SKU August Lightning Complex Dozer Entrapment 2023

On August 15, 2023, a CAL FIRE bulldozer was entrapped while constructing direct fire line during initial attack on the Ranch Fire in Siskiyou County, California. At 2341 hours, outflow winds from a passing thunderstorm increased fire behavior, forcing the dozer to abandon line construction and retreat. The dozer was impacted by direct flames and extreme radiant heat while traveling down the line before becoming inoperable. The dozer operator deployed the fire curtains (protective barriers for heavy equipment similar to a fire shelter) within the cab and dressed them to the window frames during the entrapment. The operator was not injured.