More on wildfires burning in the western USA

On July 10th, I wrote about two of the wildfires burning in California (Alamo and Whittier). When I read the New York Times yesterday, I saw two articles (with pictures) about the wildfires burning out west: one article on the wildfires burning in California and the other article on wildfires burning in the Western USA and Canada (with pictures). Wildfires in Arizona, Montana, Nevada and British Columbia Canada to name a few. Here are some of the wildfires currently burning in each area at various stages of containment (acreage and containment information as of July 12th at 2:45 PM EDT).

Arizona
Frye Fire (48,443 acres, 88% containment)
Hilltop Fire (33,826 acres, 75% containment)
Brooklyn Fire (32,804 acres, 85% containment)

Montana
Tongue River Complex (28,684 acres, 55% containment)
Blue Ridge Complex (3,000 acres, no containment)
July Fire (11,174 acres, 70% containment)

Nevada
Roosters Comb (120,000 acres, 15% containment)
Draw Fire (25,249 acres, 60% containment)
Tabor Flats Fire (25,000 acres, 95% containment)

British Columbia, Canada
Gustafsen wildfire (5,000 hectares, estimated or 12, 355 acres, no containment)
Hanceville Fires (10,000 hectares, estimated or 24,711 acres, no containment)
150 Mile House Fire (2,600 hectares, estimated or 6,425 acres, 50% containment)

If you are interested in more photos of the recent wildfires, check out The Weather Channel online as they have 126 photos of the recent wildfires in an article dated July 11th.

Thanks to the ground and air crews and their support staffs for all you are doing to keep us safe. Stay safe!

Alamo and Whittier Fires, Santa Barbara County CA

There have been a number of wildfires burning out west recently keeping ground and aerial crews busy. Two of these fires are the Alamo and the Whittier Fires, both burning near Santa Barbara CA. The Whittier Fire (10,834 acres, 5% containment) has a page on inciweb while the Alamo Fire (23,867 acres, 15% containment) has no inciweb page but has a page on the CAL FIRE incident page. As I understand it, each incident has tankers and helos working the fire to support the ground crews. Bill Gabbert of Wildfire Today, doing his usual good job, has been covering the Alamo Fire and the Whittier Fire.

Here is a time lapse image of both wildfires shot over 17.5 hours, uploaded to Youtube


Direct link to video

This is a nice video about how various crews from southern California are cooperating to work the Alamo Fire, and what goes on behind the scenes including animal evacuations.


Direct link to video

Part 8 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Reflections on using GOES-16 for wildfire detection and the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App

Over the last several weeks as I was first learning about GOES-16 and then learning about the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification  (WFDN) App, I have gained an appreciation for what the improvements in GOES-16 will bring to weather forecasting when she becomes operational as GOES-East in the Fall of 2017. I have tried to touch on these improvements in earlier articles and as applies to wildfire detection in this series. Looking at wildfire detections, I am very excited at the improvements that the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) in GOES-16 will mean to fighting wildfires.

The work that the NWS WFO at Norman OK and their state partners shows that the WFDN App means that in most cases, WFDN App dispatches come before 911 notifications, the lead time depending on how the WFO pushes WFDN to their local/state partners.

I have also gained an appreciation for how complicated satellite meteorology is. What I have learned about GOES-16 barely scrapes the surface of what GOES-16 will bring to weather forecasting.

June 21: Part 1 of 8: Application of GOES-16 for wildfire
detection: Introduction

June 23: Part 2 of 8: Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: A little about the
GOES-16 Advanced Baseline Imager

June 26: Part 3 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: examples of improved imagery with GOES-16

June 28: Part 4 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: wildfire detection
improved with GOES-16

June 30: Part 5 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: February 18, 2016 wildfire danger in western OK and development of the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App

July 3: Part 6 of 8: Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App in use Spring 2017

July 5: Part 7 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App making a difference

July 7: Part 8 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Reflections on using GOES-16 for wildfire detection and the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App (this article)

Part 7 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App making a difference

I have exchanged several e-mails and have had a couple of telephone conversations with Todd Lindley (Science and Operations Officer, NWS Weather Forecast Office Norman OK about the Wildfire Detection Notification (WFDN) App. In a telephone conversation on May 1, 2017, I asked Todd if he could provide a couple of examples that I could share with you about how the Experimental WFDN App has made a difference. He discussed two examples that I will share with you.

February 8th 2017: The NWS Norman OK Forecaster analyzing GOES-16 wildfire detection images detected a hot spot in Logan County, OK. After the analysis and evaluation of these images was complete, the data released to Oklahoma for dispatch. Upon dispatch to Oklahoma, it turned out that the hot spot detected by GOES was a  structure fire in a very rural location. This WFDN dispatch was the only dispatch, there was no 911 dispatch. The house, which was not occupied at the time, was fully engulfed. 

February 23rd, 2017: In the period leading up to February 23rd, weather forecasters at WFO Norman OK used some historical wildfire outbreak data coupled with elevated wildfire danger conditions in the area to communicate extreme fire danger conditions to their State partners. The Oklahoma Forestry Services used this information to preposition ground and aviation resources (in this case Blackhawk helicopters) on February 22nd. 

On February 23rd Forecasters at NWS Norman OK analyzing GOES-16 images detected a hotspots, after analysis and evaluation, the data was released to their State partners for dispatch. One of the hot spots was near where OFS had prepositioned ground and aerial assets on February 22nd. Units responded quickly to the wildfire with good initial attack. The fire was contained at about 200 acres.. Similar outbreaks in nearby areas of Texas in the same time period grew to about 5 to 8,000 acres. The key to the containment of this particular fire at 200 acres was the prepositioning of ground and air resources coupled with the WFDN resulting in moving resources to the hotspot. The key was initial attack.

In part 8, I will conclude this series with some  of my own reflections on what I have learned in writing this series on the application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection and the development of the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App.

List of articles in this eight part series on the Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection 


June 21: Part 1 of 8: Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Introduction

June 23: Part 2 of 8: Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: A little about the GOES-16 Advanced Baseline Imager

June 26: Part 3 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: examples of improved imagery with GOES-16

June 28: Part 4 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: wildfire detection improved with GOES-16

June 30: Part 5 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: February 18, 2016 wildfire danger in western OK and development of the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App

July 3: Part 6 of 8: Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Experimental Wildfire
Detection Notification App in use Spring 2017

July 5: Part 7 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Experimental Wildfire
Detection Notification App making a difference (this article)

July 7: Part 8 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Reflections on using
GOES-16 for wildfire detection and the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App

Part 6 of 8: Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification Ap in use Spring 2017

The launch of GOES-16 in November 2016, which continues in operational testing, means that images from the GOES-16 Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) are available to NWS weather forecasters at WFO Norman OK in 2017 for use with the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification (WFDN) App. There are times when GOES-16 is unavailable because of operational testing, when that happens imagery is available from GOES-14 in Super Rapid Scan (SRSOR) mode (see the June 30th article in this series for more information about GOES-14 in SRSOR mode). The WFDN App continues to help first responders respond to wildfires quickly as this official from the Oklahoma Forestry Services shared with Todd Lindley of the NWS Weather Forecast Office Norman OK: “The timeliness and location accuracy of the detected wildfires prompted timely communication with local resources. Having this information encourages rapid size up and allocation of resources prioritization and efficient assignment of aerial and heavy equipment” (Todd Lindley January 27 2017 e-mail with author).

GOES-16 imagery (or GOES-14 in SRSOR mode) flows directly into AWIPS and NWS radar. The next step is important, that is, a NWS forecaster has to analyze and evaluate the GOES-16 imagery before the data is released via the WFDN App software for dispatch to state (or local) officials. NWS staffing in times of wildfire danger is similar to staffing in other severe weather events such as tornadoes. The WDFN App was modified and improved in the spring 2017 by the NWS Norman OK, one of the key improvements is that the WFDN App auto-populates. There are no added costs to the WFOs, at least there are no added costs to the WFO Norman OK.

The NWS Weather Forecast Office (WFO) Norman OK partners with the Oklahoma Forestry Service (OFS), the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (ODEM), the Texas A&M Forest Service. NWS Norman send WFDN SMS to e-mail notifications are sent to two OFS Chiefs, the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management Watch Officers, and a Chief from the Texas A&M Forest Service, they in turn transmit the WFDN App to local first responders. Speaking of the partnership between NWS WFO staff and State/County wildfire agencies, Todd Lindley told me that the use of the WFDN App “requires a deep level of cooperation between State/County Agencies and the NWS WFO staff” (May 1, 2017 phone call with author). In most counties in the NWS Norman OK forecast area the use of the WFDN App has translated to 5 to 10 minutes lead time ahead of E-911 notifications.

The WFO Norman OK continued to use the WFDN App during their Late Winter/Early Spring 2017 wildfire season, and they will continue to use the WFDN beyond the Late Winter/Early Spring 2017 wildfire season. In addition, other NWS WFOs are using the WFDN App. The WFDN App can be modified by each WFO for their own use. The use of the WFDN has spread to other NWS WFOs, and there are still more WFOs that have expressed interest in the WFDN. Other WFOs that are currently using the WFDN App include: NWS Amarillo TX and NWS Tulsa OK. In Amarillo TX, after the imagery is analyzed and evaluated by their forecasters, the WFDN notifications are released directly to local agencies. This means that local first responders in the Amarillo TX region receive the notification 15 to 20 minutes in advance of E-911 notifications because unlike in the Norman OK area (5 to 10 minutes ahead of E-911), the WFDN goes directly to the local agencies.

The WFOs of the NWS have always been involved in forecasting fire weather through the issuance of fire weather forecasts and red flag warnings. The development of the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App (WFDN) changes this for Norman, Amarillo, and Tulsa WFOs, Todd Lindley of WFO Norman OK explains:

If I could make a final summarizing statement about the Experimental WFDNs, it is that there is not a change in overall NWS fire weather services. However, the development of the Experimental WFDN, a prototype, does mean that in in addition to providing fire weather services they are taking on an experimental and more active tactical role in routing firefighting resources directly to newly detected fires (May 1 June 5, 2017 e-mails with author).

In part 7,  I will share a couple of examples of how the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification made a difference in the Spring of 2017 in Oklahoma.

List of articles in this eight part series on the Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection


June 21: Part 1 of 8: Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Introduction

June 23:  Part 2 of 8: Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: A little about the GOES-16 Advanced Baseline Imager

June 26: Part 3 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: examples of improved imagery with GOES-16

June 28: Part 4 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: wildfire detection improved with GOES-16

June 30: Part 5 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: February 18, 2016 wildfire danger in western OK and development of the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App

July 3: Part 6 of 8: Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App in use Spring 2017 (this article)

July 5: Part 7 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App making a difference

July 7: Part 8 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Reflections on using GOES-16 for wildfire detection and the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App

Part 5 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Feb 18, 2016 wildfire danger in western OK and development of the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification Application

In this article I will introduce the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification (WFDN) application first developed and used in the NWS Norman OK WFO on February 18, 2016. The WFDN was first used in conjunction with GOES-14 in super rapid scan mode. After GOES-16 was launched, and while she was still in operational testing, the WFDN was and still is being used by National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Norman OK in conjunction with GOES-16.


Todd Lindley, Science Operations Officer with the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Norman Oklahoma is the senior author of a 2016 paper in the Journal of Operational Meteorology: T. Todd Lindley, Aaron R. Anderson, Vivek N. Mahale, Thomas S. Curl, William E Line, Scott S. Lindstrom and A. Scott Bachmeier. 2016. Wildfire Detection Notifications for Impact-Based Decision Support Services in Oklahoma Using Geostationary Super Rapid Scan Satellite Imagery. Journal of Operational Meteorology, 4 (14), 182-191, http://nwafiles.nwas.org/jom/articles/2016/2016-JOM14/2016-JOM14.pdf. I have been privileged to have exchanged e-mails and had a telephone conversation with Mr. Lindley about an Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification Application (WFDN) that he and his colleagues have written about in this 2016 paper. Unless otherwise noted, this post is based on Lindley et al’s 2016 paper.


In February 2016, GOES-16 (GOES-R) was not yet launched. GOES-14, the in-orbit spare, was operating in what is known as super rapid scan mode (SRSOR), an experimental mode where GOES-14 can take special one-min imagery. GOES-14 was operating in this SRSOR mode in mid to late February 2016 when there were wildfires in OK. Lindley et al explain how this works in their 2016 paper:

Although not capable of the improved spatial or spectral attributes of the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) of GOES-16, the GOES-14 imager was operated by NOAA in SRSOR mode during several multi-week periods spanning late 2012 through early 2016. These SRSOR windows have demonstrated the high-temporal resolution sampling capability of the GOES-R ABI when operating in mode 3, known as “flex mode,” by providing 1-min imagery. The SRSOR data have been utilized in algorithm development, in various NWS field offices and national centers, and in operational support of experiments including those in the NWS’s Operations Proving Ground and Hazardous Weather Testbed. Experimental use of SRSOR and the operational benefits of high- temporal resolution satellite imagery is well documented for numerous phenomena including fog and low stratus, convective storms, wildland fire and smoke, and tropical cyclones (Lindley et al (2016, p, 184).

February 18, 2016 was a busy day at the NWS Norman OK Weather Forecast Office. They were monitoring both wildfire danger and existing wildfires in their forecast area. GOES-14 in SRSOR mode (one-minute imagery) was available to them where data and images were being fed into their AWIPS computer system. I’ll let Todd Lindley, Science and Operations Officer at the National Weather Service in Norman, OK explain:

We had a request by Oklahoma Forestry Services (OFS) to provide a courtesy call as we detected new fire on the morning of 18 February 2016.  It just so happened that we were ingesting 1-min SRSOR data that day as part of an experimental window in preparation for GOES-R/16.  My Meteorologist-in-Charge had the vision that morning to suggest that this was an opportunity to ‘innovate’.  We quickly brainstormed on how best to do that, and the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification (WFDN) App was born (May 10, 2017 e-mail with author).

Specifically, the NWS Norman OK Weather Forecast Office Information Technology staff quickly wrote a Python application where after the satellite imagery was analyzed by NWS forecasters for wildfire hotspots. After the imagery was analyzed, the NWS forecasters could transmit wildfire detection notifications through AWIPS to a list of predetermined OFS officials by SMS e-mail to text. The SMS includes the latitude and longitude of the wildfire hotspot plus a link to the local weather forecast. Todd was nice enough to send me a sample of one of the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notifications for you to look at:



Courtesy of NWS Norman OK Weather Forecast Office


Among the wildfires in the February 18, 2016 wildfire outbreak was the Buffalo Fire that ultimately burned 17,280 acres in Northwest Oklahoma. GOES-14 in SRSOR mode detected wildfire hotspots that would not have been detected by GOES East (GOES-13) and GOES West (GOES-15). The high resolution capabilities of GOES-14 in SRSOS mode and the WFDN App meant an 18 to 23 minute advantage leading to improved response time by responding fire departments and wild land firefighters.

A total of eight wildfire notifications were transmitted by WFO Norman on 18 February 2016. Post-event feedback from OFS stated that these notifications were 'key contributors to a measure of effectiveness in response to very aggressive and fast-paced fire activity' and that the dissemination of this information ‘enhanced situation awareness’ and ‘permitted contact [with] a few departments in advance of 911 calls.’ It was additionally noted that 'fire location often plays a role in resource allocation priority' and that text messages enabled a timely dispatch of resources and aided in prioritization of fires ‘with structures and improvements at risk' (D. Daily 2016 personal communication cited in Lindley et al, 2016, 185).

After the February 18th wildfire outbreak, the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management developed a GIS based display system that monitors wildfires and allocation of equipment and firefighters. During the remainder of the 2016 late-winter early-spring wildfire season the WFO Norman OK continued to use GOES-13 (GOES East) or GOES-14 in SRSOR mode. After analyses by NWS Forecasters at WFO Norman OK, the imagery was fed into AWIPS, and to the WFDN App and many notifications were received by first responders prior to 911 calls.


The WFDN App continued to make a difference in wildfire response time in NW Oklahoma during the rest of the late-winter early-spring wildfire season in NW OK:

… continued use of text notifications on 5 April 2016 prompted the following feedback from Major County Emergency Manager, Tresa Lackey: ‘We were very grateful when NWS detected a fire south of Bouse Junction and was able to route forestry planes to the location...to assist in fire suppression. Our resources were spread thin already fighting fires across the county. The extra help in the fire detection and suppression really saved us. Fire- fighters were able to contain the fire before the wind [shift] later that evening’ (Lindley et al, 2016, 189).

I will write about the further developments of the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App by WFO Norman OK and other WFO offices in 2017 in part 6.


List of articles in this eight part series on the Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection


June 21: Part 1 of 8: Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Introduction


June 23:  Part 2 of 8: Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: A little about the GOES-16 Advanced Baseline Imager


June 26: Part 3 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: examples of improved imagery with GOES-16


June 28: Part 4 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: wildfire detection improved with GOES-16


June 30: Part 5 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: February 18, 2016 wildfire danger in western OK and development of the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App (this article)


July 3: Part 6 of 8: Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App in use Spring 2017


July 5: Part 7 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App making a difference


July 7: Part 8 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Reflections on using GOES-16 for wildfire detection and the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App

Part 4 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: wildfire detection improved with GOES-16

One of the 16 spectoral channels on GOES-16, channel 7, 3.9 µm, detects wildfire hot spots among other things.. Listen to Ivan Csiszar, a physical scientist with the NOAA Center for Satellite Applications, discuss wildfire detection using GOES-16 in the following video:


Direct link to video

For those of you who want to dig a little deeper, I will share three CIMSS Blog entries below with images from GOES-13 and GOES-16 of wildfires. Note the higher resolution from the GOES-16 Advanced Baseline Imager. One of my Operational Meteorologist friends from the National Weather Service  told me that their posts explain things very well. When looking at the imagery, it is important to note that red/yellow colors in the imagery depict high intensity fires and the black colors depict smaller fires. See the March 6th imagery of the Grass Fires in KS, OK, and TX for some good imagery of high intensity fires, recall that the Northwest Complex (KS, OK, TX) burned over 782,000 acres.


I think that the April 11th imagery is the best of the three at representing  the higher resolution of GOES-16 as compared to GOES-13. The March 16 imagery depicts a smaller wildfire hotspot, you will see red/yellow colors, depicting a high intensity fire at about 5 seconds on the GOES-16 ABI image.

CIMSS Blog, April 11, 2017 Fires (prescribed burns) in Eastern KS and OK

CIMSS Blog, March 6, 2017 Grass Fires-KS, OK, TX

CIMSS Blog, March 19, 2017 GOES-16 Mesoscale Sectors: Improved monitoring of fire activity

Finally, I recently contacted NOAA Satellites and Information Services on their Facebook Page (which is very nice and I highly recommend it. I told them about the article this article, asking them if they had any videos comparing GOES-13 with GOES-16. NOAA Satellites provided this link to their animations (currently page 6 of 8 pages). You may need to scroll to find two videos, one is of GOES-16 and GOES-13 images of Grass Fires in Florida and the other is of GOES-16 and GOES-13 Comparison Punch Clouds. I did not know what a punch cloud is, so I asked one of my meteorologist friends from the National Weather Service who told me punch clouds are circular or elliptical holes in clouds that can form when supercooled water begins to freeze. Note, depending on when you are arriving at this article, it is possible that the provided link may have different images, but if you look around on different pages you should find the two referenced images.

Next up in part 5: wildfire danger in Norman in western OK (February 18, 2016) and the development of the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App


List of articles in this eight part series on the Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection


June 21: Part 1 of 8: Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Introduction

June 23:  Part 2 of 8: Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: A little about the GOES-16 Advanced Baseline Imager

June 26: Part 3 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: examples of improved imagery with GOES-16

June 28: Part 4 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: wildfire detection improved with GOES-16 (this article)

June 30: Part 5 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: February 18, 2016 wildfire danger in western OK and development of the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App

July 3: Part 6 OF 8: Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App in use Spring 2017

July 5: Part 7 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App making a difference

July 7: Part 8 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Reflections on using GOES-16 for wildfire detection and the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App

Part 3 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: examples of improved imagery with GOES-16.

There is a growing amount of images from GOES-16 available on the internet. GOES-16 is undergoing testing as I write this; all of these images that you see on the internet are non-operational, preliminary data. 

The three primary sources that I go to are (1) NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service , and (2) a GOES-R mission page with a data and imagery page. Third, a few months ago, a couple of my Operational Meteorologist friends from the National Weather Service suggested that I take a look at the CIMSS out of University of Wisconsin at Madison, saying that they have good information on GOES-16 and other satellites. The CIMSS has a blog with images from GOES-16 and other satellites. I have spent hours on all three sites. 

Before I move to how GOES-16 can be used for wildfire detections, I want to show you a couple of examples of the differences between GOES-13 and GOES-16. On the theory that one picture (or short video) is worth a thousand words, I am steering you to two entries from the CIMSS Blog.

CIMSS Blog, April 4, 2017, lake effect clouds, GOES-13 and GOES-15 images (left and right) will look similar. The resolution in the GOES-16 image in the center will be clearer. Note the cloud you are looking at is not very big. 

CIMSS Blog, April 4, 2017, fog/stratus dissipation Again, the fog and stratus in the GOES-16 image will be clearer.

List of articles in this eight part series on the Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection



June 21: Part 1 of 8: Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Introduction

June 23:  Part 2 of 8: Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: A little about the GOES-16 Advanced Baseline Imager

June 26: Part 3 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: examples of improved imagery with GOES-16 (this article)

June 28: Part 4 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: wildfire detection improved with GOES-16

June 30: Part 5 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: February 18, 2016 wildfire danger in western OK and development of the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App

July 3: Part 6 of 8: Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App in use Spring 2017

July 5: Part 7 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App making a difference

July 7: Part 8 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Reflections on using GOES-16 for wildfire detection and the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App

Part 2 of 8: Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: A little about the GOES-16 Advanced Baseline Imager

I want to begin with a little background on our geostationary weather satellites. Most of you know that we have a new geostationary weather satellite was launched last fall. GOES-16 -then known as GOES-R), was launched on November 19, 2016. GOES-16 is the first in the GOES-R series of satellites, GOES R-T. GOES-S is undergoing pre-launch testing and will launch in 2018. As I write this, GOES-16 is still under going in-orbit operational testing. GOES-16 represents the sixth generation of NOAA’s Geostationary satellites. The fifth generation is GOES 13-15 (GOES N - P). GOES-13 is also known as GOES East, GOES-15 is also known as GOES West, and GOES-14 is an in-orbit spare. I wrote about GOES 13-15 on November 30, 2016. I wrote a little more about GOES-16 here.


One of the instruments on GOES-16 is the Advanced Baseline Imager (aka ABI), go here to read a brief description about improvements in the GOES-R series ABI. NOAA and NASA have a nice short fact sheet that introduces GOES-R (GOES-16) ABI, it may be found here. This is one of many fact sheets on the GOES-R series. Some of you may be interested in a listing of GOES-R ABI products on the GOES-R products page, a sub-page accessible from the GOES-R mission page.


Finally, please take three minutes to watch this video, made in 2013, describing the ABI on the GOES-R series:



Direct link to video on Youtube


List of articles in this eight part series on the Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection

June 21: Part 1 of 8: Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Introduction

June 23: Part 2 of 8: Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: A little about the GOES-16 Advanced Baseline Imager (this article)

June 26: Part 3 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: examples of improved imagery with GOES-16

June 28: Part 4 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: wildfire detection improved with GOES-16

June 30: Part 5 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: February 18, 2016 wildfire danger in western OK and development of the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App

July 3: Part 6 of 8: Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App in use Spring 2017

July 5: Part 7 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App making a difference

July 7: Part 8 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Reflections on using GOES-16 for wildfire detection and the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App

Part 1 of 8: Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Introduction

Regular readers of my blog will know that I have been following GOES-16 since it was launched, then known as GOES-R, on November 19, 2016. As I learned more about GOES-16 I wondered what improvements GOES-16 and her sister satellites (GOES R-T) would bring to the detection of wildfires.   One exciting use of GOES-16 for wildfire detection is the development of an Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification Application that was first developed and used by the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Norman Oklahoma. Learning about the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification Application lead to this eight-part series on an application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection. This introduction is part 1 of 8, the rest of the articles in the series are listed below.

I start off in part 2 with a short article on the GOES-16 Advanced Baseline Imager, followed by two articles on improvements in wildfire detection with GOES-16. I then turn to the development and use of the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification Applications in parts 5 through 7, followed by my own brief reflections in part 8.


As I post each article in the series, I will update this article with links to each article in the series.

June 23: Part 2 of 8: Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: A little about the GOES-16 Advanced Baseline Imager

June 26: Part 3 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: examples of improved imagery with GOES-16

June 28: Part 4 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: wildfire detection improved with GOES-16

June 30: Part 5 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: February 18, 2016 wildfire danger in western OK and development of the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App

July 3: Part 6 of 8: Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App in use Spring 2017

July 5: Part 7 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification App making a difference

July 7: Part 8 of 8 Application of GOES-16 for wildfire detection: Reflections on using GOES-16 for wildfire detection and the Experimental Wildfire Detection Notification AppWildfire Detection Notification App

Field Campaign to calibrate and test GOES-16 ABI and GLM

GOES-16 began an eleven week period of field testing to calibrate the GOES-16 instruments on March 22nd, see this March 22nd press release from NASA/NOAA for more information The March 22nd press release says in part:

During this three-month campaign, a team of instrument scientists, meteorologists, GOES-16 engineers, and specialized pilots will use a variety of high-altitude planes, ground-based sensors, unmanned aircraft systems (or drones), the International Space Station, and the NOAA/NASA Suomi NPP polar-orbiting satellite to collect measurements across the United States . . . 

Although these data are collected on Earth, GOES-16’s operators will obtain similar measurements of the same locations using two of the satellite’s most revolutionary instruments—the Advanced Baseline Imager and the Geostationary Lightning Mapper. The data sets will be analyzed and compared to the data collected by the planes, drones, and sensors to validate and calibrate the instruments on the satellite.  (http://www.goes-r.gov/mission/fieldCampaignBegins.html)

 NOAA Satellites shared a very cool video on Youtube of a NASA ER-2 over the Sonoran Desert on a March 23rd flight to validate and calibrate the GOES-16 Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI):


Direct link to video

The first phase of the GOES-16 field campaign was over on April 11th. In phase two, from April 12 to May 18, 2017, the ER-2 was based out of  Robins Air Force Base in Georgia for calibration and validation of the GOES-16 Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM). See this press release for more information on the first and second phases.

In the following Facebook posts from the NOAA Satellites and Information Services you will hear from some scientists about the field campaign. The videos are short. The text explanations from the folk at NOAA Satellites and Information Service that accompany each video are, I feel important. I am not sure if I was able to successfully embed the video and the text, so I have included a direct link to each post. Added on September 25 2018, I was having trouble with the audio on the videos, even tried two browsers. If this happens to you, hover your mouse at the bottom of the video and click on the microphone icon at the bottom of the video and that should toggle the sound on and off. Or click on the direct link to each facebook post.

Frank Padula, GOES-16 Project Manager explains why they are using NASA’s ER2 Direct link to facebook post.



Meterologist talking about how they will use ER2 to calibrate GOES-16 Direct link to facebook post.



Field Campaign testing of the GOES-16 geostationary lightning mapper (GLM) Direct link to facebook post.

Introduction to NASA's ER-2 "high altitude" aircraft

GOES-16 began an eleven week period of field testing to calibrate the GOES-16 instruments on March 22nd. I will be posting an article about the GOES-16 field testing campaign on June 19th. Portions of the field campaign will involve one of two NASA ER2 high altitude aircraft. So, today I will introduce NASA’s ER2 aircraft.

These aircraft are flying laboratories, each having four pressurized laboratory modules. Examples of experiments include research on ozone depletion, development of tropical cyclones, and assisting in the development and testing of satellite instruments. For more information on the ER-2, see this factsheet from NASA on the ER-2.

The ER-2 is a versatile aircraft well suited to perform multiple mission tasks. The ER-2 operates at altitudes from 20,000 feet to 70,000 feet, which is above 99 percent of the Earth's atmosphere. Depending on aircraft weight, the ER-2 reaches an initial cruise altitude of 65,000 feet within 20 minutes. Typical cruise speed is 410 knots. The range for a normal eight-hour mission is 3,000 nautical miles yielding seven hours of data collection at altitude. The aircraft is capable of longer missions in excess of 10 hours and ranges in excess of 6,000 nautical miles. The ER-2 can carry a maximum payload of 2,600 lb (1,179 kilograms) distributed in the equipment bay, nose area, and wing pods. (https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/news/FactSheets/FS-046-DFRC.html)

Here are some videos about the ER-2.

Airshow video

Direct link to video

Cockpit

Direct link to video


Take-off (no sound)

Direct link to video

Pre-operational images from GOES-16 Geostationary Lightning Mapper

On June 12th, 2017 I posted an article where I shared some videos and other information from NOAA about the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) on GOES-16. If you are arriving here first, I hope that you go back and read the article.

Before I share some pre-operational images from the GOES-16 Geostationary Lightning Mapper, I want to share a little more information about the Geostationary Lightning Mapper.  After I posted the article on June 12th, I had a chance to have an e-mail exchange with Al Cope, Science and Operations Officer of the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office at Mt. Holly, NJ. I asked Al to share one thing that he would like you to know about the Geostationary Lightning Mapper on GOES-16. This is his response:

I would say that the Geostationary Lightning Mapper, together with ground-based lightning detection systems, will enable us to more closely monitor rapid changes in lightning activity within a thunderstorm. Rapid increases in lightning are often precursors of damaging thunderstorm winds and large hail.

NOAA Satellites released the first imagery from the GOES-16 GLM on March 6th. There is a nice press release with some information and a video that you may find here.

The information that I am sharing below are from NOAA Satellites and Information Service's Facebook Page. I believe that both of these videos of pre-operational imagery from the GOES-16 GLM may be found on NOAA Satellite's You Tube Pre-Operational GOES-16 Channel. However, I found their Facebook posts to be very illuminating, so I am embedding two of their posts below.

Intro to GOES-16 Geostationary Lightning Mapper

Those of you who are following news relating to GOES-16 may know that she is carrying a Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM). I'd like to introduce you to the GLM. I am embedding below two very short videos that will introduce you to the GLM, both are from NASA Goddard Media.

Direct link to video

Direct link to video

Some of you may be familiar with COMET/MetEd which offers various online courses in meteorology and related issues. Registration is free, but you need to registered to take their courses. I have taken some of the MetEd Courses over the last couple of years and have learned a lot. COMET/MetEd did a nice video on the GOES-R/16 Geostationary Lightning Mapper that I am sharing below. It takes a little under five minutest to watch the video.

Direct link to video

More information on the GOES-16 Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) from NOAA's GOES-R Mission Page:

• About the GOES-R/16 GLM
• GLM Fact Sheet

Stay tuned, on June 14th, I'll share some images from the GOES-16 GLM.  Note that NOAA's GOES-16 satellite has not been declared operational and its data are preliminary and undergoing testing.

About Rhabdomyolysis and Wildland Firefighters

I hope that I never stop learning about wildfires and the risks that wildland firefighters take to protect us from wildfires. Several days ago, thanks to my friends at the B10 NJ Wildfire Page who shared a video from the Wildland Fire LLC, I learned about a medical condition known as Rhabdomyolysis and how Rhabdo (as it commonly called) affects wildland firefighters. Rhabdo can affect kidney function and sometimes leads to death. Before I share the video, Wildland Fire Lesson Learned has some materials on Rhabdomyolysis on their website that those of you who want to learn more may want to read. Wildland crew supervisors are encouraged to carry this one-pager that describes symptoms of Rhabdo that they and their crew should watch for, see the image below. Bill Gabbert of Wildfire Today has written about Rhabdomyolysis (tagged posts), I point you to the article that he posted on May 17, 2016 about an analysis by the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center of May 2, 2016 Rhabdo injury.

obtained on June 2, 2017 from the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center

Direct link to video by Wildland Fire LLC (about 21 minutes)

DC-10 and USFS C-130 arriving at Santa Maria Tanker Base

Thanks to Mike Archer at WNOTD for steering me to a nice story from KSBY with a video about the arrival of T-116, a USFS C-130 at Santa Maria Tanker Base. The C-130s were based out of Sacramento, but with the closure of that tanker base, the USFS C-130 will be based out of Santa Maria. She arrived last Saturday, joining one the 10 Tanker Carriers DC-10s which has been based out of Santa Maria for the last couple of years. Because of the wet winter, the fire season in California is expected to start later and last longer. T-116 and the DC-10 tanker (T-911?) will provide important aerial support to wildland firefighters on the ground fighting wildfires this season. Go here for the story and accompanying video. I am sorry that I could not get the embed code to work, which may be for the best as I am never sure how long videos from local media will be live.

Florida 2017 wildfire season - tribute to wildland firefighters

Many of you who are regular readers of my blog know that I have a special place in my heart for Florida. As I can, I have been following the 2017 wildfire season in Florida. According to the Wildland Fire Division of the Florida Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services (updated regularly to reflect current wildfire conditions), there have been 2,377 wildfires that have burned 233,923 acres in Florida from January 1 to May 29, 2017. The Florida Forest Service has a Facebook page where they have reported on wildfires. I hope that you join me in pausing to thank the man and women who have worked hard fighting wildfires in Florida in 2017.

Thanks to my friends at the B10 NJ Wildland Fire Page (video of the week, changes weekly) I learned about the following video about the Florida 2017 wildfire season, dedicated to the wildland firefighters that have worked wildfires this season. You will see some footage of tankers and helos working wildfires in support of the firefighters on the ground.


Direct link to video

May 31st 1889 Johnstown PA dam break and flood

Today, May 31st, is the 128th anniversary of the dam break and flood in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

from PennLive

Direct link to video

scenes of the 1889 Johnstown PA floods

Direct link to video

physics based simulation of 1889 Johnstown dam break and flood

Direct link to video

Memorial Day - remembering those who died in military service

Direct Link to Video

Please join me in pausing, albeit perhaps a day late, in remembering all the men and women in military service in the United States who have died in service to their country.  You have made the ultimate sacrifice. Let us not forget. Let us not forget the families whose loved one did not come home after their military service.

As someone who grew up an came of age while the Vietnam War was going on, I am offering a special remembrance for all who died in Vietnam.

I meant to write this post yesterday, May 29th, on the day that we celebrated Memorial Day in the United States. As I was reflecting on the act that I missed posting yesterday, I remembered that today, May 30th, is the day that I grew up celebrating as Memorial Day. So perhaps it is fitting that I write this post today.

GOES-16 to become GOES-East in Fall 2017!

It's official! #GOES16 will be moved to the GOES East position when declared operational this fall! Learn more @ https://t.co/th65fcc5MI pic.twitter.com/6kSJtFFAxd

— NOAA Satellites (@NOAASatellites) May 25, 2017

GOES-East sits at 22,300 miles above the equator at 75° West. As I write this on May 26, 2017, GOES-13 is GOES-East. When GOES-16 becomes fully operational in November 2017, she will be moved to 75° West where she will become GOES-East. At that time, GOES-13 will be shifted to on-orbit storage with her sister satellite, GOES-14 from the GOES-N through P series, I wrote about GOES-13 to 15 on November 30, 2016. GOES-15 will remain at 137° West as GOES-West.

NOAA announced that GOES-16 will be positioned as GOES-East in November in a May 25th press release , here is an excerpt from this press release summarizing how GOES-16 will improve weather forecasting.

GOES-16 scans the Earth and skies five times faster than NOAA’s current geostationary weather satellites, sending back sharper, more defined images at four times greater resolution as often as every 30 seconds, using three times the spectral channels as the previous model. The higher resolution will allow forecasters to see more details in storm systems, especially during periods of rapid strengthening or weakening. Also, GOES-16 carries the first lightning detector flown in geostationary orbit. Total lightning data (in-cloud and cloud-to-ground) from the lightning mapper will provide critical information to forecasters, allowing them to focus on developing severe storms much earlier. (NOAA Press Release, May 25, 2017, NOAA”S newest geostationary satellite will be positioned as GOES-East this fall, http://www.noaa.gov/media-release/noaa-s-newest-geostationary-satellite-will-be-positioned-as-goes-east-fall)

I will be writing more about GOES-16 in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.

Utah National Guard (2013 Working Wildfires (part 2 of 3)

I am a little under the weather today with one of those darn summer colds. Enjoy this video, second of three parts) of the Utah National Guard engaging in aerial firefighting.


Direct link to video

I shared part 1 of this three part video series of the Utah National Guard on May 3rd.

Warren Grove Fire (Burlington/Ocean Counties NJ) - ten years later

It was ten years ago this past week that a F-16 military jet on a training mission on May 15, 2007 dropped a flare on the Warren Grove Gunnery Range from too low an altitude. The flare did not burn out, hit the ground and sparked a wildfire in the New Jersey Pine Barrens that eventually grew to 17,270 acre Warren Grove Fire.

The rains came the evening of May 16, 2007, see PineyPower’s May 16th, 6:50 PM blog entry (scroll down a bit). I’m not quite sure when the fire was contained, probably a few days later. The B10 NJ Wildland Fire Page posted the following on the bottom of their main page last week:

Section B4 Wildfire Anniversary

The 17,270 acre 'Warren Grove Wildfire', Barnegat, started on May 15-22, 2007
1 home destroyed, over 20 structures damaged. 

Flares dropped from an F-16 belonging to the 177th Fighter Wing set off this large wildfire that consumed more than 17,000 acres (73 km²) of the Pinelands and forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents.This fire burned through the following towns: Barnegat Twp, Bass River Twp, Eagleswood Twp, Little Egg Harbor Twp and Stafford Twp (accessed on May 19, 2017 from http://www.sectionb10.org/)

Judy Smestad-Nunn reported on a Wildfire Safety Council meeting in Barnegat Township, NJ on May 11, 2017 for Micromedia Publications - Ocean County. Among the main purpose of the meeting was the tenth anniversary of the Warren Grove Fire. Among those present at the meeting where representatives from the 177th Fighter Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard. The 177th Fighter Wing accepted responsibility for the Warren Grove Fire. I know that the 177th Wing was involved in an investigation of the fire, unfortunately that report is no longer available on the internet. While the NJFFS reached out to representatives of the 177th Wing to alert them to high fire danger on May 15, 2007, it seems that the fire danger warning was never transmitted to the pilots. A F-16 dropped a live flare from too low an altitude, the flare did not burn out in time and the Warren Grove fire was born. The 177th Wing and the Warren Grove Gunnery Range have made changes in the hope that a fire like the 2007 Warren Grove Fire never happens again:

Major Still, who is a pilot for the NJ National Guard, said the range was shut down for a year and a half afterwards, and new leadership was put into place to make sure it didn’t happen again. 

‘We don’t drop flares, there are no pyrotechnics, and every user who flies on the range takes a test explaining the rules,’ he said. Pilots also have to take a fire test, Major Still added. 

The Guard has instituted a fire response plan, and in the event of a fire they would get involved more quickly, he said. 

Master Sergeant Michael Mimler said a lot of what was done to reopen the range has become a national standard. 

'We communicate with local fire services. We have fire check-ins, and a lot of other ranges are doing the same thing,' he said. A lot of great things have come out of this for communities across the country’ (obtained on May 20, 2017 from https://micromediapubs.com/ocean-county/10th-anniversary-warren-grove-wildfire/

Improvements in communications among neighboring towns, evacuation plans, and Firewise Communities http://firewise.org/ which encourages and helps resident to do what they can to mitigate the risk of wildfire damage to their home and property. I wrote about fire and fuel breaks built after the Warren Grove Fire in October 2011.

The Asbury Park Press wrote a good article on the 10th anniversary of the Warren Grove Fire and lessons learned including more information on the Barnegat Wildfire Safety Council, one of the first towns to have such a council. Among the issues that the Barnegat Wildfire Safety Council works on are what the town and her residents can do to lessen the risk of wildfires. The APP article may be found here.

Before closing, I want to spend a little time on Firewise Communities. According to a brochure on Firewise Communities that I got from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service a few years ago Firewise Communities play an important role in wildfire suppression efforts:

When a large, fast-spreading wildfire occurs, firefighters may not have the resources to defend every home that becomes threatened. Communities whose residents take proactive steps to reduce their vulnerability have a greater probability of withstanding a wildfire and reducing damage and loss. Prepared communities became part of the suppression efforts and not part of the problem in controlling a growing wildfire (I am unable to find this brochure on Firewise Communities in NJ online).

To learn more about Firewise communities you might want to start by reading this brochure, Adopting Firewise Communities/USA: People Working Together . Firewise frequently asked questions may be found at Firewise FAQs  , and finally there is a Firewise Toolkit.

New Jersey’s first Firewise Community was Hardwick Township (Sussex County) in 2004 with Stillwater and Medford becoming Firewise Communities in 2006 and 2007 respectively. Barnegat, which was impacted by the Warren Grove Fire became a Firewise Community in 2008.  New Jersey currently has 14 Firewise Communities. See this list of Firewise Communities in the United States  or view the Firewise Communities interactive map of Firewise communities in the U.S. A list of Firewise State Liaisons may be found here. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service has a Firewise page. and you may learn more becoming a recognized fire wise community in New Jersey here.

Just In - Wildfire in Burlington County NJ

May 20, 4:25 PM

I was perusing local New Jersey media this afternoon, in the course of reading through the headlines on New Jersey Advance Media, I saw this article on a wildfire that is currently burning in Burlington County NJ. The wildfire is burning in Shamong Township near the Wharton State Forest in Burlington County NJ. The fire has burned about 75 to 100 acres as of this morning. New Jersey Forest Fire Service Crews are putting in a containment line around the fire and are setting backfires to protect homes in the area. No evacuations are in place at the moment.

The B10 NJ Wildland Fire Page has this notice on their main page:

05/20/17 @ 0950 hrs- SECTION B1, Shamong Twp "Bards Bridge Wildfire" behind the Antler Gun Club on Bards Bridge Rd.- NJFFS IC has requested an observation helo and command post trailer. Estimated size is 150+ acres with some containment. Size is expected to increase to around 300 acres after burn-out operations.  Local fire companies have set-up structure protection for homes in the area. State route 206 is still open.
Updated 1430 hrs. (accessed on May 20,2017 at 4:19 PM from http://www.sectionb10.org/index.html)

Additional reports on the wildfire in Shamong Township:
ABC6 in Philadelphia
NBC10 in Philadelphia

May 20, 2017, 10 PM

The B10 NJ Wildland Fire Page is reporting that the Bards  Bridge Wildfire (Shamong Township in Burlington Township near the Wharton State Forest) has been fully contained at 300 acres. Local fire companies provided structure protection for residences near the wildfire earlier today. No homes have been damaged. New Jersey Forest Fire Service Wildland Firefighters will continue to patrol and monitor the fire overnight.

New Jersey Advance Media, 7:09 PM on May 20th

A look back at the Station Fire (2009)

As sometimes I happens this time of year, I got involved in picking up some plants and gardening supplies today so I never did finish the article I started on the 10th anniversary of the Warren Grove fire that burned over 17,000 acres in the Pine Barrens in Burlington and Ocean counties New Jersey. I hope to finish and post that article this weekend or perhaps on Monday. Sorry about that.

In the meantime, enjoy this video compilation from the Station Fire (shot on August 28-30) that burned over 160,000 acres. I cut my teeth, so to speak, watching live footage of this fire seeing some incredible footage of tanker and helo operations. You will see some nice tanker and helo footage in this video. Enjoy!


Direct link to video

NWS Incident Meterologists (IMETs) - 2017 edition

Some of you may recall that I started to write about Incident Meteorologists (IMETs) last year (see for example August 10, 2016, August 11, 2016, and August 15, 2016.  Briefly, IMETs are Meteorologists with the National Weather Service who have received extra training that helps them provide onsite meteorology support services to wildfires and other incidents.

I hope to continue writing about IMETs during the 2017 wildfire season, so I want to take a little time to share some information about what IMETs do. 

First, there is a short article shared on the National Weather Service News website on A Day in the Life of an Incident Meteorologist (IMET) on the Front Lines of a Wildfire , some of you my recall that I shared this article in one of my blog posts from 2016. I thought it worth reposting a link to this article because I think that it provides a nice overview of what IMETs do. Those of you who watch the Weather Channel may be familiar with a show called the Wx Geeks hosted by Dr. Marshall Shepard from the University of Georgia, On December 16, 2015 he interviewed Heath Hockenberry from the National Weather Service who was the Fire Weather Program Manager for the National Weather Service, go here  to watch the 17-minute video.

I’d like to share a short video where you will hear NWS IMET Jeremy Wolf talk about his work.

Direct link to video

I am sure that many of you know about the West Mims Fire https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5153/ that has burned over 152,231 acres in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia, the fire is currently at 23 percent containment. Those of you who are interested in reading more about the West Mims Fire will want to read Bill Gabbert’s article on Wildfire Today about the West Mims Fire, he first wrote about the West Mims Fire on April 10th and he has written other articles as well which you can access via this link. When I went to the NWS IMETs Facebook page earlier today, I noted that IMETs were assigned to the fire on April 13th for two weeks and another on April 25th. A third IMET was assigned to the fire on May 8th.

Air Spray (Edmonton Alberta) celebrates 50 years

Direct link to video

Air Spray, out of Edmonton Alberta, has been in the aerial firefighting business for fifty years. Air Spray's roots began as Air Spray Ltd in 1954 as an Ag Aviation operator. Air Spray Ltd's first foray into aerial wildland firefighting began in 1958 with  a contract with Alberta using two Stearmans, later switching to TBM Avengers in 1961. Air Spray Ltd went out of business in 1996 and was resurrected and reincorporated in 1967 as Air Spray (1967) Ltd. To read more about the history of Air Spray, go to the Air Spray History page.

Air Spray's current air tanker fleet consists of

• BAE 146 
• Lockheed L188 Electra
• Air Tractor 802F
• Air Tractor Fire Boss

I don't know how long this will be freely and easily available on the web, but Skies Magazine has a nice spread about Air Spray in their May 2017 edition. As I post this on May 15th, Skies Magazine's May 2017 article on Air Spray (with nice photos) may be found here.

Congratulations to Air Spray on 50 years in the tanker biz. 

Up close with a crop-dusting helicopter

I found some awesome footage of a crop-dusting helicopter this afternoon that I think you will like. For much of the video you are inside the helicopter on crop-dusting runs. But that is not all, there are some views, probably from a camera under the helo, as well as some awesome footage on the ground.  I especially enjoyed the small landing pad on the portable tanks so the helo's tanks can easily be refilled close to the dusting operations. Strap in and enjoy. Allow about eight minutes to watch the video.


Direct link to video on youtube

A look at the role of heli-rappellers

Enjoy this video from the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), released in January 2017 as a part or their Wildland Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR). I enjoyed learning a little more about what is involved in heli-rappelling and how rappellers help out other wildland firefighters, especially in the remote mountainous regions of the western United States.


Direct link to video from NIFC

Aviation history -- a look at airmail circa 1925

I found myself a little depressed today thinking about abandoned airports. Wanting to put a more positive spin on aviation history, I found myself thinking about air mail service in the 1920s. I do not have time today to write on the role that New Jersey air fields played in air mail service in the 1920s and beyond. But I did go to youtube hoping to find something interesting to share with you, which is how I came to share this 61 minute silent movie (in two parts) circa 1925 from the United States Post Office department on the Air Mail Service. I believe that the aircraft that you will see is a Dehavilland DH-4. You will see her (or perhaps a few DeHavilland DH-4 aircraft?) make a cross country flight from New York to San Francisco.

The video that I am sharing, in two parts, is from the archives of the San Diego Air and Space Museum (SDASM). This is a silent movie, however, you might want to mute the sound to avoid a distracting humming sound. You won't miss anything.

Enjoy!


Direct link to part 1 of video from SDASM Archives on Youtube


Direct link to part 2 of video From SDASM Archives on Youtube

From the Smithsonian National Postal Museum: Airmail in America: 1918 to 1926

• Airmail in America: Transcontinental Flights
• Airmail in America: the Airplanes
• Airmail in America: Some Early Pilots

A Neptune P2-V tanker in action (April 25, 2017)

I literally just saw a great video from Bob Webb of a Lockheed Neptune P2-V tanker in action. This is one of Neptune Aviation's P2-V's, T-14 (Webb/Bailey). You will see footage on the ramp and in action. Great camera placement. Bob just uploaded the video to Youtube on May 4th. Fire footage was shot on April 25 over the Sawmill Fire. Ramp footage at KFHU (Fort Huachuca Air Attack Base, Arizona). Second Mechanic and Videography by Dan Smith. Crew Chief: Dan Elliott.

Nice work guys, thanks for sharing this video with us. Stay safe and thanks for all you do to keep us safe.


Direct link to video from Bob Webb on Youtube

Utah Army National Guard (2013) working wildfires

Most of my regular readers know that I love helicopters. Here is part 1 of a 3 part video showing Utah Army National Guard Helicopters working Utah wildfires in 2013.

Matt this is for you, may you continue to fly in favorable tail winds. RIP my friend.


Direct link to video

Images of fighting a grass fire in Kansas (late 2016/early 2017)

I have been doing some reading recently about grass fires in the southern Great Plains for some upcoming blog articles. I came across this 14 minute video of some firefighters working a grass fire near Marquette Kansas that was uploaded to Youtube by JRockyHill in January 2017. Not sure when the fire was. But you get the idea. of what the firefighters do to work a grass fire.


Direct link to video