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A FORCE SO POWERFUL THAT AN INTERAGENCY FIRE CENTER
DISPATCHES CREWS AND TECHNOLOGY FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY
AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE.
FROM THE HIGHLY TRAINED SMOKE JUMPERS TO AVIATION EXPERTS,
EVERYONE COMES PREPARED TO RISK IT ALL
IN THE NAME OF CONSERVATION.
THE MAJORITY OF THE FIRES ARE IGNITED WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES.
YET EACH YEAR, THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
DELIBERATELY BURNS FOREST FUELS
IN A MASSIVE EFFORT TO RESTORE THE ECOSYSTEM.
AT THE CRACK OF DAWN IN LATE AUGUST,
100 FIREFIGHTERS CONVERGE AT AN INCIDENT COMMAND POST
ALONG THE NORTH RIM OF THE GRAND CANYON.
TODAY THERE'S NO EMERGENCY,
AND THAT'S THE WAY THEY WANT TO KEEP IT.
THE MISSION -- TO EXECUTE A PRESCRIBED BURN,
A COMPLEX MANEUVER DESIGNED TO REDUCE THE BUILDUP
OF HAZARDOUS UNDERGROWTH THAT COULD EASILY FUEL A FIRE.
IT IS A HEALTHY PROCESS
FOR THAT ECOSYSTEM AND THAT FORESTED STRUCTURE.
IT'S A GOOD THING.
Narrator: PREPPING THE LINE MEANS MOVING FUEL
IN THE FORM OF DEAD WOOD AWAY FROM THE BOUNDARIES.
HAS EVERYBODY GOT A CHANCE
TO LOOK AT THE OBJECTIVES FOR THE PLAN?
YOU'LL NOTICE THIS MORNING
THAT WE'VE INCORPORATED THE OUTLET FIRE IN HERE AS WELL,
SO WE'LL JUST KIND OF RUN THROUGH THEM VERY QUICKLY.
Narrator: OPERATIONS BRIEFINGS KEEP THE BURN PLAN TOP OF MIND.
DESPITE THOROUGH PLANNING, AS THE CREW HEADS OUT,
IT'S HARD TO PREDICT EXACTLY HOW THE DAY WILL GO.
AND THERE'S NO MARGIN FOR ERROR.
A TEST DETERMINES IF THE FIRE
WILL BEHAVE THE WAY FIRE MANAGERS EXPECT.
Letz: A TEST FIRE LETS US SEE
EXACTLY WHAT THE FIRE'S GONNA DO.
AND EVERYTHING UP UNTIL THIS POINT
HAS BEEN DONE BY COMPUTER MODELS FOR FIRE BEHAVIOR
AND THE FUEL LOADING INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE ON THIS UNIT.
AND UNTIL WE ACTUALLY GET HERE AND PUT FIRE ON THE GROUND,
WE'RE NOT ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE WHAT THE FIRE'S GONNA DO.
Narrator: RESPONSIBILITY FOR SUCCESS OR FAILURE
FALLS ON THE SHOULDERS OF THE BURN BOSS.
WITH HUMAN LIVES AT STAKE, CONDITIONS MUST BE PERFECT
OR FIELD MANAGERS WILL CANCEL THE BURN.
PRESCRIPTION PARAMETERS IN THE PLAN
FAVORABLE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE PROJECT?
YES.
Narrator: FINALLY THE WORK BEGINS.
CREWS CRISSCROSS THE AREA WITH DRIP TORCHES.
CALLED "BLACKLINING,"
THE OBJECTIVE IS TO CREATE A BUFFER ZONE.
THE FIRE BURNS AT VARYING INTENSITIES
AS THE CANYON'S INFERNO BEGINS TO TAKE OFF.
WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS WHAT WE CALL A SNAG,
WHICH IS A DEAD TREE.
THEY'RE A LOT MORE PRONE TO CATCH FIRE, OBVIOUSLY,
'CAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE FUEL MOISTURE.
AND THIS ONE'S LEANING OUT OVER THE LINE.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP FIRE
FROM CROSSING OVER TO THIS SIDE OF THE LINE.
SO, I'M JUST TRYING TO KEEP FIRE FROM GETTING UP INTO IT,
BECAUSE IF IT GETS INTO THE TREE, IT'S GONNA BE A MESS.
Narrator: BLACKLINING ESTABLISHED THE FIRE'S PERIMETER.
THE NEXT PHASE MOVES IT DEEPER INTO THE WOODS.
FIRING!
Narrator: A PISTOL NICKNAMED A GRENADE GUN
SHOOTS OFF A FLAMING TRAIL.
WE'RE AIMING TO GET HIGH ENOUGH AND TO GET FAR ENOUGH
TO WHERE IT'S GONNA CREATE ANOTHER IGNITION POINT.
FIRING!
Narrator: SINCE HEAT DRAWS HEAT,
MULTIPLE INTERIOR IGNITION POINTS
WILL PULL THE FIRE INTO THE FOREST.
THE NEXT PHASE TAKES IT TO THE AIR --
THE SAFEST AND MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO BURN A LARGE AREA.
THE ACTUAL MODE OF IGNITION
COMES FROM A SURPRISING SOURCE --
ORDINARY PING-PONG BALLS.
A SPECIALLY DESIGNED MACHINE
INJECTS THE BALLS WITH A CHEMICAL.
WHEN DROPPED, THERE'S A 20- TO 30-SECOND DELAY
BEFORE THEY SELF-IGNITE.
THIS IS ALL THE BALLS WE'RE GONNA TAKE ON THE SHIP.
THIS IS A TOTAL OF 12,000 BALLS. THERE'S 6,000 IN EACH CONTAINER.
WE TAKE THIS MANY BALLS DUE TO THE LARGE SIZE OF THE AREA.
WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO ALMOT THE WHOLE IGNITION IN ONE SHOT.
Narrator: AS THE CHOPPER STANDS BY,
SENIOR FIRE OFFICIALS CONCUR ON THE CONDITIONS.
TODAY IT'S A GO.
WITH MILITARY PRECISION,
ONE BY ONE, THE BALLS FALL TO THE GROUND AND IGNITE.
ALTHOUGH VISITORS HAVE BEEN FOREWARNED,
AS SMOKE SEEPS IN TO CLOUD THE VIEWS OF THE GRAND CANYON,
A FIRE INFORMATION OFFICER EXPLAINS THE SITUATION.
Woman: WITH THE HEAT OF THE DAY, THE SMOKE...
Minton: WE GET A LOT OF VISITORS HERE,
AND THEY'RE MOSTLY SCENIC VISITORS.
AND SMOKE DISTURBS THAT SCENERY.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE AREN'T REAL HAPPY ABOUT THAT.
WE DO GO TO GREAT LENGTHS TO TRY AND MANAGE THE SMOKE,
AND THAT DRIVES A LOT OF OUR PRESCRIPTIONS HERE.
Narrator: ONCE YOU LIGHT A FIRE, YOU'RE IN FOR THE LONG HAUL.
TEAMS PATROL THE FIRE LINES 24/7.
ALTHOUGH IT MAY LOOK LIKE THE FIRE HAS DIED DOWN,
IT'S NOT OVER.
YOU LOOK AT TAKING A DEAD TREE,
AND THEY DON'T FALL THE WAY THAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT BRANCHES THAT FALL OUT OF THE TOP.
WE CALL THEM "WIDOW-MAKERS."
AND, YOU KNOW, FROM THAT TO JUST --
WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT, FIRE WILL DO THE STRANGEST THINGS.
Narrator: ALWAYS A RISKY BUSINESS,
THE FIREFIGHTERS WALK THE FINE LINE
BETWEEN RESTORING THE ECOSYSTEM
AND KEEPING THE GRAND CANYON SAFE FOR VISITORS.
AND FOR THIS GROUP OF FIRE PROFESSIONALS
DEDICATED TO THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE,
SEEING A BURN COME TOGETHER AND STAY WITHIN THE PRESCRIPTION
IS THE ULTIMATE REWARD.
COMING UP...
IT'S MAN AND MEGAMACHINE VERSUS NATURE...