Creation of stronger, light shelters for wildfire crews remains elusive

In a perfect world, fire shelters would never be used. But sometimes, firefighters must deploy them.

What happens next largely depends on fuel, terrain and the fire itself.

Last year, firefighters in Arizona successfully deployed their shelters in the Cedar Fire near Show Low. In 2013, at the Yarnell Hill Fire, 19 firefighters died after deploying their shelters.

The Forest Service bristles at the suggestion that the fire shelters “failed” at Yarnell Hill, and stresses that a firefighter’s best hope is to avoid getting trapped, but the agency would like to see an upgrade.

Efforts to develop a new, lightweight shelter have been challenging, and the current model, approved in 2002 and rolled out in 2003, will remain in use this fire season. The shelters have saved hundreds of lives and prevented injuries, according to the Forest Service, but they can only withstand direct flame for a little less than a minute.

“The area that has room for improvement is the direct flame contact scenario,” said Tony Petrilli, fire shelter project leader for the U.S. Forest Service.

“The current shelter works best in a radiant heat environment,” Petrilli said.

The Forest Service was already looking to upgrade the shelter before Yarnell Hill, and has accelerated its efforts since then, working with NASA, academics and the private sector to develop new shelter material.

The most promising materials aren’t light enough and the lightest materials aren’t flame-resistant enough. A stronger, lightweight shelter remains elusive.

“You’ve got to find ways, gosh, to conquer the laws of physics,” Petrilli said.

Firefighters carry 45 to 50 pounds of gear, including food, water, radios, spare batteries, fuel and tools. It all adds up, and the current shelter weight, just under 4.5 pounds, is about as much as most people want to carry.

Approval of a new shelter is just the first step. The transition to the current model took about six years, Petrilli said. Pack loads had to be adjusted, firefighters needed to be trained and budgets had to accommodate the new gear. In a lot of individual fire districts, budgets can be tight.

“They have bake sales and pancake breakfasts for fundraising,” he said.

Until then, firefighters will use the current model.

Last year, in thousands of firefighter days, seven firefighters deployed shelters in two incidents, one in California and six at the Cedar Fire.

Many fatalities at wildfires are because of vehicle accidents, aviation accidents and heart attacks, Petrilli said.

“Odds are very small that firefighters would ever deploy a fire shelter.”