Lolo Hotshots

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Members of the Lolo Hotshots using drip torches to conduct a back burn.

The Lolo Hotshots are a specialist Interagency Hotshot Crew[1][2] based out of the Lolo National Forest in west-central Montana.[3] The crew consists of 21 permanent and seasonal wildland firefighters.[3]

History[edit]

The Lolo Hotshots were founded in 1961 and are considered to be one of the first hotshot crews in the United States.[3][4][5] The Lolo Hotshots received their first dispatch in 1969 to fight the Russian River Fire in Alaska.[3][5] In 1989, Margaret Doherty was hired as the Lolo Hotshots' Superintendent, becoming the first ever female hotshot superintendent.[5][4]

Organization[edit]

Today, the crew consists of 1 superintendent, 1 assistant superintendent, 3 squad leaders, 6 senior fire firefighters and 10 temporary employees.[3]

Operations[edit]

The Lolo Hotshots focus primarily on wildfire suppression and management.[3][4] The crew's wildfire season typically starts in mid-April and ends in early to mid-October. Crewmembers are expected to be in excellent physical condition and must meet the Standards for Interagency Hotshot Crew Operations.[3][4][5] The Lolo Hotshots are deployable anywhere in the United States and have been dispatched to Canada and Brazil to assist in wildfire suppression.[6][4][3]

Incidents[edit]

On August 13, 2016, firefighter Justin Randal Beebe was killed while falling a hazard tree on the Strawberry Fire in Great Basin National Park, Nevada.[7][4][8]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Reilly, Patrick (4 June 2019). "'Ready for anything': Lolo Hotshots prep for Alberta fires". missoulian.com. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
  2. ^ "Montana hotshot crews headed to help fight Canadian wildfires". KTVQ. 2019-06-03. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Lolo Hotshots location". U.S. Forest Service.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Lolo Interagency Hotshots". lolohotshots. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
  5. ^ a b c d "Lolo Hotshots History" (PDF).
  6. ^ KECI Staff (2019-06-03). "Montana hotshot crews to help with wildfires in Canada". KECI. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
  7. ^ "Thousands Gather To Rember [sic] Lolo Hotshot Justin Beebe, 'Little Brother'". Montana Public Radio. 2016-08-21. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
  8. ^ Record, PETER FRIESEN For the Independent (20 August 2016). "Memorial service for Lolo Hotshot killed in Nevada draws fire crews from across the West". Helena Independent Record. Retrieved 2021-12-13.