2016 fall wildfire season - Southeast U.S.

Knowing that areas in the Southeastern United States have been rather dry for several weeks, I wanted to post something about the numerous wildfires in the Southeast.

I start off with this map that from Google Earth showing current large incidents (wildfires) on November 9, 2016.

Accessed via kml file from Active Fire Mapping Program: http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/ (fire data in Google Earth)

I wanted to say something about the size and containment information on some of these fires, knowing that I may not be able to easily correlate the above map with some basic fire statistics. To that end, I have compiled the acreage on some of large fires (as of November 8, 2016) from the Southern Area Coordination Center’s Morning Report for November 9, 2016, New Large ICS-209 Incidents on pp 1-3. I am, hopefully, including a listing of wildfires at or below 50 percent containment on the date of the Morning Briefing. Any errors in transcribing this data are mine. I don't have statistics for every fire on the map, and some of the fires listed below are not mapped. This was a useful exercise because it gave me an appreciation for the number of wildfires that have burned in the southeast this fall. Several wildfires, not listed below are either fully contained or are near being fully contained.

LARGE INCIDENTS (11/8/16), AT OR BELOW 50% CONTAINMENT

SACC MORNING REPORT FOR NOVEMBER 9, 2016

Virginia Raven Rock: incident VA-VAF-000255. started November 2, 2016. 2,453 acres at 25% containment. 1 commercial and 1 outbuilding have been destroyed.

North Carolina

• Party Rock: incident NC-NCG-160031. started November 5, 2016, 320 acres at 15% containment.
• Freebee Memorial: incident NC-NCF-160299. started November 5, 2016. at least 1,132 acres at 0% containment.
• Tellico: incident NC-NCF-160280. started November 3, 2016. at least1,835 acres at 25% containment.
• Maple Springs: incident NC-NCF-160295. started November 4, 2016. at least 3,500 acres at 9% containment.
• Avey Branch: incident NC-NCF-160293. started November 4, 2016. at least 1,200 acres at 18% containment.
• Boteler: incident NC-NCF-160247. started October 25, 3016. 1,713 acres at 30% containment.
• Washington’s Creek: incident NC-ECA-000029. started November 7, 2016. 100 acres at 50% containment.
• Knob: incident NC-NCF-160275. started November 3, 2016. 644 acres at 28% containment.

Tennessee Flippers Bend: incident TN-TNS-CD0016. started November 5, 2016. at least 350 acres at 50% containment.

Georgia Rough Ridge (c): incident GA-CHF-160052. started October 16, 2016. at least 6,407 acres at 11% containment.

Arkansas Mountain Creek: incident AR-OZF-000517. started November 2, 2016. Approximately 441 acres at 50% containment.

_____________________________

Some additional sources of information (links to media may expire after several days, all links live on the date I first posted this article):

Wildfire Today, November 9, 2016, Wildfire smoke in the southeast United States.

Wildfire Today, November 7 2016, Very dry autumn brings numerous wildfires to the southeast.

Post and Courier News on smoke plumes from wildfires in TN, NC, and VA.

WNCN on evacuations in North Carolina mountains.

WLOS on three airtankers working wildfires, information on wildfires in North Carolina mountains.

Mad River Hotshots - 2016 Fire Season

Continuing with video summaries of wildfire crew's 2016 wildfire season, here is a video from the Mad River Hotshots.


Direct link to video from Mad River IHC

Inside Coulson's "Hawaii" Martin Mars

I have been busy the last couple of days with some personal business and some computer maintenance. So I thought I'd take this opportunity to share this video that I recently found of a walking tour through Coulson's "Hawaii" Martin Mars. The video, shot be VMC Aviation Videos was shot at Sprout Lake in Vancover British Columbia on September 10, 2015. Enjoy!

Direct link to video from VMC Aviation Videos

Readings on Aviation -- Female pilots during World War II

I don't quite recall exactly when I first learned that women both in the United States and Great Britain flew for the war effort. Perhaps it was from a television show or a chance newspaper article that I read many years ago. But whatever I knew about a special group of female aviatrixes, it was not very much.

I recently shared a video of one of these aviators, a women who flew in Great Britain during World War II (see my October 28th post). In the course of my various readings on aviation over the last few years, I begun to learn a little more. I knew that a group of women pilots, known as Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPS), a paramilitary organization, transported military planes within the United States during the later part of World War II. Many of these planes were to fly overseas as a part of the war effort. For example, a plane would be built, tested if necessary and ready to fly. A WASP pilot would pick up the plane and fly it to a military base where it was assigned to a squadron for deployment over seas. See this wikipedia article for a little history of WASPs. I have done some reading about some of the women who served as WASPs, which I'll get to a little later. What impressed me is that these were a group of women who loved to fly and wanted to help their country. The service of the WASPs was not long, for those women who were in the first classes, their service was less than two years. The first class graduated in early 1943, WASPs were disbanded in December, 1944. While they freed up men for combat overseas, many were disappointed that they were not allowed to fly in combat missions.

It was during the course of my reading about WASPs that I learned about the group of women pilots in Great Britain, who were a part of the Air Transport Auxiliary (wikipedia), who did similar service. At first they transported military planes within their country, but  towards the end of the war they may have been allowed to transport planes to the European Continent. Women started to fly for the ATA in early 1940. In November 1945, the last women flew as ATA pilots in order to free up jobs for the male pilots returning from combat duty.

As I learned about these wonderful, skilled, and brave women who transported or ferried military planes during World War II, my respect and admiration for them increased. Many died. They were skilled pilots. They too were away from their families during their service. Some continued to fly after the War, and some did not. Women pilots had fewer options then men in those days. Things are better for women pilots these days, including the fact that women can join the military and fly. These early female aviatrixes,  helped to pave the way for a later generation of female aviatrixes.

When I go for one of my scenic airplane rides, there is a mural of a WASP standing next to her plane. I think of them every time I go for an airplane ride. I am not a licensed pilot, and in all likelihood never will be. But when I read about their flying and that of the ATA pilots, they take me with them through their words.

In May of 2016, the United States Congress passed legislation allowing WASPs to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery, For more information you might want to check out this Smithsonian Magazine article (May 23, 2016) and a  May 11, 2016 report from National Public Radio. After decades had passed where the WASPs failed to get military recognition for their service, they will receive the military honor of have their cremated remains buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

For more information on the web

• WASP on the Web
• ATA History

Books or Kindle Singles I have read. This just touches the surface of what is available, I include this list for your information. I got Kindle editions of all these books, except where noted they are available in other formats.

• A WASP Among Eagles: A Women Military Test Pilot During World War II by Ann B. Carl
• Spreading My Wings (one of Britain's top women pilots tells her remarkable story from pre-ear flying to ATA service to post-war flying and breaking the sound barrier) by Diana Barnato Walker.
• Bomber Girls In It Together by M.J. Forman (Kindle Single)
• Flying Higher: The Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II by Wanda Langley
• My Piece of the Sky (Memories of a WWII Women Airforce Service Pilot) by Anna Flynn Monkiewicz (Kindle edition only)

New Jersey Forest Service Fire Crew at Rough Ridge Fire (GA)

Thanks to my friends at the NJFFS AT Firefighters Association I now know that there is a wildland firefighting crew from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service deployed to the Rough Ridge Fire that is currently burning in the Cohutta Wilderness, Fanning County, Georgia. As you can see from the graphic, parts of Georgia are in an extreme drought. Please click on "more" under the graphic to read about the Rough Ridge Fire.



Here is a report from WDEF/News12Now on the fire, according to WDEF/News12Now (and I confirmed this by looking at todays morning report (updated frequently during fire season) from the Southern Area Coordination Center), the fire has burned 1,200 acres. I have not yet been able to find a webpage for information on this fire, if I do, I'll up date this article. According to information I saw in the morning briefing (updated frequently during fire season) for October 28th from the Eastern Area Coordination Center this crew was deployed on October 22, 2016.

Thank-you New Jersey Forest Service for helping out our friends in Georgia. Stay safe!

Female pilot who flew for Britain in WWII flies again

I have done some reading about the women who flew for Great Britain and the United States, mostly transporting planes, during World War II. I ran across this video a few months ago and don't believe that I've shared it here with you. Great aviators doing service for their country.

Wyoming Hotshots - 2016 fire season

Continuing with videos summarizing wildland firefighting crews 2016 fire season, here is a video showcasing the Wyoming Hotshots 2016 fire season. Thanks for all you did to keep us safe.


Direct link to video from Alec Cannata on Youtube

Midewin Hotshots - 2016 fire season

I have been remiss in not mentioning the Midewin Interagency Hotshot Crew before now. The Midewin Hotshots are an Interagency Hotshot Crew are the only Hotshot Crew in the eastern region. They are hosted by the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie in Wilmington, Illinois. Here is their 2016 crew video highlighting their 2016 fire season. I have a special fondness for this hotshot crew because they are from the eastern region. There are some nice shots of tankers and helos in the video. Enjoy!

Glad you are safe, enjoy your off season. Thanks for all you do to keep us safe.


Direct link to Youtube video from the Midewin Hotshots

Another look back at airtankers at Santa Barbara in 1987

I have shared some of Brian Lockett's (of http://www.Air-and-Space.com) earlier. On Jan 30, 2013 I shared the first of a five part video he did of airtanker operations at Santa Barbara (CA) on October 3, 1987. Then on July 31, 2015 I shared two more of Brian's videos, one is part 5 of his October 4th series of videos of tanker operations at Santa Barbara and the second was shot on October 5th. 

Today I am sharing part 2 of Brian Lockett's five-part series of videos of air tanker operations at Santa Barbara. I enjoy Brian's videos not only because he labels many of the tankers you will be seeing in the video, but also because he shows some commercial airliners. And at times, I hear some radio chatter in the background.

Thanks to Brian Lockett for identifying the tankers in his videos. Including among the airtankers that you will see in this video are:

• Fairchild 123 Provider T-123
• Douglas C-54D Skymaster T-13
• Lockheed P2V T-12 (Neptune Aviation)
• Lockheed P2V T-11 (Neptune Aviation)
• Lockheed P2V-7 T-7 (Aero Union)
• PB4Y2 Privateer T-124
• Douglas C-54 Skymaster T-16

Direct Link to video from Brian Lockett on Youtube

As I watched the video, I found myself thinking of how wonderful it is to see some historic airtankers in action. At the same time on a somewhat sadder note I found myself reflecting on the danger involved in flying airtankers. At least one of the airtankers that you will see in the video -- Neptune Aviation's Lockheed P2-V Tanker 11 was destroyed in a crash (June 3, 2012). The flying that airtanker and helicopter pilots do when flying wildfires is risky, and they do so to support the wildland firefighters on the ground. Many pilots and crew have died flying fires, your loss is not forgotten.

Geronimo Hotshots - 2016 wildfire season

I have been sharing videos from my friends, the Geronimo Hotshots, for the last few years. I was thrilled to find this video with highlights of their 2016 wildfire season. This video is a trailer, if you will, from their 2016 highlights video that is still in production. I am looking forward to thier next video and will share it here. Thank-you Geronimo Hotshots for all you do to keep us safe. Thank-you for your videos that bring us into your world. Stay safe.

Direct link to video from Geronimo Hotshots on Youtube

Thanks to wildland firefighters on the ground and in the air

I was taking some down time just now watching an old tv show from the 1970s, Emergency, the episode (from season 3) depicted a (fictional) account of a wildfire in the Los Angeles area of southern California. As I was sitting there watching the show, with what may have been some actual footage of a southern California fire from the period.

The show had a scene when three firefighters were surrounded by a fire after rescuing another firefighter who was trapped under a truck. They called for water drops and then made a safe space and dug in and waiting for help to come. In the manner of feel good TV, this had a happy ending. Water drops were made and the trapped firefighters were rescued.

In real life there are not always happy endings. Sometimes firefighters die, sometimes civilians die, firefighters and civilians are injured,  houses are lost and businesses are lost. In time, structures can be rebuilt. In some cases people will heal from their injuries and resume their lives. But sometimes lives are changed. People injured in a wildire may face a long recovery and may not be able to go back to what they were doing before the wildfire. Loved ones die.

I am reminded about how tankers and helos work a wildfire in the air to support wildland firefighters on the ground. It is dangerous work, that they do keep us safe.

I want to pause and remember all wildland firefighters, in the air and on the ground. Thank-you for keeping us safe. Thank-you for your sacrifice. Thoughts and prayers for all who have died in the line of duty.

This is one of my favorite tribute videos, and I have shared it at least once a few years back on this blog. I share it again in honor of all wildland firefighters. Thank-you


Direct link to video on Youtube

IMET deployments - early fall 2016

While wildfire activity may have eased up somewhat in some parts of the United States, wildfire season is still going on in California and other Western States. Regular readers may recall that I have posted some articles National Weather Service (NWS) Incident Meteorologists (IMETs), Meteorologists who are trained to be onsite at a wildfire providing weather forecasts for the incident.

I was wondering about IMET deployment so I went to the USNWS IMET Facebook page to find out about recent IMET deployments going back to late September. I saw that an IMET from the NWS Sacramento, CA Weather Forecast Office was deployed to the Sobranes Fire on September 30th. I'll get back to the Sobranes Fire in a moment. On or about October 13, an IMET from the NWS Hanford, WA Weather Forecast Office was deployed to the Sacata Fire. The Sacata Fire started on Tuesday, October 11th near Trimmer, California in the Sierra National Forest (Fresno County). As I write this (October 14, 2016 at 2:15 EDT) the Sacata Fire has burned 1,700 acres and is at 35 percent containment.

Back to the Sobranes Fire. There have been a total of 14 IMETs (as of September 30th) that have been deployed to the Sobranes Fire, while not at the top of the list for the number of IMETs deployed to a single fire, the Sobranes Fire is number 8 on the list as of September 30th. Number one on the list for total IMETs deployed to an incident is 29 for the 2011 Texas Fires. See this post on the USNWS IMET page for more information.

I got interested in the Sobranes Fire and I see that according the latest update on the Sobranes Fire inciweb page that the fire was 100 percent contained on October 12, 2016 at 132,127 acres. The cause of the fire was an illegal campfire. Normally IMETs are deployed to a wildfire for two weeks. I have no idea of the IMET deployed on September 30th is still working the Sobranes Fire. I did some checking on the Sobranes Fire photo page and found a couple of videos that I think you might be interested in. Before I get to that, for those of you who are arriving here some months after the Sobranes Fire was contained, I never quite know how long the link to the Sobranes Fire will be active. So if the links here do not work, you will know why.

One of the things that an IMET does on a frequent basis while working a wildfire is to make weather briefings for those working the fire. I found a video of IMET, Julia R, uploaded on September 30, 2016, Julia is giving a weather briefing for the Sobranes Fire. I learned a lot about the importance of incident specific weather forecasts and how weather plays a role in fire behavior. Forecasts such as this one provided by an IMET provide crucial information about the weather conditions and what wildland firefighters on the ground and in the air can expect. IMETs save lives!

Finally, here is another video from an IMET and his IMET trainee on or about August 28th discussing the importance of the ballon launch they were doing one morning. You will learn about balloon launches and how data from a balloon launch over or near a wildfire can help forecast fire behavior so the wildland firefighters can be prepared to fight the wildfire in possibly changing weather conditions. IMETs save lives!

Tankers reloading at Redding Air Attack Base (2015)

Time to stand by the fence and watch tankers reloading at Redding Air Attack Base in July 2015. Thanks to John Lord for the great video allowing us to watch along with him. Enjoy!


Direct link to video from John Lord

CAL FIRE Super Huey - Helitack 106 in action

I found this great 16 minute video today from W Colby showing a CAL FIRE Super Huey, Helitack 106, in action. The video was uploaded in August, 2015. There are some great close-up shots. Talk about up close and personal!

Direct link to video from W Colby on Youtube.

NOAA WP-3D Ms. Piggy flies through Hurricane Matthew's eyewall

Join NOAA's WP-3D Orion -- #NOAA43 (aka Ms. Piggy) -- and her pilots and crew as they take a bumpy flight through the eyewall of Major Hurricane Matthew recently. Credit Capt. Tim Gallagher/NOAA for this shot, close-up view of flying through the eyewall. His video was shared on The NOAA Hurricane Hunters Facebook Page sometime late night on October 6th/7th. Thank-you Capt. Gallagher for taking us with you and your crew.

Stay safe all in his path. Please evacuate if you are in a coastal area in his path.

Hurricane Hunters flying Major Hurricane Matthew -- Thank-you!!

Direct link to video

Obtained from http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ at 2:24 PM on October 5, 2016
This information is current at the time noted above, see http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ for the latest advisories for Matthew

Since I first wrote about Hurricane Hunters last year (NOAA and USAF 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron) I find myself thinking about all who pilot and crew Hurricane Hunters just as I always think about those who fly tankers and helicopters used to fight wildfires. Once I write about aircraft, I get involved. As both NOAA and the USAF 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron have been making daily or twice daily sorties into Hurricane Matthew (a category three hurricane as I write this), I want to pause and say "thank-you." Somehow saying thank-you seems wholly inadequate. You are flying hurricanes and penetrating the eyewall in order to provide data to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The NHC in turn uses this data as the provide us with forecasts, discussions and advisories. All so that we can be as safe as we can, and to evacuate if need be.

Last Friday, September 30th, Matthew was a category five hurricane which means that his top winds were in excess of 156 miles per hour (according to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale). This meant the Hurricane Hunter flying reconnaissance last Friday was flying through winds in excess of 156 miles per hour as they were penetrating the eyewall. And they made a few penetrations. Not all Hurricanes are Cat 5, and Matthew is down to Cat 3 as I write this. Still . . .  Thank-you Hurricane Hunters for doing what you do to provide with the information so that we may evacuate if warranted. You fly Hurricanes to keep us safe. Thank-you.

For those of you who might want a safe arm chair view of what it is like to fly into the eyewall of a major Hurricane, see the article that I wrote on October 28, 2015 where I embedded some footage shot from one of the Hurricane Hunters who flew Hurricane Patricia last fall. She was a Category 5 Hurricane as she made landfall in Mexico.

You fly were no other airplanes can go. Thank-you.

Stay safe everyone. Please heed any evacuation advisories.

Loma Fire - October 3rd

The Loma Fire (Santa Clara County, California) has burned 4,474 acres as I write this, up from 4,313 acres burned on September 30th. It is at 81 percent containment; 12 residences and 16 other structures have been destroyed. Some mandatory evacuation orders remain in place with 81 structures threatened. The latest update from CAL FIRE (updated periodically while the fire is actively burning) may be found here.

I have two more videos to share with you. The first video, uploaded to Youtube by High Flyer on September 30th, shows more air operations.


Direct link to video

The second video is a video thanking the wildland firefightiners, uploaded on September 30th. I always like seeing videos thanking firefighters. I know that the thanks expressed in this videos is heartfelt. Thank-you wildland firefighters on the ground and in the air. Stay safe as you continue to fight this wildfire. You rock!


Direct link to video

Loma Fire (CA) Air Operations #2

I wrote about the Loma Fire on September 28th where I shared a short video from a local news outlet of air operations over the fire. Today I will share two more videos showing air operations over the Loma Fire. But first, an update. As I write this, the Loma Fire has burned 4,313 acres in Santa Clara County, California. The fire is at 34 percent containment. Eight residences and nine outbuildings have been destroyed, an additional 325 buildings are threatened. Evacuation orders remain in place.  CAL FIRE has an incident page for the Loma Fire, the latest incident page (updated periodically while the fire is active) may be found here.

Both of the videos that I am embedding below were uploaded by W Colby. Allow about 15 minutes to watch both videos.


Direct link to video on Youtube


Direct link to video on Youtube

Loma Fire (Santa Clara County, CA) - air operations

I found a short but nice video of air tanker operations over the Loma Fire, which I'll get to in a minute. I read about the Loma Fire yesterday on Bill Gabbert's Blog, Wildfire Today in this article. Bill has shared some nice pictures of the Loma Fire and has a nice article which you may want to check out.

I found CAL FIRE's incident page for the Loma Fire, the latest update available as I write this was at 6:30 AM PDT on September 28. According to CAL FIRE's Loma Fire incident page has burned 2,250 acres in Santa Clara County, CA and is at 10 percent containment. One residence and six outbuildings have been destroyed, mandatory evacuations are in place. The cause of the fire is not known at this time and is under investigation.

The video that I am embedding below is from Sky7 HD, and I found it on the KRON4 News Facebook page (). The video is also available on the KRON4 News website on this page with videos from the Loma Fire, scroll down and you will see the video along with some other videos that you might want to check out. Back to the air operations video, you will see at least one DC-10 tanker making a drop, a DC-7 tanker, and a couple of S-2T tankers (including but not necessarily limited to T-85 and T74).

The SFGate has a nice photo gallery of images from the Loma Fire that may be found here. 

Wildland Firefighter Fatalities (2016) - RIP

The recent death of Ryan Osler (38) on September 21st when a water tender rolled over en route to the Canyon Fire on Vandenberg Airbase is a reminder that wildland firefighter, and any firefighting for that matter, is dangerous.

There are always a number of wildland firefighter deaths each year in the United States and around the world and 2016 year to date is no exception. Always Remember, a site that "provides a permanent location to collect, organize, maintain, preserve, and share current and historical incidents in which wildland firefighters lost their lives, to remember our fallen firefighters, their contributions, and the lessons learned from their lives or in their passing (obtained from Always Remember on September 23, 2016)." I went to Always Remember just now to see who has died in 2016 (as of September 23, 2016). Always Remember maintains a list of wildland firefighters (by incident) who have died in the United States, with the latest on top, that may be found on the Always Remember Incident Page.

Please join me in remembering each of these fallen wildland firefighters who died to keep us safe, prayers for their families, friends, colleagues, and all who love them. May you all Rest in Peace. Thank-you for your service.

• Shawana Jones (22) died on February 26. 2016 on a small wildfire in the Santa Monica National Recreation Area.
• Jacob O'Malley (27) and Will Hawkins (22) died on July 10, 2016 died when their BLM vehicle rolled while returning from wildfire patrol duty near Denlo Nevada.
• Charles Waterbury (56) died on July 24, 2016 after suffering from a medical emergency while fighting a wildfire near Lyme New Hampshire.
• Robert Reagan (35) died on July 26, 2016 when the Bull Dozer he was driving while working the Soberanes Fire (Monterey County, CA) rolled over.
• Justin Beebe (26) died on August 13, 2016 died in tree felling accident while his Hotshot crew, the Lolo Interagency Hotshot Crew was working the Straberry Fire (Great Basin National Park in Nevada).
• Ian Howard (36) died of unknown causes during the night of August 20-21, 2016. His engine crew was positioned to work a wildfire on the Mendocino National Forest (near the Paskenta Work Center).
• Alan Swartz (25) and Jimmy Shelifoe (23) members of the Beartown (Michigan) Firefighter Crew died on August 27, 2016 when their crew transport vehicle was in a motor vehicle accident in Minnesota. The Beartown Firefighter Crew was on their way to the Box Canyon Fire in Utah.
• Ryan Osler (38) of the Ventura County CA Fire Department died on September 21, 2016 when his water tender rolled over en route to the Canyon Fire on Vandenberg Airbase.

Helicopter flight over Pioneer Fire

One of the Facebook pages that I check out periodically during wildfire season is by US National Weather Service (NWS) IMET. IMET's are National Weather Service Meteorologists who have received special training to provide onsite meteorological services for wildland fires (see the about tab on the USNWS IMET facebook page for more information, I wrote about IMETs on August 10th and August 11th (2016). IMETs save lives!

The US National Weather Service IMET (Facebook) has some useful information including when and where IMETs are deployed during wildfire season. But there is also other good information posted on that page, which is how I found about the video that I am embedding below. 

I was interested to read September 2, 2016 post on the US National Weather Service IMET Facebook Page. An IMET from the NWS Weather Forecast Office in Jackson, Mississippi was assigned to the Pioneer Fire at the end of August. On August 29th, he had a chance to go on a helicopter flight over the Pioneer Fire when it was making run. It seems that the Pioneer Fire grew by 30,000 acres that day. According to the commentary by Dan Byrd that accompanies the video (direct link to Aug 29th Helicopter Flight over the Pioneer Fire: "The fire put up a 40k foot plume today and consumed 30 thousand acres just north of Boise ID."

I don't know the nature of the helicopter flight, probably reconnaissance. In any event, the video is over nine minutes long with some great footage of an active and growing fire. Impressive! According to an August 30th news release about the Pioneer Fire, the fire had burnt about 140,780 acres on August 30th, up from 111,604 acres on August 29th. As I write this, the Pioneer Fire (page updated periodically, what you see may be different) has burned 188,404 acres in Boise National Forest near Boise Idaho and is at 64 percent containment. 

I shared a video on September 12th showing the Umatilla Initial Attack Crew working the Pioneer Fire on or about August 4th.

Revisiting Soda Fire (2015) Post-Fire Recovery (Sept. 2016)

I am still very interested in the 2015 Soda Fire Post-Fire Recovery. Readers of this blog may recall that I wrote two series on emergency rehabilitation and recovery from the 2015 Soda Fire. The first series, in late 2015 focused on Burned Area Emergency Response. I wrote the second series in February 2016 focusing on the 2015 Soda Fire Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation (ESR) plan for burned area recovery (BAR). If you are interested in reading any of these earlier articles, please see my February 8th post where I have included links to all my earlier articles.

You may recall that burned area recovery that the ESR work will continue for one to five years depending on the specific treatments (see for example part two of my two part interview with the Idaho BLM. For some information on specific treatments planner see my February 12th and February 15th articles.

I do spend a certain amount of time reflecting on the 2015 Soda Fire Post-Fire Recovery and regret that distance and other factors preclude me from being able to follow this more closely. I did see that the BLM prepared a briefing package on Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation in May 2016, it is a short document with some photos and a list of treatments is provided on page 3. According to the May 2016 Briefing document, included in the treatments planned for 2016 (this may be a partial list) are:

• repair of roads, recreation trails, culverts, ditches, water bars, and warning signs;
• planting of seedlings;
• repair of fencing;
• and treatment of noxious weeds

On page 5 of the May 2016 ESR Briefing Package refers to plans for emergency fuel breaks:

On May 5, 2016, the BLM Owyhee Field Office signed an emergency decision authorizing the construction of up to 25 miles of fuel breaks in the highest-priority area of the wildland-urban interface. The fuel breaks will include approximately 200 acres of targeted grazing and mowing along with improvements on up to 25 miles of roads.

as well as an environmental assessment for fuel breaks (May 2016 ESR Briefing Package, page 5)

On May 13, 2016, BLM released an environmental assessment (EA) of a network of fuel breaks designed to protect the ESR investment for public comment. 

• The EA analyzes the completion of approximately 425 miles of fuel breaks, using a combination of road maintenance, mowing of sagebrush, application of herbicides, targeted grazing, and establishment of vegetative fuel breaks 

• These fuel breaks will allow for improved access by fire suppression resources and a higher probability for stopping fires before they become large, protecting lives, property, ESR treatments, and natural resources.

 The BLM released a press release about the planned fuel breaks here.

• A final EA and decision are anticipated in early June, 2016. 

I am never quite sure how long links will be active, but I found information about the May 2016 ESR Briefing Package on a webpage from the Idaho BLM on the Soda Fire Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation. Depending on when you are accessing that page, the information that you see may be different. At the time that I am writing this in September 2016, the information on the Idaho BLM's Soda Fire Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation page is similar to the information found in the May 2016 ESR Briefing Package.

A little Tanker History (1980)

As I continue to work on another project which I hope is nearing completion, I leave you with footage of Air Tankers working out of Hemet in November 1980, recently uploaded to Youtube. I loved watching footage of these now historic aircraft.


Direct link to footage uploaded to Youtube by Habujet

Time for SEATs (again)

I love watching SEATs, and on this day when I am busy doing some research for future articles, I am posting a couple of videos of SEATs that I found on Youtube. Enjoy!


Direct link to video on Youtube


Direct link to video on Youtube

Umatilla IA Crew - Pioneer Fire

I just came upon this nice video of the Umatilla Initial Attack Crew working the Pioneer Fire in early August of this year. As I write this, the Pioneer Fire  was first reported on July 18, 2016, it has burned 185,895 acres in the Boise National Forest in Idaho, and is at 56 percent containment.

Note the video was uploaded to Youtube by Brock Shelton on August 4th. At the time the video was made the fire had burned 50,237 acres.


Direct link to video uploaded by Brock Shelton

A Type II Initial Attack Handcrew Works a Wildfire

I came across this great video from Wildland Firefighters Anonymous about an anonymous Type II Initial Attack Handcrew working a wildfire. The comment that goes along with this video says simply "It's all part of the gig. No recognition need, just proud of our work." What a wonderful video showing this Type II Initial Attack Crew at work somewhere. It doesn't matter, what matters is that they are proud of what they do, and we get a glimpse of this crew at work. I enjoyed the video. I was reminded, yet again, when I saw several shots of tankers and helos working the fire that tankers and helos fly fires to support the troops on the ground.

Stay safe everyone.


Direct link to video on youtube

About the CAL FIRE Pilots Association

I have been very remiss in nor writing about the CAL FIRE Pilots Association before now. I became aware of the CAL FIRE Pilots Association a few years ago now, either from Jerome Laval (editor of their newsletter) or from some of my other tanker pilot friends. Or perhaps from both sources.

As stated in the CAL FIRE Pilots Association (CFPA) Mission Page, the goal of the the CFPA (a California Mutual Benefit Nonprofit is to "... promote a safe and fair work place for those pilots working under the Calfire contract."

I have learned a lot from the CFPA webpage. For example, I just now saw a great power point on aerial fire fighting (link to download, requires Power Point or Keystone (part of the Apple iWork suite). If you can, I hope that you take some time to take a look at this presentation on aerial fire fighting. You'll learn about the anatomy of a wildfire along with some photos of S2-T tankers working a wildfire.

If you want to learn more about the airplanes on the CAL FIRE contract, the Grumman S2-T Tanker and the OV-10A Bronco, you are in luck. The CFPA has a page focusing on the S2-T and the OV-10A Bronco -- the CFPA Gallery (with links to photos and videos). Once you get to the CFPA Gallery you can get information about the Grumman S2-T and the OV-10A Bronco. Briefly, the OV-10A Bronco is an Aerial Supervision Module (ASM)/Lead Plane Platform (when the pilot is Lead Plane qualified), and the S2-T is an Air Tanker Platform.

If you want to learn more about the CAL FIRE tanker bases, there is a page for that with an interactive map -- CFPA Tanker Bases. Also on CFPA Tanker Bases is a link to information about temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) in California from the FAA.

The CFPA in the News page has some links to relevant articles.

Last but by no means least are the CFPA Newsletters, published three or four times a year from June through October. I love this newsletter and have downloaded all the issues that I can. Not only do I learn about wildfires in California and the S2-T and OV-10A pilots and where they are assigned, I have enjoyed reading about some of the pilots. For example, the June 2016 and the July 2016 issues has a two part article on a now retired CAL FIRE pilot, Deen Oehl who was based at Hemet Ryan. Also in the June 2016 and the July 2016 is an article by fire photographer Kit Robinson, with some history. I also enjoyed reading about another recently retired CAL FIRE pilot, Bob Forbes in the July 2016 issue. And then there are the awesome photos along with other great articles relevant to the aerial firefighting business. The CFPA newsletter does focus on California, but also includes articles focusing on safety, and national and international concerns. I find each issue of the CFPA newsletter, a must download and a must read.

Thank-you wildland firefighters for laboring on Labor Day

There are many folk who are working this Labor Day, a national holiday for many (but not all) in the United States. If I were to try to name an all inclusive list of those who are working this Labor Day, i would no doubt leave some out. So, I won't try.

I do want to pause and remember all of you who are working wildfires, and there are many large fires burning in the U.S. To all of you working wildfires today -- ground crews; air tanker, helicopters, lead plane and reconnaissance aircraft; all those supporting ground and air crews; dispatchers; NWS incident meteorologists; etc. -- I thank all of you. My wish for you is to stay safe so that you can finish your tour of duty and go home to your family and friends.

Please know that your work and sacrifices that you make is appreciated by me and by many others.

I offer this perhaps inadequately worded post as an expression of my thanks to all working wildfires in any capacity for all you are doing.

Thanks to Hurricane Hunters

On a day when some in the Mid-Atlantic are getting ready for whatever Hurricane Hermine throws our way later this weekend into early next week I do want to pause a moment and thank all the #Hurricane Hunters who have been flying this storm and others. I don't know about you, but airplanes and weather bring out the geek in me. First if you or your loved ones are living in areas that may be impacted by Hermine, you may want to check out the National Hurricane Center Website as well as you local National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office.

If you are want to know more about any current missions being flown by the Hurricane Hunters, you may find a list of today's and tomorrow's missions on the NHC Aircraft Recon Page, check under plan of the day at the top of the page. For example, here is today's (September 2nd's) potential Hurricane Hunter Missions (I believe that the Teal designation refers to Hurricane Hunters from the USAF 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron:

000
NOUS42 KNHC 021457
REPRPD
WEATHER RECONNAISSANCE FLIGHTS
CARCAH, NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER, MIAMI, FL.
1100 AM EDT FRI 02 SEPTEMBER 2016
SUBJECT: TROPICAL CYCLONE PLAN OF THE DAY (TCPOD)
         VALID 03/1100Z TO 04/1100Z SEPTEMBER 2016
         TCPOD NUMBER.....16-099

I.  ATLANTIC REQUIREMENTS

    1. TROPICAL STORM HERMINE
       FLIGHT ONE - TEAL 71           FLIGHT TWO - TEAL 72
       A. 03/1730Z,2330Z              A. 04/0530Z
       B. AFXXX 1509A HERMINE         B. AFXXX 1609A HERMINE
       C. 03/1430Z                    C. 04/0215Z
       D. 36.0N 75.3W                 D. 37.1N 73.0W
       E. 03/1700Z TO 03/2330Z        E. 04/0500Z TO 04/0800Z
       F. SFC TO 10,000 FT            F. SFC TO 10,000 FT

    2. SUCCEEDING DAY OUTLOOK: CONTINUE 6-HRLY FIXES WHILE 
       SYSTEM REMAINS A THREAT

II. PACIFIC REQUIREMENTS

    1. HURRICANE LESTER
       FLIGHT ONE - TEAL 76           FLIGHT TWO - TEAL 77
       A. 03/1800Z, 04/0000Z          A. 04/0600Z,1200Z
       B. AFXXX  0713E LESTER         B. AFXXX 0813E LESTER
       C. 03/1630Z                    C. 04/0515Z
       D. 21.7N 154.5W                D. 22.4N 157.3 
       E. 03/1730Z  TO 04/0000Z       E. 04/0530Z,1200Z
       F. SFC TO 10,000 FT            F. SFC TO 10,000 FT

    2. OUTLOOK FOR SUCCEEDING DAY.....NEGATIVE.

$$
JWP

NNNN

Finally if you want information on Hurricane Hunter flights in progress, or past flights, go to Live Recon in the Atlantic. You can either use your browser by clicking Cesium (no plug in required) or you may download a plug-in for Google Earth. I have just recently started using Cesium and it is very easy to use. I downloaded an image for you from Hurricane Hunter Mission 14 into Hermine flown by USAF (C-130J) 304. If you are looking at this in your browser, you can zoom in and you can click on different observations (the wind flags, the dropsnodes (cylindrical objects) to get the data. Pretty cool stuff.

Hurricane Hunter Mission 14 into Hermine flown by USAF 304 (C-130J)

Stay safe Hurrican Hunters and thanks for your service!!

Bogart Fire (Riverside County CA)

The Bogart Fire was first reported on August 30th, ground crews assisted by air resources are working the fire. As I write this, the Bogart Fire has burned about 1,300 acres and is at 45 percent containment, the cause has been determined to be human caused according to CAL Fire, see this Riverside County Fire Department incident page for more information.

Here is a nice video shot by EPN16 of the Emergency Photographers Network, uploaded on August 31st. A video is worth a thousand words, and you will see ground troops, air resources, and fire footage. In addition, you will hear some scanner feed in the background.


Direct link to video by EPN16 of the Emergency Photographers Network

NJ Forest Fire Crews deployed out west (2nd time this season)

August 31, 2016, 1:20 PM EDT

A New Jersey Forest Fire Service Crew continues to work the Tie Fire. The Tie Fire has burned 1,031 acres and is at 60 percent containment as I write this update. There are no mandatory evacuations in place, but there is a level one evacuation notice in place. I believe that a level one evacuation encourages people to leave the area, see this article from LocalNews8 in Idaho Falls Idaho.

August 29, 2016, 6:00 PM EDT
Another New Jersey Forest Fire Service Crew (NJS #2) was deployed out west on or about August 25th to help crews fight wildfires. As I understand NJS #2 was working the Henrys Creek Fire that hs burned 52,972 acres with 81 percent containment (Buearu of Land Management, Idaho Falls District) through this past weekend. They have been reassigned to the Tie Fire which has burned 1,014 acres in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest near Idaho Falls (44 percent containment). There are evacuations orders in place, I am not quite sure if this is a  mandatory or voluntary evacuation order. Some photos of the Tie Fire, including some photos of aircraft that have worked the fire may be found here.

I accessed the Eastern Area Coordination Center's Interagency Resource Representative Report on August 29, 2016 at about 10 AM and again at 3 PM, the report updates about 1 PM CDT when crews are assigned out west.

Groundcrews working wildfires in California

Two videos that I will share below remind me of the power and destruction of wildfires. The crew on the ground were aided by aircraft in both fires. But the footage is shot from the ground showing a little of what it was like for the ground crews working the fire.  The videos will speak for themselves. Thank-you ground pounders and pilots. Stay safe.

The Sand Fire (Los Angeles County CA, Angeles National Forest) was reported on July 22nd, the cause of the fire is still under investigation. The fire has burned 41,432 acres and was reported to be on or about August 1, 19 single-family residences and 97 other structures were destroyed. Illegal drone activity shut down air operations (see this news report from Sand Fire's Inciweb Page for more information). Both ground troops and aircraft worked the wildfire. I hope that you go and spend just under nine minutes to watch this footage of the Sand Fire shot by RMG News (you must go to directly to Youtube to watch this footage). It is well worth it. At about 4 minutes 30 seconds into the video there is some nice footage of a helo and snorkle refilling her belly tank from a portable dip tank.

The Clayton Fire has burned 3,929 acres in Lake County California, 299 structures including 189 single-family homes were destroyed in this arson-caused wildfire. As I write this it is at 99 percent containment. This is a CAL FIRE incident and I accessed a CAL FIRE page for the Clayton Fire on August 26th. Allow 10 minutes to watch the footage below. You will see (and hear) some helicopters working the fire in support of the crews on the ground.


Direct link to video

CL-415s scooping - Pioneer Fire (ID)

Here is a nice video that I just rain across, uploaded by Airailimages on August 21st, of two CL-415 scooping out of Deadwood Lake, Idaho in support of the Pioneer Fire. As I write this, the Pioneer Fire has burned 101,922 acres and is at 40 percent containment. The fire, burning eight miles north of Idaho City in the Boise National Forest, was first reported on July 18th, the cause is unknown. According to this August 24th news release on the Pioneer Fire's Inciweb page, evacuations remain in place. Depending on when you are accessing this article, there may be more current news releases on the Pioneer Fire's Inciweb page, you may access the latest news release here.


Direct link to video

Bluecut Fire - San Bernardino National Forest - Update #3

I wrote about the Bluecut Fire (San Bernardino National Forest, CA) on August 17th and August 19th. When I checked out the Bluecut Fire Inciweb page just now, I see that the fire has burned 37,020 acres and is at 89 percent containment. All or most the evacuation orders that were in place last week affecting approximately 82,000 people have been lifted. I-15 is open north and southbound through the Cajon Pass, and many other local roads are now open, in some cases to residents only.

A Damage Assessment Team working under the Blue Cut Fire Unified Command announced today that a preliminary estimate of 105 single family residences and 216 outbuildings were destroyed by the Blue Cut Fire, and 3 single family residences and 5 other structures were damaged (obtained on August 22, 2016 at 5:40 PM EDT from http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4962/ - Bluecut Fire Inciweb).

See this report from ABC News (dated August 22nd) for more information.

Honey Creek Fire (Davis OK) contained

While much of the wildfire news of late is focused on various wildfires burning in California and other western States, I was reminded last week about the Honey Creek Fire (Davis, OK) that was burning last week in Oklahoma. The Honey Creek Fire started on Monday, August 15th and by Wednesday the 17the had burned 3,000 acres. Earlier in the week the Turned Falls Park had been evacuated but those evacuations were lifted on the 17th (see this article from Fox25). By Friday August 19th the Honey Creek Fire was contained, having burned 3,360 acres. I understand that aerial resources were used in containing the fire.

When my friend told me about this fire last Thursday, I was reminded that wildfires can crop at anytime, anywhere. I believe that dry conditions in that part of Oklahoma may have contributed to the Honey Creek Fire. I am glad that the fire has been contained, and I am not aware of any injuries or damaged/destroyed property.

Bluecut Fire - San Bernardino National Forest - update #2

I wrote about the Bluecut Fire here with some updates. As I write this at 9:40 AM EDT on August 19th, the Bluecut Fire has burned 35, 969 acres and is at 22 percent containment.

Here are some photos for you of the Bluecut Fire from San Bernardino County Fire

Bluecut Fire, San Bernardino National Forest

August 18, 2016 at 2:30 PM EDT

With better mapping the Bluecut Fire the area burned was downgraded to 25,626 acres, down from 30,000 acres last night. However the latest information from Inciweb's Bluecut Fire page (accessed at 2:30 PM EDT) shows that the fire has grown to 31,689 acres and is at at four percent containment. See this report from ABC7 in LA. Mandatory evacuations remain in place. There is still no count on the number of damaged and destroyed houses.  A few roads have re-opened, including I-15 northbound. I-15 southbound and other local roads in the fire area remain closed.

August 17, 2016 at 7:25 PM EDT

I spent a little time this afternoon watching some live stream coverage of the Bluecut Fire from ABC7 out of Los Angeles. I saw at least two Air Cranes dipping at a Lake and then dropping nearby defending Lytle Creek. In the time that I was watching a couple of tankers dropped on the fire, one of which was BAe-146 T-01 from Neptune Aviation. I understand that the community of Wrighwood is threatened (see this article from ABC7). Mandatory evacuation orders (including Wrightwood and Lytle Creek) along with road closures remain in place. There is still no containment and the fire has burned 30,000+ acres though that could change tonight.

Red Flag warnings remain in place over the Bluecut Fire through this evening local time.

For other media coverage:

• LA Times article (August 17th) with map and photo galleries (limited number of free views, but worth it for the map and the photo galleries).
• Los Alamitos Patch
• WKBW - instagram photos
• NY Times, August 17th (limited number of free views each month, but worth it for photos, video, and social media)
• Washington Post (August 17th) - photos, social media and a video

August 17, 2016 at 12:25 PM EDT

Yesterday afternoon I got an e-mail alert about what is now known as the Bluecut Fire that started the morning of August 16th in San Bernardino National Forest east of Los Angeles, California. I was watching some live streaming footage of the fire from ABC7 out of Los Angeles. At the time I was watching this footage, about 5 PM EDT on August 16th, the fire had  burned about 1,800 acres up from 300 acres earlier that day. I am no expert on wildfire behavior, but I did have a creepy feeling about this fire. As I watched the footage, I saw at least one structure that was in flames, likely destroyed. And it seemed close to other structures as well. As the camera on the news helo zoomed out, I could see a line of retardant on the hillside. I saw some nice footage of two drops from a DC-10 tankers, one of which was tanker 910.

This morning, I woke up to reports from two other national media outlets, NPR (fire size reported at 18,000 acres earlier this morning) and a weather report from MSNBC (sorry I can't find a link for you, you'll have to trust me). I did find this report (with a video) on the Bluecut Fire from the Weather Channel with a map and a discussion of the drought and the winds. I was listening to a news radio station this morning (again no link) with a brief report on the fire. Point being that this fire is in the news.

As I write this at shortly after noon EDT on August 17th, the Bluecut fire has burned 30,000 acres and is not contained. Residences have been destroyed, evacuations (see below are in place), and there are numerous road closures in the area including but not limited to a portion of I-15.  Evacuation centers for humans and animals have been set up. I'd like to quote from Inciweb's latest incident overview on the Bluecut Fire (in large bold print near the top of the page, what you see may be different depending on when you access the Inciweb page:

There is imminent threat to public safety, rail traffic and structures in the Cajon Pass, Lytle Creek, Wrightwood, Oak Hills, and surrounding areas. Please follow the evacuation instructions, as this is a very quickly growing wildfire. An estimated 34,500 homes and 82,640 people are being affected by the evacuation warnings. (obtained on August 17, 2016 at 12:10 EDT from http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4962/)

I know from Inciweb's latest incident overview on the Bluecut Fire that the following air resources are available to work the fire: two Very Large Airtankers , 8 Airtankers, and eight helicopters.

Bill Gabbert of Wildfire Today has been providing his usual excellent coverage that I found here (with updates), including coverage of firefighters who were entrapped for a short time with two minor injuries. Bill also has some maps and other links with information about the Bluecut Fire.

There are a few media outlets in the Los Angeles area, I have been checking ABC7, and here is a report on the Bluecut Fire (last updated on August 17th at noon EDT) with a video or two and a photo gallery.

A little more on how IMETs use Weather Balloons

I was writing recently about what a National Weather Service Incident Meteorologist (aka IMET) does when they are assigned to a wildfire, see for example my August 10th article. One of the questions that I had was how an IMET might use a weather balloon and how does the radiosnode attached to the weather balloon transmit data while the balloon is ascending. That is, what might the data look like. Well, I found one answer to this question as I was poking around the internet this afternoon.

Please watch these two videos that I will embed below. In the first video, Ryan Walbrun, an IMET that was assigned to the Sobranes Fire (burned 72,566 acres in and near Los Padres National Forest, CA, and is at 60 percent containment) is interviewed. You will hear Mr. Walbrun discuss what IMETs do and what he did as an IMET on the Sobranes. One of the things that he discusses is that he monitored the height of the marine layer.

Direct link to video uploaded by NWS San Francisco Bay Area/Monterey CA (Here is the website for the NWS San Francisco)

In the second video, you will see the IMET and his assistants launch the weather balloon, here about how Mr. Walbrun will use the data from the weather balloon to monitor the height of the marine layer (among other things), and get a chance to see some of the data that the radisnode is transmitting. Very cool, this brings out the weather geek in me.

Direct link to video from NWS San Francisco

A flight in EAA's B-17 Aluminum Overcast

I love the B-17 and when I was looking for something different and fun to post today, I came upon a video of EAA's B-17 Aluminum Overcast in flight. The video, uploaded to Youtube by David Sirak shows husband a wife team Ken and Lorraine Morris flying Aluminum Overcast over Orlando, Fl. Great footage from some GoPro Cameras. Looks like fun. Enjoy.


Direct link to video

NJ Forest Fire Crew demobilized & more on IMETs

After I made yesterday's (August 10th) post , I found out that the New Jersey Forest Fire Service crew (NJS #1) has been demobilized from the Roaring Lion Fire. Not only did I see this reported on social media, but I also saw this reported on the August 10th Eastern Area Interagency Resources Representative (IARR) Crew Report, the latest report is available here. The IARR is, I think, updated a few times a week while crews from the Eastern Area are deployed outside the eastern area, so what you see may be different from the IARR that I saw last night. The IARR is available from the Eastern Area Coordination Center.

I'd like to thank the NJS #1 crew for all the good work that you did working the Roaring Lion Fire which has burned 8,274 acres to date and is at 65 percent containment. I understand that the crew visited the Smokejumper base in Missoula Montana, you may see their photo below.

I'm not quite sure if NJS #1 crew is coming home now or if they are going somewhere else. I'll update this post as I find out what they are doing.



And speaking of the Roaring Lion Fire, recall that I wrote about the IMET, Dan Borsum from NWS Billings Montana yesterday. I was able to get in touch with Mr. Borsum via e-mail yesterday thanks to the NWS Billings MT who forwarded my e-mail to him. I am very impressed by his dedication as an IMET to providing weather forecasts and briefings to keep all the firefighters working the Roaring Lion fire safe including but not limited to those from outside the area (like the NJS #1 crew and other crews from the east) who may have been unfamiliar with the area.

The Roaring Lion Fire is in the Bitterroot National Forest which includes some mountainous terrain. I know enough to know that  weather forecasts involving mountainous terrain such as the mountains in the Bitterroot National Forest can be challenging. I am again left with a renewed appreciation for the complex nature of weather forecasting, including fire weather forecasting. I was chatting with a now retired wildland firefighter last night about IMETs, he commented to me that IMETs save a lot of lives. Nice work Dan! Thank-you all IMETs.

Dan shared a photo with me of a thunderstorm that affected one of the camps at the Roaring Lion Fire one night. He gave me permission to share this with you. Wow. I'm glad that you were there to keep all safe from these thunderstorms.

Thunderstorm impacting Roaring Lion Camp

Roaring Lion Fire - Incident Meteorologist

I have been writing about the Roaring Lion Fire recently, see my August 3rd and August 8th articles, because the New Jersey Forest Fire Service has a crew that is working the Roaring Lion Fire along with other crews from the Eastern Area. As I write this, the Roaring Lion Fire (in the Bitterroot National Forest near Hamilton Montana) remains at 8,274 acres and is at 60 percent containment, perhaps thanks in part to some cool and wet weather yesterday (see this August 9th report from KXLH 9 with video). Evacuation orders are still in place.

I want to take the opportunity to draw your attention to the very important work done by IMETs, also known as Incident Meteorologists. As I understand it, Incident Meteorologists are National Weather Service Meteorologists that have received special training to provide on-site weather forecasting services to incidents including but not necessarily limited to wildfires. Deployments typically last two weeks or until the wildfire is maintained, see this article on IMETs from the National Weather Service for more information. I am introducing IMETs now because there is an IMET working the Roaring Lion Fire, he describes what being an IMET involves in this video (uploaded on Aug 7th) that I found on Inciweb's Roaring Lion Fire photo page. One of the things that an IMET does is to launch a Weather Balloon with a radiosonde. A radiosonde has a variety of instruments to take upper air readings that Meteorologists use to help them make forecasts. Here is a very short video of the Roaring Lion Fire IMET launching a weather balloon. Here is an article describing yesterday's weather on the Roaring Lion Fire from NBC Montana.

I'd like to thank the IMET, Dan Borsum from the NWS Billings Montana Office, for all that he is doing providing meteorological services to the Roaring Lion Fire, to help the fire crews stay safe and work the fire effectively. Thank-you Dan! I share a brief reflection on what I am learning about IMETs and share a photo that Dan shared with me to share with you in my August 11th post.

Thanks to my friends from the NWS Mt. Holly for helping me with a brief fact check in writing this article.

NJ Forest Fire Service Crews working the Roaring Lion Fire

I wrote in my August 3, 2016 blog article that a New Jersey Forest Fire crew is working the Roaring Lion Fire. According to the latest Daily Managers Briefing from the Eastern Area Coordination Center (EACC, see note 1) this crew (known as NJS#1) was mobilized out west on July 29th. If I am not mistaken, this is a two week assignment. As I write this, the Roaring Lion Fire has burned 8,274 acres and is at 30 percent containment (this inciweb page is updated frequently while the fire is active, so you may see a later version). The cause of the fire, first reported on July 31st, is unknown.

I understand that there were evacuations in place and that some residents are allowed back in to their homes. An update on the evacuations (dated August 7th at 7:30 PM local time) from the Ravilli County Sheriff may be found here. According to an August 5th update from the Ravilli County Sheriff sixteen residences were destroyed and 49 outbuildings and nonresidential structures reported as seeing some level of damage from the fire.

The Missoulian (August 8th) is reporting on additional evacuations and closure of a portion of the Bitteroot River issued on August 8th.

Aircraft have worked the fire, see for example helo photo 1 and helo photo 2.

Additional Media reports on the Roaring Fire:
KPAX8 (August 5th) with photos
KPAX8 (August 7th)
Missoulian (August 7th)

Note 1: this briefing, also referred to as the Morning Briefing is updated daily so what you see may not be what I am referring to. The latest Morning Briefing (also referred to as the Daily Briefing or Managers Briefing) is posted on the EACC Intelligence Page under Predictive Services. If you want to see the latest Morning Briefing, go here.

Updated on August 11, 2016:  neglected to mention that when the Eastern Area Coordination Center has eastern area crews deployed outside the eastern area, that there is report known as the Interagency Resource Representative Report (IARR) that is updated when eastern crews are deployed outside the eastern region. The latest IARR report is available here.

Time for some helos (again)

I have been taking care of some personal business this week which is now resolved. Everything is good. Then I took some rest and recreation this afternoon. Many of you know that I have a special fondness for helo videos, so I am sharing some that came across my desk this week. Enjoy.


Direct link to video


Direct link to video


Direct link to video

New Jersey Forest Fire Service Crew working out west

August 3, 2016 2:40 PM

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service has mobilized a crew that is currently working the Roaring Lion Fire, that has burned 7,130 acres in the Bitteroot National Forest near Hamilton, Montana. As I write this, the fire is not contained. I understand from the morning briefing that I saw on the Eastern Area Coordination Center that I saw today that the eastern region has three crews in addition to the NJ Forest Fire Crew working the fire. I am very happy that crews from the east are helping fight this fire.

Updated on August 8, 2016: the Roaring Fire has burned 8,274 acres and is at 30 percent containment. Evacuations are in place and 16 residences have been destroyed, see my August 8th article for more information.

Updated on August 11, 2016: The New Jersey Forest Fire Service crew (NJS #1) that was working the Roaring Lion Fire has been demobilized, see my August 11th post for more information. Also, I neglected to mention that when the Eastern Area Coordination Center has eastern area crews deployed outside the eastern area, that there is report known as the Interagency Resource Representative Report (IARR) that is updated when eastern crews are deployed outside the eastern region. The latest IARR report is available here.

Turn Around, Don't Drown

I share a Facebook post from a Rescue Squad in my corner of NJ. Several inches of rain over 24 hours from July 30th into July 31st lead to flash flooding. The photos tell the story of why it is important to "turn around, don't drown." The First Responders and those they rescued are all safe.



Kudos to members of the Flemington-Raritan First Aid and Rescue Squad. Mutual aid responders from Whitehouse Rescue Squad were on the truck assisting in the rescues. The really cool orange truck you see is Flemington-Raritan's Special Services 495 (go here for more information and scroll down the page. I am not sure what other agencies provided mutual aid.

And I'd be remiss if I did not embed a video showing Special Services 495 in action.


Direct link to video