Behind the scenes: Fay Fire Base Camp

Yreka, Calif. — Many are aware of the resources it take to fight a fire, but not all realize what it takes to make sure firefighters are well-rested.

As firefighters working the Fay Fire finish their 24-hour shifts, it’s at the Siskiyou Golden Fairgrounds where they go to rest.

“We’re the behind the scenes people… we do everything that nobody really gets to see,” Cal Fire Engineer Cody Dennis said.

When battling a fire takes days to finish, it’s people like Cal Fire engineer Cody Dennis who are responsible for creating a base camp for them to rest.

“Given the scale of the incident and where we’re going we can set up to 5,000 people in a night… it takes a lot of work… and normally a long night,” Dennis said.

According to Dennis, the camp at the Siskiyou Golden Fairground was set up Wednesday night for those fighting the Fay Fire in Etna.

“Meals, preparation, sleep ,and engine rehab to get them back out on the fires,” Dennis said.

He says the Fay Fire is small enough to supply firefighters with materials out of the Cal Fire warehouse, but as the summer progresses and fires get larger… so do the camps.

“If this was any larger of an incident, we would no longer be working out of our warehouse, no. We would go over and we’d set up over at the fairgrounds,” Dennis said.

But it’s not all sleep and eating for these firefighters as they take a break.

They also spend their time preparing to go back out which includes creating ‘hose backpacks’.

“They have to unroll hose, re-roll it, and then put it back in a pack so they can be in service before they go back out on the line in the morning,” Dennis said.

Thankfully, Dennis says it doesn’t take much to replenish the needs of the firefighters before they go back out to the flames.

“Basic necessities. Firemen… we’re very simple,” Dennis said.

Dennis says once the Fay Fire is controlled, they’ll pack everything back up until the next camp needs to be opened.

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