I am VERY torn on the whole idea of staying on your property after being told to evacuate when a fire approaches. I understand why people would do it. In some cases the people have done what they need to do to create defensible space around their homes. The often have swimming pools with pumps and fire hose ready to go and can mount an effective defense. Some home owners even have equipment like small bulldozers and can create good solid firelines to stop a fire. But, there are the others. Those who have done no prep at all who put themselves in very great risk. Regardless, as a former IC I can tell you that people staying behind changes everything. You expend considerable resources and effort into making sure you do what you can to save those people. When resources are tapped out, or stretched as thin as we have been, that means you may have to let some parts of the fire run free, or with little organized attack so you can mount an effective defensive attack to help protect the people who stayed. The first rule is to protect life. If you know that you have civilians on the ground here in Oregon, that means the first priority is to protect them. We saw that big time last night as a furious assault was waged from the air and the ground along Dry Creek Road. It worked. The people and their homes and other structures were spared. But it does ramp up the stakes and the risks considerably. I would rather people leave so that I can wage a wider more aggressive offensive attack on the fire, rather than having to concentrate resources and effort into a localized defensive one. Every IC who has lives and homes to protect will be faced with this at some point. Greg.
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 18:23:26 +0000
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