I grabbed the hose and started soaking it down, but it was already burning too hot. Pallets are usually really good pressure treated lumber. I tried to get a better angle and I felt an intense blast of heat. Nothing fell on me and the flames didn't even come close. There was enough radiant heat to give me 2nd degree burns on my face, hand, and forearm. I didn't put on my wildfire gear because this is so routine and it had never gotten out of hand. I admitted defeat and called my Chief. He told me to call dispatch and he rolled in. Chief's truck, a fast attack, our brush truck, and an engine showed up. I got soaked in water from head to toe. I passed off my radio and phone to my better half and a neighbor kept alternating between hosing down my face and my arm. A squad from the department just North of mine was coming back from an out of town detail so they stopped by. They put us in an SUV and ran code to meet the ambulance that lives at the hospital, a good 25 miles away. 2cc of morphine in the ambulance and 2 more at the hospital didn't dent the pain a bit. I'm feeling better this evening, but the blisters are huge. It literally looks like my skin boiled. I was stupid and complacent. I got off lucky with a few burns and scars. With radiant heat that hot, a good inhale too close could have surely sent me 10-7. Three departments from my county, all volunteer, saved me bigtime. None of my vehicles, animals, or the home were damaged in any way. I learned a lesson about complacency. I am gonna upload a pic of the burned out yard and of the burn on my arm. Please, whether you are Fire, EMS, police, or anything in between...don't underestimate that radiant heat!

IF SEEING BLISTERED FLESH WILL UPSET YOU OR MAKE YOU ILL, PLEASE STOP SCROLLING AND DON'T ENLARGE THE THUMBNAIL!
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NVFD612

Member
May 25, 2010
167
Indiana
Wolfe,

I am glad you are "OK" in the long run and your property is safe.

I came close to getting burned over a few years back on a larger wildland incident in Montana. My best friend and I were on our wildland "tender" on a fire in our district. The wind picked up and Jon and I found out we had fire on three sides of us (we were on a paved road so we had a bit of wiggle room). My 1" Forestry line burned through, and I pulled the 1.5" (which I should have been using in the first place...) let the IC know our EXACT location and situation, and told Jon to start reversing up the road. I was dragging the 1.5" and was less than 50' behind the rig (50' length of hose) and I couldn't see the engine at all including the full Edge Bar on the roof but I could hear the rig. We got the rig backed up the hill into some black, and stood our ground in a better location. We called off the cavalry since weren't in immediate danger at this point. Finished fighting the fire and returned our rig into service.

We both had been firefighters for several years, ran on multiple departments since we both had moved around with the military and were experienced in wildland firefighting. We simply underestimated the nature of what we were doing due to both of us being complacent. We remind each other about this incident when the need arises to ensure we are both keeping our head in the game. A simple mention of "do you remember the time we were in Tender 604?" and we are on the same page and refocused.

Long story short, unfortunately it happened. You get to tell us the story to remind us of the dangers we face. Use this as a personal reminder so ensure it doesn't happen again.

Get well soon!

Dennis
NVFD612
 
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jph2

Member
Apr 21, 2012
2,122
USA Michigan
I second Dennis' glad you're ok remark. No one ever thinks it will happen to them and we all tend to overestimate our knowledge and experience, I think. Two very good stories to remind us all about maintaining situational awareness, continually assessing things, and that nothing any of us face in the emergency response/service realm is "routine." Thank you both for sharing.
 

NVFD612

Member
May 25, 2010
167
Indiana
Wolfe,

You very well could have done some serious damage had you been mid breath. Even a small breath of the superheated air could have done damage. it "might" not have been permanent, but it would have been very painful, plus you would have had to spend some serious time in a Specialized Burn Unit!

Dennis
NVFD612
 
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Doyle257

Member
Jan 13, 2015
658
Cheektowaga, NY
I was burned 4x in 10 years volunteering on the busiest(at the time) VFD in western NY, but all in Interior scenarios. steamburns to the area EXTREMELY proximal to my...family hardwear(luckily i was wearing cotton drawers...and I have not worn anything synthetic since) 2x on my shoulders and back, and once to my ears and scalp. All minimal injuries, half of which could have been prevented by proper situational awareness and Non complacency. the other half were due to the stupidity of others(freelancing)

Complacency comes in to play with my steamy crotch, and the burns to my ears and scalp.
Hanging your gear to dry, as opposed to using the supplied gear dryer, under the assumption that since you just had a fire a few hours ago, you wont have another, is 100% complacency, and under that same note, responding to a confirmed working fire, or even a possible fire with wet gear is as well.
removing your hood because you assume a light haze of smoke is a light ballast, or burned up HVAC motor is moreso stupidity, than complacency.

all in all, complacency can, and has killed. I'm glad u are alright man, and u have bigger balls than I do messin around with that wildland crap...I'll keep my moderately damp suburban Northeast, where we dont have to do that stuff!
 
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Doyle257

Member
Jan 13, 2015
658
Cheektowaga, NY
Okay now this is stuck in my head XD

Every time I use that story in training, I word it the exact same way. MOST of the time, it resonates the right way. Then there's that every once in a while (usually with the ladies) that it sticks in their mind like THAT.

LMAO!!!
 
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