The Hotshot Firefighters Battling California's Biggest Fires
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- Опубликовано: 21 окт 2020
- Wildfires are taking a toll in the West - displacing entire towns, destroying property, killing people and wildlife. As fires flare up a kind of wildfire special forces gets sent to put them out. They’re called the Hotshots.
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No just the plain hot firefighters 😅
Is it true that the hotshot firefighter who died was gay
no, not realy. 45K salary is non competitive? that's bs, the people being underpaid are the inmates doing it for a few bucks a day and then not able to apply for the jobs when they are released.
@@eveblot4195 they can apply to be a hot shot however most don't stay the course.
@@williambledsoe5645 why do you think that is? and you are saying that released inmates in the camp programs can apply, but are not accepted because they run away from the job or because they are not hired because of their records? www.cnn.com/2020/08/24/us/california-inmate-firefighters-trnd/index.html
dang these people are the first you'd think you'd pay a lot... respect.
@@Alex-rl4uy they're doing hella dangerous work. Ofc they get paid more than construction. Still, ive seen plenty of construction workers with full body tats. Just gotta know a cheap artist. Doesn't say much tbh...
@@Alex-rl4uy He's the crew boss and been in for 20 years lol
@@Alex-rl4uy
You don't speak very thoughtfully, you come across as naive and immature. It's something you might want to work on before you go "volunteer"
@@billhicks8 you don't speak very thoughtfully. if you want people to respect you and understand your point talk with them don't talk down to them.
@@Alex-rl4uy lmao i just finished my second season this year. I made about 12k for 6 months of this work 😂
This guy and guys like him literally saved our town and my house so much respect for them
Yeah they have balls of steel I wish I was healthy enough to have been able to do it.
@Jesse Alvarez they are hero’s too, if their crime is minor they should be released as soon as the fire fight is done if they helped fight it
@Jesse Alvarez wow I had no idea that was a I thing at all. Godbless them turning there crimes into something so good that benefits and saves so many people.
You have just died. Natural selection 🖕
@@hopeg6924 lol we're not criminals, convict crews are different
I was a wildland firefight for 10 years, 5 of those on San Juan Hotshots. This is one of the best videos done on how it really is to be a seasonally federal firefighter, shitty pay, no benefits, incredibly long hours of exhausting work. Had to get out of it because my body was falling apart and I was only 28, luckily I got a degree in the off seasons to fall back on. Good work Vice
Good story. How are you doing now Mr Johnson?
I’m about to graduate high school and i’m not too sure what path to take. Is wild land firefighting a solid career?
@@jackmb5615 some advice: do wildland but make sure you’ve got something else you’re working for as a long term career. Being a wildland firefighter will destroy your body, your mental health, and your relationships if you do it too long. Not to mention the pay is awful. But it is also some of the most rewarding and unique working environments out there so definitely go do a season or two at the least. The forest service is finally starting to listen and is getting marginally better but I’d still steer clear from a career in wildland.
@@jackmb5615, Misha's comment says it all. I wouldn't trade those years for anything, I learned hard work, gained lifelong friendships, and saw this country like I could never have. That being said I took the money I earned doing that and put it to a college degree and don't have any student loans because of it. I now own two businesses, one from my degree and one from my experience in wildland. I got into it right out of high school too so I'd say do it but have a back up plan
@@mishapettigrew612 I feel like you are only referring to handcrew work though. They're so many other jobs in Fire where its not nearly as physically intense. Sure you have to start somewhere but its not like Task Force guys are doing brutal physical labor.
As a former firefighter I just want to say that this has always been a problem the only difference is that it’s getting more attention now because of all the wildland fires going on. something that they didn’t mention in the video that is important is that “Hot shots” are actually the special forces of firefighting but yet Macdonald’s employees get paid more and they actually fight the fire directly meaning that they literally are in front of the fucking train and the only thing that is stoping the fire from destroy your home is them.
How the actual fk is McDonald’s paying more than these guys...these guys don’t get enough credit.
McDonald’s feeds people 🤣
Yeah that's about right it's something like smoke jumpers and rappelling then hotshots and hand crews then engines and support if your in timber you need engines.
I never thought that McDonald’s would pay better than the federal government.
They didn't mention healthcare for themselves and also the wife/kids..
This is America
@@rrpearsall most of these guys are seasonal temps who don't have benefits or retirement once fire season ends. Its only the perms who have tha.
McDonald’s doesn’t pay better
@@rageXnation32 hourly they do in most places.
Thank you all for the comments and support. We can’t tell you how much it means to us. Our biggest hurdle is getting the word out to more folks. We would be eternally grateful if you could share this video with people, so we can increase the education and move towards positive improvements. You all are our voice, please help us get this out there. Much love from the Eldorado Hotshots 🙏🏻
Hey Ben, you guys do incredible work and are not paid nearly enough. Aussie here curious about the situation in California - what kind of risk reduction/mitigation work is done? I’m curious because I’ve been hearing things about nearly no hazard reduction burns being done and firebreaks not being made/maintained by responsible agencies? I know you’re busy, underpaid and it’s not your area or responsibility, but the difference between California and Australia is kind of blowing my mind.
@@Thewlis we do a fair amount of fuels reduction work during the shoulder months of the off season. But, it’s a loosing battle honestly. As soon as fire season is over we layoff half our workforce. Also, with fire seasons becoming longer, we have less time to get reduction work done. In my area it snows, a lot, so the time we have to get the work in is small because of the extended time we fight fires now. Another thing is we are over worked. Fire seasons are so long and we are gone from our families for six to eight months now. When fire season ends we are a hot mess and need down time. What my agency needs to do is have both, fire crews and fuels reduction crews, dedicated to both very important tasks. And we do have both for sure, but when you have monster fires threatening people, one gets put on the side burner unfortunately. It would be a lot better if the agency split and made a legitimate fire department and a fuels department. I hope this helps, thanks for the comment.
@@benjaminstrahan3499 Much love from Canada. I don't understand how you make that sort of money for the work you do. That is literally minimum wage here.
Thank you, Ben, Mando and Aaron for sharing your stories. While on detail with the Apprenticeship program, I learned how little wildland firefighters are paid. What would be good pay in most other Regions is simply insufficient in California. The fact that a GS 3 or 4 cannot exist here due to the state’s minimum wage law blows my mind. Couple that with the allure of much higher pay with municipal or state agencies, I’m surprised we retain as many people as we do. Working for the FS (or DOI/NPS/BLM/FWS) in California is a labor of love, because none of us are getting rich.
Wildlands Management we def need more of it. Good work.
Worked with the Eldorado Hot Shots on a fire this season and they are one hell of a crew.! Wildland seems majestical until you're digging line for 16 hours a day for 14-21 days straight and only getting paid $15.00/HR. I personally think it's great for season or two. You get to explore the country and challenge yourself mentally and physically while meeting some of the best people you will ever meet.
Throughout my experience, it has been hell of a ride but have realized this isn't for me. I have mad respect for anyone who does this job. It takes a selfless, dedicated, fit, and mentally strong individual to do this as a career. Mad respect for all the wildland firefighters out there! They def do not do it for the pay!
-Semper Fi
Couldn’t agree more. 5 seasons in. I love this job.
2 seasons in gonna do this job for the rest of my life
Mad respect for all y’all! One season was enough for me. Y’all are hard!
hahaha minus the mentally strong, we all killing ourselves out here literally and figuratively...
Damn, that girl is so young yet so mature. More adults should be like that
When you grow up stressed you grow up quick
@@kjireland3567
Cortisone is a hell of a drug.
@@kjireland3567 this is true lol; I felt this
@@prophecyrat2965 fr lol
Generally when you see children who are mature like that, it’s because stress or trauma has forced them to mature more quickly than they should’ve.
8:34 when you find out your Div is super chill.
These guys need to be paid more for their service fr fr
First responders of any kind are grossly under payed and appreciated in this country :/
Yeah even EMTs ;/
They are in most countries.
I’m a structural firefighter and I have mad respect for Men and Women in the Wildland service. Thank you for your hard work.
For such an important, life threatening job, they should be paid well . Its a shame that they arent happy with their pay.
I laughed when my friend told me he wanted to be a hotshot, because I didn’t know that was a real occupation. Now I’m finishing up my emt cert and plan on going into wild land firefighting myself. The thought of helping to protect the state and country I love makes me happy. Much respect to hotshots ✊🏽
Did you do it?
Respect, be safe out there
Nothing quite describes the feeling of driving/hiking into a fire area when everyone you see is evacuating while you & ur crew/squad bump Metallica, Search & Destroy etc... I could go on & on😂
Just got back from two weeks on the Creek Fire. I'm not a hotshot, but I have the utmost respect for these guys. Love my job!
God bless this guy and his crew. A hot shot is the toughest of the tough.
"We don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children."
--Native American proverb
@Celtic Revival / Adfywiad Celtaidd this is sad but true. I have First Nations blood in my veins, I know the pain burns deep across all states not just California, First Nations tribes were across all of what we now consider the United States. I don’t think the damage done can ever be repaired for these peoples descendants but we’ll see as time goes on I suppose. Have a blessed day friends.
First time I've read this proverb. Amazing as well as true!
More like both
That “ “was Ralph Waldo Emerson. As a Native American I ask you to please stop spreading bullshit. Make up your own sayings……😒
Crazy, the amount of stress and pressure these guys endure on a daily basis and continue to be the absolute best of the best
I’m getting so sick and tired of living in this charcoaled state. It seems like every year I get evacuated while the fires get closer to our house we’re still trying to rebuild from the tubes fire in 2017.
Colorado, Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Utah have all had major fires because of fucking drought.
@@HPmob420
Please look up soil health.
Tilling and civilized agriculture is killing this earth and causing desertification and erosion.
We must end tilling if our children are to have future.
It’s not just the drought or global climate change, it’s bad forest management. There are multiple reasons.
It’s sad how influencers that have the audacity to complain on how hard it was to make tik tok’s video make more compared to these folks
2 years a hotshot for Angeles National Forest---1965 and 1966. One at Chalao the other at Oak Grove. Some of the best times of my life.
Shout to all the Hotshot crews. My brother just left the Army infantry after 6 years and jumped into Millcreek Hotshots out of Socal in WY currently fighting a fire.
4:31 Tommy Caldwell, one of the best rock climbers in the world, casually driving the crew out
Gotta get paid
Such brave & hard working people. We would be in such bad shape here in Southern California without them. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your service. You deserve to be paid so much more than you get for the sacrifices you and your family make just to keep the rest of us safe. God bless yall.
From a firefighter in Pittsburgh hats off to all you men an woman out there fighting these wildland fires bless you all stay safe
Bruh they literally earned the title of 'HotShot'
Are you Beavis or Butthead?
These are the type of people that America is well known for. Keep up the fight and I wish them all a safe return home.
@Celtic Revival / Adfywiad Celtaidd stop being so negative. The hard working American is very known
There are hard working firefighters in every country. I am sad to say that America is not known for these people, but for its villains.
If the hotshots are interesting to y'all and ya want to learn more about them, I'd recommend reading 'Fire' by Sebastian Junger. The first two stories in it are about Hotshots in California and Colorado in the 90's.
Thanks man that was my area you were coming to defend appreciate all you firefighters do got friends in the u.s. forest service I respect what you guys do
hotshots don’t get enough respect there some of the bravest men walking the earth
The interviewers helmet was backwards the entire interview and I’m dyin😂
Prayers for the two hotshots injured in the Silverado fire in CA yesterday 🙌🏼
My thoughts and Prayers remain with them. Thank you for all your hard work and sacrifices.
Underrated and under appreciated people. Nothing but respect to these men and women ❤️
The USFS needs to examine UBI and restructuring living conditions for their firefighters. Things like healthcare and housing vouchers, and ways to prevent burnout. Wake up forest service.
Keep fighting peacefully honorably without ceasing hot shots We the People need heroes in these times of darkness I can only imagine what you go through and I thank you for your heroic service
Mad respect for these men. Thank you for all the hard work.
Worked with these guys on a fire in California this year. Best men around!
I just passed my S130 field day at 17, looking to get a job with a crew this summer and I couldn’t be more excited
One of the old heads on a different crew on a Fire Line once told me that it’s 80% mental & 20% physical as hard as the work gets so just keep that in mind, it’s mostly gonna be in ur head.
Great job guys !! Salute
Nothing but respect for these men. Here in the south East we don’t have the big fires but I’m sure you could recruit many young men here. Thanks for all y’all do. It means more than you know. Be safe gentlemen.
Thank you from Salinas Ca
God bless you firefighter
I wish there was more for us to do to help them. I truly have so much respect for these guys that it sorta makes me sad in a way. my baby brother wants to be a firefighter and I just hope if he ever does become one, he stays safe.
God Bless all of you who work in these conditions and may God be with you all.
So very grateful for these young people!!!
They are truly heroes!!!
Thanks for pointing out how little that they make for their intense work!!!
Bless all fire fighters!!!🙏🙏🙏
whoever was in charge of story development and building up the family side did phenomenal. I’m so connected to these people and I only know them from this 12 minute video
They really did a great job for sure. Thank you for allowing that connection to happen. 🙏🏻
It seems that the exact same thing that happened in Australia last year is happening in the U.S. We experienced excessive record breaking temperatures along with the ever present lightening strikes. Now it's happening in the Northern Hemisphere. The firefighters we have that tackle bushfires outside of the large cities are all volunteers who dedicate their time for endless periods that they're needed without pay. I live in a high risk zone and have suffered from too many bushfires that the smell of smoke is sickening. It's the price we pay for living in such beautiful environments unfortunately. Over Summer is when we endure electrical storms which bring with them the dry lightening strikes. I do want to thank all of those from the U.S., Canada, New Zealand and even Fiji that came to our rescue last Summer. My condolences to the crew of the firefighting plane from the U.S. that crashed into the Australian Alps. We will never forget their sacrifice. I do hope you are able to get on top of your fires asap. Best of luck Hotshots and all others who dedicate their time to helping in various ways. 🇦🇺
We appreciate the Oz crews that come to help here in B.C. - when we are burning.
6:47 "A, This job is really difficult. Two..." LOL
much love and respect to all the hotshot crews out there!
Thank you for everything you do. From the east coast. Keep your heads up♡
Respect
Thank you vice for bringing a problem with our federal government to light. This is good journalism unlike some of your other videos.
Note to California- down here in the southeast we understand what forest management is- controlled burns, rolling timber harvests, thinning, and timber plot spacing. By the environmentalists wanting to preserve the forest by not touching it- they are creating much more damage to the atmosphere, wildlife, and ecosystem. A forest fire pumps out an astronomical amount of greenhouse gasses compared to cars, power plants, etc. If you properly maintained your forest life cycle you wouldn't have these insane fires.
Thank you for the jobs you do! And many Blessings for all of you and Wildland Firefighters every where!
I am a hotshot working for fulton in glennville CA. We are not considered firefighters when it comes to pay thus creating such a low wage. I miss my daughter from May to November but I love my job and the guys around me
Utmost respect to you guys. Not many have the guts to do what ya'll do day in day out and hotshots deserve better pay and benefits 🤙🏼
Great documentary!! I want more content about hotshots!
Watch the movie hotshot
I'd enjoy if Vice Australia did one of these on the aussies aswell.
This was a good video thank you for sharing this journey I want to know more about wild firefighters 🚒 keep up the awesome work y’all 💯💪🏾
Lived in Plumas county for 4 years studying forestry and fire sciences and outdoor recreation. It was gnarly there even 10 years ago in college. Met a bunch of hotshots back then. Gnarly folk.
Aaron was the man. Talked to him a few times when he was the old sup. he inspired me to join.
Awesome video! It truly shows how hard these men work and sacrifice to keep innocent people safe.
I was at the august complex. My unit in Washington got activated to work with the fire crews. Amazing experience
I felt exhausted just watching them digging those hand lines. Until you've had to do it (and we don't do much dry fire fighting in Australia) you can't get a good idea of how hard that job is. Much respect!
So fellow Californians, how do we get these guys more money? This is crazy.
Take it away from politicians and give it to the firefighters!!
Got to force the government's hand. A majority of the residents of the state have to come together to demand that they are paid more if they are state. For the federal firefighters, we as a nation have to come together to demand better pay and funding. If enough people raise hell, eventually their voices will be heard.
Governor Newsom the issue. We need to get him out, just heard the Democratic party pass a law to extend his recall. This could mean more money into other resources and continue to be left out for Firefighters.
I have 3 families that are firefighters, one quit because it wasn't worth his body, freedom, and life to continue. He wished he could continue but the pay isn't worth all of what I mentioned.
If Newsom still in office as Governor, expect same pay and less resources going toward firefighting the wild fires. I can't remembered our last Governor, but I know he was a Republican and they put resources to stop this wildfires, and that was to clean the forest or forest management. You don't see that under Governor Newsom, my fighter families did alot of forest management before Gavin came in as Governor, their hours were cut back and barely touch the forest but instead in the forest to fight the wildfires, as seen in the video.
I know this is alot to take in, but this is what I heard from them and those few firefighters that knew people work as firefighter in and around the forest.
@D S The recall itself cost a ton of taxpayer money. Why not just wait until the election.
@@LANeverSleeps he gaining more power as we wait. Not only that, he already wasting California money, the vax lottery, he doing that on purpose and we can only watch.
Thank you for your service bro I live in Cali and I’m grateful to have ppl like you I hope your enjoying life Brotha not much to say but salute to you big dawg 💪🏽🙏🏽 Thanks again.. Firefighters need more recognition
Grew up in Cameron Park, right now I’m on what is most likely my last assignment this season as a Wildland Firefighter. Can’t wait for next season.
thank you for your service and your sacrifice!
I've been structural firefighting for 4 years now, I'm going to be finished my wildland course here on a week or two. Idk how.long I'll last but someone has to do it.
My dad fought those kind of fires, for 35 years , in Northern Ontario and anywhere else in North America his crew was needed. It's incredibly dangerous and those brave men risk their lives for our towns, our forests, and all other ecosystems to conserve out land and biodiversity . Stay safe and God bless
Northern Ontario had some bad fires this year how are you
Thank you for your service and sacrifice.
These fires 🔥 are unbelievable.!
Was also on the North Complex (West Zone) on a CALFIRE Type 1 Handcrew from Sept8 to Late October. That fire was one of the most horrific fire I’ve experienced.
These guys fly under the radar. Real heros. People dont understand how much forest we have on the west coast. Most of it Fed owned. Ironic...
God bless him and his family!
Respect to everyone in this world doing something to help out everyone in some type of way
he's a strong man, and his family is strong too
Can vice do one on smoke jumpers?
Fyi Hotshots fight much more fire and much bigger fires. Smoke jumpers typically go to small lighting fires. No matter what it would be interesting though.
@Based Capone 👌
I’m a hot shot. I love this job and the experiences I get to go through.
Respect
A true man.
With an amazing family aswell.
Hats off to these firefighters and their families - thank you.
“A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people. ”
― Franklin D. Roosevelt
I have been blessed to be able to work as a municipal(structure) firefighter and can assure you that these Wildland hot shots are savages. That is some hard work.
Thank you to all the fire fighters throughout the world 🌎 ❤️
2nd year in the FS on a hand crew and I love it. Excited for what’s to come.
Getting paid more to flip burgers than save lives 🤯
I’ve done this kind of work , 5 years ago being in a fire camp up in Carson city. It was quite the experience and I would give anything to be employed like them .. with their money’s worth.
How hard is it to secure one of these jobs?
@@internet_internet it's very hard to become a hotshot. You have to do a few seasons on a hand crew or engines and be among the best on those crews
Respect. Thanks for the report
Thanks to all of you and your families
As a former forest fire fighter in BC, Canada I know how how hard the work is and if done right is dirty, hard work with decent pay at least in Canada.
While the US forest service has set the standard for forest fire fighting I have had the opportunity to work with a couple of hotshot crews training in BC to learn how we fight fires and they were blown away as to how efficient we were in fighting fires and how quickly we put them out for the most part. The big difference is US fire fighters have access to a huge amount of manpower while Canadian fire crews operate with smaller crews and rely heavily on helicopters with Bambi buckets, water bombers and chemical bombers to help out.
*USA* should deploy troops to control fires in California ... It'll be more sensible
The president doesn’t care, he blamed the democrats and then he played golf
@@Baegitte he believes all they need to do is rake the forrest. 🤦♂️
@@markh1434 haha totally forgot he said that
@@g.d.o2199 exactly you know how easy it would be to clear those trees with tanks.. wth aren't the military working around the clock clearing forest, there should be a fire wall every ten square miles!
@@Baegitte You are an idiot lol
Solid special report. 👍🔥
The best times in my life, was being a wildland firefighter. Being on the road with my Bros helping save properties and life priceless. For me I loved fighting fire in the high altitude of the Sierra Nevadas in California. Something about the solitude and the smell of wood burning, the sound of the wind and the love of my life the chainsaw. God bless all the boys that we lost over the year's. We are proud of you. Wish I could go back and get on that hike with my saw and my brothers
Lucky the eldorado fire didn’t jump the rode or else it could have reached big bear. Can’t imagine doing that job though , very thankful
they should clear and log all the fire side roadsides, it would help keep them from crossing roads...
*Lord protect Firefighters* 🚒👩🚒
*forestry technicians
@@DocsInTheDesert *fighting fires*
@@sailosi7170 The forest service and bureau of land management do not call them firefighters. They are forestry technicians. Im not saying this to discredit it (I work in fire for the feds) but to bring light that the agencies only call us firefighters when we die. Since they do not call us firefighters under our actual titles we are not given many benefits other firefighters are given.
@@sailosi7170
www.grassrootswildlandfirefighters.com/
Here's a link to some issues surrounding our occupation.
Thanks to the Zuni hotshots..my twin is in it..keep up the hard work brotha
thats intense.. much respect
There is a great movie about the granite mountain hotshots of Arizona
I second this. Great movie. Based on a true story I think.
@@improvisewitme yes it is a true story!
Yea. Only the brave was a great movie
I don't care if I sound like a knob. Australia 2020: 2nd biggest fire of all time.... 46 million hectares..... You got it bad but we're next next level.
I hope that's a level we never reach.
I was on the McKinney Fire. Much respect for my fellow Wildland firefighters
The shot of the daughter cutting her dads hair on that step stool 🥺 my heart 😭❤️