 We got to this spot and that's when fire crusted this ridge to the west of us. We could hear the roar and then it seemed like that black smoke just burst into flames. And we had a wall of flames as high as we could see into the air and just pretty much just filled your vision. It was coming fast enough that we didn't feel that we could outrun it and that if we delayed any further that we were at risk of not being able to get into our shelters. Well, you'll get your shelters out and they pulled their shelters out of their packs and they had them in their hands and they had taken them out of the plastic bags and they were running with them in their hands. We knew that that fire was going to be honest in seconds. Crew representative Dave LaTour and 10 members of the Perryville State Corrections Crew were entrapped on the dude fire near Pace in Arizona in June 1990. Dave and four others survived the entrapment. Six of his co-workers perished in the fire. The fire shelter has been required equipment for wildland firefighters since the 1970s. Since that time shelters have saved hundreds of lives and prevented hundreds of serious burn injuries. If entrapped in a wildfire shelters are used to provide some protection from the fire's heat and smoke. A new generation of fire shelter now offers improved protection from both radiant and convective heat. This video will help you learn how to use this new shelter. What you see in the video may be familiar to you because much of the guidance for using the new shelter is unchanged. Stories related by firefighters who survived entrapments using the old shelter can still help firefighters learn how to use the new shelter. First let's review the two most important types of heat a fire shelter might encounter. Radiant heat travels through space without heating the space itself. It turns into heat when it contacts a cooler surface. When you stand in the sun the sun's radiant heat warms your skin and when you stand near a campfire you feel radiant heat from the flames. Convective heat requires air movement. Think of it as a blast of hot air. When flames or gases move past a surface the hot air molecules transfer their heat to that surface. Hotter air and faster air movement lead to greater convective heating. The new fire shelter traps breathable air and reflects radiant heat. Its shape allows you to lie face down on the ground. This protects the underside of your body and allows you to breathe the cooler air next to the ground. The new shelter has two layers. The outer layer is aluminum foil laminated to woven silica. The aluminum reflects radiant heat and the silica slows heat's passage to the inside of the shelter. An inner layer of aluminum laminated to fiberglass prevents heat from re-radiating to the person inside the shelter. When these layers are sewn together an air gap is created that offers further insulation. The outer foil reflects about 95% of the radiant heat that reaches it. Only 5% is absorbed into the shelter material so the temperature of the material rises slowly. But convective heat is rapidly absorbed into the shelter material. If the temperature of the material reaches 500 degrees Fahrenheit the glue that bonds the foil and fabric starts to break down. The layers can separate allowing the foil to be torn by turbulent winds. Without the foil the shelter loses most of its ability to reflect radiant heat. The silica material will slow heat transfer but the shelter offers less protection than it would if the foil were still in place. The new shelter provides significantly better protection in convective heat but flame contact reduces the protection it can provide. The right side of my shelter delaminated and the foil flipped over onto the left side. There was still a tremendous amount of radiant heat coming off the surrounding area and a wind blew the shelter half back onto the other side back to where it belonged. It was like somebody closing a door on the oven, standing in front of the oven and just shutting the door in the oven. The radiant heat difference with just that little piece of foil made was absolutely amazing. Deploying a fire shelter is a last resort. If entrapment seems likely, try first to escape. You should always know the location of your safety zones and escape routes. Right below the safety zone, our safety zone, the hard black. Remember, in a true safety zone, you do not need your shelter to protect you from heat and smoke. Carrying a fire shelter should never be considered an alternative to safe firefighting. If you are considering or are asked to take on a risky assignment because you have a fire shelter, it is your obligation to insist that the plans be changed. The new fire shelter is still a last resort and cannot guarantee your survival. Your highest priority in an entrapment is to protect your lungs and airways. Most firefighters who perish in fires die from heat-damaged airways, not external burns. One breath of hot gases can damage your lungs and lead to suffocation. If entrapment is imminent, you must quickly decide if you have time to escape. You will have to recognize when using your shelter is your only option. Watch for deployment areas as you move. If you can't reach a safety zone, don't pass through an effective deployment area only to get caught in a more hazardous area. If you are supervising others, give clear instructions and make sure they're understood. Time is critical during escape. As soon as you realize your escape may be compromised, drop your gear. Take your fire shelter with you, keep your tool, drop packs, chain saws, anything that may slow you down. Firefighters have died carrying their gear while trying to escape a fire. You can move up to 30% faster without your gear. This can easily mean the difference between life and death. Drop few Zs. They are the most dangerous items you carry. They ignite at 375 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature common in escape conditions. Few Zs burn initially at 3000 degrees Fahrenheit. This can quickly be fatal to a person inside a shelter. Shedding your pack can make it easier to deploy your shelter. Shelters can snag on field packs during deployment, especially in windy conditions. If you have a face and neck shroud, use it. But remember, it won't protect your airways from hot gases. The properties that make an effective deployment site have not changed. You must still find a site in which heat, especially flame contact, is minimized. Practice evaluating deployment sites so that you can recognize them quickly under stress. Identify effective sites whenever you are on the fire line so you know where they are before you need one. Let's rate some potential deployment sites. This is a chimney. Chimneys are some of the worst places to deploy a fire shelter because they funnel flames and hot gases, which can quickly damage your shelter. Saddles also funnel heat. They are also dangerous places to deploy. A wide stream bed like this can work, but narrow ones like this can funnel hot gases. A road crossing a slope can be effective because the flames rise upwards from the slope and tend to miss the road itself. Don't deploy in the middle of the road if there is a possibility that vehicles may be passing. Large rock slides can be effective places to deploy, but you must stay away from brush and trees and from fuels scattered in the rocks. It can be difficult to seal the edges of the shelter in large jumbled rocks. But rock slides sometimes offer the largest area free of fuels and may be the best option for deployment. Short sparse grass like this can work because the flames would be of low intensity and would pass quickly. But taller grass like this can produce large flames that can quickly damage a shelter. Any concentration of fuel should be avoided, whether it's a pile of slash or a collection of firefighter packs or supplies. Thick timber or brush should be avoided since flame contact is likely in these areas. Objects such as large rocks, dozers or even structures can act as barriers to heat. But if the objects themselves ignite, you may have to move. Testing shows that flames can funnel underneath vehicles that are in their path. Don't deploy under your vehicle. Don't deploy in an area where rocks or logs could roll on you. Or snags could fall on you. A bench or a ridge top like this are recommended because the flames and hot gases tend to rise above them. Fire intensity usually drops when fire reaches a ridge. But be alert for the possibility of the fire spotting and running up the lee side of the ridge. A large natural or man-made opening can be a good deployment site depending on its size and the behavior of the fire. Burned out areas work well too, as long as they are truly black. If an area can re-burn, it may not serve well as a deployment site. The area must be cool. Areas with light fuels can cool within minutes after burning, while areas of heavy fuels can remain hot for hours. Your fire shelter must be immediately accessible. Carry it in a fire shelter case positioned either vertically at your side or horizontally under your pack. The shelter may also be carried in the horizontal fire shelter pouch that is a feature of some field packs or in a chest harness preferred by some operators of engines and heavy equipment. Never carry your fire shelter inside the main body of your field pack. If you are with your crew, your supervisor will tell you when and where to deploy your fire shelter. If you are not with a crew, you must rely on your own judgment. If you are entrapped, do not delay your deployment. Prepare for the worst. After removing your shelter from its case, throw your pack and any flammable objects, such as fuses or gasoline, far from the deployment area. Don't throw them near others who are deploying their shelters. Pull a red ring tab to tear the plastic off the shelter. Grasp the handles that extend from the folded shelter. The handles are marked right hand in red and left hand in black. Grasping the correct handles will speed your deployment. Shake out the shelter. Hold tight to avoid losing the shelter in high winds. Lie face down so your feet are toward the oncoming flames. The hottest part of the shelter will be the side closest to the advancing fire. Keep your head and airway away from these high temperatures. The hold down straps on the new shelter are sewn into the floor panels. As soon as you are under your shelter, slip your hands through the straps up to your elbows. It is critical to be on the ground under the shelter before the fire arrives. When you are on the ground, push out the top and sides of the shelter so its volume is as large as possible. The air between you and the sides of the shelter is excellent insulation. Be sure that the shelter is fully unfolded and not bunched underneath you when you deploy. Don't roll up in the shelter as this can lead to serious burns. Keep your nose and mouth on the ground. Temperatures just a few inches off the ground are dramatically higher than those at the surface. Wear gloves inside the shelter. Without them you may burn your hands and be unable to hold down the shelter. Wear your hard hat to protect your head from burns and if you use a face and neck shroud, pull it down into place. If you have a radio, keep it with you in the shelter so you can communicate during and after the entrapment. Always drink plenty of fluids whenever you are fighting fire. Your body can cope with high temperatures more effectively if you are well hydrated. Do not wet your clothing or bandana. Wet clothing conducts heat to the skin much faster than dry clothing making burns more likely. It also increases humidity. Moist air causes more damage to airways than dry air at the same temperature. The best way to use your water is to drink it. If you have time, clear an area at least 4 by 8 feet down to mineral soil to limit flame contact with the shelter. Though the new shelter offers improved protection from direct flame, survival is more likely if flame contact is avoided. If you are being overtaken by extreme heat or flames, get flat on the ground. Death is almost certain if you get caught standing or kneeling in a flame front. Finish deploying your shelter from the ground. The new shelter is smaller than the old shelter. It is designed for one person. Sharing greatly increases your risk of injury. If you are forced to share, both people should have their heads away from the oncoming fire. If you are with a group, deploy your shelters close together. Adjacent shelters can provide added protection from radiant heat, and being close together improves communications between individuals. They were cheering each other on and cheering each other up and saying, you know, again, we're Perryville, we're tough, we're going to make it, we're going to come through this, and that instantly changed when the front hit us. The winds were probably in excess of 70 miles per hour. The sense of power that you had around you, that energy release that we had around us was just absolutely incredible. Once you are in your shelter, you must focus on two things. You must commit to staying on the ground in the shelter no matter what, and you must protect your lungs and airways by keeping your mouth as close to the ground as possible. No matter how bad it gets inside the shelter, it will be much worse outside. If you panic and leave the shelter, one breath of hot gases can lead to suffocation and death. I think for a period of probably three to five minutes, I was absolutely sure that was it, that I was going to die in this, that I would not survive this. There was no question in my mind, and at that point it was just a matter of when. And I remember thinking very clearly at that point that, you know, should I just ride this out and make this last maybe an hour or whatever time it takes for me to die from this? Or should I maybe just push this shelter off, stand up and take a deep breath and get this over with? At that point I started to think about my family. I had my wife and I have two daughters. And I remember thinking I need to do everything that I possibly can to go home and see them. And so that really is what kept me in the shelter. No matter how frightened you feel, you must not panic. You must maintain control, keep your face against the ground and stay under your shelter. To keep yourself calm, concentrate on your family or friends or on a religious symbol that is meaningful to you. Some people find that using repetitive chant or phrase can help them stay in control. To help calm others, talk back and forth by shouting or by radio. But do not leave your shelter, even if someone does not respond to your shouts. It was extremely painful. The things that were going through my head were, I'm going to die, this is going to kill me. Or that you're being burned to the point that you'd never be able to use those limbs again. When in fact they were third degree burns but I ended up being able to fully recover from that. I think it's very important for people to know what that experience might be for them. That they might believe that they're going to die. That they might believe that they're being burned to death. When in fact you'll probably survive well beyond that but their greatest hope is staying inside that shelter and protecting themselves. No matter what they hear, no matter what they see or feel that they have to make just an absolute commitment to staying with that shelter if they want to go home. Stay in your shelter until the flame front has passed and temperatures have cooled. Entrapment times have ranged from 10 to 90 minutes in length. Many entrapment survivors have spoken of being hit by more than one flame front so use extreme caution. Firefighters have died when they came out of their shelters too soon. When you have left your shelter, make sure your supervisor knows that the deployment has occurred. Leave your shelter and other equipment in place if you can do so safely. It is important to learn all we can from each shelter deployment to improve safety for all firefighters. Seconds are critical. Repeated hands-on training is vital to ensure speedy deployment and proper reactions in emergency situations. Each year every firefighter should do repeated fire shelter drills. Drill until each step from dropping your gear to deploying your shelter can be done automatically. Firefighters who have been through entrapments have reported a calming effect of doing something they are trained to do. Having a familiar task can help firefighters avoid panic and can aid them in deploying their shelters effectively. Practice fire shelters now made of green plastic can be reused many times. Always train wearing gloves, a hard hat, and if you have one, a face and neck shroud. Practice deploying your shelter under each of the following six scenarios. Practice a standard deployment, first clearing a four by eight foot site to mineral soil. Some firefighters have found that the best way to deploy the new shelter is to step in, sit down, and roll over. Practice looking at the shake handles and grasping them with the correct hands before shaking. Practice deploying your shelter from the ground by opening the shelter and pulling it over you. Practice dropping your gear and removing your shelter while escaping. Practice deploying the shelter in a strong wind. High winds are common in entrapments. Some people find it easier to deploy from the ground in a wind. Try a variety of techniques to find one that works best for you. To simulate deployment in a strong wind, practice with one or more strong fans such as the positive ventilation fans used by structural fire departments. Learn to take advantage of the wind to help you open and deploy your shelter. But make sure your feet end up toward the oncoming flames. While lying in your shelter, picture yourself in an entrapment. Imagine the noise, heat, and fear. Some firefighters have suffered from claustrophobia while in shelters. Spend enough time under your shelter to find out if you were claustrophobic. If you are, gradually increase the time you spend inside the shelter to help you adapt. I think under these situations when things start to go downhill, you start to respond to them in the way that conditioning or training that we've had and purely on that instinct that you've developed. Like tying your shoes. You don't even look down anymore, you just do it. Never mix practice and real fire shelter components. This could lead to someone carrying a practice shelter onto the fire line by mistake. Never train in live fire. This is extremely dangerous and risks firefighters' lives. No one in this video was exposed to live fire while inside a fire shelter. The scenes you've seen here have all been simulations. Wear and tear on a fire shelter can reduce its ability to protect. Taking care of it is simple. Always keep the shelter in its white hard plastic liner. Avoid rough handling. Don't lean against objects when wearing the shelter or use the shelter as a pillow. Don't load heavy objects on top of the shelter and keep the shelter away from sharp objects that can puncture it. Be sure to inspect your fire shelter when you receive it and every two weeks during the fire season. Inspect the vinyl bag to ensure that the quick opening strip is unbroken and the two pull rings are intact. Look through the vinyl bag for signs of abrasion. Do not open the vinyl bag. Remove the shelter from service if you see extensive abrasion or tears on the edges of the shelter. If aluminum particles have turned the clear vinyl bag dark gray or if there is debris in the bottom of the bag. In closing, let's review the key points. The new fire shelter provides better protection against radiant and convective heat but carrying a fire shelter is not an excuse to take greater risks on the fire line. As soon as you realize your escape may be compromised, drop your gear. Take your fire shelter and your tool but drop all dangerous flammable objects and drop any items that may slow your escape. Always deploy the fire shelter so that flame contact is minimized. Once you commit to your fire shelter, stay inside. Conditions outside the shelter will be far worse than those inside and train with your new fire shelter as if your life depends on it. As a firefighter, your highest priority is to stay out of situations that can lead to entrapment. The new fire shelter offers improved protection against radiant heat and flames but like its predecessor, it is still a last resort. You never know if that helicopter is not going to be able to make it to that hell of a spot. If your engines go to get a flat tire, if the trail you're walking out is not the right trail and you find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Communication is not there and somebody is firing off the wrong piece of line and you're in the wrong place. You can be the best firefighter in the world and maybe something will happen to where you have to use the shelter and that's why I'm here to talk about it, hoping that if it comes down to that then people know how to survive with it.