Backcountry prep essential in fire season

Nugget freelancer Jarod Gatley was on a long trail run in the Three Creeks area recently when he got a text from a family member alerting him to a report of a fire at Lower Three Creeks Sno Park.

While that fire was quickly dealt with, the encounter sparked a question for him: Hikers are commonly equipped for various types of weather and terrain, hazards from avalanches to flooding, and predators from animal to human, but how should you prepare or act for wildfire?

Preparation begins before you leave. The Forest Service advises you to check your forest, grassland, or ranger district for fire restrictions or area closures; tell a responsible adult where you are going and when you plan to return; and beware of sudden changes in the weather.

The National Weather Service Pendleton office recorded several dozen lightning strikes in Deschutes County last week; roughly half, Central Oregon Fire Information said, started fires.

If you see smoke or fire, "leave the area and try to stay on a main trail," said Sgt. Nathan Garibay, emergency manager with the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office. "Leave in a direction opposite of the direction the fire is spreading. Be aware that conditions can change; the fire can change direction, and the rate can change, so maintain good awareness."

The Forest Service advises to note the location as best you can and report it by calling 911 or contacting the National Fire Information Center (NIFC).

"Once you reach an area where you have service, call in the fire. Try to call the local wildland dispatch area or 911, which can relay the information to the appropriate agency of response," Sgt. Garibay said. "If you are able, drop a pin on your phone mapping service for the location of the fire. Even without service, it should still capture the location. Otherwise, get a good location such as which trail, near which trail junction, or a well known topographic feature."

While cell-phone signals aren't always reliable in the backcountry, a phone could save your life.

"We do recommend people, at minimum, carry a cell phone. In some cases, you may be able to get to a location where you can at least get a SMS text out. They seem to work in areas of poor coverage better than other message types and calls," Garibay added. "Having a satellite messaging device is a great backup and can help you get help in areas where there is absolutely no cell service."

"Certainly fire is one of those aspects that you must have accurate and timely data to stay safe while making informed decisions," said Joe Risi with onX Offroad, a mobile app that "turns your phone into a handheld GPS device when you're outside cell coverage."

Popular with the overland community, onX Offroad is a top-10 navigation app in the App Store, and onX Backcountry is #22. Both apps have an "Active Wildfire Layer" displaying NIFC data.

"It shows both a spot fire, which represents a reported fire without a perimeter, in addition to a wildfire (larger icon), where the NIFC has released an established perimeter," Risi told The Nugget via email.

The Backcountry has the wildfire layer and also a smoke layer to visualize smoke density.

"You can use this in conjunction with the Air Quality Index layer to determine if it is safe to be outdoors in a specific area," Risi added.

Still a big name in the outdoors game, Garmin GPS devices let you do things your phone can't.

Hike-N-Peaks in Sisters carries Garmin inReach messenger ($299), a handheld satellite communicator that keeps you connected with family – and, potentially, rescuers – when there is no cell-phone coverage. The outfitter also carries the very-popular inReach Mini 2 ($399). 

Photo by Matt Van Slyke

The Garmin inReach is a satellite communicator for adventure.

"It is a two-way communication device that runs off satellite," said Hike-N-Peaks Owner Sharri Bertagna. "You can text back and forth with friends and family. It also has the SOS button to call search and rescue."

Bertagna's store at East Hood Avenue and South Elm Street can order any Garmin product; some can leave a breadcrumb trail which "updates your location every 10 seconds or 10 minutes, customizable so your loved ones can see where you are every day," Bertagna said.

"Speaking from personal experience, my brother, our family, and I always carry one any time we go out so we can communicate locations or any messages with people," added Emilie Turpen, an avid hiker and Hike-N-Peaks employee.

"A family member that's tracking you from home can sit there and they can see your path," said Tracy Trotter, a local volunteer firefighter/paramedic who carries an inReach Mini when overlanding. "That way, if something happens, they at least know where you were last time.

"You can hit the [SOS] button and it'll activate God and everybody to come to you," said Trotter. "It's a smaller unit that you can hang off your backpack. It's a personal locator beacon that works with Bluetooth off your cell phone, so you can send text messages to say what happened."

Armed with that, first responders can tailor their search to what you need.