ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — The U.S. Forest Service has 74 North Carolina-based personnel assigned to support western fires, including one based in Asheville.
Jenifer Bunty, a firefighter and public information officer from the National Forests in North Carolina and a Disaster Assistance Recovery Team member, is assigned to the Crazy Creek Fire in central Oregon.
U.S. Forest Service Public Affairs Officer Adam Rondeau said 31 of the forest service members out West are from Pisgah and Nantahala national forests or the Forest Supervisor’s Office in Asheville.
Wildland firefighters come from different agencies and organizations, Bunty explained.
“To keep track of all the resources, we have two systems in place nationally that work together,” she said via email.
The Incident Qualifications and Certification System tracks training and certifications for wildland firefighters, Bunty said. The Interagency Resource Ordering Capability is an application for ordering resources for hazard incidents.
More than 300 interagency dispatch and coordination centers nationwide use IROC, she said. When an incident occurs, the ordering agency will place an order through their dispatch/coordination center in IROC for specific resource types.
“For example, the Incident Management Team that I am working on (Southwest Area Complex Incident Management Team 5) knew they needed support for sharing public information. I have taken classes and I’ve been trained and certified as a Public Information Officer in IQCS,” Bunty said in her email. “The IMT placed an order through their dispatch and IROC. Then, my dispatch in North Carolina responded and let them know I was available. Within about 24 hours I was on a plane and headed to Oregon.”
Bunty, who arrived there Saturday, July 27, said fire assignments are typically 14 active (non-travel) days. She expects to return home at the end of her 14 days.
Although this is Bunty’s first out-of-state assignment for the National Forests in North Carolina, she’s no stranger to travel.
“I work on the NC Disaster Assistance Recovery Team. We are a permanent team of folks dedicated to disaster response and recovery projects. I started working for the National Forests in North Carolina last year and this is my first assignment out of state with them, but I work in disaster response and recovery as my regular job,” Bunty said.
There are several challenges for anyone serving in incident response.
“On the technical side, the way fire burns out here is very different than it is in the east. The fuel on the ground is different. The topography is different. The communities and what they might need are different,” Bunty said. “When I’m in a new ecosystem and community, I try to spend as much time as possible learning about the fuels, the firefighting techniques, and the community concerns so that I can share information that is helpful for people. It can be a steep learning curve.”
But there are personal challenges, as well.
“I have two small children at home. I’m not sure they fully understand why I’m traveling and they can’t come with me,” Bunty said. “We talked about it before I left, and they know ‘mommy is helping people with the fires.’ I’m lucky that I get to talk to them a little bit each day. My husband is incredibly supportive, and they have all said they are proud of me. But, two weeks can be a long time for folks on assignment and for everyone waiting for us at home.”
According to the latest update Sunday, the Crazy Creek Fire had burned more than 60,000 acres and was only 5 percent contained.