Motivated training sets range ablaze

[thedrifter]

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va —

Motivation during the Modern Basic Skills training set Range 14A ablaze, Jan. 11 during an M249 Squad Automatic Weapon relay.

This set of flames was the last of three fires that occurred on the range that day.

MBST instructors announced that the tracer rounds were igniting in the tree line causing the brush to catch fire.

With top wind speeds at more than 20 miles an hour, flames spread over the dry grass quickly.

Marines were moved to safety as first responders traveled down range to attend to the flames that lasted more than 2 hours before being tamed.

“The first step for us is to contact range control,” said Gunnery Sgt. Jason Quesenberry. “We don’t ever try to put it out on our own. We get all the weapons off the line, bunker down and let the fire department do their work.”

“On an open range like this the mission is, like every brush fire, to contain and extinguish it,” said Capt. Mark Doyle, the relief caption of Fire Station 533. “The brush trucks are first responders because they can get to the fires quicker.”

Doyle explained that brush trucks B and C are pick ups equipped with 150-200 gallons of water, hand tools and back packs they call ‘Indian cans’ that are also filled with water.

Brush 533 A is equipped with 600 gallons of water, hoses, tools and other equipment.

Eight firefighters from the main engine responded to the blaze and within 15 minutes after their arrival were able to put it out.

After putting out the fire, fire fighters had to make sure sparks in the tree line were out so that the fire would not restart once they departed.

“What we are doing now is what we call ‘mopping up’ which is putting out small fires or ‘hot spots’ and embers that could potentially rekindle, especially considering this wind,” said Doyle.

“As a sergeant I took charge and was worried about my juniors Marines’ safety,” said Sgt. Timothy St. Clair, who was firing on the line at the start of the blaze. “I had to get the live ammunition off the deck and clear out the weapons.”

St. Clair expressed that he felt the staff non commissioned officers that were present gave proper guidance on how to handle the situation.

“No Marines were hurt,” said St. Clair.

Although the blaze set back training, MBST Marines removed tracer rounds from the links and set up equipment to continue sending rounds down range.