encumbered. Caleb’s a good fireman. And under ordinary circumstances we’d have that whole crew off on administrative leave and assigned to a critical-incident stress management team. But we need the feet on the ground, and I’m going with my gut on this. I need someone who can act decisively and adapt to rapidly changing circumstances. Can I count on you to do that?”
Silas eyed the men in the circle, catching Warren’s eye last. He set his chin and straightened. “Yes, sir, Chief.”
“Very good. Now come in closer here to see what we’re dealing with.”
Silas set his rucksack on the floor and propped his hands on the table’s edge. Red borders were drawn around a vast amoeba-shaped area. Smaller independent cells hovered in close proximity to the large mass, appearing in jeopardy of being absorbed by it.
“As you can see, the fires are burning together, though there are still a myriad of spots and isolated strikes. Several thirty-to-forty acre fires are presently burning unattended. The main fire has been drawing most of them into a massive timber fire burning all the way to the crown tips of these trees. At present, the complex is zero percent contained.”
A bearded man with a clipboard waved. “Rocklin, fire behavior analyst. Activity has been difficult to predict. Erratic changes have been the only reliable occurrence. Long story short, the weather largely depends on where you’re standing.”
Silas stared at the map and nodded. “What’s the LAL at?”
“Lightning activity level is high and dry at four, fuel moistures at record lows, though we did get a little unexpected precipitation in the basin this afternoon.”
Ball Cap shook his head. “Just enough to stir it all up even more with the downdrafts.”
Rocklin shrugged. “Pretty much.”
Weathers studied the fire perimeter. “The primary issue is that the fronts are expanding in multiple directions faster than we can get equipment to keep up with them. Last numbers put the main fire at upwards of thirty thousand acres. We expect that to double in the next two days.”
“How many strike teams did you order up?”
“Oh, I ordered plenty. There ain’t any coming quick enough, though. Closest thing we’ve got coming is a couple type-one hand crews from Montana and three brush rigs from Florida.”
“Florida?”
Shivner edged into the light. “Last year’s budget cuts went deep. Everybody’s feeling it. But guess what? Mother Nature don’t—”
“We do have a hand crew that just arrived in staging. Otherwise, nothing.” Weathers shook his head. “I’ve never seen it like this.”
Ball Cap folded his arms. “We got guys who’ve been sleeping in the dirt on other fires for twenty-one days straight already, and then they get sent straight here with no sign of letup.”
Silas exhaled. “So, what’s the plan?”
Shivner pointed to the lower left section of the map. “For now we are obviously on the defensive. We’ve got rigs at five-mile intervals defending the populated perimeter, trying to keep this thing from running through the houses. Due to the fire’s relatively remote location, we’ve only lost a dozen structures so far. Right now the wind is pushing it westward and back into the wilderness. That’s the good news.”
Warren folded his arms. “Five-mile intervals?”
“It’s the closest we could get the engines and still cover all the area. Eventually the eastern and northern fronts of this fire will threaten just about every neighborhood from South Lake to the North Shore.”
Rocklin set his clipboard on the table. “Lack of resources is only the beginning. Even if we had more guys, the fire is . . .” He brought his hands up over the large red shaded area on the map. “It’s growing a huge anvil head out of the smoke column. Enormous. By this time tomorrow it’ll be making its own weather.”
Weathers nodded. “Leaving us a short window.”
Silas raised his eyebrows. “A short window for
Silas eyed the men in the circle, catching Warren’s eye last. He set his chin and straightened. “Yes, sir, Chief.”
“Very good. Now come in closer here to see what we’re dealing with.”
Silas set his rucksack on the floor and propped his hands on the table’s edge. Red borders were drawn around a vast amoeba-shaped area. Smaller independent cells hovered in close proximity to the large mass, appearing in jeopardy of being absorbed by it.
“As you can see, the fires are burning together, though there are still a myriad of spots and isolated strikes. Several thirty-to-forty acre fires are presently burning unattended. The main fire has been drawing most of them into a massive timber fire burning all the way to the crown tips of these trees. At present, the complex is zero percent contained.”
A bearded man with a clipboard waved. “Rocklin, fire behavior analyst. Activity has been difficult to predict. Erratic changes have been the only reliable occurrence. Long story short, the weather largely depends on where you’re standing.”
Silas stared at the map and nodded. “What’s the LAL at?”
“Lightning activity level is high and dry at four, fuel moistures at record lows, though we did get a little unexpected precipitation in the basin this afternoon.”
Ball Cap shook his head. “Just enough to stir it all up even more with the downdrafts.”
Rocklin shrugged. “Pretty much.”
Weathers studied the fire perimeter. “The primary issue is that the fronts are expanding in multiple directions faster than we can get equipment to keep up with them. Last numbers put the main fire at upwards of thirty thousand acres. We expect that to double in the next two days.”
“How many strike teams did you order up?”
“Oh, I ordered plenty. There ain’t any coming quick enough, though. Closest thing we’ve got coming is a couple type-one hand crews from Montana and three brush rigs from Florida.”
“Florida?”
Shivner edged into the light. “Last year’s budget cuts went deep. Everybody’s feeling it. But guess what? Mother Nature don’t—”
“We do have a hand crew that just arrived in staging. Otherwise, nothing.” Weathers shook his head. “I’ve never seen it like this.”
Ball Cap folded his arms. “We got guys who’ve been sleeping in the dirt on other fires for twenty-one days straight already, and then they get sent straight here with no sign of letup.”
Silas exhaled. “So, what’s the plan?”
Shivner pointed to the lower left section of the map. “For now we are obviously on the defensive. We’ve got rigs at five-mile intervals defending the populated perimeter, trying to keep this thing from running through the houses. Due to the fire’s relatively remote location, we’ve only lost a dozen structures so far. Right now the wind is pushing it westward and back into the wilderness. That’s the good news.”
Warren folded his arms. “Five-mile intervals?”
“It’s the closest we could get the engines and still cover all the area. Eventually the eastern and northern fronts of this fire will threaten just about every neighborhood from South Lake to the North Shore.”
Rocklin set his clipboard on the table. “Lack of resources is only the beginning. Even if we had more guys, the fire is . . .” He brought his hands up over the large red shaded area on the map. “It’s growing a huge anvil head out of the smoke column. Enormous. By this time tomorrow it’ll be making its own weather.”
Weathers nodded. “Leaving us a short window.”
Silas raised his eyebrows. “A short window for
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