Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Fort Liard (Aug 24/01) - Goodbye hoses and towers. After more than three decades of fighting forest fires, Sam Timbre is getting out of the business.

The forest fire crews in Fort Liard were relieved of their seasonal duties on Friday, meaning it was his last day on the job.

Asked what he'll do with himself next summer, he simply replied, "I'll visit."

"We won't put him to work," crew boss Jimmy Deneron promised. "I've been working with Sammy since 91. He's a good guy to work with. We're going to miss him."

Timbre got his start 35 years ago, in 1966, working for $1.99 an hour staffing a seven-metre fire tower located on a mountainside nearly 10 kilometres from the community. While on site, he would hunker down in a tiny cabin each night, leaving the area only during a rainy spell or to pick up supplies. Working by himself -- regularly calling in weather reports, fire observations and lightning strikes by radio -- he doesn't recall feeling lonely.

"He said he kept himself entertained with the binoculars," translator Peter Bertrand said, smiling. "He got used to being alone. He had trapped alone (before)."

After five summers in the tower, Timbre switched to firefighting duties in 1971. He can recall being sent to Fort Good Hope on a couple of occasions to combat wildfires there. One time, he and his fellow firefighters set up pumps in a nearby lake. They unfurled their hoses, but were stopped dead in their tracks when the wind shifted and the fire came straight back at them. They had to scramble to get away with their lives, leaving the equipment behind, he said.

Things weren't nearly so frantic at a retirement party held in Timbre's honour a few weeks ago. His colleagues gave him a new weed whacker as a retirement gift because he's known for manicuring the lawn frequently.

RWED presented him with a plaque and a knife. In addition, RWED staff Ross Hagen, Kevin McLelland, Peter Bertrand and Andrew Loosley generously helped with the cooking duties.

Because nothing was burnt on the barbecue, Timbre wasn't pressed into service one last time.