Brewster High transforms into fire camp

BREWSTER—After helicopters assisted firefighters in knocking down a flareup on the Gold Creek fire south of Carlton on Tuesday, June 25, hand crews continue mop-up operations around structures inside completed containment lines today. All the while, they are keeping one eye on today’s weather for the arrival of forecasted thunderstorms and possible rain.

Off the fire line, crews are kicking back at the DNR fire camp at Brewster High School. Tents have sprung up on the school football field near a hand-washing station trailer parked in the adjacent parking lot. 

Within walking distance in the middle school parking lot, Bishop Services of Goldendale has a pair of trailers parked to provide mobile catering and shower services for hungry and dirty firefighters to clean up and fuel up,

Bishop team members Mary Both from Salem, Oregon, and Preston Briseno of Goldendale

This is Briseno’s first year on the Bishop team. Both, the veteran of the pair, has worked for Bishop off and on since 1996 traveling from city to city responding to natural disasters, specialty events, and related needs.

Among those was Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005.

“Katrina was hard,” recalled Both. “There were dead animals everywhere. People literally tied their animals up and left them. It broke my heart.”

Many residents who were helped to evacuate before the storm were not allowed to take their pets with them.

“If they had not tied them up, many animals could have survived.” Both said.

She recalled the strange scenes where homes and businesses on one side of a street were destroyed while those on the opposite side remained untouched.

“One funny thing was Ronald McDonald sitting on the beach,” said Both “All that was left of the store was the ceiling and metal walls, and the Ronald McDonald statue was a mile away on the beach.” 

Both has been dispatched to many wildfire camps and has even been evacuated from a couple.

“I got evacuated off a California in 1996,” said Both. 

More recently, Both was evacuated from last year’s wildfire near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

“It was three hours up a dirt road and the view from the mountain top was beautiful,” Bishop said. “I have pictures of it.”

“I love it,” said Both of her Bishop postings. “I love camping. All that’s missing is a fishing pole and a boat.”

Mike Maltais: 360-333-8483 or michael@ward.media