Three Montana wildland firefighters had a significant reason to be grateful on the recent Thanksgiving holiday.
On Sept. 5 at around 1:45 p.m., as 100-foot flames shot overhead, the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation helitack team was trapped by the Bridger Foothills fire. Cornered by a spot fire that had spread as winds gusted up to 28 mph, cutting off their escape route, they scrambled to protect their lives.
To complicate the life-threatening situation, only two of the three firefighters had the portable fireproof shelters issued as personal protective equipment. Consequently, two of the men struggled to share one of the thin aluminum foil shelters.
The surrounding blaze made the 87-degree day’s heat feel closer to 300 degrees, the upper temperature limit at which a human can survive. Embers sifted into the shelters as violent winds whipped the area. The men struggled to breathe as oxygen was sucked from the air.