Tehama - The Magazine

4 TEHAMA - THE MAGAZINE, October 2020 Dramatic fire-retardant drops and massive water — douses from helicopters are often the images shown of fighting wildfires like the August Complex, which was sparked by lightning Aug. 16 southwest of Red Bluff. While those firefighting tactics are indeed a critical part of getting containment around flames, there's also the gritty, marathon-like work going on at basecamps and on fire lines that most people don't get to see. "Yeah 16-hour days. We wake up at the crack of dawn, before that even," said Gabrielle Falaschi. She's one of hundreds of Corpsmembers in the California Conservation Corps who are either fighting fires or working the basecamps that deliver the support fire fighters need to keep going. "As soon as I finished orientation (at CCC's Delta Center in Stockton) we were out here. This is about our third week here. It's really great, working refir," Falaschi said. Refir is short for the task of storing and distributing everything needing refrigeration at basecamp, whether it's food or first aid. From sunup to beyond sundown, the CCC Corpsmembers are handling refir, chow lines, installing signage and fencing and issuing firefighting gear like chainsaws, fire pants, hose nozzles – whatever it takes to get the firefighters rested, refueled and back to the fire lines. "Which means sometimes we have people here that go to town to Walmarts and Rite Aids, to buy special stuff and things left at home," said Corpsmember Angel Campos from Compton. Campos joined the CCC nearly a year ago. The program enrolls 18- to 25-year-olds to gain work experience through responding to state emergencies, but mainly through working on environmentally focused projects like building hiking trails and restoring natural habitats. Corps members are paid a monthly stipend of $1,905 AUGUST COMPLEX FIRE Often invisible side to stopping a million acre wildfire By California Conservation Corps. All photos by Cedar Long, CCC California Conservation Corpsmembers from Ukiah wrap the Post Creek Guard Station in foil to protect structures from the August Complex Fire. The buildings were built in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps as a wildfire lookout.

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