# Ebikes for Wildland Firefighting?



## andytiedye (Jul 26, 2014)

Are firefighters using ebikes to fight wildland fires? They can go a lot of places that trucks can't, and get there a lot faster than walking speed.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Hard to say. Probably driving the trucks along the gravel routes as much as possible. Might be using helicopters when needed. If I were a firefighter, the last thing I would do is wear all of my firefighting gear and pedal a bike. They carry a lot of gear with them.


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## Bspark (Sep 17, 2020)

Some asshole would prolly yell at him for having an ebike. “Cheater”


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## Flyer (Jan 25, 2004)

Better off using ATVs for all the gear they need. Good idea for many uses though.


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## Saw (Mar 24, 2012)

I’ve been thinking the same thing. I once had to walk up and down a steep hand line with a 5 gallon bladder, put out stump fires near the line and go back to refill with water (40lbs). It would have been a lot faster with a 2x2 fat e bike or ROKON than on foot. An ATV would not have been able to make the trip. Besides, I should have been able to carry twice or three times the water.


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## SteveLCOS (Sep 2, 2020)

I spent a few of my younger years doing wildland firefighting, and the I can't see trying to manage an ebike on a steep slope with burning duff while carrying your gearpack/shelter, a hand tool, helmet, and whatever else you need. Way more likely to have crashes and injury's with all the extra weight. ATV's are useful for transporting people and equipment, helicopters too. Once on the ground, hiking is the way - and sometimes it's pretty rough going for hiking! Building line is done with hand tools and saws - bikes would be in the way.


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## sooslow (Dec 14, 2017)

As a retired FF I have to say that would not work as one has a lot of PPE and gear, and as others have mentioned the terrain is too rugged sometimes to even hike.


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