09/02/2026
As containment increases on the High Lava Fire, crews are beginning to recover equipment that is no longer needed on the fireline. Each piece of equipment was ordered and assigned for a specific purpose. Fire managers balance safety, effectiveness, cost and expected fire behavior when determining equipment needs. As the objectives are met that equipment must be collected and accounted for so they can be returned, repaired or prepared for another assignment.
The process is called backhauling and involves gathering, sorting and returning the equipment used to support firefighting operations. In the video, personnel are collecting and wrapping fire hose for its initial trip back to camp. There, the hose will be drained, cleaned, inspected, properly rewound and prepared for return to the appropriate fire cache.
Crews are also recovering Fold-A-Tanks and their accessories. These portable water tanks can be quickly set up near the fireline to provide water for engines, pumps and hose systems in places where a permanent water source may not be readily available. Water tenders keep them full. When the tanks are no longer needed, they must be emptied, cleaned, dried, inspected and packed for transport.
Hard work on a wildfire doesn’t end when fire activity decreases. Recovering equipment from the High Lava Fire protects valuable firefighting resources and helps ensure they are ready for the next incident when they are needed.
