The Lone Peak Hotshots are an Interagency Hotshot Crew [1] located in Draper, Utah in the United States. The crew consists of 23 firefighters 7 of which are permanent and 16 of which are seasonal. [2] [3] The Lone Peak Hotshots season typically begins in mid April and extends until late October. [4]
The Lone Peak Interagency Hotshot Crew was originally founded in 1991 as the Flame ‘N’ Go Hotshots. The Flame ‘N’ Go Hotshot Crew was composed of seventeen prisoners, two Utah Department of Forestry employees and two corrections officers from the Utah Department of Corrections. From 1991 until 1998 the Flame ‘N’ Go Hotshots operated as a regional hotshot crew. In 1998 the crew achieved status as a nationally recognized Type 1 Interagency Hotshot Crew. [5] In 2001, The crew switched from a prison crew to the all civilian Lone Peak Hotshots. [5] The Lone Peak Hotshots are one of only three non-federal Interagency Hotshot Crews in the United States. They were the first state-sponsored, Hotshot Crew in the country. [6] [7]
The Lone Peak Hotshots are based out of the Lone Peak Conservation Center (LPCC), in Draper, Utah. The crew is hosted and sponsored by the Utah Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands (FFSL). [8] [9] The crew is located in the U.S. Forest Service Region-4
The crew is spearheaded by one superintendent (Crew Boss) and is broken into two squads of eleven firefighters. [10]
Today, the Lone Peak Hotshots focus primarily on wildfire suppression. During slow fire seasons the crew will assist with fuels reduction and other natural resources based projects known as “project work”. Lone Peak Hotshots must be nationally available for dispatch for at least 180 days of the year and seasonal crewmembers may work up to 365 days. [11] Crewmembers are expected to be in excellent physical condition throughout the fire season and work an average of 150-160 days during a 6-month season. [12] [13]
In August 2000, Flame ‘N’ Go Hotshots crew members Michael Bishop and Rodgie Braithwaite were killed by a lightning strike. [14] [15] [16]
Smokejumpers are specially trained wildland firefighters who provide an initial attack response on remote wildland fires. They are inserted at the site of the fire by parachute.
In the United States, a Shot Crew, officially known as an Interagency Hotshot Crew (IHC), is a team of 20-22 elite wildland firefighters that mainly respond to large, high-priority fires across the country and abroad. They are assigned to work the most challenging parts of the fire and are considered strategic and tactical wildland fire experts. Hotshots are a national resource and their deployment is controlled at the national level. Hotshot crews are considered the most highly trained, skilled and experienced wildland firefighters, along with smokejumpers. They are qualified to provide leadership for initial-attack and extended-attack on wildland fires. Hotshots are trained and equipped to work in remote areas for extended periods of time with minimal logistical support. They are organized by agencies such as the United States Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, and state/county agencies; the National Interagency Fire Center coordinates hotshot crews on the federal level.
Wildfire suppression is a range of firefighting tactics used to suppress wildfires. Firefighting efforts in wild land areas require different techniques, equipment, and training from the more familiar structure fire fighting found in populated areas. Working in conjunction with specially designed aerial firefighting aircraft, these wildfire-trained crews suppress flames, construct fire lines, and extinguish flames and areas of heat to protect resources and natural wilderness. Wildfire suppression also addresses the issues of the wildland–urban interface, where populated areas border with wild land areas.
Helitack crews are teams of wildland firefighters who are transported by helicopter to wildfires. Helicopters provide rapid transport, enabling helitack crews to quickly respond and assess a wildfire situation. Helitack crews may land near a wildfire or, if equipped and trained, rappel from a hovering helicopter. Once on the ground, crews build firelines using hand tools, chainsaws, and other firefighting tools. They often remain overnight in remote locations. After they have completed their assignment, crew members may pack up to 120 pounds of equipment over difficult terrain to reach a pick-up point. Rappellers often prepare helispots that provide better access to a fire. Helicopter crew members may also perform other duties such as tree falling, firing operations, and managing helibases.
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