when fires are that big
you dont put them out with a firetruck
firebreaks and backfires
most all of the thousands of men fighting the fire are using bulldozers chainsaws and shovels not water
find a road make the natural firebreak bigger
most backfires are carefully controlled
these fires are big and out of control
they might be moving so fast no one can stay on the ground in front of them
i think some of this is just trying anything to get a firebreak started anywhere
and a road would be a place to start
when the fire is 50 square miles and going trough towns you just do what you can
firefighters trying to get a backfire starting at that road