 We are now at the point where the module has decided they cannot wait for the packer and must move down the trail They are on the move for about two minutes when they hear the mules and the packer coming down the trail behind them However upon seeing the firefighters in the trail the mules become startled and scatter into what is referred to as the rodeo Firefighters spent five to ten valuable minutes gathering up the mules to get them moving down the trail Set the turnaround point the crew that probably the crew members had left before us were probably about Fifty to a hundred yards ahead of us when we actually started going back down the trail So everybody was still fairly close, but everybody knew that we had a we had to be getting down the trail We were progressing down the trail About two minutes down from our turnaround point. We started hearing whistling yelling Bunch of bunch of mules coming down. So we knew the mule the mule train was coming We tried getting off the trail because we knew that's where they were at as soon as the mules saw us standing on the trail Chaos broke out six mules scattered all our gear the trail was only You know five feet wide anyhow a long timber We basically help the wrangler get all those mules in front of us and he started moving back down the trail After they started moving down the trail at this point the fire was on us spots fires all around us you can feel the heat and We we were almost we were all together spread out maybe within 20 yards of each other we started moving down the trail a little bit more came across a couple packs that had been dropped And me myself and the module leader were we're in the back and the member of the module leader Picking up one of these packs throwing it in the river just thinking that Hey, this will save this pack might as well save a little bit of equipment if we can At this point we crossed the river Because the fire was on our right side and the least cool place at this time was on the opposite side of the river Module leader everybody crossed the river We all crossed the river Started running down to the Anderson Creek Junction because we knew that was our last place that we saw a Viable option for at that time. It was just briefly discussed. Hey, that's a place. We could come back to if we need to So everybody in their mind knew where we were going and we got to that Anderson Anderson Creek Junction The fire was basically right on top of us. There's a little bit of discussion. So we run up Anderson Creek Should we keep trying to run down the mule the the pack trail? And at this point the decision it was made to deploy our shelters at that deployment site threw down the cross-cut took off my PG bag and Literally, I said to myself. I can't believe this is happening never ever thought I'd be doing this grabbing my shelter out of my pack And I knew that you had to do it because at that point that you couldn't go down river at this time Couldn't go up up Anderson Creek So you knew that you're relying on this little piece of equipment that you've been trained to use You sit there going I have to use it and pulling those tabs was probably weirdest thing to do it for you know for real real life scenario and Grabbing the I mean and luckily for nine years. I've been a fire every time every season you go through some type of training But you never realized I don't think you ever have to do it. So to actually pull that that shelter out for reels was a different experience and When I pulled that shelter out tried to flake it out I Remember almost laughing to myself because you hear over and over how the winds going to be blowing things are gonna be loud Things are gonna be crazy. You know when you do it out on a lawn in a spring summer day It's nice and easy to do but in that situation the wind was 50 60 miles per hour I mean enough just to be popping trees over all around you the heat the embers the smoke I mean it was with all those different environment factors it was a lot more difficult than any training I've ever prepared for and To hang on to the shelter That's absolutely true when you hear about when being being super strong And you need to hang on to your shelter because when you flake that out and you shake it if you're facing with the wind If you're hanging on to it, it's gonna be gone And so the fact that Those things in the training even though I didn't actually get those real case scenarios and training they're in your head So when you actually did do this you were prepared for it When we were deploying our shelters at that deployment site the unit the module leader Counted nine heads and he said we're missing one. We're missing one anybody know where Monica is and People looked around the last time we saw her was right at the rodeo We didn't see her crossing the river with us. We didn't we didn't see her running to the Anderson Creek Junction with us So actually we're deploying Everybody thought that she probably either went out with the mule train Running with them or maybe at the worst-case scenario got picked up by the Wrangler and thrown on a horse That was what we were hoping for After the initial pass of Grable or the fire pass down Grable We got out of our shelters and knew that we're gonna have another push from Anderson Creek That's when we decided to light a backing fire to try to give a break from the fuels But we also looked over at the Grable drainage and there was no way we could use that area as a retreat zone because for one It was still still very hot tons of snags burning The wind was still strong. You hear snags falling left and right Couldn't see much the smoke was very thick I mean just being out of their shelters for those five minutes that re we reorganized and regrouped Your eyes were watering your breathing already had changed and you knew you almost had to get you almost want to get back in The shelter just to get a break from the smoke It was a really good deployment site far as The part you know it was flat level as an old sandbar Is really good really good deployment site Two of the other two of us came back from the backing fire and at this time The fire that had gone down Grable had crossed the creek and was starting to come up Anderson why the Spotfire up above can Anderson Creek. We're actually starting to come together So we knew that we're gonna have an intense intense push through there so that's when everybody got in their fire shelters group together and Road this one out This push this push was a lot different than the first push this push Just in the shelter was very uncomfortable the heat. You're sweating like crazy You had to be breathing through your nomex through the dirt You had to hold the shelter down with all all four corners The wind was intense when the shelter would touch your skin you could feel the heat So you'd have to kind of keep that air pocket You could hear the noise you couldn't It was it was freight train coming through I mean as loud as I've ever heard fired didn't know it sound like that you could hear the embers pine cones twigs Sticks hitting your shelter. I mean it You mean you hear how you could try to prepare for this stuff, but to actually be in it It's it's all there. It's just like holy cow. This is really happening and It was it was definitely an experience We got out for the last time it was 1730 so we're exact in there about right at an hour um Pulled the shelter out Kind of walked around looked at things everybody else is still in their shelter kind of started. Hey guys. Are you okay? Come on out. Let's and so these people started popping out knowing it's okay to come out and the scene when you came out it it was it's kind of mind-boggling because Our gear that was left by our shelters That had no fuel around them You know nothing no no direct flame impingement Where melt was melted tool handles the plasky tool handles had burnt. I mean so right there you're going holy cow That's how much heat was coming off of that 60 foot stand of timber 20 yards from us And you looked at some of the shelters and see some you know delamination and some burn marks and you realize that If I didn't have that shelter right there at that time You might not be here so and that was that was kind of crazy because everybody comes out of that and um You look around at your crew members And people have a different way they react to the situation I mean I came out and I was like wow, you know soaking it up taking pictures and Going man. I made it through this. I go over to a buddy and ask him how he's doing and it's a different Different level. I mean he's not talking. You know you could tell he's upset and it's just like hey You know he's like all I could think about is my kids and so so when you're there and I was happy to be in that situation I kind of got brought down a little bit because You realize that people will have different different priorities in life After we got out and heard Monica's voice on the radio knew that she was okay. We actually did a little grid Out to try to find where she was at and she's only 120 yards up river from us So we got her and brought her to the our deployment site and you know we we We sat against the rock wall that was kind of protecting us for about an hour 45 minutes an hour first deciding if everybody was Um comfortable enough to walk out of here if we wanted to stay We felt it was the best decision to get out of there that evening because we were just about out of water Um all our food and everything that we're supposed to have was on the mule train Which was at the trailhead so we had no food water was pretty much gone So we wanted to get out of there, but the biggest concern was the snags I mean it was just a huge snagpats walking out and At that point We just um we wanted to get out so the safest way was just to almost do Do a lookout system I mean we'd have one person one person at a time Go 50 yard section 100 yard section stop and we just have lookouts and have one person go at a time and We just kind of kept leapfrogging As we went out until we cleared the snags And that worked well. I mean because After being through an event like that the worst-case scenario would be Getting taken down by a snag on your way out. That would have been horrible. So we were very cautious people were physical condition was Everybody was I mean the smoke inhalation that you were exposed to was enormous I mean the lungs just breathing you felt like you're short of breath The headache the headache that I had I've never had a headache that bad and other crew members said they've never felt that That painful of a headache either So everybody was just a little fatigued Mentally fatigued physically fatigued And so we just did everything we could to get out safely together as a crew And get to the jack jack creek trailhead The way I look at a fire shelter now is that it's a lifesaving tool before I looked at it as it's something that I'm required to carry. I'm not going to ever use it. I don't plan on using it It's something that's just in my pack and After that said that day in that situation Then when I went back to fight fire the new shelter I put in my pack I've never inspected a fire shelter so much fire is looking at it Making sure oh geez okay, and you had a different mindset on how this piece of equipment is going to affect your life and and If you didn't have that shelter in that situation that day I wouldn't be here talking to you right now. I mean if we stayed in that that exact same situation I wouldn't be here talking to you. Um So in that regards I'm a fan of it. I mean it saved my life and something I'm always going to Remember and make sure I have a good one make sure it's properly inspected make sure If anything ever happens to it rip or tear Replace it because if you have any type of defect in it it could change the outcome of the situation you're put in The Unuit fire use module received several commendations from the review team Primarily for keeping their wits about them through the course of this event Others included identifying a potential deployment zone during their hike up the canyon Having a high amount of concern for the packers and later their missing crew member Commendations were also given for the method in which they deployed their shelters Placing ripped shelters in the middle of the rest to help deflect the heat away from the weaker shelters And arranging everyone so their heads were pointing away from the heat source Module members talked to each other to calm and support one another as well as to keep everyone in their shelters until it was safe to leave In addition, they were able to continue safety awareness throughout their trek down the canyon throughout continuous hazardous snags We asked latin johnson to reflect on the things he'll take away from his experience on the little venus fire You know By no means I think every decision that we made that day at little venus was was perfect But we're making the best of decisions with the information we had And things changed so quick, you know, I think there's a lot of things that planned your decision making in terms of experience similar situations At little venus one of the individuals was with us had been through a 30 mile staff ride That actually came back to him during the deployment was able to Think about some of the things he had learned during that If you look back on the folks that are with us not only You know the folks of my crew, but the folks that were detailed in, you know, we all had a lot of experience Everybody when that fire was bearing down upon us knew what they had to do Knew we had to stay committed to the fire shelters Um new during that real hasty time we're able to get up That we need to reorganize do some burning those types of things You know, there's a lot of different lessons learned that can be drawn from this Some of the the more important to me are communications Trying to make sure that they're adequate before you go into an area Also, you know trying to clarify in terms of what a fire is doing when you can't see it Always being prepared for how fast the fire environment can change You know, you come around a corner pop out on the hillside And then you realize that you have a crown fire bearing down upon you And how are you going to react to that, you know from here on out? I'll probably look at every single situation in terms of what's the worst case Thing that can happen right now and be prepared for that We hope the story of the Little Venus fire shelter deployments has helped you to appreciate the value of the fire shelters that you carry And the importance of the inspection and care of this lifesaving piece of equipment We ask that you carry this into the next phase of your annual fire shelter training and into this year's fire season The transition into the new generation fire shelters for federal agencies should be complete by the end of 2008 For non-federal agencies transition will be complete at the end of 2009 If you're carrying an old fire shelter be sure that you are extra vigilant in the inspection and care of this vital piece of equipment We would like to thank the members of the Unuit fire use module for sharing their experience with us to ensure that this will not become a lesson not learned We would also like to thank you for your participation in this training and wish you a very safe and productive fire season