A Special Feature
CAPE
COD BRUSH BREAKERS
"A pictorial history of the unique
forest firefighting apparatus"
By Britton Crosby
First Posted January 2001 - Re-released April 2014
(Updated April 2014)
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Page 22
Cape Cod
Forest Fires
1970s - 1980s
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| 22 - Forest Fires - 1970s-1980s Otis Fires |
1980s FOREST FIRES
Command post and rehab area at Otis during 1986 fire.
No fewer than seven breakers stage at sunrise
at this Massachusetts Military Reservation (Otis) the morning
after
a 2500 acres fire in anticipation of flare-ups. Breakers pictured
include: Bourne B130, State B6 and B5, Mashpee B354,
West Barnstable B295, COMM B316, and Sandwich B142.
The view from
behind the wheel of COMM FD's Breaker 316 following State Breaker
5 during wet down
of hot spots at Otis on April 1, 1986
The burned area from the 1986 fire.
The fire began in the impact area near the top and raced south
jumping several fire roads over the course of just a couple hours.
Brush Breakers
are designed to make their own path when necessary.
Smaller trees up to several inches in diameter are no match for
the large breakers.
Trees as large as a foot in diameter can be taken down if there
is no way around them.
Occasionally root balls can cause a breaker's wheels to lose
traction. Most breakers
are equipped with chain saws and powerful winches to free
themselves from being hung up.
The damage done to the woods by breakers is, in most cases, less
than that which a fire
will do if left to burn wild. The type of Terrain, rocks, rivers
and wetlands, fire fuel levels, and
other factors dictate appropriate use of this technique.
Large forest
fires can be very destructive and dangerous. This photo taken
from the Fire Patrol Plane
during the "Pave Paws Fire" of April 22, 1988 shows the
flames reaching 60'-100' in the air and
the thick smoke produced by the fire.
The "Pave
Paws" military radar site in the northern part of the
Massachusetts Military Reservation (Otis)
is seen at the right in this photo. This fire burned intensely
towards this vital military installation.
The clearing around the facility prevented any damage. The fire
however, continued to burn past the
facility consuming over 2000 acres within a couple hours.
Side fire burns slowly towards the powerlines.
Should a wind shift occur, this flank would become the headfire
and
endanger anyone in front of it.
About a dozen fire apparatus, breakers and
tankers, are staged on the power lines to prevent the fire from
jumping this fire break.
If the fire direction and intensity were to change, , the fire
could easily jump the 100-150 foot wide fire break.
Fortunately, it did not.
Bourne and Otis breakers extinguishing hot
spots in the burn.
When side fire turns to head fire smoke darkens
and thickens.
Pave Paws Fire April 22, 1988
Gibbs Road / Power Lines
Pave Paws Fire April 22, 1988
Pave Paws Fire April 22, 1988
Pave Paws Fire April 22, 1988
Pave Paws Fire April 22, 1988
Pave Paws Fire April 22, 1988
Pave Paws Fire April 22, 1988
Pave Paws Fire April 22, 1988
Pave Paws Fire April 22, 1988
Pave Paws Fire April 22, 1988
Pave Paws Fire April 22, 1988
Sandwich Breaker 442 operates from the safety
of a service road within the impact area at Otis.
This fire in the Otis area easily jumped this
narrow fire road before being contained. Placing personnel and
apparatus in front of such a fire is dangerous. The safest attack
is to come in from behind the fire and
work on extinguishing side fire until the headfire can be reached
and knocked down. This takes a
coordinated effort and air communications make a big difference.
Wood Road fire April 19, 1986.
Conditions on the back of brush breakers during
firefighting can be pretty nasty.
Heat, smoke, dust, briars, fallen trees, and a host of other
hazards from the rough ride make
this a dangerous, yet memorable experience for firefighters.
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Page 22
2000's
2002 CAPE COD NATIONAL SEASHORE
The Cape Cod National Seashore took delivery of this 2002 Ford
/ Boise Mobile Equipment
forestry unit with a 285 gallon water tank and class A foam system.
The CCNS forestry unit replaced the 1991 Metal Masters
forestry unit 277.
Edgartown Forestry 230 2002 Ford with 150 gallon skid tank.
CAPE COD BRUSH BREAKERS
Related Links
Massachusetts DCR - Bureau of Forest
Fire Control
Forest Fire Lookout Association
History Early Fire Towers
Massachusetts Fire Tower Locations
CCFD.com - Plymouth Brush Breaker Drill April 2006
CCFD.com - Plymouth-Wareham Brush Fires May 2006
CCFD.com
- Sandwich Fire Tower 2006
NOTE
Photos in this series are from various sources
including fire department and personal collections.
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