Dave Johnson of Port Hadlock sleeps well despite planning firefighting efforts against a blaze in the steep terrain of the William O. Douglas Wilderness area northwest of Yakima.
The 16-hour work days go a long way toward his sound slumber.
He also isn’t worried about his 18-year-old son, Jarred, who is fighting the Thirty Mile Fire near Twisp.
The father and son were briefly fighting that fire together, though Dave was miles away in the control center in Wenatchee while Jarred was on the fire lines.
“I have concern for every firefighter we ever put out in the field,” Johnson said. “There’s some heightened concern because he’s my son, but he’s very well-trained and outfitted.”
Johnson should know.
He’s got 33 years of wilderness firefighting experience. That’s one reason he’s serving as the incident commander on the Dog Creek Fire that has burned 650 acres near Mount Aix in Chinook Pass.
Full details appear in today’s edition of the Peninsula Daily News. Click onto “Subscribe” to have your PDN delivered to your home or office.