Jerry Wheeless, fuels specialist for the Bureau of Land Management's Eagle Lake Field Office, has been named a "firefighter of the year" by the Lassen County unit of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Wheeless was recognized along with firefighters and law enforcement officers from numerous agencies during an awards banquet held earlier this month in Susanville.

As fuels specialist, Wheeless works closely with the BLM fire staff and natural resources specialists on projects to reduce hazardous fuels and to improve vegetation conditions. The work provides fire safety for communities, and improves land health

Top Photo: Jerry Wheeless, right, fuels specialist for the Eagle Lake Field Office, receives his "firefighter of the year" award from Field Manager Dayne Barron. The award was from the Lassen County unit of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Wheeless has been with the BLM since 1995, when he went to work as a fire fighter at Salt Wells in the California Desert District. He spent five years with the Diamond Mountain Hotshot Crew before becoming fuels specialist for the Eagle Lake FO. Prior to joining the BLM, he was a municipal firefighter with the City of Taft in Fresno County.

Photo below: Eagle Lake FO Fuels Specialist Jerry Wheeless, right, explains the benefits of a the Stones-Bengard juniper reduction project to Assistant Interior Secretary Rebecca Watson, left, during her September visit. Listening, from left, are Eagle Lake FO Assistant Field Manager Don Holmstrom, Dave Allen of Honey Lake Power, California State Sen. Rico Oller, Eagle Lake FO Fire Prevention Officer Karl Todd, and Northeast California Resource Advisory Council member Martin Balding.

News.bytes, issue 184

11/23/04