The Plank owners
Tom Boatner – History Guru
Jim Cook – Agitator General
Tom Boatner – History Guru
Tom is a long-time smokejumper suffering being surrounded by too many old hotshots in this group. His focus on history always keeps the group on point for the intent of the visits. Tom went north to Alaska in 1976 and spent many years in the Bureau of Land Management smokejumper organization before moving to Montana as the BLM State Fir
Tom is a long-time smokejumper suffering being surrounded by too many old hotshots in this group. His focus on history always keeps the group on point for the intent of the visits. Tom went north to Alaska in 1976 and spent many years in the Bureau of Land Management smokejumper organization before moving to Montana as the BLM State Fire Management Officer. He retired in 2007 as the BLM Chief of Fire Operations at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.
Dan Buckley – Fun Boss
Jim Cook – Agitator General
Tom Boatner – History Guru
The only field unit Fire Management Officer we know of that was eligible for Medicare before he retired. Dan’s wit and people skills keep everyone engaged and laughing (sometimes at him, sometimes with him). He has worked for California Department of Forestry (yes, back then), the US Forest Service, and the National Park Service. He
The only field unit Fire Management Officer we know of that was eligible for Medicare before he retired. Dan’s wit and people skills keep everyone engaged and laughing (sometimes at him, sometimes with him). He has worked for California Department of Forestry (yes, back then), the US Forest Service, and the National Park Service. He was an AD firefighter early in his career and went on to became a national Fire Director…and a national treasure. Dan finished his career in 2024 as the Yosemite National Park Fire Management Officer
Jim Cook – Agitator General
Jim Cook – Agitator General
Ken Kremensky – Swiss Army Knife
Jim spent too many years as a hotshot and as a result does not have as many skills as the rest of the group. He does, however, have a knack for rattling cages and getting other people to work on ideas…some good and a few not so good. Jim spent the 1980s and the 1990s as the Superintendent of the Arrowhead Hotshots and the Boise Hotshot
Jim spent too many years as a hotshot and as a result does not have as many skills as the rest of the group. He does, however, have a knack for rattling cages and getting other people to work on ideas…some good and a few not so good. Jim spent the 1980s and the 1990s as the Superintendent of the Arrowhead Hotshots and the Boise Hotshots. He retired in 2012 as the US Forest Service Training Projects Coordinator at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.
Ken Kremensky – Swiss Army Knife
Bill Molumby – The Incident Commander
Ken Kremensky – Swiss Army Knife
If it involves how to get there or how to be prepared before you get there, ask Ken. In addition to being from a well-known firefighter family in San Diego County and being a long-time department Fire Chief there, this guy leads tornado storm-chasing expeditions. No one knows weather like he does. Ken is currently the Chief of the Barona Fire Department.
Bill Molumby – The Incident Commander
Bill Molumby – The Incident Commander
Bill Molumby – The Incident Commander
Bill’s vision is what started this whole endeavor. His level demeanor made him one of the most respected national Type 1 Incident Commanders around, and for that same reason he is our IC. Bill worked up through the ranks on the Cleveland National Forest and then became a Zone Fire Management Officer for the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
Bill’s vision is what started this whole endeavor. His level demeanor made him one of the most respected national Type 1 Incident Commanders around, and for that same reason he is our IC. Bill worked up through the ranks on the Cleveland National Forest and then became a Zone Fire Management Officer for the US Fish & Wildlife Service. He is currently a Fire Coordinator for San Diego Gas & Electric Company.
Bryan Scholz – Voice of Reason
Bill Molumby – The Incident Commander
Bill Molumby – The Incident Commander
Bryan came out west from Chicago to central Oregon in the early 1980s and never looked back. His perspective as a survivor of the South Canyon Fire is a reminder of the obligation to honor the sites we visit. Bryan spent his whole career on the Ochoco National Forest doing about everything a person can do in the field of wildland fire
Bryan came out west from Chicago to central Oregon in the early 1980s and never looked back. His perspective as a survivor of the South Canyon Fire is a reminder of the obligation to honor the sites we visit. Bryan spent his whole career on the Ochoco National Forest doing about everything a person can do in the field of wildland fire management. He retired in 2015 as a District Assistant Fire Management Officer.
Type 1 Old Man Roster
Kurt La Rue – Chief Pot Stirrer
Kurt La Rue – Chief Pot Stirrer
Kurt La Rue – Chief Pot Stirrer
Kurt began his career as a GS-2 on the Sequoia National Forest. He spent the first 16 years of his career working on several California hotshot crews and building houses in the off-season. He worked hard to avoid a permanent position for that whole time, not accepting a full-time position until 1993, his second year as Superintenden
Kurt began his career as a GS-2 on the Sequoia National Forest. He spent the first 16 years of his career working on several California hotshot crews and building houses in the off-season. He worked hard to avoid a permanent position for that whole time, not accepting a full-time position until 1993, his second year as Superintendent of the Diamond Mountain Hotshots. Later Kurt went on to the BLM Fire Operations staff at NIFC where he proudly owned 10 years of typos in the Red Book. He fully retired in 2014, after four years with the Texas Forest Service.
Don Will – Big Lou
Kurt La Rue – Chief Pot Stirrer
Kurt La Rue – Chief Pot Stirrer
Don started on the Los Padres as a tanker crewmember. Riding along with the Monterey Helishots he realized his calling and spent the next 17 years on four hotshot crews. Don persevered and later became the Mendocino Hotshot Superintendent. He finally read his retirement benefits and had an “oh shit” moment, realizing GS-7 Supt bas
Don started on the Los Padres as a tanker crewmember. Riding along with the Monterey Helishots he realized his calling and spent the next 17 years on four hotshot crews. Don persevered and later became the Mendocino Hotshot Superintendent. He finally read his retirement benefits and had an “oh shit” moment, realizing GS-7 Supt base pay didn’t provide for much other than beer money. Knowing he had to climb the GS scale, Don moved on, retiring as the Deputy Chief for the Tahoe National Forest in 2009. He then started an ICS training company, finally retiring for good in 2021.