Six-wheelers should help backcountry fire fighting

MAT-SU -- On-call firefighters with the Mat-Su Borough will have greater access to backcountry wildfires thanks to two new six-wheelers the Mat-Su Borough Assembly recently agreed to purchase.

A Polaris Sportsman 6x6 and a Polaris Ranger 6x6 were approved for purchase by the assembly at its Dec. 16 meeting. The cost of the purchase -- $18,720. The six-wheelers, once they arrive, are planned to be fitted with a generator pump on the front bumper and tank full of a water and foam mixture on the rear, although the specific equipment has not yet been purchased.

Acting Department of Emergency Services chief Dennis Brodigan said the six-wheelers have been planned for purchase for some time, and allows firefighters access to difficult areas.

"It's a vehicle to take men and equipment -- and a small amount of fire-fighting capability -- back into the hot spots where we normally just have to send people by foot," Brodigan said.

The two six-wheelers will be used on either side of the Valley -- one will be used by the Butte Fire Department and the other by the Willow Fire Department.

Charles Von Gunten, chief of the Butte Fire Association, said the six-wheelers will help considerably in their service area, which includes the Knik River and Jim Creek -- areas snaked with four-wheeler trails that are heavily used during the summer. Along with that heavy use comes a few added difficulties -- more unsafe burning and less accessibility.

"In the Jim Creek area, we can't get the large trucks through," Von Gunten said. "We'll be able to reach those areas quickly."

Last summer, Butte Fire Association members took part in community patrols in an effort to reduce the amount of unsafe burning in the Jim Creek and Knik River areas. Torched cars, bonfires and unattended campfires were some of the more common violations, Von Gunten said. Although the patrols helped curb some of the activity, the off-road conditions took a toll on the trucks Fire Association members used.

"We had to replace bearings and spindles and such, because of the silt getting in there," Von Gunten said. With the new six-wheelers, he said, there should be less damage. "The six-wheelers were made more for that terrain. One of the reasons for getting it is, it will make it a lot easier for us to patrol the area."

And, he said, the foam-and-water combination in the tanks the six-wheelers will be fitted with should provide plenty of fire suppression.

"With the foam and water, it gives us a lot more fire-fighting capability," Von Gunten said. "It spreads the water supply considerably when you're generating foam."

Steve Linkhart, chief of District 5 in the Willow area, said his crew will have a slightly different use for the six-wheelers. Instead of putting out unattended campfires or bonfires, he said, they'll likely be used to haul equipment into hard-to-reach areas for fighting wildland fires -- equipment previously carried in on the backs of firefighters.

"There's a lot of heavy equipment used on wildland fires," Linkhart said. "The safety of our responders is number one -- our priority is to protect them. With this, we'll not be taking our responders out with back injuries."

Linkhart said more property owners in the area are beginning to understand the need for providing defensible space -- trimming back trees and other flammables around homes to discourage the spread of fire to the structure. But there are still obstacles to firefighting, he said, such as long, narrow driveways that make it difficult for trucks to get into. And, although there are several remote cabins and recreational sites within District 5, the district's current equipment limits access to the road system, he said.

"We see several [remote fires]," Linkhart said. "There's a lot of it, it's just not easy to get back to fight it."

When remote fires start, he said, especially when structures are involved, the fire is evaluated on two primary criteria -- whether or not it can be saved, and what is the level of safety for responders. Added mobility provided by the six-wheelers, he said, will be a big bonus.

"You'd be surprised how much you can do when you can get closer and put it out sooner," Linkhart said.

The new six-wheelers should be well in place by April -- typically the beginning of fire season, Brodigan said.