Summer Wildfires: Firefighters learn multiple techniques to battle blazes

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The summer wildfire season is underway for the Northern Hemisphere - and already fires are burning in Canada, Europe and several US states including Alaska. Wildland firefighting has changed a lot over the past few decades. It's grown more sophisticated - as fire seasons have grown longer. CGTN's Hendrik Sybrandy reports.

In Colorado, members of West Metro Fire Rescue practice the helicopter extraction of injured wildland firefighters.

CAPT. BRENDAN FINNEGAN WEST METRO FIRE RESCUE "We're always keeping our skills up and training on new technologies, new information."

The training, Capt. Brendan Finnegan says, begins in January.

CAPT. BRENDAN FINNEGAN WEST METRO FIRE RESCUE "Throughout the years, we've learned many lessons. We train on those lessons, reflect on those lessons."

Perhaps the biggest teaching moment for his agency and many others came on July 6, 1994, during the South Canyon Fire near Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

"That entire hillside was covered in flame."

As reported then, 50 wildland firefighters stationed on Storm King Mountain were suddenly overrun by a wind-driven fire that raced up a canyon directly towards them.

ALEX ROBERTSON FORMER HOTSHOT FIREFIGHTER "I was on the hill for a total of 45 minutes before we were chased off the hill."

Alex Robertson remembers it well.

"The wind took it and a lot of folks were in a really bad spot."

HENDRIK SYBRANDY GLENWOOD SPRINGS, COLORADO "14 firefighters died that day including smokejumpers who jumped from airplanes onto Storm King Mountain. The event marked a sea change in the way wildfires are fought. The fire community has never stopped saying 'we will never forget.'"

ROB BERGER UPPER COLORADO RIVER MANAGEMENT UNIT "This event 25 years ago shaped what we do in wildland fire. It changed it forever."

This past Saturday, the South Canyon Fire was remembered for its human toll and its legacy. A subsequent investigation found a lack of communication, fire lookouts, safety zones and escape routes all contributed to the catastrophe. Areas, fire officials say, that are much improved today.

Rob Berger "We have a really coordinated approach to most everything we do."

Robertson says training, fire management, even who gets promoted have all become more sophisticated.

ALEX ROBERTSON PORTLAND NATIONAL INCIDENT MANAGEMENT ORG. "We have taken on a program very similar to the military of taking our newest recruits and teaching them to lead early, teaching them to follow."

Fire crews get far more information about fire behavior and weather conditions, also lacking back in 1994. They carry incident response pocket guides like this one.

Jim Roth "We're all unfortunately members of a club that nobody wants to belong to."

Jim Roth says his brother died in the fire partly because of an inadequate fire shelter. Roth's fire curtain is one of many high-tech products that now help protect firefighters. Even Storm King Mountain serves as a training site to this day.

Jim Roth "And the families love that. It's like hey our loved ones sacrificed here. Let's learn from this."

With wildfires now burning more months during each year, this remains a risky profession. Fatalities still occur.

Capt. Brendan Finnegan "Each time we're learning how to do better, how to avoid pitfalls."

And avoid tragedies like this one.

ROB BERGER UPPER COLORADO RIVER MANAGEMENT UNIT "And it's fresh for everybody that we want to do whatever we can to prevent something like that in the future."

Hendrik Sybrandy, CGTN, Glenwood Springs, Colorado.