Adam Greene attended one in June.

The settings for these trips, however, were not plush boardrooms and the only negotiations made were with stubborn wildfires — Short in the state of Washington and Greene in the state of Alaska.

Short, Halifax County ranger with the state Forest Service, spent two weeks in the Fruitland, Washington, area as a heavy equipment boss. It is an area near the Columbia River about an hour-and-a-half from Spokane. Its land encompasses reservations and private property.

The Carpenter Road area.

It is common for rangers to volunteer when a call for help is needed for manpower out of state, both Short and Greene, also a ranger, said today.

It is demanding work requiring rangers to pass a fitness test and advanced pack test which requires them to go three miles in 45 minutes carrying a 45-pound pack or weighted vest.

This was neither Short or Greene's first time helping other state and federal rangers when the fires outweighed the resources available. Short has helped fight wildfires in Texas, two fires in Idaho and one in Utah.

Photos from the Carpenter Road Fire

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At first, Short admits, it was for the money. “Then you find out you really like it,” he said today. “You meet a lot of landowners. You really feel like you're doing something.”

The Carpenter Road Fire, as it was called, had consumed some 65,130 acres by the time he left and control costs were around $11 million for a fire started by lightning strike.

Volunteering for this duty, Short said, is a learning experience despite almost universal training among those answering the call. “The fuel types are different,” he said. “The terrain is different.”

In Washington, for instance, “The terrain is steep and mountainous. Everywhere we go is different.”

And there is always a need, Green said, as at this moment there are 60 wildfires burning out west — Washington, Oregon, Montana, California, Arizona and Alaska.

This year, said Greene, North Carolina has already sent 180 personnel and three Type-4 engines to different parts of the country.

The Carpenter Road Fire is about 50 percent contained at this moment.

While Short has been to bigger fires, he said, “I've never seen any one act any worse than,” Carpenter Road.

There were several days when wind gusts were 25- to 35-miles per hour and one day where the forecast called for 60-mile per hour gusts.

As heavy equipment boss, Short was responsible for making sure other operators knew the approaches to take and where they needed to go. Work days were anywhere from 14 to 21 hours. “I worked with a lot of different people, a lot of equipment. You can see what the equipment is capable of.”

Photos from Anaconda Creek Fire

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Greene is also a veteran of Western fires, having been to Alaska, Oregon, Utah and Idaho. He has been with Short twice.

The Alaska Anaconda Creek Fire was in a remote location, Greene said, about an hour-and-a-half from Fairbanks, and required rangers to be dropped off by helicopter..

While a relatively small fire compared to the one Short fought, Greene ran a chainsaw on a Type 2 Incident Attack Team.

While never near the actual fire line, Green learned many new techniques which will help his job in Halifax County. “You learn a lot of tactics you can apply here. I was able to get qualified for running the saw.”

The rangers Short and Greene met on their duties will aid other states in a time of need. “They need help so we go help them,” Greene said.