This archive report was first published on 29 October 2019.
Wildfires have been a persistent threat to the Western United States for over a century, with devastating consequences. The most recent example is the 2019 California wildfires, which were fanned by strong winds.
Despite advances in technology, the mechanics of wildfire suppression have remained largely unchanged since 1910, when a massive wildfire known as the Big Burn ravaged 3 million acres across three Northwestern states, killing 85 people.
Firefighters, including those in the city of Prescott, Arizona, continue to rely on manual labor and traditional tools, such as the Pulaski, to contain and extinguish the raging flames. The Pulaski, a handy tool that combines an ax and an adz in one head, is now arguably the most important piece of equipment in wildfire suppression.
“Imagine, if you can, 16-hour days of manual labor where you’re hustling all the time, and you do it oftentimes for 14 days straight,” said Doug Harwood, a firefighter in Prescott, Arizona, who spent years fighting wildfires in the Western United States.
