Highly skilled firefighters are the last line of defense against wildfires, but that line is fraying because the government decided long ago that they’re not worth very much.
Structural firefighting is hazardous, but if you can get out of the building the risk can be minimal. Wildland firefighting is orders of magnitude more hazardous. Wind-driven wildfires can travel at 60 mph (100 kph) or more, not only can’t you outrun them it’s unlikely you could escape in a vehicle (assuming you even had access to one) due to the terrain. Paying them minimum wage is an insult and should be illegal but that’s the American Way.
July 10, 2001: Firefighters Tom Craven, 30; Devin Weaver, 21; Jessica Johnson, 19; and Karen FitzPatrick, 18, die while battling the 9,500-acre Thirty Mile wildfire in a rugged area of the North Cascades.
These people, 3 out of 4 barely just adults, died because of negligence by their supervisor. Died inside their fireproof tents.
It’s been a long time coming. A lot of firefighting in the US is also done by prison and jail labor, which is paid even less.
The fireproof shelters can protect you from getting burned for a while but large fires consume oxygen at an incredible rate. You can survive the heat yet suffocate if the fire is large enough. It’s a horrible way to die.
Ellreese Daniels, 47, faced a maximum of six months in prison after he reached a deal with prosecutors. That deal dropped the charges he faced from manslaughter to two counts of making false statements to investigators.
I mean getting 4 people killed isn’t that bad, right?
Structural firefighting is hazardous, but if you can get out of the building the risk can be minimal. Wildland firefighting is orders of magnitude more hazardous. Wind-driven wildfires can travel at 60 mph (100 kph) or more, not only can’t you outrun them it’s unlikely you could escape in a vehicle (assuming you even had access to one) due to the terrain. Paying them minimum wage is an insult and should be illegal but that’s the American Way.
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/thirty-mile-crew-boss-charged-in-4-fire-deaths/
These people, 3 out of 4 barely just adults, died because of negligence by their supervisor. Died inside their fireproof tents.
It’s been a long time coming. A lot of firefighting in the US is also done by prison and jail labor, which is paid even less.
Endless greed will be the undoing of this nation.
The fireproof shelters can protect you from getting burned for a while but large fires consume oxygen at an incredible rate. You can survive the heat yet suffocate if the fire is large enough. It’s a horrible way to die.
Later article:
I mean getting 4 people killed isn’t that bad, right?