Locals send help to fight fires

KateLynn Slaamot
NLJ Correspondent
 
With fires running rampant throughout the country this year, including blazes as far away as California and fires in Wyoming, people have pulled together to lend a helping hand. Bucky Rawhouser, owner of Farnsworth Services, recently sent a bulldozer and two men to help fight the Mullen fire in the Medicine Bow National Forest. They were dispatched to Fox Park, near Laramie, after returning from California, where their firefighting efforts were rejected. 
Also sending aid to help extinguish the Mullen fire was the Weston County Fire Protection District, which sent a Type 6 engine and two local firefighters to assist. Another firefighter made the journey south last week. 
“They’ll be assigned to the fire for up to 14 days plus travel time,” said Daniel Tysdal, Weston County fire warden. “Finally, we also have two additional Single Resources down in Colorado currently on the Cameron Peak Fire. One of those individuals is serving as a heavy equipment boss and the other as a task force leader.” 
Local firefighters also assisted with other fires earlier in the year when resources were sent to aid on the Bringham Fire in Arizona, Fawn Creek Fire in Colorado, Phillips Creek Fire in Idaho and the Pine Gulch Fire in Colorado. 
“We all need help from time to time with fires in our jurisdictions, so the fire district tries to help where we can while at the same time ensuring that Weston County is always protected with resources at home,” Tysdal said. 
The dozer and two hands, Kenny Williams and Steve Goodwin, with Farnsworth Services will also serve a total of 14 days. They left for the fire on Sept. 22. The firefighters are then required to take a couple of rest days, after which they can be sent back to the fire or to a different fire.  
Dozers can be a huge asset to fighting fires, Rawhouser said, because they can cut fire lines so the fire can’t go any farther, as well as clean up once the fire is put out. 
“My biggest goal is to protect people’s houses,” Rawhouser said, noting his desire to offer assistance to those suffering the devastation of fires. 
Rawhouser, who is also firefighter, has been involved in sending help and equipment to fires, floods and other disasters for several years. He owns about 15 pieces of equipment that can help with fires and other natural disasters. 
“It’s just something that’s enjoyable to do,” Rawhouser said. 
Farnsworth Services is part of a program called VIPR, or Virtual Incident PRocurement. According to Pam Brinson, secretary at Farnsworth Services, VIPR is a government program under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that enables people to get their equipment accounted for and available to help with fires and other natural disasters. 
VIPR handles equipment registration, costs and contracts that deal with what the equipment owners will get paid for the use of their machines. Interagency Resource Ordering Capability then handles availability and sending resource orders to equipment owners for what equipment is needed, when it’s needed and where. 
Farnsworth Services has been part of this program for four or five years, while Rawhouser has been involved since before he purchased Farnsworth Services. Both B&M Dozer and Farnsworth Services have equipment that can be used, and both are owned by Rawhouser. Before the program started, Rawhouser sent equipment to help to fight fires in the area through his own means. 
Entering the program was tedious and time consuming, Brinson said, and equipment owners had to go through several different agencies first. However, despite the effort, it’s quite rewarding, and she said she’s happy to be involved. 
“It’s definitely worth it to be able to go help people,” Brinson said. “We’re really glad we’re involved in it.”
 
Alexis Barker contributed to this story.