I keep reading about these "emergency fire shelters" that firefighters had to deploy in order survive while being surrounded by a fire. Does anyone know what they look like? Any information?

" ... He said a dozen firefighters battling blazes in the Irvine and Lake Forest areas had to deploy emergency shelters, a last resort when they are surrounded by flames, or take cover in buildings." from San Francisco Chronicle article

Check out this pdf that I found. http://www.nwcg.gov/pms/pubs/fireshelt01.pdf
I haven't read it, but I will just out of sheer curiosity.

Sigh, I already had a tremendous amount of respect for firefighters, but after reading that publication, wow. Those brave folks fighting wildfires are real superheros.

Thanks for the link.

Ken K.

About 15 years ago I was in Denver for a wedding and was introduced to a Wildland FF from California. I told him that I thought he was nuts and that it had to be more dangerous than structural firefighting. He just laughed an said that he and his coworkers think the same thing about us structural guys as the sane people are trying to get out of the burning building while we were busting a** to get inside! Diferent point of views I guess. But you're right, those people got stones the size of melons as far as I'm concerned!

I do both and each has it's own dangers...

of course at a wildland fire you can run to the "black".

I've done some grass land stuff, felt some pretty good heat doing it and I would still rather go inside. Hat's off to all you folks out there! Stay safe.

Is that done? I mean, if the fire is large enough and fast enough that you're about to be overrun by a wall of flame and thinking of deploying a fire shelter and hunkering down, then wouldn't you likely get severely burned trying to run through the flames into the black? Those wildland uniforms are Nomex, but still...

Just a quick change of topic, but this morning, I'm finding myself coughing quite a bit for the first time since Sunday. I'm rather sensitive to things in the air in general. Unlike yesterday, the sky here is filled with smoke from the Santiago Canyon fire and the sun is a dim orange overhead. I don't really smell smoke, but it must be all that microscopic soot that is bothering me. I just brought out my N95 masks and put one on about 15 minutes ago. I have noticed that my coughing has subsided. I'll likely never use these N95 for some pandemic, but I'm glad that I can put them to use now. Unfortunately, I wish I had one with an exhaust valve to keep things cooler. It's OK now, while it's cooler, but it'll be hot this afternoon.

There is always the chance that you will have fire between you and the burnt area, but the safest place to work a wildland fire is with "one foot in the black". With fire moving as fast as it is in SoCal, direct attack isn't realy possible. But if you can get to it, the black is still the safesty place to be.

Of course this isn't alway possible, when protecting structures and indirectly attacking a fire (building line ahead of an advancing front) but you setup LCES (lookouts, communication,. escape routes and safety zones) and keep a heads-up. Wildland firefighting is intrinsicly safer, it is typically a failure of putting in place LCES or ignoring the "18 watch outs" that get wildland firefighters in trouble.

From what I've heard, the fire shelters aren't "fireproof." i think they're more for flash-over types of fire, or to protect from radiant heat. You can't sit in one while in the middle of a BBQ, if you catch my drift.

FF's still die while in them.

Those shelters are not without their limitations. I recently read the book: "The Thirtymile Fire: A Chronicle of Bravery and Betrayal" by John MacRae

http://www.amazon.com/Thirtymile-Fire-Chronicle-Bravery-Betrayal/dp/080507578X

It is a good read. Gives you a feeling for wildland fires, how they are handled, how things go wrong and how, in the end, luck and the smallest details of terrain and timing can decide who lives and who dies.

The biggest problem was that due to sloppy tactics and a lack of clear command structure a team of firefighters were put into danger where they were surrounded by and overrun by the fire.

And how by a lack of luck and understanding a subset of the group deployed their shelters in exactly the wrong spot. A location where the wind driven flames would concentrate heat and far exceed the capabilities of the shelters to protect the trapped firefighters.

The investigators observed that the effects of the fire in that location were highly variable. Where the people died the earth was baked hard and obliterated. Obviously exposed to extremely high temperatures. While only twenty feet away brush still had leaves. Had the shelter been deployed just a short distance away they would have had a good chance of living.

Better still would have been the larger group never being placed in enough danger to need shelters or, failing that, that everyone would have deployed where the other groups survived being overrun. The other groups ,made it even though they had fewer shelters than people. One brave firefighter made it through with three people under her shelter.

Unfortunately the book doesn't cover many of of the technical aspects of the shelters, a simple technical drawing and detailed description would have been a useful seeing as that so much of the action has to do with these devices, but it is still a good read without it.

Thanks for the link NightHiker. Haven't looked at it yet but perhaps the PDF will answer questions and fill in details left over from the book.

Hint to writers: If a story includes equipment or terrain as a central character be sure to include enough visual aids or detailed descriptions to make it all clear to the reader. It is old-hat to you but you can't assume any prior knowledge from the reader. Who may be reading the story a decade after the fact and half a world away.


OT:
For those who may be buying filter masks:
"I wish I had one with an exhaust valve to keep things cooler."

Amen to that. Even when it's cool the exhaust valve makes the mask a whole lot more comfortable and less tiring to wear. Your not re-breathing your own exhaust as much. There are some people who simply can't wear a filter mask because it brings up feelings of smothering. Some of these people can tolerate a mask with an exhaust valve because it feels more natural.

And, as you point out, when it gets hot and humid an exhaust valve is the only way to go. Big difference.

I didn't wish to hijack the thread but something to keep in mind when you buy filter masks. My advice is: spend the extra money. If and when you need to wear one you will consider that money well spent. Trust me on this one. Better yet, try one yourself. Wear one while exercising, as you may need to in a survival situation, and odds are the next ones you buy will have exhaust valves.