Wrong Side of the Fire: Rangers in Peril…

Summary

Real Survival Stories: “Wrong Side of the Fire: Rangers in Peril…”

Hosted by John Hopkins | Released: November 14, 2024

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Introduction

In the gripping episode titled “Wrong Side of the Fire: Rangers in Peril…”, Real Survival Stories delves into the harrowing experience of wilderness rangers battling one of the most devastating wildfires in Minnesota’s history. Hosted by John Hopkins, the episode centers on Todd Stefanik, a 42-year-old district ranger, whose expertise and resilience are put to the ultimate test as a seemingly manageable wildfire spirals into chaos.

Background: Meet Todd Stefanik

Todd Stefanik’s deep-rooted connection to the outdoors began in his rural Wisconsin upbringing, fostering a passion for canoeing, fishing, and environmental stewardship ([05:55]). After years of working in Colorado and California, Todd returned to Minnesota to be closer to family and took up his current role in the Superior National Forest. However, the routine of desk-bound duties writing environmental impact reports ([07:24]) clashes with his desire for active fieldwork.

The Assignment: Joining the Public Safety Crew

Seeking a return to the wilderness, Todd volunteers for a public safety team tasked with clearing the Boundary Waters Canoe Area amid the Pygami Creek Wildfire—a blaze ignited by a lightning strike and rapidly expanding due to dry conditions ([08:58]). Joined by his partner, Chris Kinney, and six other rangers, Todd anticipates an eight-day mission far from the confines of his office.

Day One: Initial Patrol and Red Flags

On September 10, 2011, Todd and Chris embark on their mission, paddling through picturesque lakes and dense forests while advising the public to evacuate northward ([13:14]). Despite the initial calm, anomalies quickly surface. The sight of fully equipped firefighters in contrast to the casually dressed campers raises suspicions about the true severity of the wildfire ([14:51]). Todd begins to sense that the situation is more dire than anticipated.

Notable Quote:

“What in the hell is this? They’re in full nomex, ready with tools and they know how to cope with the fire.” ([14:51] Todd Stefanik)

Escalation: Fire Draws Near

As the day progresses, changing wind patterns bring the wildfire ominously closer. Todd recognizes the signs of an “in draft” ([16:36]), signaling they are dangerously close to the fire’s path. Attempts to communicate with the incident command station fail, leaving the rangers isolated and vulnerable ([17:42]).

Notable Quote:

“That is the fire sucking in oxygen. It’s an indraft and that means you’re too damn close to the fire.” ([16:36] Todd Stefanik)

Critical Incident: Forced Evacuation

With the fire advancing swiftly, Todd, Chris, and their team are forced to abandon their patrol and seek refuge at Lake Insula. The once-safe haven becomes a battleground as superheated winds and flames threaten their survival. The rangers deploy fire shelters—a last-resort protective measure against extreme heat ([33:56]).

Notable Quote:

“You don’t abandon your folks in the vehicle. This wind will knock you over. Do you want to wait till the winds are 80 miles an hour?” ([34:35] Todd Stefanik)

The Struggle for Survival

Amidst relentless heat and smoke, the rangers navigate treacherous waters and collapsing communication channels. Andrea’s quick thinking with her headlamp becomes a beacon of hope in the darkness ([31:46]). The decision to make a stand on a small, rocky island provides momentary respite, but the fire’s unprecedented speed renders traditional survival protocols ineffective ([30:00]).

Notable Quote:

“That was the moment that it was like, oh, it is that bad. This isn’t just us and we’re not overreacting. It really is that bad.” ([30:26] Todd Stefanik)

Aftermath: Debriefing and Reflection

Following their escape, the rangers are rescued by float planes and returned to Ely for debriefing. Instead of support, they face blame for the response failures. Despite the official incident report omitting critical details, Todd acknowledges the inevitability of mistakes in handling such an unprecedented disaster ([44:42]).

Notable Quote:

“This was an unprecedented fire event as the biggest, fastest moving fire in recorded Minnesota history… [It] went from 11,000 acres at around noon that day to 89,000 acres by that afternoon.” ([44:42] Todd Stefanik)

Moving Forward: Lessons Learned and New Beginnings

The Pygami Creek Wildfire leads to significant changes in wildfire response protocols, integrating public safety crews more effectively into the fire organization hierarchy ([45:28] Todd Stefanik). Recognizing the psychological toll, Todd decides to leave the forest service, seeking solace and reconnection with nature in a new role as a wildlife biologist in Idaho’s Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve ([46:05]).

Notable Quote:

“I’m not ready to talk about anything. Just went through something pretty traumatic.” ([46:05] Todd Stefanik)

Conclusion: The Human Spirit in Adversity

“Wrong Side of the Fire: Rangers in Peril…” is a testament to the courage and resilience of individuals like Todd Stefanik, who confront unimaginable challenges in the line of duty. The episode not only narrates a survival ordeal but also highlights the systemic issues in disaster response and the personal cost of such extreme situations. As Todd rebuilds his life amidst Idaho’s majestic mountains, his story serves as both a warning and an inspiration for future generations of wilderness rangers.

Notable Quotes Throughout the Episode

• Todd Stefanik [03:53]: “That was the moment that it was like, oh, it is that bad. This is just us and we’re not overreacting. It really is that bad.”
• Todd Stefanik [04:18]: “You can duck under the water all you want. Eventually you gotta come up and take a breath and then you’re gonna be breathing in superheated gases and will fry your lungs and that’s game over.”
• Todd Stefanik [13:14]: “But whatever, we’re supposed to be so far ahead of the fire, it’s irrelevant. Worst case scenario, we’re four days away from the fire hitting Lake 3 anyway. So like, whatever, I’m just out here to go paddle in the wilderness and get some ot right. Don’t think much of it.”
• Todd Stefanik [37:20]: “We heard yells back. So we knew somebody’s alive.”
• Todd Stefanik [35:36]: “Chris is the one person who had an extended antenna… he sent a message to the effect that, this is who we are. We’re public safety crew, and we are on Lake Insula and we have deployed fire shelters.”

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Real Survival Stories continues to bring forward extraordinary tales of survival, shedding light on the human spirit’s capacity to endure and persevere in the face of nature’s fiercest challenges. Don’t miss the next episode featuring elite fighter pilot Captain Brian Udell’s unprecedented survival during a high-speed ejection from an F15 fighter jet.

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Subscribe to Noiser+ for early access to episodes and an ad-free listening experience. Visit noiser.com/subscriptions for more information.

Transcript

[Todd Stefanik]

Nah, not quite.

[John Hopkins]

What's up?

[Todd Stefanik]

Sell my car in Carvana. It's just not quite the right time.

[John Hopkins]

Crazy coincidence. I just sold my car to Carvana. What?

[Todd Stefanik]

I told you about it two days ago.

[John Hopkins]

When you know, you know, you know. I'm even dropping it off at one of those sweet car vending machines and getting paid today.

[Todd Stefanik]

That's a good deal.

[Chris Kinney]

Oh, great deal.

[Nancy]

Come on.

[John Hopkins]

What's your heart saying? You're right.

[Todd Stefanik]

When you know, you know.

[John Hopkins]

Sold. Whether you're looking to sell your car right now or just whenever feels right, go to Carvana.com and sell your car the convenient way.

[Chris Kinney]

Terms and conditions apply.

[John Hopkins]

It's mid afternoon. Saturday, September 10, 2011. Todd Stefanik and Chris Kinney trudge down a hiking trail in northern Minnesota. The two men are wilderness ranges here in the Superior national forest, a 3 million acre expanse of dense woodland, pristine lakes and cold water streams. As they pick their way along the trail, Todd and Chris keep an eye out for members of the public. All day, the rangers have been patrolling the forest, warning campers and hikers about a wildfire burning nearby. With the wind pushing the flames from west to east, the rangers are advising the public to move north out of harm's way. Todd glances up above the tree line. Off in the distance to the west, a thick column of dark gray smoke spirals up into the sky. According to the latest reports, the fire is still four days away from reaching this part of the forest. Even so, Todd watches the column closely as they walk. As long as they can still see it, they can monitor its movement. But as they continue up the trail, conditions suddenly shift.

[Todd Stefanik]

The color just changed to this yellow smoky, like a column had laid over a little bit, so it wasn't going straight up anymore. It was actually affecting us. Smoke coming through the trees.

[John Hopkins]

It happens in a flash. The sky turns the color of copper and the air becomes coarse and scratchy to breathe. With a sinking feeling, Todd squints up beyond the tops of the pines. The reports were wrong. The fire is right on top of them. And then the wind changes direction. All day it's been blowing from west to east, pushing the fire along with it. Now, abruptly, it switches with gusts, ripping from east to west back towards the fire.

[Todd Stefanik]

I knew what that meant. That is the fire sucking in oxygen. It's an in draft and that means you're too damn close to the fire. And not just too damn close. We were on the wrong side of the fire.

[John Hopkins]

Ever wondered what you would do when disaster strikes if your life depended on your next decision, could you make the right choice? Welcome to Real Survival Stories. These are the astonishing tales of ordinary people thrown into extraordinary situations. People suddenly forced to fight for their lives. In this episode, we meet 42 year old wilderness ranger Todd Stefanik in September 2011 as a wildfire breaks out in the Superior National Forest. Todd is part of a public safety crew tasked with clearing the area of members of the public. But unbeknownst to Todd and his colleagues, what starts off as an ordinary wildfire will rapidly become the largest and fastest moving blaze in state history.

[Todd Stefanik]

That was the moment that it was like, oh, it is that bad. This is just us and we're not overreacting. It really is that bad.

[John Hopkins]

With flames closing in on all sides, Todd and his fellow rangers will have no choice but to seek refuge in one of the forest's many lakes. But will this provide a safe haven or condemn them to a watery grave?

[Todd Stefanik]

You can duck under the water all you want. Eventually you gotta come up and take a breath and then you're gonna be breathing in superheated gases and will fry your lungs and that's game over.

[John Hopkins]

I'm John Hopkins from Noiser. This is Real Survival Stories. It's late summer 2011 in Cook, Minnesota. Inside LaCroix District Ranger office, Todd Stefanik sits at his desk typing up a report on the environmental impact of logging in the area. Todd takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes. He's been staring at his computer screen for hours. Through the open window, he can hear the comings and goings at the car dealership next door. He yawns and reaches for his rapidly cooling coffee. Todd has been stationed here in Cook for six years, working as part of a team of rangers to protect and maintain the Superior national forest on the U.S. canadian border. Devoting his career to environmental stewardship felt like an obvious choice. Growing up in rural Wisconsin, he developed a deep and lasting connection to the natural world.

[Todd Stefanik]

My love of the outdoors started when I was a kid. We did a lot of canoeing. There's a lot of canoeing opportunities in Wisconsin. A lot of rivers, a lot of fishing. That was my cup of tea. That's what I like to be doing in my free time. And so I thought, hey, I should make a career out of this. Did not want to end up in a career where I sat in an 8 by 8 cubicle and stared at a computer.

[John Hopkins]

After finishing college, Todd left Wisconsin and headed west, taking jobs on wildlife refuges in Colorado and California.

[Todd Stefanik]

I love to be in the mountains, just hiking and fishing and maybe Walking the dogs. Whatever it is, there's something good for the soul to have mountains in your backyard.

[John Hopkins]

Six years ago, he and his wife decided to start a family. So they left California and moved back to the Midwest to be closer to Todd's parents. Todd took up his current posting as a district ranger for the Superior National Forest in Cook, Minnesota, where there are more dollar stores than mountains. He missed the California scenery, but he soon got used to the flat landscape of this part of the world. The pine trees, the lakes. He got used to the mosquitoes in the summer and to shoveling snow in the winter. Some things, however, Todd can't get used to, like the increasingly desk bound nature of his job.

[Todd Stefanik]

I had gone back to Minnesota because of the proximity to family, but I found myself for the first time in my career doing what I didn't want to do. I was sitting in a 8 by 8 cubicle writing NEPA documents for logging, essentially. So I would write these expansive documents about the adverse effects of what we're going to do. It wasn't about doing good things for the environment anymore. It was just they have a legal requirement to disclose the adverse effects of what we're going to do. So it was not the most enjoyable time in my career.

[John Hopkins]

This is what he swore would never happen, spending his nine to five chained to a desk. Then one day in early September, Todd's district supervisor calls him and his partner, Chris Kinney into his office. The supervisor explains that they're putting together a team of rangers to head out into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, a stretch of wilderness within the Superior National Forest. Popular with tourists, the team's job is to clear the trails, lakes and campsites of members of the public amid warnings of an advancing wildfire. Todd has heard reports of this place, dubbed the Pygami Creek Wildfire. It was sparked by a lightning strike a couple of weeks ago and has been burning ever since. Fueled by the hot, windy conditions and the countless acres of dry, brittle brush, attempts to contain the blaze have been unsuccessful. Hence the need to organize a public safety team.

[Todd Stefanik]

That's kind of why you jumped at opportunities to get back in the field and kind of how I found myself as a public safety crew member on this fire because they were calling for volunteers and I was like, please get me away from this desk. I'll go out on an eight day stint into the wilderness. Hell yeah.

[John Hopkins]

A few days later, on the morning of Saturday, September 10, Todd and Chris are driving to the Eastern Ranger District office in the town of Ely. There they will link up with the rest of their team before setting out on their eight day mission. Todd rolls down the window and breathes the fresh pine scented air. Even with the high winds, the fire is still several days west of their location. They probably won't even see it. On the back seat of the truck are backpacks loaded with gear and provisions. Everything they will need for eight days of honest work outdoors. Far far away from their desks. Todd smiles. This is more like it. Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. With the price of just about everything going up during inflation, we thought we'd bring our prices down. So to help us we brought in a reverse auctioneer which is apparently a.

[Naomi]

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[John Hopkins]

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[Andrea]

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[John Hopkins]

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[Todd Stefanik]

Then he told everyone how much he.

[John Hopkins]

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[Todd Stefanik]

My friends still laughing me to this day.

[Naomi]

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[John Hopkins]

Todd and Chris load equipment into their canoe. Beside them, the lake glints in the mid morning sun. Pine, fir and spruce trees crowd the banks. Flashes of autumnal red and orange appear among the evergreens, the changing leaves a reminder that despite the unseasonal warmth, fall is approaching after a long hot summer. As Chris and Todd climb into the canoe and push off, spirits are high.

[Todd Stefanik]

We thought we were just going for a fun eight day wilderness trip because that's what we were told to prepare for eight days. So we got, you know, supplies and camping and food for eight days in our canoe. So this was going to be fun. This is going to be a chance to see a part of the Superior National Forest.

[John Hopkins]

I've never been in the Boundary Waters Canoe area is a 1.1 million acre network of lakes, rivers and forest trails. Some of the region's thousands of lakes are connected by streams, others are divided by land, and canoeists must portage the gap that is carry their canoe between the water as part of the public safety crew. Todd And Chris have teamed up with six other rangers from various forest districts. The team has been split into pairs, each given a different assignment. Todd and Chris are tasked with paddling across an area of three lakes, simply called Lakes 1, 2 and 3, then leaving their canoe to hike south along the Pow Wow trail, advising any members of the public they meet to head north. It may seem a simple plan, but there are some red flags. Todd and Chris are being asked to cover a distance of 11 miles in less than a day. Meanwhile, the fire will be approaching from the west, potentially cutting off their route back to camp. Though Todd holds a forest service red card, proof of his basic wildfire training, neither he, Chris, nor anyone on the public safety crew is equipped to actively fight this blaze.

[Todd Stefanik]

But whatever, we're supposed to be so far ahead of the fire, it's irrelevant. Worst case scenario, we're four days away from the fire hitting Lake 3 anyway. So like, whatever, I'm just out here to go paddle in the wilderness and get some ot right. Don't think much of it.

[John Hopkins]

Todd and Chris paddle all morning. Occasionally they see members of the public in lakeside campsites. Elderly couples, families with kids, ordinary folk out enjoying the last warm days of summer. Todd and Chris call out from their canoe, advising them to pack up and make their way north. They reassure the public, repeating information provided by their supervisors that the fire is still some distance away to the west, that this is just a precaution. At one stage, Todd and Chris come ashore to portage between Lakes 1 and 2. As they're carrying their canoe through the trees, they become aware of some commotion further along the trail. Moments later, a team of fully kitted out firefighters jog past them. They're using hoses to douse the undergrowth in an attempt to prevent the spread of the blaze. Todd and Chris watch on with growing unease. The firefighters protective clothing and equipment contrasts starkly with their own simple canvas rangers uniforms, Let alone members of the public in casual holiday wear. Something doesn't seem right.

[Todd Stefanik]

I'm like, what in the hell is this? They're in full nomex wetting this portage down, you know, ready with tools and they know how to cope with the fire. While other just members of the public canoe in with grandma in shorts and flip flops. So more red flags are going off.

[John Hopkins]

Just how serious is this situation? The presence of these firefighters hints that the danger may be more immediate than they've been led to believe. Still, they press on, following the orders they've been given. Several hours later, Todd and Chris leave their canoe on the banks of Lake 3. They shoulder their packs and set off on foot down the powwow trail. The rangers only encounter a couple of hikers along the way, but they keep going, checking their watches periodically as they venture further south. Eventually, they decide they've gone far enough. It's mid afternoon. They need to leave themselves enough time to safely reach their designated campsite on the shore of Lake 3. They turn around and retrace their steps back up the trail. Several miles away to the west, a huge column of smoke is visible above the tree line. Todd keeps an eye on it. As long as they can still see this colossal plume of ash, they can track the fire's progress. But as the afternoon wears on, conditions change around them. A sepia haze tinges the sky. The breeze picks up, carrying with it a distinctive smell of wood smoke and burning leaves. When Todd looks up, he can no longer see the smoke column.

[Todd Stefanik]

And then it took 30 seconds, maybe, where it stopped blowing and it was dead calm. And then it started back up again. But the wind was going in the opposite direction from east to west. And having some experience with fire in my earlier days, I knew what that meant. That is the fire sucking in oxygen. It's an indraft. And that means you're too damn close to the fire. And not just too damn close. We were on the wrong side of the fire.

[John Hopkins]

Todd and Chris pick up the pace, each stride injected with new urgency. They decide to radio across to the ic, the incident command station, to ask for an update on the location and status of the fire. No dice. They're too far south, out of range of the IC repeater. With no other option, Todd switches to the Fernberg repeater, the main radio tower designated for firefighting crews. This time, he does get through, but he doesn't receive the guidance he's looking for.

[Todd Stefanik]

Instead of them being useful and helpful in giving us an update on the fire, they told us to get off the Fernberg repeater, which I just couldn't understand for the life of me. I was incensed. I tried to take the radio away from my partner and read him the right act. He wouldn't let me have the radio. But I've had some early years in fire and that's. You don't do that. You don't abandon your folks in the vehicle.

[John Hopkins]

Emergencies like this require cooperation and communication. Right now, they're receiving neither. Still, Todd can't afford to lose his cool. He must remain calm and focused. The fire is closing in fast now, gaining ground.

[Todd Stefanik]

So from that point on, back to where we were double timing it and even, you know, running at times, running to maybe slow down, catch your breath and run some more. And until we got back to Lake 3 and met up with the other team that had gone in the other direction down the pow wow trail. And they brought more bad news.

[John Hopkins]

Apparently there are tourists camped on the shore of Horseshoe Lake a couple of kilometers east of their current location, right in the path of the advancing fire. As one of the strongest paddlers in the team, Todd and another ranger, Tom, rush over to Horseshoe Lake where they canoe out to the campers who are oblivious to the impending danger.

[Todd Stefanik]

Me and Tom basically paddled out around to where these campers were and they were in no big hurry. And I told them, I said, we gotta go, the fire is coming. And the woman, she says, yeah, we're just packing up and I'm gonna filter water and then we'll go. And that's when the pleasant ranger disappeared. And I said, no, you don't understand. You grab your stuff, get in your canoe. You're following us now.

[John Hopkins]

For the rest of the afternoon, Todd and his fellow rangers patrolled the lake and surrounding trails. By sundown, they returned to the north shore of Lake three With a body of water separating them from the fire, this should be a safe place to camp. They set up their tents and hunker down for the night, exhausted after a long, difficult day. As Todd lies in his sleeping bag, the wind whistling through the trees, he broods on the day's events. A combination of flawed planning and poor communication left them vulnerable out there in the forest, cut off from radio contact with incident command. Fortunately, nobody was hurt. But this fire appears to be developing at a far greater rate than they had been led to believe. And if today's events are anything to go by, there are surely more difficult days ahead.

[Todd Stefanik]

This wasn't a one day, oh, everything hit the fan event. This thing was just a recipe for disaster from day one.

[Naomi]

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[John Hopkins]

It's Monday morning. Todd and Chris paddle east in their canoe. Weak sunlight trickles down through the sooty yellow haze. It's the start of Todd's third day in the forest. Yesterday, he and his fellow rangers continued patrolling the lakes and trails, successfully evacuating over 80 people from harm's way. But with the wind continuously switching direction and changing speed, monitoring the progress of the fire has been extremely difficult.

[Todd Stefanik]

Sometimes we have to visit people two and three times and they're like, where do you want us to go? You've moved us from there to this side of the lake. Now you want us to go to.

[John Hopkins]

The other lake now the incident command has relayed a new directive. The plan has changed. Instead of merely relocating the public, they are now enforcing hard closures, instructing everyone to leave the forest and head back to their vehicles. Right now, Todd and Chris are paddling to Lake Insula, one of the largest lakes in the area, where they will join fellow rangers Nancy and Andrea. Together, the team will work to clear the lake, making sure it's fully evacuated and closed off to the public. According to new reports, the fire is a couple of days away, burning steadily to the west. Soon, Todd and Chris reach a narrow spit of land separating Hudson Lake from Lake Insula. They see Nancy and Andrea's canoe on the bank. They must have set off to investigate the area on foot. Todd and Chris begin down the trail, carrying their canoe over their heads. After a short walk, they reach the shore of Lake Insula, where Nancy and Andrea are waiting for them. They stop to discuss next steps.

[Todd Stefanik]

And that is when things start to really go south. Because as we're standing there talking, the sky gets yellow at first, then orange and starts to darken. And then I hear it. I hear the fire. And I said, we shouldn't be hearing the fire. We should be days ahead of the fire. This is not good.

[John Hopkins]

A sense of disbelief breaks out among the rangers. Could that really be the fire they're hearing? It's supposed to be days away. But Todd trusts his gut.

[Todd Stefanik]

And I'm like, no, guys that I know what the fire sounds like. That's the fire. And I made some smart ass comment like, do you think the forest just got A new waterfall. That is the fire. You two need to return across the portage and get your canoe, and we need to get the heck out of here.

[John Hopkins]

Eventually, Todd gets his message across. They quickly formulate a plan. While Nancy and Andrea fetch their canoe, Chris will head to a patch of elevated ground to try and get some radio signal. They need an update on the fire's location. Todd, meanwhile, will sit tight and wait with their canoe. The other three run off, leaving Todd alone. Surveying their surroundings, he can spot a potential problem. To reach open water from this bank, they will first need to navigate a long, narrow channel. If the fire catches up with them while they're still paddling down this stretch of water, they won't stand a chance.

[Todd Stefanik]

You can duck under the water all you want. Eventually, you gotta come up and take a breath, and then you're gonna be breathing in superheated gases, and it will fry your lungs, and that's game over. So I'm sitting there waiting, and it's taking forever. The longest moments of my life felt like hours.

[John Hopkins]

Thick smog blots out the sun, casting an eerie twilight over the area. The stiff, easterly wind carries the sharp smell of burning leaves and scorched timber. Todd taps his foot and peers down the trail. Where are they?

[Todd Stefanik]

Conditions got bad. The fire was loud and getting louder. Orange, dark, smoky. And eventually, after those longest minutes of my life, they returned. And we got in and we pushed the heck off and started paddling for our lives.

[John Hopkins]

Todd, Chris, Andrea, and Nancy push off from the shore, gliding swiftly through the narrow channel. In the space of just a few moments, the situation has gone from code orange to code red. Their focus has shifted now from protecting the public to saving themselves. With the fire closing in, Todd and the others paddle frantically racing through the narrow waterway toward the relative safety of the open lake. Over their shoulders, flames hungrily devour the dense brush that lines the banks. The heat sears the backs of the rangers as they struggle forward.

[Todd Stefanik]

We have quite a ways to go through this narrow channel before it gets to anything that I would consider survivable. It's several hundred yards until we can sort of turn right, turn east into the more larger part of Lake Insula, which we thought is where we were going to be safe.

[John Hopkins]

The muscles in Todd's arms burn as he paddles aggressively. It feels like any moment, the fire may swallow them in this claustrophobic alleyway of water. Eventually, blistered and breathless, they sail through the mouth of the channel and into the open water of the lake. But as they leave the shelter, of the trees behind. The wind intensifies.

[Todd Stefanik]

Unfortunately, we hit that larger open water and realize we can't hardly even control our canoes. We're facing 40, 50 mile an hour fire generated winds.

[John Hopkins]

Waves crash across the bows of their canoes like they've just landed in the middle of the Pacific. Just keeping their vessels straight is becoming a backbreaking challenge. Todd glances over his right shoulder. The southern edge of the lake is engulfed in fire. A solid wall of heat and smoke. Burning embers streak through the air like tracer bullets. Flames fueled by the fierce wind leap effortlessly from one island to the next, jumping water channels with alarming speed.

[Todd Stefanik]

The south shore of Insula now is just orange, and we're getting pelted with firebrands like hear them clicking off my helmet. I can hear them hitting alongside the boat or in the boat which has been taking water over the bow.

[John Hopkins]

Smoke pours across the lake, making it increasingly difficult to see. Suddenly, Chris's radio crackles. It's another pair of rangers from the public safety team, Naomi and Nancy, A second Nancy. They've been patrolling the southern portion of Lake Insula all morning. And now, like Todd and the others, trying to reach the middle of the lake. Fighting against the wind and the waves, Todd scours the opaque smoke, trying to get eyes on Naomi and Nancy. This situation is rapidly spiraling out of control. They'll all be safer if they stick together.

[Todd Stefanik]

And at one point, the light, the smoke lifted. We could see across the lake to the east and we saw a canoe and the yellow shirt of one of them. So, oh, we know where they are. And then it went black again. We lost them. And we heard on the radio that they've got their boots off and they're going in the lake.

[John Hopkins]

The lake is supposed to be a safe haven. It's one of the first lessons you learned during wildfire training here in the superior national forest that no matter how bad the situation gets on land, you can always reach safety by paddling to the center of the lake. But this fire is torching the rulebook. Its unprecedented size and speed have rendered every strategy, every procedure redundant.

[Todd Stefanik]

That was probably the peak of my fear for my life Because I'm like, that was the moment that it was like, oh, it is that bad. This isn't just us and we're not overreacting. It really is that bad.

[John Hopkins]

Todd and Chris struggle on, trying to stick close to Andrea and Nancy, but the thick smoke makes navigating near impossible.

[Todd Stefanik]

At this point. It got black. And I mean black. This isn't like we went outside at one in the morning. I mean, nothing. I never experienced black like this before. I reached around, get in my pack and get my headlamp and realize I can't see Chris in the back of my canoe. That's how black it is.

[John Hopkins]

Tears stream from his eyes as he squints into the darkness. Nancy and Andrea know these lakes better than Todd and Chris do. They need to stick with them. But through all this acrid smog, Todd can barely see his own hand in front of his face. And then up ahead in the distance, he spots a tiny, dim light. Andrea's head torch.

[Todd Stefanik]

Andrea became my hero because she had a brilliant idea. She took her headlamp and she spun it around to face backwards, and that gave us this little dot of white in the distance. They'll follow. And then we just started paddling for all we were worth. Towards that dot.

[John Hopkins]

Todd and Chris heave their way to Nancy and Andrea's canoe. As they pull up alongside them, a sudden gap in the smoke reveals an island a short distance away. It's a small, rocky outcrop with very little vegetation for a fire to feed on. Over the roar of the wind and the flames, the four rangers confer. Should they continue trying to evade the fire on the lake or try their luck on the island?

[Todd Stefanik]

Trying to outrun this thing isn't happening. So making a stand on an island seemed, I mean, you can't say unanimous because we couldn't hardly talk to each other over the noise of the fire, but was a consensus, I guess nobody was like, oh, we should get in the canoes and keep going. It was like, this is as good as it's gonna get.

[John Hopkins]

The island seems like the lesser of the two evils. And so the four rangers paddle towards it and drag their canoes onto the shingle beach. It turns out conditions are no better here than on the water. The air is thick with swirling embers, whipping around like a f fiery blizzard. The wind howls with such force that staying on their feet is nearly impossible. But at least they can stick together here. The rangers drop to their knees and cover their mouths with their hands. Their voices barely carrying above the gale, they have now reached a critical juncture. One piece of mandatory equipment that all the rangers are carrying is a fire shelter. A tent like structure made of aluminum foil designed to withstand temperatures of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit for up to a minute. For Todd and his fellow rangers, choosing when to deploy their fire shelters is a delicate matter.

[Todd Stefanik]

There used to be a stigma associated with deploying fire shelter, especially if it turned out you didn't need to. And they're trying to get. They have been for years, decades, probably trying to get away from there, being that stigma and just view it as a tool. It's another tool. And why the hell wouldn't you use every tool in your arsenal?

[John Hopkins]

Still, the other rangers don't look convinced. There is indeed a stigma surrounding the deployment of fire shelters. It's seen as a last resort, and deploying too early indicates poor judgment and overreaction, even negligence. But Todd is insistent.

[Todd Stefanik]

And I looked around at everybody's and I said, wait a minute, guys. This is where we've decided to make our stand, right? We're all on our knees right now. Why? Because it's hard to stand. This wind will knock you over. Do you want to wait till the winds are 80 miles an hour to try to get in these things? And then there was like a consensus, nodding heads, looking at me going, yeah, that's pretty smart. We should maybe get in these things.

[John Hopkins]

As the spare brush on the island burns, the air heats up around them. Soon, breathing will become deadly. As their scorched windpipes begin to blister and swell, the rangers erect their fire shelters and crawl in. The relief is instantaneous. The protection from the fumes and the superheated air allows Todd to breathe and calm his nerves. From inside his aluminum foil cocoon, you can hear Chris sending out an emergency radio message.

[Todd Stefanik]

Chris is the one person who had an extended antenna. The rest of us just had regular antennas on our radios. But he thought, well, he'll send out one message here just in case. He said a message to the effect that, this is who we are. We're public safety crew, and we are on Lake Insula and we have deployed fire shelters.

[John Hopkins]

It's 45 minutes later. Todd lies flat on the ground. Occasionally, he calls out words of encouragement to the other rangers. Their voices drift back, muffled and distorted, but resolute. Gradually, the roar of the inferno fades. With no more fuel to feed upon, the flames dwindle and die. Tentatively, Todd lifts the flap and peers outside. The air is still thick with smoky haze, but through the fog, Todd can make out the scorched remains of the forest, the towering pines reduced to splintered, blackened stumps. After emerging from their shelters, conversation immediately turns to Nancy and Naomi, the two rangers who abandoned their canoe in the lake.

[Todd Stefanik]

Chris really wanted to jump in a canoe and go look for Nancy and Naomi. And I was, like, holding this shirt back saying, no, no, no. Look at these white caps. It's still not safe. And I didn't voice it, I didn't want to voice it but really my argument was, Chris, you're not looking for our friends. This is a body recovery operation. At this point. You'd not go out there and risk another life.

[John Hopkins]

Though he isn't explicit, Todd manages to get his point across. It's still too windy to risk paddling back out onto the lake. The water is still too wild. They need to wait for conditions to calm down. In the meantime, they start shouting from the island, calling out their colleagues names. Their voices echo across the water, swallowed by the gales. There is a stomach twisting silence before.

[Todd Stefanik]

Lo and behold, we heard yells back. So we knew somebody's alive.

[John Hopkins]

As soon as it's safe, they paddle out and bring Nancy and Naomi back to the island. The exhausted, bedraggled pair recount their harrowing ordeal. After bailing from their canoe, the two rangers attempted to escape the intense heat by treading water in their life jackets. They even deployed their fire shelters in the lake. A desperate, unprecedented move. But the wind kept blowing the aluminum foil lining across their mouths, threatening to suffocate them. This, combined with the discomfort of being submerged in cold water, forced them into another bold decision. They swam for shore, deciding to take their chances on a narrow spit of rocks. With trees surrounding the rocks. The outcome could have been disastrous were it not for an extraordinary stroke of luck.

[Todd Stefanik]

One of the most shocking, miraculous things from this whole incident is that if you look at a map of the burn scar after the fire, there is no green on that map, save for 10 or 20 trees right next to that spit of rocks where they fetched up. For some reason that little piece, it didn't burn to the water's edge. I'll never know why. But that's where they landed and that's what they survived.

[John Hopkins]

It's about an hour later. Todd sits in his canoe paddling across the south shore of Lake Insula. He and Chris are on their way back to gather up some of the gear abandoned by Nancy and Naomi. The forest is entirely silent. Normally this place is alive with birdsong, but not today. As their canoe glides over the now calm water, Todd and Chris come across a macabre spectacle.

[Todd Stefanik]

When we went to try to recover gear, I remember seeing the dead birds lapping up against the shore. The birds that couldn't escape. That's how fast the fire was going. Chris and Naomi both recount just before it got super dark. They both recount seeing bats in the sky. So the bats too were Trying to escape when the heat and smoke got too much. All the trees along the shore when we were trying to pick up gear, they're all laid flat pointing east. So the fire burned them up and the winds just knocked them all over. So every tree in the forest was pointing east. Was kind of surreal.

[John Hopkins]

Todd and Chris float through this apocalyptic terrain. After recovering the gear, they return to their island, where they and the four other rangers set up camp for the night. By now, the public safety team has managed to make contact with their supervisor, who has offered to dispatch a float plane to pick them up and bring them back to civilization. But the rangers refused. They should use the plane to scour the forest for stranded civilians. They'll manage for one more night. As evening falls, the group uses the few scraps of unburnt foliage to light a campfire. Todd reaches into his backpack and pulls out a bottle of Rumor. He had intended the booze to last them the full eight days, but by the time the campfire is burnt out several hours later, the bottle's empty.

[Todd Stefanik]

I think it was therapeutic. We sat around the fire. Nobody really wanted to go to sleep. We were running on pure adrenaline still, right. And we just talked, went through all the course of events that had happened since we put in that day. And then it just turned into a laughing, joking session around the fire till people were tired enough to crawling tents.

[Nancy]

Thank you. I couldn't have completed this project without a little extra coffee. And since I brush with Colgate's pro series toothpaste with an expert level whitening for a vibrant glow, I could show up to set each day. Camera ready and smiling wide.

[Naomi]

Well, Kelly, looks like a little Colgate gave you a lot of confidence.

[Nancy]

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[Chris Kinney]

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[John Hopkins]

It's the following morning. Todd and his five fellow rangers stand on the shoreline, watching the float planes skim across the surface of the lake. Todd pushes his spectacles up to the bridge of his nose. After the chaos of the past few days, he has plenty of choice words for the people in charge of this wildfire response. However, when they reach the district office, the tone struck by those in charge is anything but apologetic.

[Todd Stefanik]

We were picked up by the float plane and flown back to ely, the hangar there at ely, where we were then put up upstairs above the hangar for sort of a debriefing. And unfortunately, a debriefing and a finger pointing session. The people in charge blame us for doing something wrong Instead of like, you know, hey, does anybody need to go get looked at at the clinic? How you feeling? You know, how's your breathing? Anybody have any injuries? No, it was more of a, we really effed up, and we're worried the hammer's gonna come down on us. So, yeah, it was kind of ugly.

[John Hopkins]

This all sets the tone for the official incident report, which will, in Todd's view, omit several key details about how this response was managed from the start. Despite that, Todd doesn't want to apportion blame. When dealing with a wildfire of unparalleled proportions, it's inevitable that mistakes will occur.

[Todd Stefanik]

This was an unprecedented fire event as the biggest, fastest moving fire in recorded Minnesota history. Okay, so it went from 11,000 acres at around noon that day to 89,000 acres by that afternoon. I could tell you that everybody in a position of management was gone within three months. There was a little bit of fallout, but it was mostly moved people around.

[John Hopkins]

Still, there are some silver linings. Following the pygami creek wildfire, Various insights from todd and the other rangers experiences Were used to shape a new and improved wildfire response protocol.

[Todd Stefanik]

They don't operate public safety as this special different unit anymore that reports to somebody back in the office. They now are part of the fire organization and report to whoever, you know, the section chief of whatever section of the fire they're in. Those are all good things that they learned from this incident.

[John Hopkins]

As for Todd, he didn't stick around in the forest service for much longer. In fact, on the very same day that they were picked up and flown out from lake insula, he returned to his desk to find an answer phone message waiting for him.

[Todd Stefanik]

When I got back to my office later that day, evening, still sooty and in my fire clothes, There was a message on my phone Requesting an interview for this place, craters of the moon. And I applied for a lot of places out west. And I literally was going, craters of the what? What did I apply for? And I called the guy back, said, can I, like, have a weekend Or a few days before we schedule an interview? Because I don't know if I told him or not, But I was like, I'm not ready to talk about anything. Just went through something pretty traumatic. But following a week, I had that interview and I took the job. Like, get me the hell out of here.

[John Hopkins]

Within a few weeks, Todd and his family had left Minnesota and moved back out West. These days he's a wildlife biologist at the Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in Idaho. He still spends some time sitting behind a desk, but at least when he looks through his office window now, he can see mountains.

[Todd Stefanik]

I live a mile away from a gorgeous mountain range, Lost River Range, the highest peak in Idaho is on that range. I can see King mountain, which is 10,600 foot, you know, right out my back window. This place is pretty special.

[John Hopkins]

Next time on real survival stories, we meet elite fighter pilot Captain Brian Udell. The 31 year old is an aeronautical expert at the top of his game. But during a high speed training exercise over the Atlantic Ocean, Brian's F15 fighter jet suffers a major malfunction and he is forced to eject while traveling at 800 miles an hour faster than the speed of sound. It's never been done before for very good reason.

[Todd Stefanik]

Here we are at 700, roughly 780 knots supersonic. All of this equipment is only tested up to 600 knots because they don't feel that you're going to survive past that physically survive. What happens when you eject supersonic. I felt like I'd been hit by a freight train.

[John Hopkins]

That's next time on REAL SURVIVAL stories. Listen today without waiting a week by subscribing to Noiser Plus.

[Naomi]

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[Andrea]

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