HUMBOLDT COUNTY, Calif. (KIEM)-The Red-Salmon Complex Fire is now more than 7,000 acres and 30% contained. A red flag warning is still in effect over the fire area.
As of Friday all national system roads within the complex are closed, including Big Rock River access.
When fires ignite in the middle of a national forest pack mules are requested for backup.
Redwood News reporter Annick Joseph was invited to the home of the Trinity Alps Pack Mules in Weaverville and spoke to their handlers.
“Well it pre-dates quite a bit earlier than gold mining, if you go to Egypt and look at the hieroglyphics where it shows the big blocks coming in to build the pyramids, those are mules,” said Wilderness and Trail Manager Mike McFadin with the U.S Forest Service.
They aren’t firefighters but play a crucial role when it comes to supporting those on the front lines fighting fires in the wilderness, according McFadin.
“The mule hybrid, it’s a combination of the horse and the donkey, it’s always a mama horse and a daddy donkey,” he said.
These mules and handlers are now on a two week mission to support the crew stationed in the Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers National Forest Fighting the Red-Salmon Complex Fire.
According to McFadin mules are very durable, sure footed, and intelligent animals, and can each carry between 120-150 pounds of cargo.
“There’s a lot of different thoughts on mules, and there use in the wilderness some people think it’s a romance thing, like its history, a throwback a primitive tool, but the reality of it is these are a huge savings for tax payers,” he said.
McFadin says, a barn full of hay is enough to feed the pack mules for two years, at a cost of about $10,000 which is the same price as the cost a fire retardant air tanker drop on brush, once.
The mule team is carrying much needed supplies to fire crews camped-out overnight on the steep and treacherous mountains.
Re-supplying crews often require special equipped vehicles and helicopters but when weather and smoke pose a challenge the reliable mules are called in, as they have been for more than 70 years.
“Were bringing in any number of gear weather it’s fire hoses pumps, we bring in their groceries, we bring water to the firefighters, whatever they need, we bring it in.”
“You don’t have to be have to be a cowboys to do this,” said Sophia Ferguson.
She says, however, you do have to have the dedication and skills to build up towards becoming a handler for the forest service, and it takes years of training.
Sophia Ferguson is in her second of a three year apprenticeship, she says the coveted position is not for the faint of heart.
“You can’t turn off from this job,” she said. “There is a lot more than just riding through the mountains looking cool, all this stuff that culminates to the cool part.”
There is no technology in the world can do what a mule can do, according to McFadin
“There’s no way to replace a horse and mule doing what we do in the wilderness,” he said. “These guys are designed for it, that’s what they do.”
