Hometown Celebrities: Local Firefighters Help Battle Washington State Wildfires

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Lieutenant Rob Randall has been a firefighter for 16 years.
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By Eric Wilson-Edge

boggsfinallogoA firefighter’s day typically starts early and ends late. The time between is packed with a little bit of everything from training to public outreach to helping someone in need. “Sometimes our only job is to give people better options,” says Lieutenant Rob Randall of Lacey Fire District 3.

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Lacey Firefighters Bill Matney, Rob Randall and Sean Christin were sent to Central Washington to battle the Chiwaukum Complex Fire.

Randall has been a firefighter for 16 years. He grew up in the restaurant business but found the work wasn’t for him. He started volunteering and soon after decided to make firefighting a career.  “It’s a huge unknown coming to work every day,” says Randall. “Life changing decisions happen in very little time with little information.”

Recently, Randall and two other firefighter from District 3 were sent to Central Washington to help battle the Chiwaukum Complex Fire. A lightning strike started the blaze back in mid-July. The wildfire has burned more than 20,000 acres according to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group.

Washington has an agreement whereby communities can call on each other for help if needed. Randall and his crew spent a week in Central Washington. Their primary role was to assess the viability of protecting homes in the area and to come up with a plan should the fire progress.“We went into neighborhoods and looked for ways to improve properties to make them more defensible,” says Randall.

Randall has worked several wildfires over the years. He describes the experience as “fairly miserable.”  The days are long and brutally hot. Each firefighter wears thick protective gear which keeps them safe while ratcheting up the temperature. At night firefighters sleep in tents. Running water and other amenities are hooked up, but that takes a few days. “We’re pretty dirty and grungy,” says Randall. “It’s definitely not a fashion show.”

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Lieutenant Rob Randall has been a firefighter for 16 years.

Oppressive heat isn’t the only issue. The wind also plays a role. A good breeze can shift fire lines in a moment’s notice.  Randall worked the Taylor Bridge Fire back in 2012. That wildfire burned more than 25,000 acres and destroyed 61 homes near Cle Elum. Randall says the wind ripped tents out of the ground and blew them into trees.

Firefighting is a dangerous and necessary profession. Not every firefighter can be deployed to assist with a wildfire. There’s a rigorous training process and yearly recertification is required. Randall chooses to re-up each time.  “If our community was in danger I would want people to come and help,” says Randall.  “It’s a great opportunity for us to go out and help others that don’t have the resources we have.”

This year’s wildfire season has been especially rough.  At the time of writing there were 10 wildfires on the books for 2014 including the largest ever in the state – the Carlton Complex Fire. That means firefighters like Randall will be busy. It also means they’ll be in harm’s way, something they don’t have to travel over the mountains to experience. It’s part of their daily lives.

 

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