There has understandably been a great deal of public discussion and a growing demand for answers in the weeks since the Snyder Fire raged between the Colorado-Utah border. It ultimately claimed the lives of four wildland firefighters and burned 28,264-acres from June 27 to July 17. The public c ommentary about the tragedy raises legitimate questions that deserve careful examination. My spouse worked on that fire, and I, too, have questions. There is a difference between asking hard, thoughtful questions and then making judgments about decisions made in an environment most people have never experienced. As the public and media continue to seek answers about the Snyder Fire, I believe it is important that the voices of experienced wildland firefighters, incident commanders, helitack crews, and the families who understand this work firsthand are part of that conversation. Since 1957 helitack crews have quietly suppressed thousands of wildfires. Thousands have been in the Mountain West. Most people never hear about helitack crews and their work because their primary goal is rapid initial attack, often reaching remote, rugged, or inaccessible areas fast to stop small fires from growing. Their job prevents fires from growing into the large, destructive incidents that ultimately threaten lives, homes, businesses, watersheds and public lands. They protect our way of life and the air we breathe when we choose to conduct ourselves the way we do. When firefighters stop a 1-acre burn from a lightning strike, there is generally no headline or editorial response. Firefighters don’t expect it, and most of them like it that way. Experienced, trained firefighters and the agency that oversees them, knows those strikes if left untreated can quickly become a 10,000-acre disaster that threatens more than just shrub and brush on remote mountaintops, as was recently written in an area editorial. The Snyder Fire became a major headline because it was one of those rare incidents where extraordinary fire behavior overwhelmed even one of the nation’s most experienced initial-attack resources.  Firefighters are not cheap and disposable, and they did not risk their lives just for shrubs. Wildland fire is becoming increasingly more dangerous because of prolonged drought, hotter temperatures, heavy fuel loading, and extreme wind events. This is the reality that firefighters confront every season. Seeking accountability after a tragedy is important, but doing so without acknowledging these truths paints an incomplete and unfair picture to the added risk the firefighters confronted during the Snyder Fire. References across the media have been made about the director of the U.S. Wildland Fire Service, Chief Brian Fennessy’s statement that he was “100% sure” the decision to have the helitack crew at the site was based on good decision-making. In the same response, he also made clear that it was too early to speculate about the circumstances of the tragedy.  For the families, hearing someone acknowledge that our loved ones were where they were supposed to be, and that they had been sent there based on sound judgment to carry out the mission they were trained and entrusted to perform, was a welcome reassurance in the midst of unimaginable grief. It was an affirmation of their professionalism and service, not a declaration that there was nothing left to learn. There is always gained wisdom and key takeaways during time of reflection. Unfortunately, the end result was the devastating consequence of their work. The families of the fallen firefighters probably deserve answers more than anyone. They also deserve a thorough and detailed investigation, and that investigation is not something that needs to be demanded by outside entities — it is already standard procedure, and it will happen. Characterizing the firefighters as if they are not being forthcoming with information unfairly diminishes the professionalism, training and the sacrifice the firefighters who carried out the mission they were asked to perform. Understanding the nuance of wildland firefighting and the external threats they increasingly have to face does not preclude a thorough investigation nor meaningful lessons learned. Both are true.  If the public and newspaper outlets truly want the complete picture, I encourage them to speak with experienced wildland firefighters, listen to incident commanders, and talk directly to helitack crews. Meet the spouses and children who live every day knowing their loved ones willingly accept tremendous risk protecting our communities. They will tell you why helitack was at the site that day. They have been trained and were expected to do exactly what they did at the Snyder Fire.  Please understand that every firefighter also wants answers, including the ones who are still wearing the same Nomex uniforms and climbing into the same helicopters as their fallen coworkers. Their work continues during this record-breaking hot, dry and windy summer. Seeking information immediately and suggesting these firefighters should never have been there in the first place is lazy reporting that breeds confusion. Firefighters and their families need our collective support more than ever before.  Emily, Nick, Sydney and Nate lost their lives last month serving this community with honor, humility, dedication and courage. They deserve to be remembered for the job they did — not haphazardly questioned in an accusing tone by those who have never witnessed the realities of the job they willingly accepted.  Whether the Wildland Fire Service and the experts who understand wildland fire ultimately determine that fires like this should be fought differently is an entirely separate and important question. If changes are needed, they should come from the lessons learned through a thorough investigation — not from hindsight or speculation about the decisions made by the crews who were there. The focus should be on how we can better understand and mitigate fires like this in the future, how we can improve firefighter safety, and how we can support the families who are grieving. Let’s start asking the right questions. An easier one is, “Why were any of the firefighters fighting a fire in the remote wilderness?” The more difficult question is, “How do we get our firefighters home safely after doing the job they set out to do?” That’s what I really want answered. Maddison Harris is the spouse of a 16-year helitack wildland firefighter.  The post Asking the right questions after a deadly fire appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less