22
The Davey Bulletin | May/June 2017
MY DAVEY
DAVEY CREW PREVENTS POTENTIAL WILDFIRE
Three Davey Tree Surgery Company
employees stopped a small wildfire
from becoming a big disaster.
Dennis Dotson, area manager, said
a crew volunteering for a Saturday shift
on the PG&E North Shasta account
spotted a brush fire on the side of the
highway while driving through the Hat
Creek area.
"The fire, at that time, had flames about
2 feet tall encircling a large pine tree,"
Dotson said. "They called Cal Fire and
got no response, so they called 911."
While calling for help, foreman Jose
Vargas, climbers Tony Aitkin and
Christopher McCarley grabbed the
basic firefighting tools they carry on
their truck – a shovel, a spade with
a 4-foot handle, a 5-gallon water
backpack sprayer, a fire extinguisher
and a McLeod tool – and set to work.
They cut a fire line to prevent its
spread and knocked the flames down
using the sprayer. Then they monitored
the fire while waiting for firefighters
to arrive.
Dave Handt, regional safety manager,
conducts regular fire safety refresher
courses with crews in the West,
including in Northern California
where this fire broke out, for these
exact scenarios.
"The crews aren't firemen by any
means, but they know enough that if
an incident happens out there they can
take care of themselves and suppress
it if the fire is small," Handt said.
"The crew did a fantastic job."
Dotson said the fire, which started in
October, could have easily grown due to
the drought that persisted into last fall.
"This is a high-risk fire area," he said.
"In this area, some of the largest fires
are in October."
This photo shows the damage caused by a small brush fire, which could have grown
out of control if not for the actions of a well-trained Davey crew. The crew reacted the
instant they spotted the fire on the roadside, moving so quickly they didn't even have
time to set up cones around their truck.
