Unattended Campfires: 

Costly, Time Consuming and Dangerous

Scenario

Town of 

Bourne:             remote wooded area

Site condition: little rainfall this summer ... drought monitor levels high ... ground 

                            fuels (burnable debris - twigs, branches, grass, dropped leaves and 

                            needles) are DRY

                           ground - little moisture content, DRY

Situation:         illegal campfire ... LEFT UNATTENDED

Progression:    MassDCR' s Forest Fire Control's Bourne Fire Tower:  fire tower 

                         observer spots white smoke; notifies the town that they have 

                           a wildfire off the Heather Hill Road

                          1/4 acre; quick and early detection by the fire tower observer kept

                          this fire small; if left undetected, present weather and site conditions

                          would have resulted in a larger, more deep seated fire requiring

                          higher suppression hours

CONSIDER:   

                         1. firefighter safety and health issues - difficult access to fire; terrain; 

                             heat; weather conditions; fire/smoke emissions; arduous work 

                             conditions; tools

                         2. responding Bourne units/firefighters not available for other possible 

                              structure fires, other human related life endangering situations

                         3. manhours and hourly rate

                                   - 10 local firefighters

                                   - 4 state firefighters

                                   - at least 2 other  personnel - dispatch, tower 

                                   - 4 local and state suppression vehicles 

                                   - 3 hours to suppress fire plus next day ensuing fire size up 

                                     (and this, a small fire caught early)