RIP D. Douglas Dent

[beaker]

http://wildfiretoday.com/2012/03/23/d-douglas-dent-rip/

Following the passing of Doug Erskine on Wednesday, another icon in the world of wildland fire has died. D. Douglas Dent succumbed to a stroke Thursday night.

Mr. Dent was not a firefighter, but taught hundreds of them how to safely fall, limb, and buck trees. He instructed classes in person, many of them in California, and produced a series of 11 instructional videos. The videos were very well done, but expensive at $260 each. However he was THE expert on the subject and deserved to be compensated for his expertise. Below is an excerpt from an email that was sent today to a mailing list of scores of people within the U.S. Forest Service:

====================================================

“…Doug was employed in Region 5 during 1987 by Rusty Witwer to help us develop our chainsaw program. Doug continued to be committed to us till this day, Doug was scheduled for a certification next month on the San Bernardino. Our current chainsaw program, procedures and policy were all developed with Doug’s help. Doug often told me how much it meant to him have the opportunity to pass on his knowledge to the Forest Service employees. Doug did not need to provide the training he gave us for money, he did it because he felt obligated to. He felt he was giving back the talent God gave him. Doug was committed to our safety. I saw it time and time again as he would stand under a tree with our employees holding onto their belt to make sure they would not get away from him by escaping the wrong direction. I witnessed many times when Doug would wrestle someone to a safety zone, my fondest memory of this was a course on the San Bernardino when he pinned a man twice his weight and size behind a tree (the safety zone) until it was safe to leave that refuge…”

If this was already posted, I apologize, I didn't see it.

-mike

 

[CurSedVoyce]

OH MAN!

Bet that is hitting Burnam hard. What a loss

 

[MasterBlaster]

We've all gotta go sometimes and he wasn't no spring chicken.

Rest in Peace, Mr Dent!

 

[Tucker943]

May his lessons, knowledge, and wisdom carry on........

 

[rbtree]

RIP, Mr Dent. I have learned much from your book! And conversations here about you and your methods of work and teaching.

 

[sawinredneck]

WOW! What a terrible loss! There will never be another one of him for sure!

 

[woodworkingboy]

The axe fell. RIP.

 

[pete mctree]

R.I.P

 

[chris_girard]

Very sad to read this, he was an icon and a great mentor.

 

[pantheraba]

I got his book because of the TreeHouse folks here recommending it so highly...and really enjoyed Burnham's stories about training with him. Mr. Dent cast a large shadow, much larger than he probably knew. My thanks to Burnham for introducing Mr. Dent to me via Den'ts book and Burnham's posts.

 

[Old Monkey]

Every year the Forest Service sends young men in their late teens and early twenties out into the forest with chainsaw in their hands. At age 45, that seems to me now a recipe for disaster. That isn't, is thanks in large part to Dent and his protégés like Burnham. I know I owe Dent for my saw skills and that I and all my swampers still have all our parts. I never met Dent but saw his vids to the point where I knew them word for word. He seemed a fiery guy who was larger than life despite his stature. Thanks Mr. Dent.

 

[stig]

Mr. Dent cast a large shadow, much larger than he probably knew.

Yup.

It reaches all the way over here!

I have his book as well.

 

[squisher]

RIP Mr. Dent.

I've always thuroughly enjoyed the stories of him passed on through Burnham, and his book is a must read for anyone who really considers cutting a craft and not just a means to an end.

 

[Paul B]

RIP Mr Dent.

 

[Burnham]

Wow...this thread is the first word I got on this sad event. I caught a bug somewhere and stayed in the house yesterday, went to bed early...still puny and just logged on a few minutes ago to a kind condolence via pm from Tucker/Chris, so I knew something bad had gone down.

Right now I'm actually thinking that it's a blessing the stroke he suffered took him outright. I cannot imagine a worst fate for a man like him than to be struck low and live on in a severly reduced capacity.

Memories are flooding through...

 

[Husabud]

R.I.P.

My thoughts are with you Burnham. It is hard to loose a good friend and mentor. Enjoy all those memories.

 

[Burnham]

Y'all are very kind in your expressions of sympathy, but in truth it would be a stretch to say he and I were friends. A respected instructor for sure, one without whom I'd not have anything like the skills I do today. I know I had earned his respect, too...that is no small thing in how I view myself.

They broke the mold when they cast D. Douglas Dent.

 

[Jed]

Do you know how old he was B?

 

[Burnham]

Best I can figure, no more than mid-sixties. I know he was about 23 when he wrote Procedural Approach, which was about 1974 if I have it right. Which in itself is amazing.

He was always an impressive physical specimen, for a fairly small-statured man.

 

[Jed]

Yeah, kinda sad to see someone so "physically fit" go so soon, but that's the way of things isn't it?

 

[Burnham]

Trips down memory lane...links to a couple of Dent training threads, if you're so inclined. Some of the newer members may not have seen them.

https://www.masterblasterhome.com/showthread.php?6902-Felling-with-D-Douglas-Dent

https://www.masterblasterhome.com/showthread.php?12488-Another-training-recert-with-D-Douglas-Dent

 

[woodworkingboy]

Thanks for the links.

To your knowledge, was he still actively working, Burnham?

 

[Burnham]

Oh, yes. He was scheduled to do C sawyer cert courses for the FS this spring.

 

[SkwerI]

Who might the Forestry Service find to replace him overseeing these cert courses?

 

[Burnham]

I was wondering the same thing, Brian. I have no idea.