Drawn to the flame
By Marlo Benning
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| Tim Notch implementing a burn at Camp Ripley. This is part of his duties as a Land Steward for The Nature Conservancy. |
Just as bugs are drawn to a light shining in the night's darkness, so has Tim Notch been attracted to a different type of light-That which is illuminated by fire.
Notch admits to always having a "thing" for fires.
"I think a lot of people are drawn to it. It's exciting. It's not for everyone though," Notch said.
He currently works as a land steward for The Nature Conservancy which entails planning and implementing burns at Camp Ripley.
But his history began with fighting those very flames that he has somewhat of a fetish for.
In 1981 and 1983 he was what is termed as a "hot shot" while living in Globe, Arizona. A hot shot is someone who works for the Forest Service on a 20 person firefighting crew to battle and try to contain forest fires. It is seasonal work which makes sense since fires typically occur in the summer months.
The crew Notch worked with reported to the ranger's station at Tonto National Forest each morning. This forest currently embraces almost three million acres of rugged country.
If there were no fires currently burning, the crew would put up fencing, install fire breaks around campgrounds and cut down trees among other duties.
They could also be called out of their area or to other states if they were needed, but only if the fire risk at home was low.
This wasn't a nine to five job by any means. Notch said that they could be dispatched at any time of the day; they were basically always on call, but limited to only working 14 days in a row.
He was on the foot crew which meant that they walked into fire situations whether it was as little as two miles or as many as 20. On occasion they would be flown in by a helicopter.
He was on what was called a sawyer team. The sawyer is a chainsaw operator and alongside him is a swamper who helps the operator. He was required to carry 40 pounds of gear in addition to the chainsaw.
Notch received no training to become a hot shot at that time.
"They hired me because I was a farm kid and they knew I would work hard," he said.
One rule that keeps the hot shots safe is to always keep one foot in the black, meaning that you should be in a spot that has already burned, never be in front of the fire, or at the "head" of one.
"That was your safe zone," he said.
He said although safety precautions were taken, there were several occasions when they had to run from a fire and recalls a dangerous experience when they were chased to a roadway by the head of a wild fire.
But he noted that he was never burned or injured while out on a fire call. Knee injuries are very common among the firefighters, he said.
Notch said that the "total package" of being a hot shot was great. From being outdoors, the physical challenge of fighting fire, the dangerous yet excitement of it to the great friends and camaraderie they shared were all fulfilling for him.
"We had a close bond. We had to watch each other's back," he said of his fellow hot shot buddies.
Back in the early 80s when he was a hot shot the crews would work as long as 16 hours straight before heading back to a base camp of some sort to rest. The types of camps varied according to the location of a fire. At one fire there were up to 1200 personnel actively involved in fighting a 240,000 acre fire in Montana which meant larger base camps were needed.
Nowadays, Notch said the crews take pride in being out for days at a time without heading back to a base camp.
"Now some stay out and sleep on the fire line," he said.
A volunteer firefighter
The two summers he spent as a hot shot eventually led him towards becoming a volunteer fireman on the Eagle Bend Fire Department in 1987 after he had settled back in his hometown with his family.
His vast knowledge of wildland fires has played a major role in deciding how the department attacks a blaze, said fellow fireman Steve Weishair.
"Tim's present job gives our department a whole new perspective to the knowledge of wildland fires and how to manage a particular scene, as no two fires are alike and the outcome is different on every call. We train diligently on our department, but there is no training that can teach you more than a live scene-And he has seen many in his career", said Weishair who has served with Notch since the 80s and as a co-chief since the early 90s.
Weishair noted that he relies heavily on Notch and the other firefighters when making decisions. He looks to him as a mentor to all of them, not just the inexperienced, but to those that have worked beside him for the last 20 years.
"He is considerate, yet firm. Tim is a firefighter who would rather dig in than be in the background making decisions. He is a very good leader and I can say I am privileged to work side by side with him," he noted.
Weishair described Notch's demeanor as calming which helps to relax a situation that he enters into.
"He has that way that says 'we are here and things will be good'."
A yearning for nature
Notch spent many years working as an auto mechanic, but a few years ago, took college classes to receive an associate's degree in natural resources which eventually led him to his current job with The Nature Conservancy.
His daughter, Danielle, noted that her dad has always enjoyed being outdoors and wasn't surprised when he chose to pursue a career that would allow him to be outdoors.
Instead of fighting fires on a daily basis, as he used to, he now gets to start them. He writes the plans for and implements burns at Camp Ripley and on some of the conservancy's land. All of the burns must be approved by the Department of Natural Resources.
"I try to recreate a natural burn."
But, he said, he can never recreate a natural fire. A natural recurring fire would burn under natural conditions.
He plans the burns typically from mid-April until the first of June and some from September through November when conditions are right. He must work when there are windows of opportunity-Meaning the right amount of humidity, wind and the optimum temperature for burning.
Some of the reasons for burning are to curb invasive plant growth and to reduce the fuels that would cause wild fires to spread.
He works to make it a favorable atmosphere for the soldiers that come to camp for training out in the field.
"Everything we do at Camp Ripley is related to the military," he said.
Notch enjoys his current job and is able to embrace nature on a daily basis, which for him is a great benefit. And the chance to start and contain fires on purpose......Priceless!
marlo@inhnews.com