Burn Injuries – Wrong Hurts

By Alex Viktora Wildland Firefighters receive burn injuries every season. Often times some sort of flammable liquid ignites resulting in a burn, like the rather common drip torch leg burn scenario mentioned in this NWCG memo. Other times we fall in stump holes and ash pits—sometimes up to our waist! And then there is the …

Socks Matter

By Alex Viktora I used to work for the National Park Service. One of the sweetest things about working for the NPS was the official socks. That’s right. Socks. As a member of a wildland fire crew, I rarely had much need to be in official NPS uniform, so my annual uniform allowance was spent …

Who Mixed the Fuel?

Ask ten fire managers from across the country for the ratio of diesel to gasoline in drip torch or slash fuel mix, and you are bound to get at least two if not three or four different answers.

Drip Torch Leg Burns

By Travis Dotson   It happens often.  Second and third degree burns on the calf associated with using a drip torch.  Thats all.  Just letting you know.  You are now armed with awareness. Is that all?  Did the Lessons Learned Center just do it's job?  Think it will work? Of course we get leg burns …