Klamathon Fire Dozer Spot Close Call 2018

At approximately 1600 hours on July 5, 2018 during direct attack on the Klamathon Fire, a Type 2 bulldozer started a spot fire via grouser contact with a very hard volcanic rock substrate. (Grousers are the projecting bars on a dozer's track shoes.) This spot fire in the nearby wild oats/cheat grass was quickly hit by a 20-30 mph wind that blew the fire upslope and into the surrounding stand of decadent blue brush—which immediately started torching out and spreading uphill toward the dozer operator's line scout.

Initial Attack, Hand Crews, Heavy Equipment, RLS, Heavy Equipment