Flathead Hotshots
File:Wildland firefighters in the United States.jpg
The Flathead Hotshots are a U.S. Forest Service interagency hotshot crew located in the Hungry Horse Ranger District of the Flathead National Forest in Hungry Horse, Montana.{{Cite web |date=2016-12-22 |title=Northern Rockies National Interagency Hotshot Crew |url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/science-technology/fire/people/northern-rockies-ihc |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=US Forest Service |language=en}}
History
The Flathead Hotshots were established in 1966, when the Slate Creek IR Crew was relocated from the Nez Perce National Forest to the Flathead National Forest. They were subsequently renamed the Flathead Inter-Regional Fire Suppression Crew.{{Cite web |title=Hotshot Crew History |url=https://wildfiretoday.com/documents/Hotshot_Crew_History_2018.pdf}}{{Cite web |date=2016-04-27 |title=Fighting Fire with Fire |url=https://flatheadbeacon.com/2016/04/27/fighting-fire-with-fire/ |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=Flathead Beacon |language=en}} From 1966, until 1982, the crew was based out of the Big Creek Ranger Station located 27 miles north of Columbia Falls, MT.{{Cite web |title=big creek ranger station from columbia falls - Google Search |url=https://www.google.com/search?q=big+creek+ranger+station+from+columbia+falls |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=www.google.com}} In 1982, the crew was relocated to the Glacier View Ranger Station. In 1993, the Flathead Hotshots were again relocated, this time to the Hungry Horse Ranger Station where they remain to this day.
Operations
Today, the Flathead Hotshot crew consists of 20 highly skilled wildland firefighters.{{Cite web |date=2019-06-03 |title=Montana hotshot crews headed to help fight Canadian wildfires |url=https://www.ktvq.com/news/montana-news/2019/06/03/montana-firefighters-to-help-fight-canadian-fires/ |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=Q2 News (KTVQ) |language=en}}{{Cite web |title="They're tough and considered to be some of the most skilled firefighters in the world." |date=23 August 2017 |url=https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/flathead-hotshots-brave-dangerous-conditions-to-battle-complex-blazes}}{{Cite web |title=Forestry Technician (Interagency Hotshot Crew) {{!}} U.S. Department of the Interior |url=https://careers.doi.gov/position/forestry-technician-interagency-hotshot-crew |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=careers.doi.gov}}{{Cite web |date=2016-12-27 |title=Hotshots |url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/science-technology/fire/people/hotshots |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=US Forest Service |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=coxc02 |title=The FLATHEAD HOTSHOTS fire fighting crew is 50 years old this summer |date=4 May 2016 |url=https://rockymtnre.com/2016/05/flathead-hotshots-fire-fighting-crew-50-years-old-summer/,%20http://rockymtnre.com/,%20https://rockymtnre.com/2016/05/flathead-hotshots-fire-fighting-crew-50-years-old-summer/ |access-date=2023-01-20 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title="hotshots are the elite "special forces" of the wildland firefighting world" |date=2 September 2020 |url=https://flatheadbeacon.com/2020/09/02/like-fighting-ghost/}} When assigned to fires, crewmembers work shifts of 16 hours per day for 14-21 consecutive days.{{Cite web |date=2020-09-02 |title='It's Like Fighting a Ghost' |url=https://flatheadbeacon.com/2020/09/02/like-fighting-ghost/ |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=Flathead Beacon |language=en}} When not fighting fires, the crew participates in rigorous calisthenics, classroom training, field training, and project work throughout the forest.{{Cite web |last=Brewster |first=Brady |date=2021-05-21 |title=Flathead Hotshots complete intense training ahead of fire season |url=https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/flathead-hotshots-complete-intense-training-ahead-of-fire-season |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=KECI |language=en}} In addition to wildland firefighting operations, the crew has also responded to natural disasters including Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ian and other search and rescue operations.{{Cite web |date=2022-10-03 |title=Flathead Hotshots Sent to Help with Hurricane Ian Relief Efforts |url=https://flatheadbeacon.com/2022/10/03/flathead-hotshots-sent-to-help-with-hurricane-ian-relief-efforts/ |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=Flathead Beacon |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=PETERSON |first=CHRIS |date=2022-09-29 |title=Flathead Hotshots make way to Florida to assist following hurricane |url=https://dailyinterlake.com/news/2022/sep/29/flathead-hotshots-make-way-florida-assist-followin/ |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=Daily Inter Lake |language=en}} The Flathead Hotshots are 1 of 7 interagency hotshot crews located in the U.S Forest Service's R1 Northern Region.{{Cite web |title=Forest Service Regions |url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/regions/index.shtml |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=www.fs.usda.gov}}
Incidents
In 2008, two Flathead Hotshots crewmembers were struck by lightning while conducting a prescribed fire.{{Cite web |title=Flathead Hotshots Archives |url=https://wildfiretoday.com/tag/flathead-hotshots/ |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=Wildfire Today |date=27 April 2016 |language=en-US}}
In 2010, a crewmember suffered a broken femur while assigned to the Deer Park Fire. The situation became exponentially more complicated when the air ambulance sent to evacuate the firefighter suffered a landing mishap which put the helicopter and helispot out of service. The series of events became an incident with an incident within an incident.{{Cite web |last=Gabbert |first=Bill |date=2013-01-22 |title=Deer Park Fire serious injury complicated by helicopter incident |url=https://wildfiretoday.com/2013/01/22/video-deer-park-fire-serious-injury-complicated-by-helicopter-incident/ |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=Wildfire Today |language=en-US}}