Drip Torch Leg Burns

By Travis Dotson   

It happens often.  

Second and third degree burns on the calf associated with using a drip torch.  

That's all.  Just letting you know.  

You are now armed with awareness. 

Is that all?  Did the Lessons Learned Center just do it's job?  Think it will work? 

Of course we get leg burns from drip torches!  We're slinging gasoline around hot stuff right next to our legs...it's gonna happen.  

What's amazing is how good we are at NOT catching ourselves on fire.  We scramble across crazy complex terrain with stupid heavy packs while carrying an unwieldy hand tool in addition to the 15-pound fire maker with a pig-tail brush catcher - that's a great recipe for self-ignition! So, if we know that, what can you do to increase the odds of not being the person in the burn unit? 

Listen to this 7-minute podcast:

 Episode 7 - Drip Torch Leg Burns | Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center (wildfire.gov)

Now what? 

Talk about it.