COVID-19 impacts firefighting

The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting how fire crews will approach firefighting this season.

HOW EVERYBODYWORKS.WILDFIRE SEASON ISSTILL FULL FORCEAHEAD DESPITE THEPANDEMIC.IDAHO NEWS 6REPORTER NICOLECAMARDA LEARNEDHOW COVID-19 ISAFFECTINGFIREFIGHTINGSTRATEGY ON THEFRONTLINES.THE NATIONALINTERAGENCY FIRECENTER PREDICTS AHIGH VOLUME OFFIRES THROUGHOUTTHE WEST OVER THENEXT COUPLE OFMONTHS.

BUT WITHCOVID-19 FIRECREWS HAVE TOCHANGE SOME OFTHEIR PROTOCOLS INORDER TO KEEPEVERYONE SAFE ANDHEALTHY."WE'RE GOING TOTRY TO USE THESOCIAL DISTANCINGAND KEEP PEOPLESPREAD OUT ANDNOT HAVE THEMINTERACT NEARLYAS MUCH AS THEYWOULD IN THEPAST."FIRE CREWS AREUSED TO WORKINGSIDE BY SIDE, BUTWITH THE COVID-19PANDEMIC, THATISN'T THE SAFESTOPTION.FIREFIGHTERS WILLSOCIAL DISTANCE' ASMUCH AS THEY CANWHILE STILLEFFECTIVELYCONTAINING A FIRE."ON THE LINE THAT ISGOING TO BE MUCHMORE DIFFICULT.HEY, THIS IS YOURSPACE THAT YOUARE RESPONSIBLEFOR AND MINIMIZINGAS MUCHINTERACTION ASPOSSIBLE.""REALLY WHATTHEY'RE DOING ISENSURING SAFE ANDEFFECTIVE FIRESUPPRESSIONDURING THEPANDEMIC."WITH A BIG WILDFIRE,ABOUT 500-1000PEOPLE ALL STAYTOGETHER AT ONECAMPGROUND, BUTWITH FEARS OFCOVID-19 SPREADINGTHROUGH-OUT THECREWS, CAMPS AREREDUCED IN SIZEAND SPREAD OUT."NOW WE'RE GOINGTO TRY TO JUST, LIKETHOSE HAND CREWS,STAY OUT ON THELINE OR STAY OUTSOMEWHERE NEARWHERE YOURWORKSITE IS ANDWERE NOT GOING TOHAVE THEM INNEARLY AS MUCH,"TO HELP REDUCETHE SPREAD AMONGDIFFERENT FIRECREWS, THEY AREUSING THE MODULEAS ONE' CONCEPTWHICH KEEPS UNITSTOGETHER AS IFTHEY WERE A FAMILY."THEY ARE LIMITINGTHEIR CONTACT WITHOUTSIDEINDIVIDUALS ANDREALLY TRYING TOPREVENT THEIREXPOSURE TO THEVIRUS BY REALLYTRYING TO OPERATEAS FAMILY UNITS,"IF ONE ENGINECREW GETS ASYMPTOMATICINDIVIDUAL, WEWON'T SPREAD IT TOEVERYBODY."FIRE CREWS WOULDTYPICALLY BESERVED FOODCAFETERIA STYLE.BUT THIS YEAR - ALLFOOD WILL BEPREPACKAGED ANDSENT WITH THECREWS.

THEY ALSOWILL RECEIVE THEIRACTION PLANSELECTRONICALLY."WE'RE GOING TOREALLY LIMIT WHOCOMES TO THOSEMORNING BRIEFINGSAND EVEN DOREMOTE BRIEFINGSTHROUGHTELECONFERENCEOR RADIOBRIEFINGS...WEDON'T WANT THEMWORRIED ABOUTCOVID, WE WANTTHEM FIGHTINGFIRES."ACCORDING TO THENATIONALINTERAGENCY FIRECENTER, ABOUT 87%OF FIRES ARESTARTED BY PEOPLE,SO THEY ARE ASKINGEVERYONE BE EXTRACAREFUL WHENDOING ANYTHINGTHAT COULDPOTENTIALLY SPARKA WILDFIRE.

NICOLECAMARDA, IDAHONEWS 6.AFTER A MASSIVE