Historic Hood River
Brush Fire
5-14-2013
Notes
Here’s the HRFD in action putting out a brush fire near the Jaymar mill. It looks like the fire has gotten into piles of debris from the mill’s operations. The locomotive is a bonus.
I can’t help but notice the man on the hose has a cigarette dangling from his lips as he stands near that dry grass. I suppose he’s in a good position to put out any new fire he starts.
spinsur
Second crew in smoke? Noticed the cigarette right off, too! Is his hose actually being fed from the tender of the steam locomotive?
Norma Jubitz Simpson
I think the Jaymar milled caught fire every few years. There was always a fire down there.
l.e.
That’s how everyone used to work. With a cigarette in their mouth.
The guy holding the hose isn’t really dressed as a fireman. Looks more like an owner or something.
I like the Grandpa, right there in the middle of things. He stands like my grandpa did.
Arlen Sheldrake
Very interesting picture. Hard to imagine today but like many including this volunteer, my father smoked almost everywhere. it is rare to find a picture of him without a cigarette in his hand or mouth….Typical clothes for the volunteers,,,you turned out in what you were wearing at the time.
Not sure if that hose is being fed from the locomotive tender or is just
going under the stopped train. The headlight appears to be off so this mixed freight is stopped for the fire.
is a Joe Young picture?
Lesa
I see only one hose, which means the guys in the smoke may be using back pack tanks. My Dad had one which he used as a fire fighter, on fire watch for one of the logging companies. He also had a flame thrower, which he used for starting back fires. I spent countless hours using both as a kid, from age 13-15. Boy wouldn’t people have a fit today?! We lived on a pretty good sized wheat and cattle ranch, and Dad thought it best we knew how to use it. I’ll confess we used to use the flame thrower to light our fireworks on the 4th of July. It was a blast! 🙂
Buzz
Fires were a part of the old timber industry. When lumber prices were down there were a lot of successful fires in the little gyppo mills. And my dad used to say that if it wasn’t for being able to set forest fires during the depression that they were hired to fight, loggers would have starved to death.
Jeffrey Bryant
I wonder if the men are my great grandfather, Robert Vaughan, and his son, Harold (Bob) Vaughan, who became fire chief.