Friday Fun: Neptune and AeroFlite Working 2023 Kiel Fire

Direct link to September 2023 video from BlueRocketPR on YouTube

For Friday Fun I am sharing this September 2023 video of tankers from Neptune Aviation and Aero Flite Aerial Firefighting working the Kiel Fire in Wichita Falls Texas. Enjoy!

One Year After Wildfires in Lahaina on Maui

 I want to pause and remember the devastating wildfire that tore through Lhaina on Maui in Hawaii on August 8. 2023. I was horrified when I learned of this wildfire and the devastation it left. People affected by this wildfire are still recovering. I am glad to hear that some of the debris has been moved off the island. My heart goes out to the people of Lhaina as they continue to recover.

Direct link to video from PBS on YouTube

2023 Wildfire Season: Midewin Hotshots (Wilmington, Illinois)

The Midewin Hotshots are based in Wilmington, Illinois where they are hosted by the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. They Midewin Hotshots are the only Hotshot crew based in the eastern region per the US Forest Service list of Interagency Hotshot Crews (IHC). There are two sites you may go to for information about the Midewin Hotshots: The Unofficial Webpage of the Midewin Hotshots, and the Midewin Hotshots on Facebook where they post updates through out the season. 

According to a September 2, 2023 post on the the Midewin Hotshots Facebook page (see below), in 2023 they had 10 rolls in six different states. I looked up what a roll is, and according to Wildfire 101 a roll is when “Wildland firefighters can work 14 days straight (called a roll) with 16-hour days and possibly up to three days travel before and after the official 14. Night shifts and longer shifts of 16-24 hours are possible depending on the fire and area you are in, but not super common.” 

I would have posted the Midewin Hotshots 2023 fire season video, but I have not seen one posted. That is ok, it happens. But going to their Facebook page I was able to find some posts where they shared where they were helping with prescribed burns or working wildfires in 2023

• February 22: first fire assignment on or about February 22, 2023 in Hoosier National Forest
• February 26: first roll  at Mark Twain NF Missouri
• Feb 28 and March 1: Missouri a couple of prescribed burns
• later in March early April region 8, George Washington National Forest in VA
• April 12: to Michigan, including Huron-Manistee National Forest stayed through May
• July 21: northern rockies
• August 12: Hungry Horse MT

February 12, 2024 was the first day of the Midewin Hotshots 2024 season. Best wishes to the Midewin Hotshots as they prepare for their 2024 season. Thanks for all you do to keep us safe from wildfires. Stay safe.

2023 Wildfire Season: Crew 3 (Idaho?) Crew Video

 When I post crew videos summarizing their 2023 wildfire season, I always try to look for initial attack crews or other crews that are not hotshot crews. Initial attack crews do important work, often being among the first crews assigned to a wildfire. While on YouTube just now, I came across an eleven-minute video from summarizing the 2023 wildfire season of Crew 3. Given the number of wildfires in Idaho that this crew worked (see the end of the video), my guess is that Crew 3 is based out of Idaho. But I am not certain of this. I don't know if where this crew is based matters, what matters is that they did good work on wildfires to protect us.

Direct link to video from Krossed Saints on  YouTube

2023 Wildfire Season: Panhandle Helitack Year in Review

I am always interested in the good work that various helitack crews do to support crews on the ground fighting wildfires whether it be bucket work or bring in gear, food and other material that crews on the ground in remote areas need. Of course, in some cases I suppose that helitack might transport crews to remote areas or perhaps there are other helicopters that transport crews to and from remote areas. 

The other good work that helitack crews do is in igniting prescribed burns in remote locations using either plastic fires that ignite when they hit the ground or special torches.

As I was looking at a couple of social media groups on Facebook focused on aerial firefighting I came across a post by the U.S. Forest Service - Idaho Panhandle National Forests shared a couple of weeks highlighting the work that the Panhandle Helitack Crew did in 2023. They flew to 64 wildfires and did 13 prescribed burns. The Panhandle Helitack Crew does bucket work, transports ground crews to remote locations on a wildfire,  transports gear and equipment to crews on the ground in remote locations, and does prescribed burns. I share a short post from the Idaho Panhandle National Forests with relevant photos showcasing what they do and a thorough but concise description of their work in 2023. Click "see more" to see their full post. 

2023 Wildfire Season: Snake River Hotshots Crew Video

 Enjoy the Snake River Hotshots 2023 Crew Video. The Snake River Hotshots are hosted by the Idaho Falls District of the Bureau of Land Management.

Direct link to video by Owen Foster on YouTube

Quaker Run Fire (VA), a Wildland Firefighter's perspective

 Thanks to Mike Archer's January 16, 2024 Wildfire News of the Day for providing the inspiration for today's post when he shared an article from the Daily Progress under the banner of the Madison Eagle. The article is "The Quaker Run Fire: From a Wildland Firefighter's point of view", dated January 15, 2024 may be found here . Some pictures from the Virginia Department of Forestry of the Quaker Run Fire may be found on their flicker page. The article in the form of a blog article is by John Rosetti, DOF Hardwood Iniative Coordinator for the Virginia Department of Forestry.

The Quaker Run Fire in Madison County Virginia was reported in late October 2023 and was at 100% containment in late December, burning just shy of 4,000 acres.

Direct link to video from 29News - WVIR Charlottesville VA on YouTube

Mr Rosetti walked us through fighting the Quaker Run Fire, I hope that you take some time to read the article that I cited above. I don't always know how long these links will last so I am listing some salient points that I took from his article.

1. Most wildfires in Virginia are fought during the day, however larger fires such as the Quaker Run Fire are also fought during the night.

2. Early on nighttime patrols of the Quaker Run Fire focused on ensuring that the fire did not jump containment lines and looking for spot fires. Once some containment was achieved, the nighttime focus shifted to eliminating dangers such as dead trees (aka snags) as well as other dangers.

3. During the day as many as 200 wildland firefighters were working the fire with the support of helicopters, engines, UTVs, and bull dozers.

4. A good map of the fire is essential, such a map was created early on and amended as required showing the location of structures, roads, trails and other areas requiring protection.

5.After several days, a written Incident Action Plan (IAP) was developed to help wildland firefighters and other responders work the fire and stay safe. The IAP was updated nightly for the following day.

2023 Wildfire Season: Lone Peaks Hotshots 2023 Season

On the day after we had yet another rain storm leaving a couple of inches during the overnight coupled with high winds leading to significant river flooding, I am very greatful to see the strange yellow orb. Before I get to the point of this post, I implore everyone to not drive past and barricades near rivers and creeks, turn around don't drown. Please. For more information on flood safety see my December 18, 2023 post (the day after a significant rainfall), Turn Around Don't Drown.

Today I want to share a video summarizing the 2023 season of the Lone Peaks Hotshots, they are based in Utah. 

Direct link to video from the Lone Peak Hotshots on YouTube

2023 Wildfire Season: NWS Incident Meteorologists 2023 Summary

 The NWS Incident Meteorlologists (IMETs) had a busy 2023 season, see the embedded post below from their Facebook Page. Fully qualified IMETs were deployed to 149 missions with trainees being sent out on 27 missions (working with a fully qualified IMET). The 30-year normal number of IMET deploynets is 117. Note the word "mission." In following IMETs over the years, I have learned some wildfires see more than 1 IMET. Perhaps two IMETs are working one fire in different locations. Alternatively, an IMET may finish their two week deployment and another IMET is then deployed that that same wildfire.

Thank-you IMETs for all you do to keep wildland firefighters and the surrounding community safe during active wildfires. I am aware that you may work other non-wildfire events or may be deployed out of country to work a wildfire in that country.

2023 Wildfire Season: Clackamas Crew 30 2023 season

This is the time of year when I like to post videos shot be wildland fire crews highlighting their 2023 season. I like to see what these crews experience and how they decide to use videos to showcase their season. I also get a feel for the personality, if you will of the crew as a whole. 

In the case of the video that I am sharing or embedding today, I got to learn about a wildland firefighting crew that I had not previously known, the Clackamas Crew 30, which I believe is based in the Clackamas Fire District in Oregon. The video is longer then the videos I usually share, at about 20 minutes but I think you will enjoy the video and getting to know the members of the 2023 Clackamas Crew 30

Direct link to video from Cuttin' Chris on YouTube

2023 Wildfire Season: Matts Creek Fire (final update)

 

I continue reporting on the Matts Creek Fire that was first reported on November 12th (see my November 22nd post for past updates.

As I write this the Matts Creek Fire has burned 11,020 acres and is at 93 percent containment. According to the final update on November 25th A type 3 incident management team assumed command on November 24th. Fire suppression and repair continue; trails and roads remain closed in the fire area on November 25th.

2023 Wildfire Season: Matts Creek Fire (update #2)

Direct link to video on YouTube from WSLS

I continue reporting on the Matts Creek Fire that was first reported on November 12th (see my November 20th post). At the time that I write this, the Matts Creek Fire has burned 11,020 acres and is at 57 percent containment. A substantial rainfall last night (about 3.5") aided the efforts of the firefighters who took a dat off of the fireline for training and the like. The firefighters returned the fireline today to continue working the fire. See this November 22nd update. The Blue Ridge Parkway is now open but the heavy rainfall last night may lead to some debris spills in the fire area.

The map below was created on November 21st. 

Obtained on November 22, 2023 from Matts Creek Fire Nov 21st Fire Mapping on Inciweb

2023 Wildfire Season: Matts Creek Fire

Direct link to video from WSLS 10 on YouTube

A friend of mine contacted me early this past weekend to ask me if I knew about a wildfire that was burning in or near the Jefferson National Forest in Virginia because she had been in touch with a friend who lives near that wildfire. She told me that at the time it was at 2 percent containment and her friend was reporting that the nearby schools were closed due to smoke. I believe, but am not sure that the wildfire my friend was telling me about is the Matts Creek Fire that at that time was at 2 percent containment. I promised my friend that I would keep an eye on the Matts Creek Fire, hence this post.

The video that I embedded above was done prior to the latest update (November 20th) from incident command which reports that the Matts Creek Fire has burned 10,106 acres and is at 27 percent containment. There are road closures in place, and trails in and near the fire area are closed. Here is an excerpt from the November 20th update:

In the northeastern portion of the fire, near Snowden, crews continued to improve fire lines and the area is looking very good and forward progression has stopped. Crews will search for and extinguish any “hot spots” in logs, stumps and under the ground.

In the southeastern portion of the fire near Big Island and Powells Store, fire activity was minimal.  Firefighters patrolled the area and removed fire-damaged trees. 

In the southwestern area fire lines have held well, increasing containment to 27 percent.

Firefighters continued to watch the Hercules Fire, a small fire that started yesterday across the James River. A local volunteer fire department had responded and contacted crews on the night shift for additional help. The fire was slightly under one acre in size. Crews will continue to monitor this fire throughout the day.

Here are some maps starting with two Google Earth images. The fire is near Snowden, Virginia. I then share a map of the Matts Creek Fire.

 

obtained on November 20, 2023 from https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-maps-gallery/vavaf-matts-creek-fire

2023 Wildfire Season: wildfire activity in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virgnia

 I was talking to a good friend of mine who lives in western North Carolina. I visited with them six years ago to watch the solar eclipse, beautiful country. Anyway, they were telling about the wildfires in western North Carolina, one of them is about a 20 to 30 minute drive, as a crow flies, from their house. So I write this post for my friends and for another friend who lives in Virginia (but not near the wildfires). 

I understand from talking with my friend that they are very dry which is adding to the wildfire danger. Here is the latest map from the drought monitor

Note the areas of red in North Carolina. 

Kelly Andersson of Wildfire Today wrote an article on November 7th about Wildfire Emergencies in Virginia and North Carolina.

I thought the best way I could cover the wildfires emergencies in Virginia and North Carolina as well as wildfires in eastern Tennessee is to share some videos, the first two video are courtesy my friends at the New Jersey Forest Fires Section B10 Website who share wildfire videos each day on their home page (scroll to the bottom of the page to see today's videos. All three videos were uploaded to YouTube on or about November 7th.

Governor of Virginia declares emergency

Direct link to video on YouTube from WSLS 10

Wildfires in eastern Tennessee

Direct link to video on YouTube from WBIR Channel 10

Wildfires in western North Carolina, North Carolina

Direct link to video on YouTube from CBS 17

2023 Wildfire Season: NWS Incident Meteorologist (IMET) deployments (August 29th)

There have been several deployments of NWS Incident Meteorologists since August 25th. In the list of deployments, the first link in each deployment is to the US NWS IMET listing on Facebook and the second link is to InciWeb, or if there is no InciWeb information for the fire to another agency (if available).

IMET deployments on Friday, August 25th

• Ridge Creek Fire in the Idaho Panhandle National Forests near Hayden, Idaho. See the Ridge Creek Fire on InciWeb
• Valentine Fire in the Tonto National Forest near Young Arizona. See the Valentine Fire on InciWeb.
• An IMET Trainee was deployed to the 2023 SRF Lightning Complex in the Six Rivers National Forest near Hoopa, California. See the 2023 SRF Lightning Complex on InciWeb.
• Tiger Island Fire near DeRidder, Louisiana. See the August 29th update for the Tiger Island Fire (31,242 acres)  from the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry No information on InciWeb.

IMET deployment on Saturday, August 26th

• Bedrock Fire in the Williamette National Forest near Vida, Oregon. See the Bedrock Fire on InciWeb
• Camp Creek Fire in the Mt. Hood National Forest near Sandy, Oregon. See the Camp Creek Fire on InciWeb.

IMET deployment on Sunday, August 27th to the Tyee Ridge Complex near Sutherlin, Oregon. See the Tyee Ridge Complex on InciWeb.

IMET deployment on Monday, August 28th to the  East Fork Fire in the Kootenai National Forest near Trego, Montana. See the East Fork Fire on InciWeb.

IMET deployments on Tuesday, August 29th

• Happy Camp Complex in the Klamath National Forest near Yreka, California. See the Happy Camp Complex on InciWeb
• Petes Lake Fire in the Willamette National Forest near Three Rivers, Oregon. No information available on InciWeb. See the August 29th Evening update from Central Oregon Fire Info
• South Fork Complex in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest near Hayfork, California. See the South Fork Complex on InciWeb.

IMETs save lives! Any errors in these listings are mine.

NOAA Incident Meteorologist Deployments as of mid-August 2023

As I write about the deployments of NWS Incident Meteorologists (IMET) to wildfires, and other missions as appropriate, I am always curious about the number of IMET deployments year to date. Every so often the US National Weather Service IMET (office) posts this information and I am always on the lookout for this information. As I was checking the US NWS IMET Facebook page late last night, I saw that they had made a post with this information on or about August 16th. I am embedding their post below. While they had 20 qualified IMETs and 2 trainees deployed at the time the IMET office posted on Facebook, I suspect that these numbers have changed, perhaps increasing? I saw this because at the time I write this I have noted several more deployments since they posted their year to date number for 2023. 

IMETs save lives!

2023 Wildfire Season: Update on Maui Wildfires (August 11)

Direct link to video from The Washington Post on Youtube

I wrote about the wildfires in Maui on August 10th, and I continue to follow these fires. I found an update on the current status of the fires in Maui courtesy of the good reporting of CNN:

• current death toll is 55, numbers expected to climb when emergency workers go into burnt structures.
• Thousands of people are evacuated from their homes and businesses, including both residents and tourists.
• The historic town of Lhaina on Maui is "all gone" per the Maui County Mayor.
• The wildfire that devastated Lhaina is currently at 80 percent containment
• Power outages and disruptions in communications are continuing.

This just in (August 11th, 4:40 PM) On a slightly busier than normal afternoon I just checked in with Wildfire Today to see what they posted today. In today's post on WildfireToday, August 11th, 'Opinion: Maui fire shows that Hawaii paradise was a dream', Wildfire Today references an opinion piece by Naka Nathaniel, an opinion columnist for Honolulu Civil Beat, linking to an opinion piece he wrote on CNN. I found Nathaniel's piece very illuminating and I learned something, I hope that you take a few moments to read it.

I found an excellent video from Fox Weather (uploaded on or about August 10th) discussing the meteorological factors that contributed to the wildfires. There is also some footage of photos before and after the wildfire. 

Direct link to video from Fox Weather on YouTube

2023 Wildfire Season: Maui (Hawaii) Wildfires

 I first knew of the wildfires in Maui from coverage in both the New York Times and the Washington Post, both of which I subscribe to but their articles are behind a paywall and while I can get gift articles from both newspapers for free access. But the free access is good for only ten days so this is not appropriate for my blog. I did link to today's coverage from both the New York Times and the Washington Post, but am uncertain if you will be able to access the articles, but out of appreciation for the fine coverage of both newspapers, I have to try.

Fortunately, Wildfire Today has provided excellent coverage in an article they posted on August 9th (with videos and links to media reports) where they report on an untold number of businesses and residences being burned, the western portion of Maui being closed to traffic, power outages, and people jumping in the ocean to get away from the flames. You may want to check out the coverage from Wildfire Today. Among the media reports cited by Wildfire Today is coverage from CNN, I found an updated article in this morning's news feed from CNN, you may find it here (with a video and a map). 

The coverage I referenced earlier from the New York Times and the Washington Post reports that (at least) 36 people have died in the wildfires. 

Here is an earlier video report on August 9 from MLive with some very impressive fire footage. 

Direct link to video from MLive on YouTube

Here is some helicopter footage of the Maui Fires.

Direct link to video from 11Alive on YouTube

Wildland Firefighter death on August 4th near Powers Oregon

 Over the weekend, I checked out WildfireToday where I first learned of the tragic death of 21 year old Benjamin Charles Sapper in a vehicle accident while he was on duty on August 4th near Powers, Oregon, Wildfire Today wrote about the loss of Benjamin in an August 6th post. He was traveling with his fire crew when the accident happened. Benjamin was from Boulder, Colorado and had recently graduated from college this year. He was a first-year wildland firefighter. Antonia Velez of 9News out of Denver,  Colorado wrote a nice article on August 6th about Benjamin (with video).

I offer my condolences and prayers for Benjamin's family friends, colleagues and all who loved Benjamin. May he rest in peace.

2023 Wildfire Season: NWS Incident Meteorologist (IMET) deployments (August 4th)

There have been several deployments of NWS Incident Meteorologists since July 31st. In the list of deployments, the first link in each deployment is to the US NWS IMET listing on Facebook and the second link is to InciWeb.

IMET deployments on Monday, July 31st

• Flat Fire in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest near Agness, Oregon. See the Flat Fire on InciWeb.
• Colt Fire in the the Lolo National Forest near Seeley Lake, Montana. See the Colt Fire on InciWeb.
• Eagle Bluff Fire near Oroville, Washington. See the Eagle Bluff Fire on InciWeb.
• Hayden Fire near Leadore, Idaho. See the Hayden Fire on InciWeb.

IMET deployments on Tuesday, August 1

• Big Knife Fire near Arlee, Montana. See the Big Knife Fire on InciWeb.
• Elkhorn Fire near Warren, Idaho. See the Elkhorn Fire on InciWeb.
• The York Fire is burning in the Las Vegas Nevada Mojave National Preserve, 47 miles NW of Needles, California. See the York Fire on InciWeb.

IMET deployment on Wednesday, August 2 to the Dry Lake Fire in the San Juan National Forest near Bayfild, Colorado. At the time I write this I could not find an InciWeb listing for this fire.

IMET deployments on Thursday, August 3

• An IMET trainee was deployed to the Dry Lake Fire in the San Juan National Forest near Bayfild, Colorado. At the time I write this I could not find an InciWeb listing for this fire.
• Big Knife Fire near Arlee, Montana. See the Big Knife Fire on InciWeb.

IMETs save lives! Any errors in these listings are mine.