Type 1 crew

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Handcrews are a diverse team of career and temporary agency employees with solid reputations as multi-skilled professional wildland firefighters. The crews consist of 18 - 20 men and women and serve as the infantry of wildland fire forces. Working side by side, the crews main responsibilities are to construct a “fireline” – a strip of land cleared of flammable materials and dug down to mineral soil – around wildfires to control them, burn out fire areas, and mop up after the fire.

Depending on their qualifications and skill levels, crews may be divided into squads (4 or 5 firefighters each). The more qualified crews will have specialized personnel such as sawyers. Crews and managers must always keep an eye on the fire, and their mind on safety so each crew also has a "lookout", which is someone with considerable experience who monitors the work of the crew and also the fire. The lookout's job is to help ensure crew safety.

A crew's day generally starts at sunrise. After breaking camp, crews are transported to the fire. Once on location, crews grab their hand tools (chainsaws, pulaskis, shovels) for working the fireline. With a backpack weighing 25 pounds or more, the crew's next challenge may be a hike of several miles. Once at the fire, handcrews may spend 12 hours or more digging line.