Private contract fire equipment

[Aaronw]

View from behind

 

 

[Aaronw]

One of the compartment doors

 

 

[jlg1875]

While contract companies are in the business to make money, it is not always about being cheap. Some take a lot of pride in their equipment. This was a lovely Oshkosh 6x6 operated by Carlton out of Northern California. The driver was the owner and personally took a hand in building up the truck. The truck was obviously well maintained and was decorated with many hand painted murals.

Awesome photo!!!

[Aaronw]

Feller Buncher operated by a private forestry company TimBC

 

Feller Bunchers are very useful on a fire for the speed that they can get in and remove hazard trees along a road or fire line.

 

 

[Aaronw]

Another one, unknown operator. It is not obvious in the photos but there are two comon styles of feller buncher. The white one posted above has a large chainsaw mounted inside the grabby bit of the arm. This one uses a large circular saw blade.

 

 

[Aaronw]

Just some perspective on the size of these beasts, that is a type 3 engine built on a 4x4 IH 7400 chassis. 

[hank]

Good photos!

 

tHANKs

[Guest]

Ok, getting back to something a little more main stream around here, some contract fire engines.

 

A heavy brush engine built on an older Ford F700, operated by Canyon Ferry Fire Suppression of Montana.

 

Thanks for sharing all the great photos!  I thought I'd share this rig in it's original life with the Bancroft Fire District in Morrison, Coloroado (now West Metro Fire Rescue) 1980 Ford F-750 500 / 500 Rick Davis Photo

   

[1958 F.W.D.]

Cool stuff!!! Very interesting for those of us who dont do large forest fires. Thanks for posting!! Keep going!!!

[BILL S]

Are the contract companies able to respond with lights & siren or due they have to go with traffic.

[Aaronw]

Toneslider, thanks for the photo of the Ford in its previous life. I thought it was a good looking engine.

 

 

Are the contract companies able to respond with lights & siren or due they have to go with traffic.

 

That depends a lot of the contractor and situation. The bulk of contract equipment is used on large fires that have escaped initial attack, so equipped with emergency lights or not, they will be responding with traffic. Most agencies also respond with traffic when dispatched to a large fire a couple hours (or days) away. Many of these contractors have multi state contracts, and centrally located tax friendly states like Idaho, Nevada and Montana are popular home bases for them, moving the equipment around as needed during the season.

 

There are contractors who have initial attack contracts, and they will respond on the initial dispatch with the local agencies, so lights and siren would be appropriate.

[Aaronw]

Another style of water tender common in ranching communities is a converted dump truck with a large box of water in the bed. This allows the owner the flexibility of a dump truck or water truck. Here is an IH Paystar with such a set up, operated by Haffenfeld Ranch in California.

 

 

[Aaronw]

View from behind shows off the conversion better. It is basically a giant slip on unit, mounted in a dump truck instead of a pickup.

 

 

 

 

[Aaronw]

Another large Oshkosh water tender, operated by Allens Water Tender Service of Idaho.

[Aaronw]

Mobile fuel services are also very common, fuel truck from Teagarden Fuel Services in California

[Aaronw]

Another fuel truck operated by Teagarden

 

 

[Aaronw]

Mobile repair trucks are also a common sight in fire camp. Tim Parks repair of California.

 

 

[Aaronw]

Pair of shower units set up for use. I believe this is the AAA unit from the first post. It is an example of a nice modern unit with seperate rooms for each shower. 

 

 

[Aaronw]

Refer trailer used for storing ice, water, gatorade and sack lunches for fire line meals. Provided by Western Fire Support Services

 

 

[Aaronw]

Often not appreciated, but a competent porta-pottie service is very important when you have a fire camp with hundreds or thousands of firefighters.

 

Connelly Pumping of California, with a slogan "Where your #2 is our #1 concern.