The Rush and Risks of Fighting Fires on a Bulldozer
Portrait of GV Wire News Director Bill McEwen
By Bill McEwen, News Director
Published 7 years ago on
August 1, 2018

Share

Not all firefighters carry a hose or shovel.
The adrenaline junkies who steer heavy bulldozers across steep ridges face serious hazards, from smoke and flames but also from unsteady dirt and steep terrain that can flip them over. The deaths of two bulldozer operators battling California wildfires in July highlighted the dangers confronting these less visible firefighters.
Braden Varney, 36, was clearing a fire line near Yosemite National Park on July 14 when his vehicle overturned and rolled down a ridge. Don Ray Smith, 81, was overtaken by wildfire near Redding last week.

Photo of Dustin Westfall
“To me, it’s the closest thing to war without getting shot at. It’s pandemonium … it’s wild out there. You’re getting to see 200- to 300-foot flame lengths. It’s a whole different world. It’s a rush.” — Bulldozer operator Dustin Westfall
Drivers of so-called dozers say they are acutely aware of the dangers and regularly find themselves in sticky situations. They do it for the thrill, the challenge, the good money and the opportunity to make a difference saving people’s lives and homes.
“To me, it’s the closest thing to war without getting shot at,” said Dustin Westfall, a dozer operator working for a private contractor on the fire near Redding that’s killed six people. “It’s pandemonium … it’s wild out there. You’re getting to see 200- to 300-foot flame lengths. It’s a whole different world. It’s a rush.”

Bulldozers Do Heavy Work in Large Fires

Dozers are an integral part of the battle against large blazes but are rarely seen in dramatic images of flaming trees and raining ash.
They use roughly 10-foot blades to push aside shrubs, brush, grass and even trees so the advancing flames meet bare dirt and have nothing to consume. Ideally, the lack of fuel will stop the fire’s progress. At the very least, it generally will slow down the flames.
Dozers usually work in small groups, but sometimes alone, in extremely steep terrain. Soft soils or hard granite can cause them to slide. It’s hard to see because of smoke and the dirt they kick up. Fire moves faster than heavy machines, so shifting winds can send flames toward bulldozers.
Because dozers can get into places no other equipment can reach, the drivers sometimes find themselves far away from backup, relying on radio traffic and aircraft to tell them what the fire is doing.

“Braden would go to a fire, get covered in dirt, come home and play crocodile with his kids on his living room carpet. He was a man’s man, and he was a father first and foremost.” — Bulldozer operator Dean Mullis, talking about the late Braden Varney
Some work close to flames. Others build “contingency lines” farther back to act as a backstop if the first line is breached.
“They’re a special breed of guys,” said Cliff Allen, president of the union representing California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection personnel, including dozer operators. “The job that they do, it takes a special person, because they’re going up and down really steep terrain.”

500 Hours Experience Needed

Dozer operators looking to work directly for Cal Fire, the state’s firefighting agency, must have 500 hours of experience just to be considered. Privately hired operators have various experience levels, but all must complete an annual course in fireline safety.
Authorities have released little information about how Varney and Smith died.
Their deaths come two years after a dozer trying to maneuver around a fire engine overturned near Big Sur and the operator was ejected. Another dozer operator was killed in the same region in 2007 when his rig rolled, causing him to hit his head on the wall of the cab, according to Cal Fire investigative reports.
The deaths have weighed heavily on dozer drivers busy with an active fire season across the Western United States — a reminder of the perils that await them on the fire line.

Photo of Braden Varney's body being transported through Mariposa.
FILE – In this July 16, 2018 file photo, a toy bulldozer rests on a truck as the body of firefighter Braden Varney is transported through Mariposa. Varney died while battling the Ferguson fire when his bulldozer overturned. The dangers of the job were highlighted this year by the deaths of two dozer operators battling California wildfires in July. (AP File Photo/Noah Berger)
Dean Mullis, a childhood friend of Varney’s and a fellow heavy equipment operator for Cal Fire, said Varney was devoted to his family and unfailingly generous.
“Braden would go to a fire, get covered in dirt, come home and play crocodile with his kids on his living room carpet,” Mullis said. “He was a man’s man, and he was a father first and foremost.”

Varney’s Father Drove a Dozer for Cal Fire

He came from a bulldozing family — his father was a dozer driver for Cal Fire, and the two started a grading and excavating business.
Smith, a bulldozer operator working for a private company on contract for the state, “always had some good laughs and good stories” and liked to sit outside his trailer drinking beer with friends, said Vaughn Hohing, who used to fight fires as a bulldozer operator and said he worked often with Smith.
When he wasn’t fighting fires, Smith lived and worked on a horse ranch in Pollock Pines, east of Sacramento, repairing things, plowing snow and performing other maintenance. Smith had lots of experience working outdoors with heavy equipment.
At 81, Smith was one of the older guys working on fires, but dozer operators said it’s common for people to work into their 60s and 70s. Fighting fire is a specialized skill, and while the pay is good, it’s an expensive business to get into.
“If you’re in a bad mood, go see Don,” Hohing said. “You always felt better when you left.”

DON'T MISS

23 for ’23: A Year in Photos

DON'T MISS

See How this Fresno roastery sends aid to Northern Thailand.

DON'T MISS

District Says Fresno Teachers Contract Proposal Would Bankrupt Budget Reserves by Year 3

DON'T MISS

Trump Vows to Ban Gaza Refugees, Expand Muslim Travel Ban If He Wins

DON'T MISS

The Supreme Court Orders Makers of Gun Parts to Comply with Rules on Ghost Guns

DON'T MISS

George W. Bush for Speaker? A Democratic Lawmaker Thinks It’s Possible

DON'T MISS

Former Navy IT Manager Gets Five Years for Hacking, ID Theft

DON'T MISS

Gunman Kills Two Swedes in Brussels, Prompting Terror Alert and Halt of Belgium-Sweden Soccer Match

DON'T MISS

Zakaria: The Best Response to Hamas Would Be to Keep the Saudi Deal Alive

DON'T MISS

Groundbreaking Human Brain Atlas Offers New Hope for Treating Neurological Disorders

UP NEXT

District to Fresno Teachers: Read Our Proposal Before Taking Strike Vote

UP NEXT

George W. Bush for Speaker? A Democratic Lawmaker Thinks It’s Possible

UP NEXT

Trump Vows to Ban Gaza Refugees, Expand Muslim Travel Ban If He Wins

UP NEXT

Newsom Signs Law to Slowly Raise Healthcare Minimum Wage to $25

UP NEXT

Oprah Winfrey Proposed 2020 Presidential Run with Mitt Romney, New Book Reveals

UP NEXT

Republicans Pick Jim Jordan as Nominee for House Speaker, Putting Job Within the Trump Ally’s Reach

UP NEXT

California Considers Stepping in to Manage Groundwater Basin in Farm Country

UP NEXT

Why Do Young Kids Rarely Get Severely Sick from COVID-19? Stanford Medicine Investigates

UP NEXT

Kaiser Permanente Reaches a Tentative Deal With Health Care Worker Unions After a Recent Strike

UP NEXT

GOP’s Scalise Ends His Bid to Become House Speaker After Failing to Secure the Votes to Win Gavel

Portrait of GV Wire News Director Bill McEwen
Bill McEwen,
News Director
Bill McEwen is news director and columnist for GV Wire. He joined GV Wire in August 2017 after 37 years at The Fresno Bee. With The Bee, he served as Opinion Editor, City Hall reporter, Metro columnist, sports columnist and sports editor through the years. His work has been frequently honored by the California Newspapers Publishers Association, including authoring first-place editorials in 2015 and 2016. Bill and his wife, Karen, are proud parents of two adult sons, and they have two grandsons. You can contact Bill at 559-492-4031 or at Send an Email

You May like

Trump Vows to Ban Gaza Refugees, Expand Muslim Travel Ban If He Wins

1 year ago

The Supreme Court Orders Makers of Gun Parts to Comply with Rules on Ghost Guns

1 year ago

George W. Bush for Speaker? A Democratic Lawmaker Thinks It’s Possible

1 year ago

Former Navy IT Manager Gets Five Years for Hacking, ID Theft

1 year ago

Gunman Kills Two Swedes in Brussels, Prompting Terror Alert and Halt of Belgium-Sweden Soccer Match

1 year ago

Zakaria: The Best Response to Hamas Would Be to Keep the Saudi Deal Alive

1 year ago

Groundbreaking Human Brain Atlas Offers New Hope for Treating Neurological Disorders

1 year ago

Newsom Signs Law to Slowly Raise Healthcare Minimum Wage to $25

1 year ago

Former Fresno CC Coach Ed Madec Arrested for Allegedly Threatening to Kill Chancellor

1 year ago

Jim Jordan’s Rapid Rise Cheered by Trump and Far Right. Could It Make Him Speaker?

1 year ago

HOT OFF THE PRESS

23 for ’23: A Year in Photos

1 year ago

1 year ago

Trump Vows to Ban Gaza Refugees, Expand Muslim Travel Ban If He Wins