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As crews begin to shift through the ashes and whatever is left in the wake of the California fires, there will be the inevitable “would have, should have, could have” sessions. In actuality, those began even when the blazes were erupting.
Atthegroundlevel,suchconversationsareknownas“after-actionreviews.”Somefirecrewsusedtocallthem“tailgaters.”Thoseareinformalconferencesheldafteracrewhasbeendemobilizedorafireisouttodiscusswhatwentright,whatwentwrong,andwhatshouldbedonedifferentlyonthenextfire.
Foranincidentthatisparticularlycatastrophicand/orinvolvesthelossoflife,theagencyinchargeofthefireinquestionusuallydoesaninvestigationandholdshearingstouncoverthedetailsofwherethingswentofftherails.Iamcurioustoseewhattheinvestigationswillrevealaboutthisyear’sfires.However,giventhecircumstances,Iamnotoptimisticthatwewillevergetaclearpictureofwhatledtotheinfernos,althoughthepiecesarenothardtoputtogether.
WhenIwasinfire,weusedtohaveasayingthatIamgiventounderstandappliesinotherdisciplines