Monday, August 02, 2021

2021 wildfire season: wildfires spawn severe weather and IMET deployments

Wildfires continue to devastate the Western United States. As you can see from the NOAA Satellites video wildfires can create their own weather.

direct link to YouTube video from NOAASatellites

Speaking of weather affecting wildfires, when NWS Incident Meteorologists are deployed to wildfire they provide site specific forecasts so that wildland firefighters on the ground and in the air may be alert to how changing weather conditions will affect the fire. These specific forecasts help wildland firefighters stay safe.

I just checked the NWS Incident Meteorologist Office Facebook page, something I do almost daily, to take a look at IMET deployments from July 26 through August 1, 2021. By my count 20 NWS Incident Meteorologists, including two IMET trainees have been deployed to 18 wildfires in the Western United States. To summarize:

Montana: Alder Creek Fire (IMET and IMET trainee), Harris Fire, Burnt Peak Fire, Stateline ComplexPoverty Flats Fire, Granite Pass Complex, and Hay Creek Fire.

Oregon: Elbow Creek Fire, Jack Fire, Middle Fork Complex, Bootleg Fire

Washington: Cedar Creek Fire, (IMET and IMET trainee), Sherwood Fire

Idaho: Character Complex, Mud Lick Fire, Dixie Fire

Colorado: Morgan Creek Fire

California: Dixie Fire

Any errors in this listing are mine.

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