New Jersey Forest Fire Service: Training New Wildland Firefighters

The Central Division of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) recently completed biannual training of new wildland firefighters. This training is recognized by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group. This training includes training on the operations, trucks and equipment used by the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. If you can not see the Facebook post from the NJFFS that I embedded below, please please go to their May8th Facebook post.

Fighting Wildfires in the Rockies: Operation Sky Hammer

Direct link to April 30th video from the Forest Service on YouTube

Enjoy this video about the Operation Sky Hammer program in Colorado where two Skycrane helitankers that can carry up to 2,400 gallons of retardant are used to help the wildland firefighters on the ground fight wildfires. 

About Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Fire

Direct link to 2021 video from the National Interagency Fire Center

The Bureau of Land Management Fire Program is housed in the U.S. Department of the Interior: 

As the largest and most complex fire program within the Department of the Interior, BLM Fire is directly responsible for fire management on more than 245 million acres. This land is commonly intermixed with other federal, state, and local jurisdictions, making partnerships and collaborative efforts crucial to the mission of safety and fire management. Overall, BLM Fire implements fire protection on approximately 650 million acres of public land with other fire management agencies.

I have a lot of respect for the work the BLM Fire does as the work to keep us safe from wildfires. 

BurnBot Machine - New Technology to Create Firebreaks

Direct link to September 17th video from NewsNation on YouTube 

I am intrigued by what I saw in this video about the new BurnBot, a large Zamboni like machine that can create fire breaks next to homes, highways and businesses. I understand that BurnBots are being used in California and other states are interested in BurnBots. More BurnBots will be built in 2026 and 2027

Wildland firefighters: brief look at handtools

I wanted to take a look at some of the handtools that wildland firefighters use when building line or in mop up afterwards. I found this nice short video, courtesy of the West Metro Fire Department of Lakewood Colorado, where a few of the more common handtools are introduced: the Pulaski, McLeod, Combi Tool, Hoe, and Shovel. While I have seen references to these tools over the years that I have been doing this blog, the cavaet is that these are the tools used by the West Metro Fire Department. Wildland firefighters in your area may use some of these tools or use different tools. 

Direct link to video by West Metro Fire Department

An aviation contractor reflects on flying fires for the firefighters on the ground during this devastating fire season

I saw a post from Coulson Aviation on their Facebook page yesterday which left me speechless. It is not their normal post about their aircraft currently on contract with the U.S. Forest Service or soon to be on contract in Australia, it is a post addressed to the all the firefighters on the ground. They speak in very eloquent terms about the sacrifices made by all the firefighters on the ground, that they fly to help them. I always try to say that aerial firefighting assets fly to help the firefighters on the ground, they do not put fires out but I do not write this out of any first hand experience. As soon as I saw Coulson's post yesterday, I knew that I had to share it with you. They say what I can not. Please click on see more to read the entire post. And don't forget the pictures. 

About the National Preparedness Levels (wildfires in the United States)

 I suspect that many of you have heard various websites refer to the National Preparedness Level, a five level scale where as you go up the scale from 1 to 5. I find the current National Preparedness Level on the main fire info page of the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) . Rather than try to do a perhaps inadequate job of explaining this to you, I thought that I go to the horses mouth, so to speak. I don't know about you, but I do find it useful to know what each level means, so I went to the NIFC website to learn more. We are currently at Preparedness Level 4, and depending on when you read this, the preparedness level may be higher or lower.

So here goes, you may download a pdf file about the National Preparedness Levels from the NIFC here.

The National Multi-Agency Coordination Group (NMAC) establishes Preparedness Levels throughout the calendar year to help assure that firefighting resources are ready to respond to new incidents. Preparedness Levels are dictated by fuel and weather conditions, fire activity, and resource availability. 

The five Preparedness Levels range from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest level. Each Preparedness Level has specific management directions. As the Preparedness Levels rise, more federal and state employees become available for fire mobilization if needed.

Preparedness Level 1

• Geographic Areas accomplish incident management objectives utilizing local resources with little or no national support.

• Conditions are not favorable to support significant wildland fire activity in most geographic areas.
• Resource capability is adequate with little or no mobilization of resources occurring through the National Interagency Coordination Center.

• Potential for emerging significant wildland fires is expected to remain minimal.

Preparedness Level 2

• Active Geographic Areas (GA's) are unable to independently accomplish incident management objectives. Resource capability remains stable enough nationally to sustain incident operations and meet objectives in active GA's.

• Significant wildland fire activity is increasing in a few geographic areas.

• Resources within most geographic areas are adequate to manage the current situation, with light to moderate mobilization of resources occurring through the National Interagency Coordination Center.

• Potential for emerging significant wildland fires is normal to below normal for the time of year.

Preparedness Level 3

• Mobilization of resources nationally is required to sustain incident management operations in the active Geographic Areas (GA's). National priorities established as a necessary measure to address the heavy and persistent demand for shared resources among active GA's.

• Significant wildland fire activity is occurring in multiple geographic areas, with Incident Management Teams (IMTs) actively engaged.

• Mobilization of resources through the National Interagency Coordination Center is moderate to heavy.

• Potential for emerging significant wildland fires is normal for the time of year. 

Preparedness Level 4

• Shared resources are heavily committed. National mobilization trends affect all Geographic Areas (GA's) and regularly occur over larger and larger distances. National priorities govern resources of all types. Heavy demand on inactive/low activity GA's with low levels of activity for available resources.

• Significant wildland fire activity is occurring in multiple geographic areas; significant commitment of Incident Management Teams.

• NICC increasingly engages GACCs in an effort to coordinate and fill orders for available resources.

• Potential for significant incidents emerging in multiple GA’s indicates that resource demands will continue or increase.  

Preparedness Level 5 

• National mobilization is heavily committed and measures need to be taken to support GA's. Active GA's must take emergency measures to sustain incident operations.

• Full commitment of national resources is ongoing.

• Resource orders filled at NICC by specifically coordinating requests with GACCs as resources become available.

• Potential for emerging significant wildland fires is high and expected to remain high in multiple geographic areas. 

Obtained on August 17, 2020 from https://www.nifc.gov/fireInfo/fireinfo_prepLevels.html

National Preparedness Levels (U.S.)

My friends at from the US National Weather Service IMET Office shared a nice video, under three minutes about the national (wildfire) preparedness level from the National Interagency Fire Center.

 

Here is a direct link to the post from the NWS IMET page. In the years that I have been writing this blog on aerial wildland firefighting, I have run into the National Preparedness Levels many times, especially when the level is four or five. Please take three minutes to watch the video. 

The current national preparedness level from the National Interagency Fire Center may be found here.

For those of you who would like complete information, here is a description of each of the five national preparedness levels from the National Interagency Fire Center:

National Preparedness Levels

The National Multi-Agency Coordination Group (NMAC) establishes Preparedness Levels throughout the calendar year to help assure that firefighting resources are ready to respond to new incidents. Preparedness Levels are dictated by fuel and weather conditions, fire activity, and resource availability.

The five Preparedness Levels range from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest level. Each Preparedness Level has specific management directions. As the Preparedness Levels rise, more federal and state employees become available for fire mobilization if needed.

Preparedness Level 1

Geographic Areas accomplish incident management objectives utilizing local resources with little or no national support.

- Conditions are not favorable to support significant wildland fire activity in most geographic areas.

- Resource capability is adequate with little or no mobilization of resources occurring through the National Interagency Coordination Center.

- Potential for emerging significant wildland fires is expected to remain minimal.

Preparedness Level 2

Active Geographic Areas (GA's) are unable to independently accomplish incident management objectives. Resource capability remains stable enough nationally to sustain incident operations and meet objectives in active GA's.

- Significant wildland fire activity is increasing in a few geographic areas.

- Resources within most geographic areas are adequate to manage the current situation, with light to moderate mobilization of resources occurring through the National Interagency Coordination Center.

- Potential for emerging significant wildland fires is normal to below normal for the time of year.

Preparedness Level 3

Mobilization of resources nationally is required to sustain incident management operations in the active Geographic Areas (GA's). National priorities established as a necessary measure to address the heavy and persistent demand for shared resources among active GA's.

- Significant wildland fire activity is occurring in multiple geographic areas, with Incident Management Teams (IMTs) actively engaged.

- Mobilization of resources through the National Interagency Coordination Center is moderate to heavy.

- Potential for emerging significant wildland fires is normal for the time of year.

Preparedness Level 4

Shared resources are heavily committed. National mobilization trends affect all Geographic Areas (GA's) and regularly occur over larger and larger distances. National priorities govern resources of all types. Heavy demand on inactive/low activity GA's with low levels of activity for available resources.

- Significant wildland fire activity is occurring in multiple geographic areas; significant commitment of Incident Management Teams.

- NICC increasingly engages GACCs in an effort to coordinate and fill orders for available resources.

- Potential for significant incidents emerging in multiple GA’s indicates that resource demands will continue or increase.

Preparedness Level 5

National mobilization is heavily committed and measures need to be taken to support GA's. Active GA's must take emergency measures to sustain incident operations.

- Full commitment of national resources is ongoing.

- Resource orders filled at NICC by specifically coordinating requests with GACCs as resources become available.

- Potential for emerging significant wildland fires is high and expected to remain high in multiple geographic areas. National Preparedness Levels

Obtained on June 3, 2020 from https://www.nifc.gov/fireInfo/fireinfo_prepLevels.html

 

2019 wildfire season: thank-you firefighters

2019 is not yet over and I suspect that there will be more wildfires to come here in the United States. But, I do want to pause to thank all the wildland firefighters on the ground and in the air for all you have done to protect us. What you do is dangerous and the work is hard. You take care of each other as you fight wildfires and perhaps you find time for a moment of humor, a quick bite to eat and then some sack time in a safe space. Many of you make the sacrifice of being away from your families, loved ones, and friends for months at a time. I make this post to honor your work and sacrifices to keep us safe from wildfires.


direct link to video from MacCloud Entertainment


Direct link to video from Ryan Gendron

Thank-you wildland firefighters (2018 version)

Thanks to my friends at the B10 NJ Wildland Fire Page for sharing a great tribute video on their video of the week page (updated weekly).

I share this video in honor of, and to thank all the wildland firefighters on the ground and in their air as well as their support teams for your service in 2018, sometimes under very difficult conditions.


Direct link to video from MacCloud Entertainment

Structure protection on the wildland-urban interface

Thanks to a wildland firefighter friend for making me aware of a good, 20 minute video, from the National Fire Protection Association on structure protection in the wildland-urban interface. The video is apparently aimed at structure firefighters. Included among the issues that this video looks at are various techniques to protect structures in the interface, developing plans, communications, and the importance of training with with wildland firefighters. While aimed at structure firefighters, as someone who is not a firefighter but is an interested observer (so to speak) I learned a lot. I hope that you take the time to watch this video,


Direct link to video

More on Prescribed Burns & Other Training in New Jersey

Continuing with two more videos highlighting the work the New Jersey Forest Fire Service does. In the first video you will see a video where you will more about prescribed burns in New Jersey along with a little history and fire ecology. This is a great video, just under ten minutes, I learned a lot and I think that you will as well.


Direct link to video

The second video is a short video highlight recent basic training (S130/S190) for wildland firefighters from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, volunteer fire fighters, Air National Guard, and the Department of Military and Veteran Affairs.


Direct link to video

Thanks to my friends at the B10 NJ Wildland Fire Page for sharing these videos on this weeks video of the week page.

Wildfire Documentary - Inmate wildland fire crews working So CA wildfires

Enjoy this documentary from Chris Terril as he joins an inmate wildland firefighting crew known as the "Good Bad Guys" fight wildfires in southern California. This is (or was) done with the cooperation of CAL FIRE and the California Department of Corrections. Some of the footage is from 2008. The video is one of a number of documentaries available on the Real Stories Channel on Youtube. Allow 45 minutes to watch the video. Thanks to my friends at the B10 NJ Wildland Fire Page for sharing this video.



Direct link to video

Alabama's wildfire aviation unit

I've flown enough as a knowledgeable passenger in the right side of general aviation aircraft to know that you have a birds eye view to see certain activities on the ground, including wildfires. I suspect that making good observations from an aircraft takes experience. I have always had a general knowledge that there are agencies in the U.S. and internationally that make wildfire observations from the air, but had no specific information. Or perhaps I just wasn't paying attention. But I was paying attention last week when a short video from a local news report from WKRG in Alabama.

In the video, uploaded on March 29th, you will meet the Alabama Forestry Commission's Aviation Unit. At the time of this news report there were 37 wildfires to date that had burned more than 1,300 acres in Mobile and Baldwin Counties in Southwest Alabama this spring. Over the last three months (January to March 2017) there have been some 330 burned that have burned more than 6,500 acres

The Aviation Unit has been working making observations in support of wildland firefighters on the ground. In this short video you will meet Robert Trimble who flies one of four Alabama Forestry Commission's Cessna's. In his case a Cessna 182. He is an "eye in the sky" first locating wildfires and then flying over the fire and dispatching ground crews to the wildfire. He also works to keep the ground crews safe, advising them to move to safer ground if necessary.

You will fly with the reporter Pat Peterson as he joins Trimble one day as he flies over Baldwin County in Alabama. Trimble covers 10 counties in Southwest Alabama.


Direct link to video

Intro to using hand tools to fight wildfires in Tennessee

On a day when I am feeling slightly under the weather while at the same time looking for something interesting and relevant to post, I found this video (2009) from the Tennessee Division of Forestry on how hand tools are used by wildland firefighters to fight wildfires in Tennessee. While there may be some variation in how wildland firefighters fight wildfires, I think that the what you will learn in this video has applicability no matter where you are. You will learn about what the light weight flame retardant clothing and footgear that the wildland firefighters wear, hand tools, and strategies for safely fighting wildfires with hand tools, along with how wildland firefighters stay safe.

Tennessee has some steep slopes as do other parts of the U.S. on both coasts. You will learn a little about fighting wildfires on steep slopes

Perhaps I have shared this same video earlier on my blog, if so then I think it bears repeating.


Direct link to video from the Tennessee Division of Forestry

Thank-you wildland firefighters

On a day when I am pausing to remember all that I am thankful for, I want to say a heartfelt thank-you to all wildland firefighters on the ground and in the air along with their support teams. Some of you are working wildfires today to keep us safe. Stay safe and thank-you.



Direct link to video

Groundpounders and Air Attack

A couple of videos that I had filed away that I thought I'd share with you. For those who partake in Halloween, have a nice and safe one.


COURTNEY FIRE AIR ATTACK from Jeff Aiello on Vimeo.

  Direct link to video from Brittany Jean

Fish and Wildlife Officer works very small wildfire in WA

I saw a nice Youtube Video uploaded from Animal Planet about the difference that one Fish and Wildlife Officer made by discovering, reporting, and working on a very small wildfire in Washington State. The Fish and Wildlife Officer that you see in the video is Officer Tyler Bahrenburg. I don't know anything more about the small wildfire discussed in the video. Hopefully the engine and crew that arrived and any additional groundpounders that arrived later were about to contain and control the widlfire while it was still small.

direct link to video on Youtube from Animal Planet

I’d like to thank my friends at the B10 NJ Wildland Fire Page who shared this video on October 9th on their Fire Videos of the Week Page (videos change weekly). 

wildland firefighting: aerial and ground resources working together

I had something else in mind for today, but it wasn't exactly working out. I decided to take a little more time on that post.

I decided to show you some video of ground and aerial resouces working together to fight a wildfire. I had bookmarked this video (below), and think it will do the trick. This is footage shot on August 16th (2015) by durlingmeda of a brush fire in Montebello CA. I love this video because you see groundpounders, a dozer or two and tankers and helos working this fire. Everyone working together to contain the fire. Forgive me if you have seen this video before, I may have shared it last month on my video of the week page. But those videos are only up for a few days before I post another one. What I share here has some more permanance.


direct link to video 

A short overview of fighting Western US wildfires

Here is a seven and a half minute video from the PBS Newshour (September 9, 2015): intensewildfire season pushes crews to the limit, embedded below. I thought that you might enjoy this report about life on the fireline in Washington. The report also speaks to how scarce wildland firefighters, equimpent, supplies and resources are deployed; and our international friends who have sent wildland firefighting crews to help us out.