During the last full week of service at Black Hills NF, Team 1 got on its most active fire yet. The Brush Creek Fire, at around 2 acres, was burning in grass and timber when Team 1 arrived with Engine 361. We laid hose packs around the perimeter of the fire, and occasionally had to step off the fireline while a helicopter dumped buckets of water over the actively burning sections. Once the fire was 100% contained, we continued to mop up the interior for several hours into the afternoon. Finally at around 6pm, every visible smoke was extinguished and the fire was pronounced 100% controlled, or expected to remain within the containment line under any foreseeable conditions. We were then released and headed home.
The rest of the week, we were dispatched to a few other fires, but were subsequently cancelled while on our way to the incident. We spent the remaining days doing station work like sharpening tools and packing additional hose into bags to be used in the future. Some corps members also continued to work with the Archaeology Dept, conducting surveys of historic sites and documenting the findings. Some of us also worked at SD Game, Fish, and Parks, giving fishing lessons to local kids and leading hikes throughout campus.
