Selected items from Kathryn Buchholz Journal:

6/18/01  Monday  7:45AM - 9:30 PM
I organized my desk at work and got all of the inventory and species identification books that I will be needing for this summer.  I cleaned out the Jeep that I will be using for the summer and put in and organized all of the equipment I will be needing.  Then I got a fire call up at the Indian Creek Campground.

6/19/01  Tuesday  7:45AM- 4:30 PM
I sorted the equipment in the Jeep.  I taught the section of Fire Shelters in the yearly fire refresher for the Naches Ranger District.  I filled out the 808 (vehicle maintenance form) and the vehicle use form.  I went over how the Fast Trac (Fuel inventory computer system) works.  I was briefed on how the Fire Complexity Assessment map works and how it is used.  I used this map to compare the different ways it is used compared to how ArcView is used, using the district map.

6/20/01  Wednesday 7:45- 4:30
I went out with the Forest Leadership Team (FLT) to look at old burn units, unburned units, fuel regrowth, diseased trees  (from mistletoe and root diseases), noxious (Dalmation Toad Flax) weeds, and recreational effects on campground.  I then went out with my supervisor to a timber unit that will be chipped in a few weeks.  The chipper crew will be working on a fuel reduction around summer homes and wanted my input on what needs to be done.  I then went to a timber sale unit to have my supervisor show me how to do the fuel inventories for each timber unit.  We went over how to get plots and which number to record.  I also measured out one chain (66 feet) and figured out my pace which I will have to know for my inventories.

6/21/01  Thursday  7:45-4:30
I went and took pictures of the Indian Creek Fire.  The pictures were taken to show how the wood chip (from previous chipping) had helped stop the fire.  I then went with my supervisor to look at some of the timber sale units that I will be working on this summer.  Along the way we went over some species identification such as the Oregon White Oak and Blue Lupine.  I then went over to the Chinook Pass work center to train the new rookie fire fighters how to use a Mark 3 water pump and how to make a hose lay and operate different types of nozzles.

6/22/01 Friday 7:45-4:30
I went to the timber unit #11( in the Pinus units) to be a squad boss for the training fire that was taking place for the new fire fighters.  This unit is located at T17 R14 S14  SW ¼ of the SW ¼.  The media was there and I was hooked up to a tape recorder to tape all of the conversations that were going on between crew leaders.  I also was interviewed for the Seattle’s Fox news.

6/23/01  Saturday 9AM - 6PM
I patrolled campgrounds with my supervisor and looked at the Sawmill Flats weather station.  We went over how to collect different species of Forbs, Woody Shrubs, etc. for recording fuel moisture levels.  Then went met with the AFMO (George Marcott) to help with the falling of trees that might be hazardous to the new handicap trail that is being built by the Sawmill Flats Campground.

6/25/01 Monday 7:45-4:30
I went to the West Nile timber sale units with my supervisor, Jim Bailey.  We worked on the fuel inventory for unit #26, which is located off the 1603 road (T16N R14E S10).  We also went over how to collect inventory for landings in each of the units.  We also went over how to calculate the height of a tree while standing at different slopes.

Information in a Fuels Inventory
Twenty plots (samples) are taken from a unit to get an idea of how much, and what types, of fuels there are.  This is recorded and percentages are statistically figured to help with the fall and spring control burns.

Also included in the fuel inventory:

7/2/01 Monday 0700-2230
I went out and collected landing inventory in some of the timber sale units.  I collected this inventory from the West Nile and Nile timber units (T16N R14E).   I then met up with the Naches Initial Attack crew for their annual Fire Preparedness Review (They get critiqued by some of the head fire officials on how well everyone handles a fire).  They needed an extra Squad Boss so I filled in for them.  We finished that and then got called to a fire above the Woodshed Restaurant in the Nile.  That lasted for the rest of the day and evening.

7/6/01 Friday 0700-1945
I went up to the West Nile Timber units and located exactly where I needed to do inventory this summer.  I then went up to the unit #37 with my helper and did most of one unit.  Then we called to a fire back at the Woodshed Fire where the winds had started the fire back up.  I got the chance to be in charge (as a Squad Boss), being a ground contact for the air resources.   (That was fun telling the helicopter pilots where to drop their water buckets. It was also interesting to learn all of the lingo that the pilots use for directions.)

7/24/01 Tuesday 0700-1800
Today all of the Naches Ranger District went to the memorial that was being held at the Sundome for the fallen firefighters.  This took all of the day.

7/27/01 Friday 0700-1930
Today I went up to the West Nile unit #27 to collect fuel inventory.  This took most of the day.  We also started practicing a fire shelter drill today.  This is where my boss calls over the radio to deploy our fire shelters.  So then we need to find a good spot to deploy and get into our shelters.  Then we call in that we completed the drill.  This should all be done in less than 1 minute.  (A fire shelter is a protecting material that can be used as a last resort if trapped in a fire.)

7/9/01 Monday 0900-1800
I patrolled the White Pass area again looking for the same things as yesterday.  I also used ArcView to locate two historical sites in the T13 R14 area.  These are sites that would need to be protected if there were to be any types of fires (natural, manmade, or controlled burns) in this area.  I located the exact location of each site both on ArcView and using the GPS handheld.  This was so I could see how accurate both were.  I then took pictures of each site so I could print them out and file for future reference.

7/11-7/18
I went to funerals and made hospital visits.
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7/31/01 Tuesday 0700-1945
I stayed in the office the first part of the morning and entered fuel inventory into the computer to be used later in the year for fall and spring controlled burns.  I then entered it into Fastracs, a program that gets sent to Portland to be looked at.  Early on in the afternoon I went with my supervisor to an Environmental Assessment meeting on the Elderberry timber sale.  This was very interesting.  They went over specifics on what everyone on the team had been working on since the last meeting and what had to be done to complete the project by its due date.  I then went up with my supervisor to the Helibase (for the Dog Creek Fire) and talked with the pilots.

8/4/01 Saturday 0700-2100
This was one of my scheduled days off so I patrolled in a fire engine all day notifying campers about the fire closure.  I also used ArcView to find Fire Critical Areas.  I identified all of the specific ones in the areas that I knew I would be patrolling.  Then I went around and took pictures of the areas.  Fire Critical Areas are locations such as historical shelters, cabins, threatened species locations, etc.  These are areas that would need to be brought to attention if there was a fire in any of these locations.  I had a lot of fun doing this!

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