The Eagle Outdoors July 10

Friday afternoon, July 4, and the call comes out to the county of a brush fire just east of Nassa Point. The Cathlamet Fire Department (CFD) arrives on-scene with an engine and a brush truck, along with Battalion Chief Will Lutz, who will serve as Incident Command (IC). Skamokawa arrives. District 4. Local law enforcement, with the Washington State Patrol (WSP), close State Route 4. The Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is contacted, arrives on-scene and, within the hour, takes control. After all, it's their ground that's on fire.

Local county crews with brush trucks provide structure protection along Maple Ridge Road, while the DNR gets organized. Two helicopters come out of Olympia and are assigned to the fire, now known technically as The Nassa Point Fire, and begin pulling water out of the Columbia and dropping it onto the flames, via ground-based radio guidance from a DNR staffer. All in all, the pilots did a tremendous job, knocking down the flames and cooling everything off in order that firefighters could put boots on the ground, go in, evaluate the situation firsthand, and develop an attack strategy. Level Three (3) Evacuations were issued, meaning GO NOW, with, from my perspective, full and unconditional compliance by all those in the affected area.

On the night of July 4, the fire behavior subsides, but crews stay on-scene for control and monitoring. On Saturday, July 5, the DNR again orders an air attack from Olympia, which arrives, drops a "Heli-TAK" crew of two, and proceeds to again drop water under radio direction. Drones are flown to assess the overall footprint of the fire, as to size and potential growth. Thermal imaging provides detailed information on the location of priority "hotspots." Hose systems (i.e. hose lays) are constructed on both the east and west flanks of the fire, and DNR hand crews begin mopping up operations; that is, addressing all of the problem areas as indicated by smoke or small length flames. The Nassa Point Fire is now officially at five acres with 50 percent containment. Water for the hose lays / hand crews is being provided by Wahkiakum Fire District 4 and Tender 406.

On Sunday, July 6, on-the-ground work continues, courtesy of five DNR engines (brush trucks), Tender 406, and approximately 25 to 30 young DNR firefighters. Good progress is being made, water continues to flow, and State Route 4 opens, albeit briefly, during the night time hours when human activity on the hillside is absent, thus lessening the chances of rock "rolls" and debris obstructing highway travel. On Monday, July 7, a smaller DNR crew continues to mop up any hotspots, and personnel with the Public Utilities District work with the Washington Department of Transportation to mitigate a problem tree smoldering 75 feet (or so) above the highway. On Monday evening, State Route 4 opens, and normalcy more or less resumes. The DNR, as I'm told, had a two-engine crew on the fire on Tuesday, July 8, for security and maintenance purposes. The cause of the fire, I was told Monday, is "still under investigation" by the state fire marshall; however, according to what I was told on-scene by a local homeowner, there were "two loud BOOMS along the highway just prior to the sound of sirens."

Just so y'all know, and in my honest opinion, The Nassa Point Fire was handled expertly, professionally, and as quickly as humanly possible by all parties involved. I'm extraordinarily proud of our county personnel for their hard work and dedication to beating up what could have become a real big problem in a real big hurry. I'm proud to call them my brothers- and sisters-in-arms. This was a cooperative effort by all parties concerned, who were simultaneously handling fire and medical calls in East Valley, West Cathlamet, Old Rosedale, County Line Park, and elsewhere throughout the county.

Finally, to BC Lutz and Skamokawa's Duncan Cruickshank, I have your wildland hose, which I may or may not return, depending on what condition it's in and how badly I need wildland hose. I'm just say'n.

Twenty-five years of hunter education

Recently, I had the opportunity to sit with a most wonderful gentleman and discuss two subjects near and dear to my heart: hunting and education. Long-time (1948) Elochoman Valley resident, Jerry Bain, 84, is entering his 25th year as a licensed hunter education instructor for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). Alas, Jerry will be retiring after what will be his educational swan song later this month and into August. "I'm trying to retire now," he laughed. Jerry and I were sitting at the kitchen table, and my wife, Julie was bringing us fresh-picked Royal Anne cherries from the big tree by the garden. "But George (Dennis) keeps bringing me back," Jerry added. Dennis, a resident of the Bunker Hill area, is the chief hunter education instructor for whom Bain works.

Here, it's important to note that this mandatory hunter education course, required for all first-time hunters born after Jan. 1, 1972, is conducted entirely by volunteer instructors, of which Bain is one, and has been since 2000. During that time, he's helped dozens upon dozens of nimrods, or inexperienced hunters, take their first steps into The Great Outdoors as consumptive users. "This was one of my bucket list (goals) when I retired," Bain told me about being a hunter ed instructor. His final course, he explained, will be a traditional course, as opposed to the program that is now available online. "We're teaching the kids hands-on," he said. "Firearms safety. Firearms handling. There will be a field course, along with a live-fire opportunity for those who pass the written part of the course."

A prerequisite for first-time hunters, the Washington Hunter Education Course is a fantastic opportunity for non-hunters to get a better idea of why we consumptive users do what it is we do. Not that getting up at 3:30 a.m. to sit in the mud while it rains hard in hopes of seeing a mallard duck is a simple concept to understand, but I never said hunters or steelhead fishermen were the brightest bulbs in the lamp, now, did I?

Bain's final course is a two-day class to be held on Saturday, July 26 and Saturday, Aug. 2 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Norse Hall on Puget Island. Attendance at both sessions is required to pass. There is no cost and no age limit for the course; however, students must register online at https://www.register-ed.com/events/view/231645. This class is limited to 22 students.

Finally, a tip of the 'ole hunting cap goes to Mister Jerry Bain for a quarter century of time, effort, and dedication to helping perpetuate the tradition that is hunting in a safe, responsible, and ethical manner. Without him and folks like him, there would be no hunter education program. Without him, hunting might very well be relegated to the pages of the Encyclopedia Britannica. Thank you, sir, for 25 outdoor years.