“Each wildfire season seems to be getting worse and worse each year,” Spokane Valley Firefighter, Scott Niebuhr, said.
With that in mind, firefighters start preparing months in advance. Wednesday, Spokane Valley and Spokane County firefighters practiced two different fire attack strategies: mobile and progressive.
Niebuhr said whenever possible, a mobile attack, which is when they spray water from inside the rig onto the fire, is their first option.
“It’s safer, you’re right next to your water supply and all your equipment, so whenever you can have your fire engine with you that’s the best case scenario,” Niebuhr said.
If their rig can’t reach the fire, the progressive hose pack is their next go-to. Firefighters squish 300 feet of hose into a heavy backpack, and walk alongside the fire spraying it with water.
Next, the crews prepared themselves for the worst, if they got stuck in the middle of a fire.