I was taking a night time drive through the burnt area near Atsion. Afterward, I crossed 206 and headed into the great swamp area on one of the lesser used roads. About a mile in I came across a large bon fire and a bunch of trucks hauling a$$ away from me. So I pulled up and realized that no one is left there by the fire. Just seats and coolers.
Clearly these guys thought I was a ranger or Park Police or whatever and were making a get away. So I pulled up to fire. It was large but in a big sandy open area, safe from igniting the woods. So I'm thinking, well I can't just leave the fire going here. They might come back, but then again, if they think they've been discovered they probably won't.
So I got my cell to call the forest fire service when I saw a very slight glimmer in the woods. I pulled the bronco around to shine my lights on it and sure enough, I could barely make out some dude on his stomach buried in the leather leaf. (the glimmer was his cell phone light)
I yelled out the window "hey buddy, it's alright I'm not a ranger." So this guy got up, tatoos up and down his arms, probably in his 20's and was looking like the cat that ate the canary.
He came walking up to my truck and I told him again that wasn't a ranger but he seemed very nervous, I explained that I knew why everybody took off but that they couldn't leave the fire unattended. So he started asking why I came up so "fierce". I explained to him that I didn't and that they just freaked. So then he says "why didn't you honk your horn, show me your badge"
So I tell him, a little irritated now, "I don't have a badge because I am not a ranger. Look at my truck...this is not a ranger's truck. Just relax, I couldn't let the fire just burn out here which is why I pulled up."
So then he seemed to relax a little but insisted that I hang out till the others showed up, he said there were about 25 of them out there. I told him that I wasn't going to hang out and he seemed to get a little nervous again. I told him that I wasn't going to call the rangers but he had to watch the fire and clean up after. He seemed to calm down then, I shook his hand and as I was leaving I heard him on the phone calling the others back.
So that's my story. I didn't call the rangers, or anybody else because I felt confident that the fire was under control.. I'm sure some reading this will think I should have called it in. There is an argument that I should have called it in after the fact, but I made a judgement call not to. what would you have done?
Interesting night.
Jeff
Clearly these guys thought I was a ranger or Park Police or whatever and were making a get away. So I pulled up to fire. It was large but in a big sandy open area, safe from igniting the woods. So I'm thinking, well I can't just leave the fire going here. They might come back, but then again, if they think they've been discovered they probably won't.
So I got my cell to call the forest fire service when I saw a very slight glimmer in the woods. I pulled the bronco around to shine my lights on it and sure enough, I could barely make out some dude on his stomach buried in the leather leaf. (the glimmer was his cell phone light)
I yelled out the window "hey buddy, it's alright I'm not a ranger." So this guy got up, tatoos up and down his arms, probably in his 20's and was looking like the cat that ate the canary.
He came walking up to my truck and I told him again that wasn't a ranger but he seemed very nervous, I explained that I knew why everybody took off but that they couldn't leave the fire unattended. So he started asking why I came up so "fierce". I explained to him that I didn't and that they just freaked. So then he says "why didn't you honk your horn, show me your badge"
So I tell him, a little irritated now, "I don't have a badge because I am not a ranger. Look at my truck...this is not a ranger's truck. Just relax, I couldn't let the fire just burn out here which is why I pulled up."
So then he seemed to relax a little but insisted that I hang out till the others showed up, he said there were about 25 of them out there. I told him that I wasn't going to hang out and he seemed to get a little nervous again. I told him that I wasn't going to call the rangers but he had to watch the fire and clean up after. He seemed to calm down then, I shook his hand and as I was leaving I heard him on the phone calling the others back.
So that's my story. I didn't call the rangers, or anybody else because I felt confident that the fire was under control.. I'm sure some reading this will think I should have called it in. There is an argument that I should have called it in after the fact, but I made a judgement call not to. what would you have done?
Interesting night.
Jeff
