Responding to Colorado's Wildfire Problem - Type III Engine

The 3 largest fires in Colorado history occurred within the last 3 years and consumed over half a million acres. The 5 most destructive fires occurred within the last decade, combined they destroyed over 2,500 homes. Because of the wildfire problem, local, State and Federal agencies are increasing their personnel and equipment to respond to these often rapidly expanding events.
I visited Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control to learn more about their Type III Engines, which are strategically stationed across the state. Engine 3111 is a 2014 International 7400 4×4 / KME with a 500 GPM Darley pump, 600-gallon water tank, and 20-gallon foam cell.

Пікірлер: 101

  • @stevenpivornik9982
    @stevenpivornik998211 ай бұрын

    Never did it cross my mind that these men and women are actually sleeping at the fire they are fighting. A much more higher appreciation for these people. I understand basic firefighting is dangerous, but these people lack some of the most helpful tools and resources that you don't find in wildland areas and there's not much between them and fire.

  • @thehaguefortnite_163
    @thehaguefortnite_163 Жыл бұрын

    Nice video Eric ! So much info provided about fighting wildland fires by this professional and nice to see all things on this engine👍 Regards from the Netherlands 🇳🇱

  • @WorkingFirePIO

    @WorkingFirePIO

    Жыл бұрын

    I'm happy you enjoyed it, thanks for watching!

  • @22LR.addict
    @22LR.addict11 ай бұрын

    Eric thank you for this video! This gentleman did one of the best apparatus overviews I have ever seen.

  • @mc051961
    @mc051961 Жыл бұрын

    Thanks Eric type 3 or type 4 engines where the norm in ca on wildland fires when I came up but it’s awesome to see someone taking the time to point out what they do and why they are still around

  • @WorkingFirePIO

    @WorkingFirePIO

    Жыл бұрын

    DFPC has a handful of Type IV Engines around the Colorado, too. Many of those are leased to small, often volunteer fire districts. Thanks for watching.

  • @sunshinefireboulder

    @sunshinefireboulder

    11 күн бұрын

    @@WorkingFirePIO We are one of those departments! They are great trucks (the newer one).

  • @patrickwalker4079
    @patrickwalker4079 Жыл бұрын

    Man, I just wrote my final paper in my college english class about wildland fires and wildland firefighting! Wish I had this video as a resource for it!

  • @whatilearnttoday5295

    @whatilearnttoday5295

    11 ай бұрын

    Did you write about how fire suppression of wildfire causes mega-fire and desertification?

  • @ktar7189
    @ktar7189 Жыл бұрын

    Thank you Eric hope you have a good day today

  • @Screamblade_
    @Screamblade_ Жыл бұрын

    I know vehicles can draft water but I never knew there was a dedicated tool for waterfalls. Niche but its better to have and not need it. Then not have it and need it.

  • @johnwalhofink9632
    @johnwalhofink9632 Жыл бұрын

    If you find yourself in Boise ID, take a tour of Boise Mobile Equipment (BME). I used to work there. I'm guessing they would be happy to host you and maybe let you ride along in a show truck. Almost all of Cal Fire's type 3 engines are manufactured there.

  • @WorkingFirePIO

    @WorkingFirePIO

    Жыл бұрын

    Great suggestion, thanks!

  • @idcanthony9286
    @idcanthony928611 ай бұрын

    Would love to see you come to Colorado Springs and check out the C-130s as they prep for fire season soon! Watching and hearing the water test is an amazing sight.

  • @al_drago
    @al_drago11 ай бұрын

    So much great information, coupled with good personal antic-dotes based on his experiences. Nice work, Eric!!

  • @ShainAndrews

    @ShainAndrews

    11 ай бұрын

    Anecdote

  • @limitedgunny7414
    @limitedgunny741411 ай бұрын

    Best fire pack out there, I’ve had my mystery ranch pack for 2 seasons now, no regrets

  • @rileydid22
    @rileydid22 Жыл бұрын

    Great video! Would love to see a video on how you chase severe weather!

  • @jeffpatch5
    @jeffpatch5 Жыл бұрын

    Thanks Eric, as always, learned ALOT from this one.

  • @CITYBORNDESERTBRED
    @CITYBORNDESERTBRED Жыл бұрын

    Excellent interview 👌🏾

  • @archiegeorge3969
    @archiegeorge396911 ай бұрын

    Great walk around

  • @nathanmasciola5350
    @nathanmasciola535011 ай бұрын

    It is wild to me that the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control only has 5 type IIIs. There are 5 type III's stationed within 5 miles of my home most of the year here in northern California, I'd guess 10-12 within 15 miles. Although 500,000 acres also isn't much, so I suppose it all evens out!

  • @NotEthanNorbury
    @NotEthanNorbury Жыл бұрын

    Australian Firefighter here, Sadly these are a norm in down under

  • @judsonphenicie1397
    @judsonphenicie139711 ай бұрын

    I think that more Fire Departments across the nation need to start adding these rigs to their fleets. Super versatile, can pack equipment. Awesome video, this and the fleet Friday video on the South Metro brush trucks are probably some of my favorite!

  • @ericmattinen4728
    @ericmattinen472811 ай бұрын

    Great video! That is a sweet grass rig...lol People don't realize the danger of 1 hour fuels, especially when you have a nice wet spring and into summer, it makes the grass grow nice and tall and lush, then it burns better. Throw in some low humidity 80+ days with some wind and a high Haines index and things get freaky in short order! Be safe, stay in the black, and keep an exit strategy!

  • @patspencer5649
    @patspencer5649 Жыл бұрын

    Great video Eric. Nice to see perspective from "boots on the ground."

  • @WorkingFirePIO

    @WorkingFirePIO

    Жыл бұрын

    More to come!

  • @biohazardlnfS
    @biohazardlnfS11 ай бұрын

    I never thought about how long they spent. Never new ther camped onsite. Much higher lever of respect than anything.

  • @cmcer1995
    @cmcer199511 ай бұрын

    Interesting the many different fire fighters and apparatus out there. Seems these days the weather keeps changing all the time extreme hot to extreme cold in 24 hours at times. Makes you wonder who is in control of mother nature now days. Just had a pleasant start to today, then a Tornado warning with golf ball size hail, and then a few minutes later sweltering heat when the sun came out. Another great video and review of another agency fighting fires.

  • @Napalmenjoyer
    @Napalmenjoyer11 ай бұрын

    As a Colorado resident its sad to see people have no regard for our beautiful forests.

  • @rtz549
    @rtz54911 ай бұрын

    Nice truck.

  • @CWFLAEMOFC
    @CWFLAEMOFC11 ай бұрын

    Epic video! To me CalFire Type III's look similar to Colorado's. Do you know if any of the rigs run ALS or paramedics besides EMT's?

  • @tubelitrax
    @tubelitrax9 ай бұрын

    The numbering E3111 reminds me of german numbering convention for the radio: You call "Florian Frankfurt 2/45/2" . Explanation: Florian = Firefighter Unit (every so called type of BOS-Unit which is "Behörden und Organisationen mit Sicherheitsaufgaben" which can be roughly translated to "Authorities and Organisations with Security Tasks" has its own keyword. Florian are generaly Firefighters. Other examples would be "Sama" for "Arbeiter Samariter Bund" which is a nation wide EMS organisation, "Heros" is the THW ( "Technisches Hilfswerk" or Technical Help Organisation: They provide help for bigger scenarios. They can e.g. build bridges, have cranes, bulldozers etc. ) an so on and so forth. Frankfurt is of course the city. Here can stand the city, county, district or similar names. 2 means the unit of the vehicle or you can say the fire station. So it's the location of the vehicle where it's stationed. 45 is a key of what kind of vehicle it is. In this case its a so called HLF (Hilfeleistungslöschfahrzeug) and it could be compared to your Engines type of vehicle. It has ladders, hydraulic rescue tools for e.g. car accidents, an own pump, water tank and hoses and some other little stuff for technical/medical first respond. But at this numbering position there could be also special numbers like 1 for District fire chief or 9 for district head of comms or 90 for the battalion chief or 91 for squad chief. 2 means the second of this vehicle type in the district. So you can pretty much have all kind of number combinations: 1/45/1 Would be on fire station 1 the first HLF (Engine) in the city 1/45/2 Would be on fire station 1 the second HLF (Engine) in the city 2/45/3 Would be on fire station 2 the third HLF (Engine) in the city 3/45/4 Would be on fire station 3 the fourth HLF (Engine) in the city 3/45/5 Would be on fire station 4 the fifth HLF (Engine) in the city For other countries it seems weird to have the last number. Who wants to know which vehicle of the city it is. If it is the 4th or the 8th!? It should come and put the damn fire out! But for us it's pretty normal to use these numbers and we don't think about it any more. If you want to know more than read this document: web.feuerwehr-bechtolsheim.de/funkrufnahmen-in-rheinland-pfalz/ Or in very poor Google- translated English: web-feuerwehr--bechtolsheim-de.translate.goog/funkrufnahmen-in-rheinland-pfalz/?_x_tr_sl=de&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=de&_x_tr_pto=wapp

  • @NeilM01989
    @NeilM01989 Жыл бұрын

    Nice one, liked and shared 🧑🏻👍🏻🚒

  • @WorkingFirePIO

    @WorkingFirePIO

    Жыл бұрын

    Awesome, thank you!

  • @NeilM01989

    @NeilM01989

    Жыл бұрын

    @@WorkingFirePIO No problem 🧑🏻👍🏻

  • @JBD26
    @JBD26 Жыл бұрын

    Can’t wait for the next South Metro KZread video.

  • @jeffm.5439
    @jeffm.543910 ай бұрын

    Nice video! Did I hear that correctly? They only have five of these Type 3 engines spread throughout the entire State? A state that has massive Timber and huge amounts of wildland interface area to protect? I had to have heard that wrong. In California, there are literally hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of Type 3 engines throughout the state. Heck, many cities have more than five Type 3 engines. There have got to be more than five in the entire state of Colorado. Type 3's are indeed the beasts that go out in the backcountry and performed wonderfully.

  • @isaacplayzz7311
    @isaacplayzz731110 ай бұрын

    Denver station 2 has this they say it’s also in glenwood

  • @nate18268
    @nate18268 Жыл бұрын

    What are the three portables he referenced each person carrying? I see an APX presumably for 7/800 and a BK for vhf, do they carry a 2nd BK as well?

  • @WorkingFirePIO

    @WorkingFirePIO

    Жыл бұрын

    Engine 3111 is equipped with 7/800 radios the CCNC radio system, also commonly referred to as the "state" system, the BK's and additional 7/800 radios on the FRCC radio system which is what most public safety agencies in Adams and Weld county use.

  • @IETOOCFIREPHOTOS361
    @IETOOCFIREPHOTOS361 Жыл бұрын

    So crazy only 4 here in California I think Cal Fire have over 100 but I am not complaining I love the Colorado rigs

  • @recon6725

    @recon6725

    Жыл бұрын

    CalFire is a abnormality in how large it is and how all-encompassing. Other states tend to spread their resources through multiple agencies and lean more heavily on federal resources.

  • @WorkingFirePIO

    @WorkingFirePIO

    Жыл бұрын

    That number does seem surprising, there's just a lot more private and federal land in Colorado than state land.

  • @recon6725

    @recon6725

    Жыл бұрын

    @@WorkingFirePIO it also seems that this is a relatively new agency without a long history of being responsible for wildfire response; similar to how the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office is increasingly taking responsibility for wildfires in the state alongside the Oregon Department or Forestry and Federal agencies but doesn’t itself maintain a large fleet of apparatus and instead coordinates local & county resources

  • @country_boy9180

    @country_boy9180

    11 ай бұрын

    @@recon6725 Cal fire also provides municipal protection in addition to statewide wildfire suppression- If CO had a similar model, say the South Metro municipal T3s would be counted in the state total too. ( CA also has non CalFire municipal T3s)

  • @Forestryman707
    @Forestryman707 Жыл бұрын

    Would you be able to do a tour of the new firehawk helicopter Colorado is getting ready to deploy. Also it seems like 5 type 3s is not enough for Colorado fire and control

  • @WorkingFirePIO

    @WorkingFirePIO

    Жыл бұрын

    I've had an opportunity to walk around the new Firehawk and it's impressive. I will definitely request a video tour from DFPC once it's finished. There are many more DFPC Engines (mostly Type 4, Type 6 and some Tenders) operated by small fire districts around the state for initial attack. There's just way more private and federal land than there is State land in Colorado to justify a larger fleet.

  • @Forestryman707

    @Forestryman707

    Жыл бұрын

    @@WorkingFirePIO awesome can't wait and thank you for the clarification

  • @eriksand9262
    @eriksand9262 Жыл бұрын

    The Colorado State fire agency only has 5 type 3 in the whole state!?!? Type 3’s are the norm for Calfire, in California obviously.

  • @recon6725

    @recon6725

    Жыл бұрын

    Well most of Colorado’s lands are under BLM/Forest Service protection; CalFire is the abnormality in how large and well funded it is compared to the Feds. What CalFire does in California is more the purview of county and municipal fire departments in Colorado as well (less concentrated in one agency)

  • @coloradod3649

    @coloradod3649

    11 ай бұрын

    There really is not state firefighting in Colorado. Those 5 engines are actually operated by local Fire Districts, the engines were provided by the state on a grant. Almost every Fire District in Colorado has different wildland fire apparatus, so there are probably more than 100 Type 3’s in the state as well as many other types.

  • @josephpadula2283
    @josephpadula228311 ай бұрын

    How much water do they carry? Seems they should carry a water trailer when going away from hydrants …

  • @chilledboost1982
    @chilledboost1982 Жыл бұрын

    How did I just now find out about this channel?

  • @WorkingFirePIO

    @WorkingFirePIO

    Жыл бұрын

    Welcome!

  • @charliepress6629
    @charliepress662911 ай бұрын

    Did I understand correctly that you remove your SCBA equipment and/or spare bottles to make room for personal equipment when responding to vegetation fires?

  • @0xFF48

    @0xFF48

    11 ай бұрын

    They don’t wear air tanks on wildfires

  • @charliepress6629

    @charliepress6629

    11 ай бұрын

    @@0xFF48 No, but they do wear breathing apparatus on structure fires and vehicle fires. Just because you get dispatched to a vegetation fire doesn't mean you won't be called upon for something else. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. Just saying...

  • @0xFF48

    @0xFF48

    11 ай бұрын

    @@charliepress6629 I get that, but on the limited space on what's essentially a large pickup truck, you have to equip what you'll most likely need. Using that space for more food or water is probably more useful for them when they're called out for wild fire work.

  • @Sinnderz
    @Sinnderz11 ай бұрын

    Forest management after NAFTA was signed caused this. Forest management would curtail a lot of this if they would allow logging again.

  • @Lueeee
    @Lueeee11 ай бұрын

    This doesn’t have sprinklers all around? I’ve seen some european ones that have those. And they can just drive straight through fire.

  • @aydriahnrobinson7024
    @aydriahnrobinson7024 Жыл бұрын

    is there a way for me to go fight wildfire out passing the test because i cant pass the wildland test and im not good at reading or writing sum words but i went there wildland training in 2022 but did't go fight fire

  • @WorkingFirePIO

    @WorkingFirePIO

    Жыл бұрын

    You can take introduction to firefighting and fire weather online at your own pace from NWCG. They're labeled as S130 and S190.

  • @Brandon-ic6gg
    @Brandon-ic6gg Жыл бұрын

  • @RealDoctorMuffins
    @RealDoctorMuffins Жыл бұрын

    Wonderful video Eric:)

  • @m2hmghb
    @m2hmghb11 ай бұрын

    "Then they ever have before" I hate statements like this because it's disingenuous. When did records start being kept on it? Pissing off raccoons is never a good idea - I've dealt with them when they have rabies or are healthy and it's never fun . You did a great job on the video.

  • @WorkingFirePIO

    @WorkingFirePIO

    11 ай бұрын

    Allow me to expand on my statement, "Then they ever have before." Records for Colorado wildfires that I researched began in 1924 when forest health was far better. It wasn't until 1980 that a fire surpassed 10,000 acres. Two decades later the first fire to surpassed 20,000 acres and then, in 2002, the Hayman Fire grew to 137,760 acres. Since then, there have been 52 fires that grew larger than 10,000 acres and 5 fires that grew larger than 100,000 acres (6 if we include a fire that started in Wyoming and burned into Colorado.) In 2020 the Cameron Peak fire was the first ever to surpass 200,000 acres with nearly 50,000 acres consumed in just one day. The 10 largest wildfires in Colorado history occurred within the last 10 years and the 5 most destructive fires occurred within the last 11 years. Most notably, the largest fire and the most destructive fire (consuming the most structures) occurred within the last 3 years.

  • @jesusfelix2605
    @jesusfelix2605 Жыл бұрын

    Very similar to Cal Fire

  • @benr7294
    @benr729411 ай бұрын

    Look at those forest fires. Way to eliminate any gains in co2 reduction.

  • @Pops_607
    @Pops_607 Жыл бұрын

    So are you not with the other dept anymore Eric? I’m confused…..

  • @LtKernelPanic

    @LtKernelPanic

    Жыл бұрын

    He said in another video he’s still PIO with South Metro.

  • @WorkingFirePIO

    @WorkingFirePIO

    Жыл бұрын

    I work full time for South Metro as a PIO, this is just a personal KZread channel where I'm sharing fire stories from different places in my off-duty time.

  • @Pops_607

    @Pops_607

    Жыл бұрын

    @@WorkingFirePIO love it thanks been on your other channel since forever ago lol

  • @WorkingFirePIO

    @WorkingFirePIO

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Pops_607 That’s awesome! I’m glad you found me on this one, too!

  • @MichaelHoldenShotThis
    @MichaelHoldenShotThis11 ай бұрын

    These people are hardcore af

  • @jeffpatch5
    @jeffpatch5 Жыл бұрын

    Who dispatches them Eric? State?

  • @WorkingFirePIO

    @WorkingFirePIO

    Жыл бұрын

    The 5 Type III Engines are primarily dispatched to initial attack / all hazard responses by the local county where they're stationed.

  • @dagwould
    @dagwould10 ай бұрын

    Nice truck. Similar specialist Australian truck at kzread.info/dash/bejne/aHqOr7uTYt3PoKQ.html . Couple of comments: 1. I wonder if Colorado has a forestry management problem along side its wildfire problem. Poor forestry can contribute to wildfires as jurisdictions forget that forests need to be managed. 2. Warning lights: lots of small LEDs with bright reflective bezels not a good idea. Particularly in daytime, the auxiliary warning lights need to be big: at least 4x4 LEDs, if not larger. matte black bezels would help with their visibility. Then all of them need to be synchronized to flash together for far greater impact and visibility than random uncoordinated flashing. Compare kzread.info/dash/bejne/dauczqtmZLLfkag.html and kzread.info/dash/bejne/k2qYzMlueam9ndo.html

  • @jsuperman7672
    @jsuperman7672 Жыл бұрын

    Has there been any upgrades to the personal shelter, to make survivability a higher chance

  • @WorkingFirePIO

    @WorkingFirePIO

    Жыл бұрын

    The "new generation" fire shelter that we use today came out in 2002. It has some improvements over the previous version, but it does function the same. I'm not sure if there are any survivability comparison statistics.

  • @tabuilder
    @tabuilder11 ай бұрын

    Try forest management...something they would never consider since it might work.

  • @whatilearnttoday5295
    @whatilearnttoday529511 ай бұрын

    Fire Suppression is the problem not the solution.

  • @scooter2kool173
    @scooter2kool17311 ай бұрын

    Get rid of the def on those units. Big lability. Truck detunes in a critical situation as they say it’s minutes for a life.

  • @eliinthewolverinestate6729
    @eliinthewolverinestate672911 ай бұрын

    Colorado don't have a wildfire problem they have a tree museum problem. A bunch of old half dead trees that are a tinder box. Once those trees get so old the wood is no longer good. More of a fire hazard than anything else. Perhaps let loggers cut fire breaks every so many years and every so many miles to improve forest health too.

  • @iandrew6347
    @iandrew6347 Жыл бұрын

    Hi Sir

  • @Detroittruckdoctor55
    @Detroittruckdoctor5511 ай бұрын

    Hope it isnt a maxxforce powerplant

  • @ign1te9
    @ign1te92 ай бұрын

    Look at that tummy. No PT tests for state firefighters I guess.

  • @CN_2992
    @CN_2992 Жыл бұрын

    looks like Canton County Gave colorado a spare brush engine lol

  • @tonyrowland9216
    @tonyrowland921611 ай бұрын

    put loggers back n the forest.

  • @owensweetland342
    @owensweetland34211 ай бұрын

    So, the earth IS flat after all. 😊

  • @WorkingFirePIO

    @WorkingFirePIO

    11 ай бұрын

    Can also confirm that birds are not real.

  • @thomasedwards2754
    @thomasedwards2754 Жыл бұрын

    What a joke. I have lived in Larimer county, Colorado for over 40 years. One Fire that should have been put out earlier than the fire was eventually put out, was Cameron Peaks Fire. At one time in the life of the Fire it was stalled or slow moving at Joe Wright Reservoir/ Zimmerman Lake. The hand crews were 10 + miles away doing Structure protection instead of digging line up at the fire. Some of the crews were 20 miles away in Red Feather at the same time doing the same thing as the crews where doing in the canyon. The fire finally was put out, not till it was almost in fort collins over 60 miles away. More training?

  • @freighter1097

    @freighter1097

    11 ай бұрын

    Which dept are you stationed at?

  • @stevendimick7781
    @stevendimick778111 ай бұрын

    How about managing your forests? A century of suppression has brought us here. As far as I can’t tell, this is a glorified ad for an admittedly pretty f&@(ing sweet piece of suppression apparatus.

  • @producerk8247
    @producerk824711 ай бұрын

    Colorado is one small drop in the bucket when compared to ... oh say CANADA on fire! Causing MAJOR issues in many MAJOR cities. If you have time to talk about your engines and other equipment, you have time to put fires out. Low on man power? ... Pay them more. Then more men/women would be likely to train for positions.

  • @peterlangdon7011
    @peterlangdon7011 Жыл бұрын

    Copying what Cal Fire has been doing for years,

  • @mekhi2296

    @mekhi2296

    Жыл бұрын

    no one is copying. in the fire service you take techniques and see what other departments do to better your department to serve your community more efficiently.

  • @notlisted-cl5ls
    @notlisted-cl5ls Жыл бұрын

    its a huuuge problem. everything was fine til mankind got involved.