HAYDEN LAKE - It's initiation by fire.

New wildland firefighters are eating, sleeping and working the life as it is on the front lines this week at Camp Mivoden.

Ryan Miller, 25, is among about 50 young firefighters from throughout the West getting a taste of just how strenuous "ground pounding" can be at the Firefighting Guard School hosted by the Coeur d'Alene Interagency Dispatch Center.

He's hoping to be called upon to fight a large fire this summer.

"It's a demanding job, but it's more exciting in the mountains," Miller said. "You get to see beautiful country and a lot of places people don't go."

Fires in Minnesota, where Miller is from, are mostly on the flatlands and don't offer the thrill of blazes in the mountainous West, he said.

"It's mostly just grass fires there and you put them out with a fire swatter," he said, describing a tool resembling a mudflap.

Tools of choice in this region are pulaskis, picks and shovels to build perimeters.

And trainees got a good feel for swinging them on Thursday.

Students hiked in full gear about a mile and a half up a mountain side from their camp to Patzer Peak and found mock fires - only to realize their work was only starting.

When they arrived on scene, many were drenched in sweat and winded from the difficult trek. A few never made it because blisters on their feet hurt so bad.

There wasn't much time for rest after the fires were found. An incident commander informed dispatch the size, description and location of the fire, weather conditions and other details. This fire was called "Big Daddy."

The crews were briefed and the grueling work to dig an 18-inch line around the fires began.

Throughout the exercise, firefighters were heard encouraging each other, building a sense of teamwork.

"They may be green, but they're not on their own," said Jill Cobb, the school's spokeswoman.

After the perimeter was formed, some took to their knees and could only lean on their tools.

"There's a lot of mental discipline in this game," said Len Young, who served as an incident commander.

The school is a cooperative effort of the Forest Service, Idaho Department of Lands and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Students learn about fire behavior and firefighting techniques, live in tents for the week and experience camp chow.

The program is a safety requirement for wildland firefighting. Some of the students will leave on Saturday to fight fires in other areas such as New Mexico and Alaska.

Some students currently have fire district jobs, while others are going to college. They'll make about $11 an hour to start, but there's a strong potential for overtime, especially on large fires.

Miller has a degree in wildlife biology and has been living in government housing in Avery out of the St. Joe Ranger District.

"I'm just glad to have a job because in natural resources it's really tough," he said. "It's pretty tight, so I'll do this for as long as I can."

He sees the guard school as a stepping stone to a higher-paying firefighting position such as a "hot shot" or smokejumper if he can't find a job in wildlife biology.

Most of the students, among them several women, are between 19 and 30.

Seattle 19-year-old Matt Freeborn is a forestry student at the University of Montana.

"I'm trying to figure out which area of forestry I want to be involved in," he said of why the school is helping with his career.

Like many of the students, he loves the outdoors.

"But you always have to be on your toes," he said.

Hayden 27-year-old Emily Conklin, who is attending North Idaho College, is pursuing degrees in ecology and forest management. Firefighting complements her career choice.

"I like being outside, meeting new people and protecting the forests," she said. "I like to play in the woods, so I might as well get paid to be in the woods."

By BRIAN WALKER

Staff writer

It's still early, but the wet spring should help calm the wildfire season in North Idaho.

"A lot of the moisture we've had came late in the form of snow in the mid- to higher elevations," said Mike Almas, deputy forest fire management officer for the Idaho Panhandle National Forest. "We're expecting a later fire season and a shorter fire season."

Almas cautioned that conditions can change quickly, however, especially if it's dry in the next month.

"We could still have a number of ignitions," he said.

Almas said wildfires have been limited in North Idaho in recent years, but firefighters are always on alert and prepared to go to other regions if necessary.

"We're ramping up as much as we normally do in anticipation of fire season," he said. "And there's a very good chance that local firefighters will be sent to the Southwest, Texas and Alaska."

Len Young, who is serving as an incident commander at the Fire Fighting Guard School at Camp Mivoden on Hayden Lake this week, said wildfire seasons are difficult to predict.

"You just can't tell right now," he said. "It could be dry all of July. It can be easy to have a fire season in September or October until the snow flies."