Northern California Fire Training Officer | Interviewed April, 2014 | California
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Steve Griffin, current Northern California Fire Training Officer and former Hotshot Superintendent, talks about the challenges of establishing a Hotshot crew during the MEL build-up in the early 2000s, along with his favorite aspects of Hotshotting. Interviewed: 3/2014
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How does Steve view the role of fire in the environment?
“Well, I always thought fire in the environment was just Mother Nature’s way of cleaning house. That’s the best way I put it to myself, because fire has an important role in the environment. It’s been used since the early days of the Indians; they used fire to clean off grazing lands and stuff. And then we started suppressing fires. Which we did a good job at, and still do, but it’s then created a fuel load that’s changed the ecosystem, basically…I think today we are starting to do a better job, even on larger fires, to look at opportunities to suppress but yet, suppress in a way that we’re still getting good benefit for the land at the same time.”
