About Giant Sequoia Trees

I continue to read When it All Burns by Jordan Thomas, I am still reading his chapter (chapter 12) on a 2021 wildfire in Sequoia National Forest. I believe but am not yet certain that the wildfire Thomas is talking about is the Windy Fire, see this December 12, 2021 article by the late Bill Gabbert with links for more information about the fire as well as links to videos and photos. In addition he gives a good overview of the Giant Sequoia. I was looking for a video about the history and stories of the Giant Sequoia and came across the above 2024 video by Epitome Perspectives. I learned more about the wonderful Giant Sequoia and especially enjoyed the pictures and drawings in the video

2021 Wildfire Season: An Inside Look at Hotshots Working a Wildfire in the Sequoia National Forest (CA)

Direct link to December 2021 Video from NBC News on YouTube

I am in the midst of reading a book called When it All Burns by Jordan Thomas.  A dear friend of mine in southern California read a review of this book, published earlier in 2025, and sent me the article as she thought that I would be interested in reading the book. Well, she was right, I started reading this book a few days ago and am learning a lot. Thomas, an Anthropologist, served on the Los Padres Hotshots in 2021. He writes about his experience on the Los Padres Hotshots in the very tough 2021 wildfire season in California. He also writes about a variety of issues about wildfires and hotshot crews. As fate would have it, I am in the midst of reading about a wildfire that the Los Padres Hotshot crew worked in the Sequoia National Forest in 2021. 

I have been wondering how to share some of what I am learning from reading Thomas's book when I ran across this 2021 video that I am sharing here, uploaded in December 2021 by NBC News. Among other things they cover a wildfire in the Sequoia National Forest as well as the low pay that hotshots received at the time. Thomas talked about the low pay that hotshots receive in his book. I have no idea what the current pay is for hotshot crews at this time and whether the changes in pay that Biden promised in his Infrastructure Bill (referenced in the video) were passed on to the hotshot crews. Judging from one of the comments on the video, it seems that Biden’s bill was passed but the increased pay never made it to hotshot crews as of June 2022. Nor do I know if Biden’s bill is still in effect. Hotshot crews should be paid much more than minimum wage.

Reading Thomas’s book and watching this video has had a profound effect on me and I am learning a lot.

2021 wildfire season: aerial support of Bridge Fire in California

 I am making good progress on my final article on the 1871 Peshtigo Fire (see my October 8th and 15th posts for more information). At the last minute I ended up getting my COVID booster shot this afternoon so decided to hold off on posting this final (for now) article on the Peshtigo Fire until Monday.

In the meantime, enjoy this eleven minute video of air tankers and helicopters working the 450 acre Bridge Fire in Auburn, California in early to mid September.

Direct link to video on YouTube uploaded by Alexander Nunez

2021 wildfire season: Coulson helicopters working a wildfire a night

Coulson Aviation has helicopters equipped for flying at night with the pilots wearing special night vision googles, see my May 21st article to watch a short video on Coulson's night operations. Coulson has four helicopters funded by Southern California Edison equipped for night flying that are currently on exclusive-use contracts in Southern California:

• One CH47 (3,000 gallons) on contract with Orange County
• One CH47 (3,000 gallons) and one Sikorsky S-76 "Firewatch helicopter used for command on contract with Los Angeles County
• One Sikorsky S-61N helicopters (1,000 gallon) on contract with Ventura County.

These four helicopters are called the Quick Reaction Fleet (QRF). To read more about the QRF, go to this June 2021 article from Vertical Magazine. Australia also contracts with helicopters equipped for night flying on contract, see this 2019 Vertical Magazine article.

I want to share a longer video (just under 12 minutes) from Coulson on their night operations earlier this year at a wildfire in Malibu. You will see the QRF working the fire in support of the wildland firefighters on the ground.

Direct link to YouTube Video from Coulson Aviation

reflections on wildland firefighting

If you have read the about me page of my blog then you know that I am not nor have I ever been a wildland firefighter or any other kind of firefighter, nor am I licensed pilot. However, my interest in wildland firefighting whether it be on the ground or in the air is genuine. I am aware of the dangers involved in wildland firefighting on the ground and in the air. There is a reason why the wildland firefighters on the ground (aka groundpounders) where protective equipment, are trained in how to be safe, and carry and are trained in when and how to deploy fire shelters. There is also the importance of exercising safety precautions when using chain saws, and having an escape route. In spite of all that, accidents happen. Firefighters are injured and sometimes killed. 

In thinking about the dangers faced by groundpounders, I don't know about you, but I sometimes watch fire footage. Footage included structures burned, while depressing, shows the reality of what groundpounders assigned to some wildfires face. Whole towns can and have come close to being wiped out. Then there is the footage of close calls faced by ground pounders in engines or residents escaping a wildfire down a road with the raging fire on both sides, at times coming across the road. I am sure that many of you have seen such footage. I am not interested in that footage today. 

I am interested in raw wildfire footage, that is not too long, showing ground pounders with air support going about the business of fighting a wildfire and hopefully staying safe from the danger that surrounds them. I found some raw wildfire footage from KPIX CBS in San Francisco shot in July of this year of the River Fire that was then burning in Yosemite National Forest. The River Fire ultimately burned  9,656 acres and destroyed at 12 homes, see this article from the Visalia Times for more information. To the best of my knowledge, no firefighters were injured or killed on this fires, nor were any civilians injured or killed. The cause of the fire was under investigation

So I watched just under four minutes of footage of ground pounders working this fire a day or so after it was first reported. The lens of the camera allowed me to watch as an observer from the safety of my study. I get an extremely small taste of what it is like to watch ground pounders in action. But it is the best that I can do. 

I have oodles of respect for all ground pounders and for the pilots and crews working the fire from the air to support the ground pounders.  Thank-you ground pounders for all that you do in your efforts to keep us safe from wildfires. Sometimes you can not save our homes, that has to be hard. Sometimes you have to escape a dangerous situation to stay safe. And sometimes you mourn when ground pounders working the same fire die. I hope that my respect for you comes across in this post. There are times like this when I feel like my words are wholly inadequate, but my feelings and concern are genuine. In my own way, I pray daily for all of you.

Direct link to video from KPIX on Youtube

2021 wildfire season: IMET deployments as of August 19th

I have been thinking about the many wonderful NWS Incident Meteorologists who are currently deployed to wildfires, most but not all in the western United States, providing crucial weather forecasts for the area burned by a specific wildfire so that wildland firefighters on the ground and in the air will be alerted to upcoming weather so that they can be as safe as possible.

I contacted the US NWS IMETs recently asking them how many IMETs are currently deployed to wildfires including trainees. This is their response on Thursday evening, August 19th:

Currently we have about 30 qualified IMETs and 4 trainees out.  We have another 8 en route to incidents or to swap other IMETs out as they time out.

IMET deployments (obtained from US NWS IMETs Facebook Page on August 20th) from August 16th through August 19th include:

• Antelope Fire  burning in the Klamath National Forest near McCloud, Oregon
• McCash Fire burning in the Six Rivers National Forest near Somes Bar, California
• Caldor Fire burning in the Eldorado National Forest near Plymouth, California
• Monument Fire burning in the Trinity National Forest near Del Loma, California (2 IMETs)
• Ford Corkscrew Fire burning near Springdale, Washington
• Greenwood Fire burning in the Superior National Forest near Duluth, Minnesota
• Burnt Peak Fire burning in the Kootenai National Forest near Troy, Montana
• Bulldog Mountain Fire burning in the Colville National Forest near Colville, Washington
• Dixie Fire burning in the Lassen National Forest near Susanville, California
• Twenty Five Mile Fire burning in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest near Wenatchee, Washington
• McFarland Fire burning in the Shasta-Trinity Forest near Wildwood, California

IMETs typically are deployed for two weeks, some wildfires have two IMETs (not including IMET trainees). Thanks to all the IMETs deployed to wildfires. Thanks so much for your service during what may be challenging conditions. IMETs save lives. 

2021 California wildfire season: Dixie fire ranks #2

 

Direct link to Aug 8th YouTube video from ABC10

I heard the news from my east coast Newspapers over the weekend the Dixie Fire. It is now the second largest fire in California history with more evacuations. Bill Gabbert of Wildfire Today has done his usual excellent job reporting on the Dixie Fire (most recent post is first. In addition you may want to check out California media outlets such as ABC10 (Sacramento CA), Mike Archer posts articles on current wildfires burning in his Wildfire News of the Day I urge you to check out any of these sources for current reporting on the Dixie Fire. 

I make this post to let all those affected by the wildfires, those who have lost their homes or businesses, wildland firefighters in the air and on the ground know that I am thinking of all you. Prayers. This feels wholly unsatisfactory, but it is the best that I can do.

2021 wildfire season: preventative measures to deal with increased wildfire risk

An interesting video from the Wall Street Journal on California's efforts to increase funding for preventative measures and other resources.

Direct link to video from Wall Street Journal

2021 wildfire season: wildfires in western U.S. (July 21st edition)

Living on the east coast of the United States, and being someone who reads the news feed and reads my newspapers (print and digital), I can not help but notice the news of the extreme and devastating wildfire out west. My heart goes out to those affected and living in the path of these wildfires as well as all the wildland firefighters on the ground and in the air working these wildfires.  Among the wildfires that Bill Gabbert of Wildfire Today has covered recently are the Dixie Fire in Northern California and the Tamarack Fire, also in Northern California. On July 18th Bill posted a quick summary of wildfires in Washington and Oregon.

Inciweb information on the Bootleg Fire in Oregon, the Dixie Fire CA), and the Tamarack Fire (CA).

I think that best way that I can offer my concern and thoughts for what those of you in the west are experiencing during this devastating wildfire season is to offer these two videos. The first video is from ABC10 in Northern California with a July 20th report on some of the major wildfires in that part of California.

Direct link to video from ABC10

The last video that I will share with you is July 20th report from the PBS Newshour. You will hear an interview with  Carrie Billbao of the National Interagency Fire Center discussing the extreme fire behavior in the western United States.

Direct link to video from PBS Newshour 

2021 wildfire season: wildfires out west (July 19th)

I must start with offering my kudos to all who report on what may be yet another catastrophic wildfire season in the western United States. On a regular, if not daily basis, my two go two sources of wildfire and fire aviation reporting are Bill Gabbert's Wildfire Today and Fire Aviation and Mike Archers Wildfire News of the Day e-mail newsletter (five days a week). Without them, what I try to do would be a lot harder. I myself do not "report" and I may not always write a post about the wildfire season in the western United States, but I do try to be aware of what is going on. There are also various and sundry over the air, cable, print/online news media, various state and federal agencies, and a myriad of social media sites. 

A conversation with a friend of mine about the major wildfire out west led me to offer this article to acknowledge that I am troubled by the extreme drought, heat waves and the major wildfires burning out west. More importantly, I care about our wildland firefighters on the ground and in the air fighting wildfires. Thank-you firefighters for your service, I pray for your safety.

According the the National Interagency Fire Center in their National Wildfire News for July 19th:

Wildfire activity continues in 13 states where 80 large fires have burned 1,174,486 acres. More than 19,600 wildland firefighters and support personnel are assigned to incidents. To date, 35,086 wildfires have burned 2,537,744 acres in the United States. 

Over the weekend, fuels and fire behavior advisories were issued for south/central Idaho, Northern California, Northern Rockies, and south/central Oregon. Many of these advisories describe extraordinarily dry fuels, resulting in elevated fire potential and fire activity. 

What I offer here are four videos which offer only a brief glimpse into what is going out west. Many, but not all of these fires may be found on inciweb. Included in the wildfires that Bill Gabbert is covering are the Tamarack Fire (CA) and the Bootleg Fire (OR).

Direct link to video from CBS Evening News (July 17th)

Direct link to video from KPIX CBS in San Francisco

Direct link to video from The Oregonian

Direct link to video from KGW News

2021 wildfires: Beckworth Complex, California

 I was watching videos posted by the NJFFS Section B10 (videos change weekly) and came upon two videos of the Beckwourth Complex that has burned 95,358 acres in the Plumas National Forest. For more on this Complex read the article that Bill Gabbert of Wildfire Today wrote on July 11th. 

The first video is about three minutes and the second video is a little over eight minutes.

Direct link to video by TNLA

Direct link to video by Action of the Day

2021 wildfire season: 7 acre brush fire -- San Diego County CA (May 22nd)

Thanks to my friends at NJFFS Section B10 for sharing a short video on May 23rd (videos updated daily) about a brush fire near the I-15 interstate in northern San Diego County, California. The brush fire, dubbed the Deer Fire, was first reported on May 22nd per this CAL FIRE San Diego Twitter post. Two S2-T tankers from Ramona Air Attack Base and about three helicopters responded to the wildfire to assist the firefighters on the ground in containing this fire. By late in the day on May 23rd, CAL FIRE San Diego reported that the Deer Fire was contained at 7.5 acres. The fire appeared to have started along the I-15. According to a report by CBS8 in San Diego (see the video that I embedded below), this brush fire may have started by a catalytic converter that came off a vehicle on the I-15, landing on the hill immediately adjoining the I-15.

I am always on the look out for videos showing air resources assisting wildland firefighters on the ground to fight a smaller brush fire. While this video is specific to California and the availability of CAL FIRE air resources, you can see what a difference a coordinated attack from the air and on the ground can make in keeping a brush fire on the smaller side. At the end of this video, you will learn about what California residents can do to protect their homes from wildfires. Again while specific to southern California, there are lessons here for all of us.

Direct link to video from CBS8 in San Diego