I’ve been a wildland firefighter for twenty seven years, and an urban firefighter now for about 1 year.
Both can get hot to the point of discomfort, but it’s better than the alternative. The wildland clothing is designed to protect you from radiant heat while allowing body heat to escape, and the structural gear to basically encapsulate you, trapping in your body heat, but keeping out the hot gasses and radiant heat around you.
A big wildfire will put out the equivalent of 20000 single bar radiators per meter.
A compartment fire at the point of flashover can be up to 600 degrees C.
You don’t really want to be in either of those situations, even with the right clothing.
What are the pay and hours like? Is there any difference between wildfires and urban firefighting, as far as that goes?
Enormous differences between countries, states, localities and agencies, so it’s a bit too broad a question to answer to be honest. The range is everywhere from volunteer basis to full-time shift work for both kinds of firefighting
How did you get into this line of work? What has kept you there?
I started as a volunteer firefighter after seeing the impact of major wildland fires near where I lived at the time. I felt the need to help, and joining up seemed like the best way to do it. I’ve kept going because it’s my way of contributing to my community, helping people in ways that they can’t help themselves, and it’s fun!
I’ve seen documentaries where firefighters cook for each other, but I think that was usually in a city. Is that a thing in wildland firefighting too?
Where I live that’s more of a thing where platoons work together on a shift basis, which is usually in the cities. Wildland firefighters tend to get provided food when in the field and bring their own if working in an office.
Any interesting or memorable moments that stand out and you’d be willing to share?
Sitting in a fireboat on a river watching a water bombing helicopter dipping less than 100m away was pretty awesome.
At the top of a ridge at 1am with fire burning below and the whole scene looking totally surreal from the red and blue lights of ten trucks reflecting back off the smoke all around us.
Seeing the panic in peoples eyes when they learn that a new fire has started that might become a threat to their homes. A very knowledgeable firefighter once said to me “someone has to have the job of calmly looking like they know what’s going on, that the fire is manageable, and that they are getting to work”.
Lying on my back in breathing apparatus in a hot-cell (closed shipping container with a fire lit in it) watching waves roll back and forth above me between the smoke layer and the air layer below it
Sitting near a dead motorcyclist for two hours waiting for crash investigation to arrive and do their thing.
how much fire have you fought, and how hot does it feel inside the suit while fighting fire?
I’ve been a wildland firefighter for twenty seven years, and an urban firefighter now for about 1 year. Both can get hot to the point of discomfort, but it’s better than the alternative. The wildland clothing is designed to protect you from radiant heat while allowing body heat to escape, and the structural gear to basically encapsulate you, trapping in your body heat, but keeping out the hot gasses and radiant heat around you.
A big wildfire will put out the equivalent of 20000 single bar radiators per meter. A compartment fire at the point of flashover can be up to 600 degrees C.
You don’t really want to be in either of those situations, even with the right clothing.
I’ve got a lot of questions. Please feel free to ignore some of them if it’s too much.
What are the pay and hours like? Is there any difference between wildfires and urban firefighting, as far as that goes?
How did you get into this line of work? What has kept you there?
I’ve seen documentaries where firefighters cook for each other, but I think that was usually in a city. Is that a thing in wildland firefighting too?
Any interesting or memorable moments that stand out and you’d be willing to share?
Enormous differences between countries, states, localities and agencies, so it’s a bit too broad a question to answer to be honest. The range is everywhere from volunteer basis to full-time shift work for both kinds of firefighting
I started as a volunteer firefighter after seeing the impact of major wildland fires near where I lived at the time. I felt the need to help, and joining up seemed like the best way to do it. I’ve kept going because it’s my way of contributing to my community, helping people in ways that they can’t help themselves, and it’s fun!
Where I live that’s more of a thing where platoons work together on a shift basis, which is usually in the cities. Wildland firefighters tend to get provided food when in the field and bring their own if working in an office.
There are many more, but that’s a sample.