Training, Tools, Timing
A fire line is a containment effort where a trench is cut or a barrier created to prevent wildfire from spreading. Large equipment can clear paths up to a point, but when a fire moves quickly into neighborhood gullies and up close to buildings and homes, more nimble tools are required to cut additional fire lines, remove flammable material, and stop the advance of the fire.
Corby Turner, owner/operator of Four Bearz Contracting in Nespelem, Washington, had recently purchased a nimble skid steer with a Community Reinvestment grant through SkillSource. The skid steer was ready to go when a recent fire raced across the grassy hills and threatened homes, including Corby’s and those of several family members.
Several nearby homes and buildings were already lost. Corby shared how he could hear cars exploding in the distance. “It felt like a war zone,” he said, standing near the charred gully where he and his brother, Ranford Sanchez, dug additional fire lines with the skid steer, trimmed low branches, and hauled away combustibles just feet away from the back fence of a home where a grandmother takes care of her grandkids. A firetruck showed up in the neighborhood as the fire burned, but left right away after assessing the risk and deciding that their truck wasn’t right for the job. Corby, Ranford, and crew had the necessary skills, experience, and equipment for this terrain, and along with a few neighbors, they knew they couldn’t pull back, so they dug in.
There is a distinct and visible line where the fire was stopped. Crisp and blackened tips of a ponderosa pine point in one direction, while its branches on the other side remain green, and where at least 13 homes still stand.
A $15,000 business investment grant through SkillSource from the WA State Department of Commerce helped purchase the skid steer, a dump truck, and other essential equipment so the Four Bearz team could step in at a critical time. With the right tools, training, and local trust, they moved people to safety, and expertly coordinated a fire response. Four Bearz Contracting is preparing for the future through teaching and on-the-job training. “Our training program serves our community members and gives young adults and youth the opportunity at gaining experience at building trades.” Essential knowledge and hands-on skill that will continue to serve Nespelem and surrounding Okanogan County.
Sometimes the return on an investment can take months or years to be earned, but in this case, it was an immediate return that showed up as an entire neighborhood saved.
See more photos on Four Bearz Facebook page.
