As I write this it is cloudy with rain forecast today. I do not know if the NJ Forest Fire Service is conducting any prescribed burns today, March 31st. Perhaps not.
But I do know that the NJ Forest Fire Service conducted prescribed burns yesterday, March 30th, in all three divisions in New Jersey: North, Central, and South. See the NJ Forest Fire Service Facebook post (embedded below) for more information.
Today, March 29th, is National Vietnam War Veterans Day. I came of age during the Vietnam War. Some of my older high school classmates were drafted to serve in Vietnam. Many fine young men served in Vietnam, many died and others are still living with the effects of their service. So, I am pausing today to offer my remembrances and gratitude to all Vietnam Veterans for your service. I thank-you from the bottom of my heart. For more information on Vietnam Veterans go to Vietnam Veterans of America.
Direct link to video uploaded by The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration
As I write this it is raining over much of New Jersey so if the New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) had prescribed (Rx) burns on the schedule for today, then I expect that these Rx burns have been postponed. As I have said in other posts on the NJFFS late winter and spring prescribed burning season, I have no special information on these Rx burns, I rely on the NJFFS Facebook page for my information. Before I get to yesterday's prescribed burns, I want to say how very proud I am of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service's prescribed burning program, to read more about the NJFFS prescribed burning program go my March 5th post. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service conducted its first prescribed burn in 1928 (go here for more information). Even if they skipped some years in the 1930s due to the Great Depression or in the early 1940s during World War II, that is a lot of years. I am very proud of the NJFFS prescribed burning program, helping to reduce wildfire risk. I certainly feel safer knowing that there are prescribed burns in my state, in northern New Jersey where I live and across the State. You are setting an example that I hope other States in the U.S. as well as other countries can follow. Keep up the good work.
As for prescribed burns on March 23rd, enjoy this short report from News12 NJ that the NJ Forest Fire Service shared on their Facebook page (embedded below). You will learn about some high school students who are learning about the benefits of prescribed burns through in person observation.
On March 23rd, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service conducted prescribed burns in the following locations (see this March 23rd NJFFS Facebook Post)
DIVISION A (northern NJ)
Hunterdon County
Morris County
Sussex County
DIVISION B (central NJ)
Ocean County
When I went to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) Facebook page this morning, I noted that there was prescribed burning in southern New Jersey on March 20th and 21st. Today (March 22nd) the NJFFS is conducted prescribed burns in southern New Jersey (Division C) and northern New Jersey (Division A). As always these schedules are weather dependent. I do believe that these prescribed burns are happening beyond the normal prescribed burning season that ended on March 15th, but I have no specific information. As you can see, I rely on the NJFFS Facebook page for my information.
March 20th and 21st
Division C - Cumberland County
March 22nd
DIVISON A
DIVISION C
Sadly, an investigation wildfire that burned in Lakewood and adjoining Brick Township in Ocean County NJ on March 14 to 15 was set intentionally. See this March 19th article from NJ Advance Media and this press release (Facebook) from the Ocean County Prosecutor's office for more information.
While I was focusing early this week on the brush fire that burned 167 acres in Lakewood NJ (see for example my late afternoon article on March 15th), I was aware that there were many smaller brush fire in New Jersey last week. As I write this on March 19th, it seems that the New Jersey Forest Fire Service is in the process of updating their website. They are pretty good at statistics, so I am sure that in a few weeks, they will have fire statistics on their website. News reports on other brush fire activity is scarce but I did save a link to a New Jersey Advance Media report from March 15th on multiple brush fires in New Jersey. I did see, but failed to save reports about multiple brush fires in New Jersey last week. So, you'll have to trust me. I write this to give a shout out to all the New Jersey Forest Fire Service wildland firefighters, mutual aid responders, and contract aircraft who worked brush fires large and small. Thank-you for your past service and for your service in the coming weeks and months to keep us in New Jersey safe from wildfires. The spring wildfire season in New Jersey is or soon will be upon us here in New Jersey. Who knows what this spring wildfire season will bring. But we in New Jersey are in good hands.
When the New Jersey Forest Fire Service finishes updating their website, I will write about on this blog, so stay tuned.
I am so very proud of all the NJFFS firefighters, municipal aid firefighters, and contract aircraft for an absolutely great job containing this fire in 24 hours during Red Flag conditions. You honor us with your service so that we may be as safe as possible from wildfires. I spent an hour watching footage of you fighting the fire and saving homes and have read media reports of residents thanking you for saving their houses. It could have been a lot worse. I want to give a special shout out to the US National Weather Service Philadelphia/Mount Holly for your forecasts, you gave plenty of warning about the fire danger ensuring that firefighters knew what to expect.
You might be interested in two recent articles from New Jersey Advance Media :
Here is a nice video from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, just under three minutes, about the brush fire that burned in Lakewood and Brick Township (Ocean County, NJ) on March 14-15. Greg McLaughlin, Chief of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service summarizes the recent brush fire. For those who are interested, I wrote three posts about this brush fire: March 14th, and two on March 15th (one in the morning and the second late afternoon).
Direct link to New Jersey Forest Fire Facebook post (I hope that this link works for you)
The U.S. NWS Incident Meteorlogists are getting ready for the 2021 wildfire season. There annual continuity of excellence exercise is being done virtually this year. Training continues year round but their annual get together is an important part of their preparations for the wildfire season. IMETs save lives!
Nearly 80 Incident Meteorologists & around 30 Trainees are training virtually this week for the IMET Continuity of Excellence Exercise! Although training continues year round, this is our time to get together as a group and prepare for the fire year. pic.twitter.com/9q74H9RZWv
— NWS IMET Operations (@NWS_IMET_OPS) March 15, 2021
At 5 PM the New Jersey Forest Fire Service released the following statement on their Facebook page, the statement may be found here.
WILDFIRE UPDATE - LAKEWOOD, NJ - 5:00 P.M.
As of 2 p.m. today, the Lakewood area wildfire is at 167 acres and has reached 100 percent containment. Cold temperatures overnight aided fire suppression efforts. The fire will continue to smolder in interior areas east of the Garden State Parkway, south of Cedar Bridge Avenue, and north of Route 70. Patrol and mop-up activities will continue through the remainder of the day and into the evening. All roadways in the vicinity of the fire are open.
The fire's cause is under investigation.
A New Jersey Forest Fire Service firefighter remains in critical condition at a nearby hospital. (obtained on March 15, 2021, 6:55 PM from https://www.facebook.com/NJForestFireService/posts/793660281256590)
Residents in Brick Township New Jersey where 29 homes were damaged by the fire, but not significantly, spoke to the Asbury Park Press on March 15:
Firefighters quickly extinguished the flames consuming the exterior of Verlingo's home. Police officers told him it was the first house fire called in to 911, he said.
"That's why they were able to knock it down so fast," he said. Verlingo was able to return to his home.
Jennifer Baum of Francis Drive felt the same way as Verlingo."We were very, very lucky," she said. "The fire didn’t even touch our house.”
The blaze did destroy her shed, pool heater, and a section of fence, she said.
After her daughter Laura noticed on a neighborhood Facebook group that some of her neighbors smelled the fire, she went outside to see what was happening.
“You could smell it in the house a little bit, but it wasn’t that bad. Then we came outside and we could see the firemen racing down the street. You could see it starting from the woods (behind their home) and then like 20 minutes later, they (the firemen) were telling us that we needed to evacuate, so it was pretty fast."
See also an article from New Jersey Advance Media, March 15, 5:35 PM
March 15, 3:15 PM
Around 3 PM the the New Jersey Forest Fire Service provided an update that may be found here:
WILDFIRE UPDATE - LAKEWOOD, NJ
As of 9 a.m. today, the Lakewood area wildfire remains at 170 acres. Cold temperatures overnight aided fire suppression efforts. The fire will continue to burn and smolder in interior areas east of the Garden State Parkway, south of Cedar Bridge Avenue and north of Route 70. Patrol activities will continue throughout today. All roadways have been reopened.
Two mixed-use professional/commercial structures and approximately eight outbuildings were destroyed by the fire. Additional property and improved property were damaged.
Residents in the affected areas are urged to stay away from impacted areas and emergency response activity. Drones of any kind interfere with the fire-fighting effort and are prohibited in the area. All evacuees have been permitted to return home.
The fire's origin has been identified and the cause is under investigation, though we can state it was not from a prescribed burn as reported inaccurately online.
A New Jersey Forest Fire Service firefighter remains in critical condition at a nearby hospital. (obtained on March 15, 2021 at 3:20 PM from https://www.facebook.com/NJForestFireService/posts/793597087929576)
March 15, 1:15 PM
There are no new updates from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service about progress made this morning fighting the brush fire. Nor are there any updates about the hospitalized firefighter from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. Media outlets (see list below) reporting that 29 residences were damaged. Recall that two commercial buildings were destroyed.
Bill Gabbert of Wildfire Today wrote a nice report this morning covering the fire including an eighteen minute video from Jersey Shore Response showing the initial response to the fire with radio feed. You will want to read Bill's article and watch the video.
Some of the recent media coverage of the fire in Lakewood. Note, kudos to New Jersey Advance Media as it was their text alert (I subscribe to one of their papers) that first alerted me to this fire, they have done a nice job covering this fire.
March 15, 7:35 AM
I'd like to start with a timely reminder from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, just posted on their Facebook page telling drone operators not to fly over wildfires.
The New Jersey Forest Fire Service would like to remind you, never fly your UAS or Drone near or around a wildfire, no matter how large or small.Your actions may have devastating effects to firefighting aircraft and personnel on the fire.
If you fly, WE can't!
I wrote yesterday about the 162+ acre brush fire burning in Lakewood and Brick NJ. I removed a link to some drone footage out of respect for the firefighters in the air because drones over wildfires can pose safety risks.
Late last night, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service provided an update (about 11:30 PM)
WILDFIRE UPDATE - LAKEWOOD, NJ - 11:30 P.M.
As of 10:30 p.m. Sunday, the Lakewood area wildfire remains at 170 acres. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service (FFS) will continue suppression, patrol and mop-up operations throughout the night and support from local fire companies will be scaled back throughout Sunday night as containment increases. The origin has been identified and the cause is under investigation, though we can state it was not from a prescribed burn as reported inaccurately online.
Two mixed-use professional/commercial structures were destroyed by the fire. While the wildfire came close to residential areas, no homes were substantially damaged though some ancillary structures such as sheds were impacted. Residents in the affected areas are urged to stay away from impacted areas and emergency response activity. Drones of any kind interfere with the fire-fighting effort and are prohibited in the area. Brick Township residents who were evacuated began returning home at 7:00 p.m. Sunday.
A New Jersey Forest Fire Service firefighter is in critical condition at a nearby hospital.
Road closures and reopenings:
- Garden State Parkway is now reopened. The entrance to Garden State Parkway (north) at Shorrock Street will remain closed until morning re-evaluation.
- Route 528 has reopened
- Route 70 (one westbound lane from Cedar Bridge Ave to the Garden State Parkway will remain closed)
- All other ramps are reopened.
(obtained at 7:35 AM on March 14, 2021 from a New Jersey Forest Fire Service update on their Facebook page.)
March 14 10:25 PM
At about 9:30 PM, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service reported:
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Forest Fire Service personnel and equipment are on scene and conducting suppression and backfiring operations in response to a wildfire in the Lakewood area.
Initial reports indicate the fire is approximately 162 acres in size as of 6:30 p.m on Sunday, March 14.
Two commercial structures are confirmed to be damaged.
The wildfire has come close to residential areas, and residents in the Lakewood and Brick Twp. areas are urged to stay away from impacted areas and emergency response activity. (obtained at 10:25 PM on March 14, 2021 from https://www.facebook.com/NJForestFireService/posts/793125181310100
March 14 9 PM
A tweet from Lakewood News Network with some video shot earlier this afternoon of the brush fire
HAPPENING NOW: Heavy brush fire in Lakewood Industrial Park has caused commercial buildings to go up in flames. Lakewood, state Forest Fire Service and mutual aid is on scene. Nearby businesses have been evacuated. pic.twitter.com/iGYa0vVPGL
— Lakewood News Network (@LakewoodNewsNet) March 14, 2021
In an update to their earlier report, ABC6 in Philadelphia provided some updates and added a video. One newly added video features Maris Gabliks of the NJ Forest Fire Service who said the fire is at about 40 percent containment, evacuations were in place, structures were damaged, roadways were closed, the fire jumped the Garden State Parkway, two helicopters and a SEAT were working the fire, and one firefighter is injured.
According to the Asbury Park Press (March 14), Caryn Shinsky from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection says that at 6:30 pm the fire was at 162 acres
The New Jersey Forest Fire Service has posted about the fire on their Facebook page, unfortunately I am unable to link to their post. But as they update their page, I will summarize here.
March 14 5:25 PM
This just in, as I was mucking around with various settings and the like I this blog, I got an alert from NJ Advance Media about a large brush fire near Lakewood in southern New Jersey that has shut down the Garden State Parkway from mile marker 82 to 91. Red flag warnings are up through late Monday afternoon. I believe that the fire was reported somewhere around 1:30 pm this afternoon. Structures are burning. A single-engine air tanker and a helicopter with a bucket are deployed. As of 4 PM today, evacuations are in place in Brick. The New Jersey Advance Media March 14 article may be found here. No size information is available at this time.
ABC6 in Philadelphia (see this March 14th report) is reporting on the fire, see their video below.
The National Weather Service in Mt. Holly has issued a red flag warning for today, March 14 through late in the afternoon of Monday, March 15th.
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| Obtained on March 14, 2021 from https://www.weather.gov/phi/ (weather story) |
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| Obtained on March 14, 2021 from https://www.weather.gov/erh/ |
The information about the two brush fires that I write about here is possible because of information shared by the North Jersey Wildland Fire Association on March 14. They shared information from the local fire departments who responded which I share below. The Quakertown NJ Fire Company-91 Fire/Rescue responded to a brush fire in Hunterdon County on March 12, one of a few brush fires they have responded to in the last week. On March 13, the IAFF Local 4895 Hillsborough Fire Marshals reported on a 1.5 acre brush fire in Hillsborough, Somerset County NJ.
I always try to give you some options if your browser extensions block the embedded posts. I have been having trouble getting the links to the two fire companies public Facebook posts to work on some of my browsers, I am sorry if this affects you. To that end, I have provided a brief summary of each brush fire in the text.
I am sure that there were other small wildfires in NJ over the last couple of days, I only know about these two brush fires.
I was out on a drive in rural New Jersey on Friday, March 12 with a friend and saw the response, including a NJFFS truck, to the wildfire below in Franklin Township, Hunterdon County NJ. See this short report from News12NJ, it seems that an arching power wire may have been the cause of this 3 acre wildfire with multiple fire departments and the NJFFS responding. Structure protection was in place, no damage to houses. The post that I embedded below is from the Quakertown NJ Fire Company-91 Fire/Rescue (March 12).
Yesterday, March 13, there was a small brush fire (1.5 acres) in Hillsborough, Somerset County NJ. The brush fire was near some railroad tracks. Multiple local fire departments and the NJFFS responded and the fire was put out. The IAFF Local 4895 Hillsborough Fire Marshals (March 13) shared about this brush fire in a post that I embed below.
Recently, I have been posting about the 2021 prescribed burning season in New Jersey. Weather permitting, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service has been conducting prescribed burns in New Jersey. I do not know of any prescribed burns conducted by the New Jersey Forest Fire Service today, March 12th, or yesterday, March 11th. I do know that there has been elevated fire danger (not Red Flag Warnings) yesterday and today. So if indeed there were no prescribed burns on either of these days, elevated fire danger is likely why because of safety considerations. However, I should say, that as I rely on the New Jersey Forest Fire Service's Facebook page for information on prescribed burns, it is likely that there are prescribed burns that I do not know about. As I understand it, prescribed burning season in New Jersey runs through March 15th. In past years when the weather has not cooperated, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) has extended prescribed burning season for a few days.
In the meantime, I leave you with a couple of videos from the NJFFS Section B10 of past prescribed burns.
Direct link to video from the NJFFS Section B10
The New Jersey Forest Fire Service continues to conduct prescribed burns in central (Division B) and southern New Jersey (Division C). I do not know of any prescribed burns in northern New Jersey (NJFFS Division A). The information below is obtained from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service's Facebook Page on March 10th.
Prescribed burning continues in New Jersey. There have been two recent articles about the 2021 prescribed burning season in New Jersey. First, there is a March 7th article by Bill Gabbert on Wildfire Today, he does his usual good job in reporting as he writes about the prescribed burning season in New Jersey. The second article is dated March 9th on News 12 New Jersey (with video), focusing on a 600 acre prescribed burn in Burlington County NJ.
I want to thank the New Jersey Forest Fire Service for doing such a good job with their prescribed burning program. These prescribed burns help to reduce the risk of wildfires, something I was a New Jersey resident appreciate very much. In past years, I have driven by areas where the New Jersey Forest Fire Service conducted prescribed burns. They always had signage out so drivers knew what was going on.
I got the information on prescribed burns on March 8th and 9th from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service Facebook page (see the NJFFS March 8th and March 9th posts)
On March 8, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service conducted prescribed burning operations in the following areas:
DIVISION B
Burlington County
Ocean County
DIVISION C
Atlantic County: Galloway Township - Federal Land
Cape May County
Cumberland County: Maurice River Township - Peaslee Wildlife Management Area
Camden County: Waterford Township - Wharton State Forest
This schedule was weather dependent and subject to change.
Today, March 9, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service will be conducting prescribed burning operations in the following areas:
DIVISION B
Burlington County
Monmouth County: Wall Township - Private Land
Ocean County
DIVISION C
Atlantic County
Cumberland County: Fairfield Township - Buckshutem Wildlife Management Area
Salem County: Pittsgrove Township - Parvin State Park
This schedule is weather dependent and subject to change.
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| The Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations (aka the Red Book), Chapter 13, p. 290) |
The New Jersey Forest Fire Service is a Division of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), The NJ Department of Environmental Protection issued a press release on March 4th, "Forest Fire Prevention Measures Under Way Across New Jersey." They speak to climate change and the importance of maintaining forests:
As New Jersey’s climate continues to change, forest maintenance, including prescribed burning, takes on even greater importance. New Jersey’s changing climate increases the risk for more frequent and larger wildfires due to longer, hotter periods of dry weather, as described in the first-ever New Jersey Scientific Report on Climate Change, released in 2020. Prescribed burns are carefully planned and managed based on atmospheric conditions and carbon emissions from prescribed burns represent a small fraction of the emissions that could be produced in a wildfire.
“Prescribed burning not only helps protect the lives and property of those who live in or near forested areas, it is also an important part of the state’s carbon defense strategy, protecting carbon stored in forests from wildfire risk,” Acting Commissioner LaTourette said. “By taking careful steps to manage forest health, we can avoid potentially catastrophic releases of carbon from wildfires that, due to climate change, are routinely destroying communities and ecosystems while increasing harmful emissions.”
The March 4th DEP press release discusses some cooperative prescribed burns in northern New Jersey, finishing with prescribed burn statistics from 2020:
Wildfires can have the greatest benefit in areas where people live in or near forests, grasslands and other natural areas. …
For example, this year, the Forest Fire Service will do a cooperative burn on approximately 200 acres in Mansfield Township, Warren County. The area includes part of the Pequest Wildlife Management Area and an adjacent private landowner’s property, with assistance from the Wildlife Management Institute and a Delaware River Watershed Initiative Grant.
In addition, the First Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Hunterdon County, in Kingwood Township, has asked the Forest Fire Service to do a controlled burn in a 9.5-acre field on its property. The burn will be conducted as part of a native grassland/wildlife habitat restoration project undertaken by the church on their property with assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service.
In 2020, the Forest Fire Service completed controlled burns on 18,854 acres of state-owned lands, 5,006 acres of other government-owned land and 2,268 acres of privately owned property, for a total of 26,128 acres.
The recent snows in New Jersey cut into the New Jersey Forest Fire Service's prescribed burning for most of February. Snow is still lingering in northern New Jersey. I know, because I am still seeing snow in my yard and environs, where melted it is wet and muddy. I recently saw on the New Jersey Forest Fire Service's Facebook page of the resumption of prescribed burning in central and southern New Jersey starting on February 25th. I know enough to know that this means that snow is not a factor in those portions of New Jersey where the New Jersey Forest Fire Service has been conducting prescribed burning in central and southern New Jersey. Here is a list of prescribed burns in central and southern New Jersey since February 25th. I do not know of any prescribed done in northern New Jersey.
February 25
Burlington County
Ocean County
February 26
Burlington County
Ocean County
Cape May
Cumberland County
March 3
Ocean County
March 4
DIVISION B
Burlington County
Ocean County
DIVISION C
March 5
DIVISION B
Burlington County
Ocean County
DIVISION C
Cape May County
I know enough about aviation to know that it is important that any pilot go through their mandated recurrency training that depending on the type of pilot license they have the FAA requires annual or semi-annual training in the specific aircraft they fly. In the world of aerial firefighting this means two things. One is that each year they have to go through FAA mandated recurrency training for the specific aircraft that they will be flying. Once the pilot has completed their annual aircraft specific recurrency training they go through recurrency training mandated by the agency contract to fly fires. I know from reading old federal tanker contracts that this training to fly fires involves getting what is known as an initial attack card. A new pilot goes through an involved and detailed training period before they get their initial attack card. This initial attack card allows the pilot to fly a fire without air attack or a lead plane. Each year the pilots flying firefighting aircraft on contract with an agency have to renew their initial attack card which involves making some water drops.
I just came across a video from 2015 from Rotorcraft Pro of CAL FIRE's helicopter training and preparation. To read more about CAL FIRE's aviation program go here. At the time of this video CAL FIRE was flying Bell UH-1H Super Huey helicopters. CAL FIRE is in the process or has already upgraded all of their helicopter fleet to Sikorsky S70i helicopters (CAL FIRE Hawk) This video may be somewhat dated as it is specific to the Super Huey's they were flying in 2015, but I think that some of the training topics and exercises have applications, with appropriate reworking and modification, for the CAL FIRE Hawk as well as other aerial firefighting aircraft. I suspect that this video discusses both the FAA mandated annual recurrency training for the helicopter as well as training to renew their initial attack card. Enjoy
I am working on a still developing series of articles looking at how wildland firefighters protect themselves while working a fire, the gear and tools they carry, safety concerns, training, etc. See my recent posts on PPE on an engine crew, the line pack, and hand tools.
What got me started in writing this series is knowing that in many parts of the U.S., it is the time of year where wildland firefighters on the ground and in the air go through their spring training. My regular readers know that I have not know nor have I ever been any kind of firefighter, wildland or structure. So, I can not speak from any kind of personal experience. But I have been doing this blog long enough that training in the classroom and passing physical tests is not just a once and done deal. As I understand, every wildland agency -- federal, state, and local -- have annual recurrency training. The National Wildfire Coordinating Group has information on Wildfire Safety Annual Refresher Training (WFSTAR) that is used by Federal Agencies. This year's Refresher Training (2021) is being done virtually. As I understand it, The Wildfire Safety Annual Refresher Training is also known as RT-130. The requirements for the US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, the National Park Service and RT-130 are found in the Interagency Standards for Fire and Aviation Operations (Red Book), Chapter13. I believe that many state and local wildfire agencies may use a variation of WFSTAR, RT-130 for their refresher training.
My point in this post is to say that I respect the hard work and the sacrifices made by wildland firefighters on the ground and in the air. I can appreciate the need for annual classroom work, field exercises, and physical tests including but not limited to running and carrying a loaded pack on a timed course. Wildland firefighting is physically demanding work so the need to pass physical tests each year is important. Likewise, the classroom work and any field exercises are important as a means of reviewing and reinforcing knowledge as well as learning new fire science and perhaps to be advised of local conditions that may affect local and state wildland firefighters.
I am sorry that I do not have a video to show you at this time. I have looked around and need to keep looking. If I find one that seems appropriate, I will revise this post.
In the meantime, my wish and prayers for all wildland firefighters is to stay safe and know that I appreciate all that you do to keep us safe. Please know that I have a great deal of respect for all wildland firefighters, and it is my intention to try to honor you in writing this blog.