Wildland firefighting: aerial ignition by helitorches

Another use of helicopters in wildland firefighting is aerial ignition using a helitorch. A helitorch is suspended from the helicopters and is used for backfires, burnouts and prescribed burns. I found the video that on using a helitorch when I was poking around on YouTube just now. I liked what I saw and want to share it with you. Before posting, I saw that Bill Gabbert of Fire Aviation shared this same video on August 6, 2015. The video was shot in 2009 by BrimAviation, enjoy!

Direct link to video by BrimAviation on Youtube

Wildland Firefighting: more on aerial ignition by helicopters using PSDs (ping pong balls)

In my previous post, I shared a video about how helicopters are used in aerial ignition using ping pong balls or PSDs to perform backburns (go here to see my October 17th post). I follow-up on that post by embedding two more videos. 

The first video is shot in 2014 during a training run where you will see how the PSDs or ping pong balls are loaded into the assembly on the helicopter for dropping on the wildfire or controlled burn. Both videos are a few years old and perhaps some of the drop mechanisms and technology have changed, but I think you will get the idea, I know I did.

Direct link to video by Phillip Garrett on YouTube

In the second video, shot in 2013, you will hear John Holloran from the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee discuss how PSDs are loaded onto a helicopter and later dropped to help with controlled burns or prescribed fires.

Direct link to video by the Knoxville News Sentinel on YouTube.

Wildland firefighting: aerial ignition by helicopters using PSDs (ping pong balls)

 Helicopters have many uses in before, during and after wildland fires. One of the uses of helicopters is to drop small balls filled with compounds that ignite on the ground. These balls can be dropped to help with a prescribed fire as well as being dropped during a wildfire in remote areas to light a backfire. In the video below you will learn about these "ping pong balls" or PSDs are prepared and then dropped on the fire along with safety measures. I have not yet been able to find a video where you can see these PSDs being dropped on a fire. If I find one, I will amend this post.

 Direct link to video from PIO365 on YouTube

2022 wildfire season: Midewin Hotshot 2022 season video

 To the best of my knowledge, the Midewin Hotshots are the only hotshot crew based in the eastern region of the United States. They are based out of the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie in Wilmington, Illinois. They have a nice Facebook page where they post including periodic posts during their season, Midewin Hotshots on Facebook. They released their 2022 season video which I am embedding below. Crew videos from past seasons may be found here. I checked out their Facebook page and saw that the Midewin Hotshots fought fires in the following regions in 2022: Eastern, Southern, Southwest, Great Basin, and Northern California, a map of the regions in the United States may be found at the Geographic Area Coordination Center National Website Portal.

According to the description of their 2022 season video, the Midewin Hotshots nine fourteen day assignments during 2022. Thanks Midewin Hotshots for all you do to keep us safe. Enjoy your off season.

Direct link to video from Midewin Hotshots on YouTube

Wildland Firefighting: Dozers in Action

 I have recently been thinking about the important work that dozers do in wildland firefighting operations. At the same time, I have also been thinking about wildland firefighting on the east coast of the United States. So, you guessed it, I have two short videos that I am embedding below for your viewing pleasure. I enjoyed seeing these dozers operating up and down hill. I can only imagine the skill of the dozer operators in driving their dozers.

The first video is of a dozer plowing a containment line down hill at the 2016 Bluff Mountain Fire in Tennessee.

Direct link to video from the Tennessee Division of Forestry on YouTube

In the second video from August 2022 you will see a dozer plowing uphill in support of wildfire IR mapping for the Mckinney Fire that burned near the Oregon-California border.

Direct link to video from the Siskiyou News on Youtube

2022 wildfire season: NWS Incident Meteorologist (IMET) deployments (Sept 28 to October 10)

 

As you can see from the Facebook post from the NWS IMET Operations Office that I embedded above, on September 27th, there were 10 IMETs deployed nationwide. I would imagine that since that time some of those IMETs that were deployed on September 27th have finished their deployment and returned home. Also of note is that the National Wildland Fire Preparedness level was lowered to 2 on September 27th. As I write this, to the best of my knowledge the Preparedness Level remains at 2, even so that does not mean that the worst of the fire season is over, one never knows what might happen. While IMET deployments have decreased, IMTs continue to be deployed to wildfires.  Since September 27th four IMETs have been deployed.

On September 30th, an IMET was deployed to the Moose Fire in Idaho

. @NWSReno IMET en route to #MooseFire located 17 miles N of Salmon, ID #IDwx #IDFires @NWSPocatello @salmonchallisnf https://t.co/9M4o3ybV9Y pic.twitter.com/P7oNlcxFhn

— NWS IMET Operations (@NWS_IMET_OPS) September 30, 2022 

On October 3rd, an IMET was deployed to the Mosquito Fire in California

. @NWSAnchorage IMET en route to #MosquitoFire located 20 miles S of Emigrant Gap, CA #CAwx #CAFires @NWSSacramento @Tahoe_NF https://t.co/sozZbFGw2P pic.twitter.com/60wNn8NHzF

— NWS IMET Operations (@NWS_IMET_OPS) October 3, 2022

On October 4th an IMET was deployed to the Goat Rocks Fire in Washington.

. @NWSMoreheadCity IMET en route to #GoatRocksFire located 8 miles E of Packwood, WA #WAwx #WAFires @NWSSeattle @GPNF https://t.co/4QvNgdG8tn pic.twitter.com/q9GSwJCyn0

— NWS IMET Operations (@NWS_IMET_OPS) October 4, 2022

On October 5th an IMET was deployed to the Bold Creek Fire in Washington.

. @NWSPortland IMET en route to #BoltCreekFire located 2 miles N of Skykomish, WA #WAwx #WAFires @NWSSeattle @waDNR_fire @MtBakerSnoNF https://t.co/uxi2yVQOsM

— NWS IMET Operations (@NWS_IMET_OPS) October 5, 2022

IMETs save lives! Thanks all IMETs for your service.

About the National Wildland Fire Preparedness Levels and the Fire Danger Rating System in the United States

Obtained from https://www.nifc.gov/fire-information#current-level on October 10, 2022

Edited on October 10, 2022

I was looking at the NWS IMET Office on Twitter  earlier today where I noted on September 27th the National Wildland Fire Preparedness Level (NWFPL) was lowered to a rating of 2 (go here to see the post on Twitter). Now I did have something else in mind for today where I was going to start out by referencing that same post from the NWS IMET Office and I am holding off on that post for the moment. I know about the National Wildland Fire Preparedness Level (see the graphic and link above) because I see this referred to on social media wildland fire agencies. I also know that there is the National Fire Danger Rating System (NFDRS)  used by wildland firefighters. Now I have to be honest and say that I am not certain of the similarities between the NWFPL and the NFDRS. However, I was curious about the NFDRS and found a video that I thought you might be interested in, I know that I was. I found the one I was looking for from the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG). While the video seems to be focused on being a training aid for wildland firefighters, I think that watching this 10 minute video will give you an idea about what the different catagories in the NFDRS are and what they mean, and how the NFDRS is used by federal and state wildland fire fighting agencies.

Direct link to video from the NWCG on YouTube

Reflections and thanks to sources and people who help me with this blog

For reasons that I won’t go into,, I have thought often about what I try to do on this blog over the last few days. I am grateful to know of reliable resources that I can turn to from those who have more hands on knowledge of wildland fire fighting than I do. Two sites come to mind that I check out on an almost daily basis, the first one is the two websites of Bill Gabbert, Wildfire Today and Fire Aviation. He does good reporting and because I believe that he had some background in wildland, he has some first hand knowledge that I do not. His firsthand knowledge adds credence to his reporting. Then there is Mike Archers Wildfire News of the Day (WNOTD)  a five day a week e-mail where he culls together articles on wildland fires from around the world. As appropriate, I will turn to state agencies responsible for wildland firefighting and related social media (for example as a NJ resident I often refer to the NJ Forest Fire Service and the NJ Forest Fire Service Facebook and Twitter accounts), national resources such as Inciweb and the Geographic Area Coordination Centers, and local media for the area where a specific wildfire is occurring. It took me some time to learn about some of these resources and I am certain that there are some resources and other blogs on wildland firefighting that I am not aware of. 

There are many individuals in the wildland firefighting business who have taken an interest in and supported me over the years that I have been doing this blog including those of you who quietly read my blog. You answer my questions. When I have failed to be correct, you let me know so I can make a correction. Without you, this blog would not be possible.

 

New Jersey helping with recovery from Hurricane Ian

I have been following the aftermath of Hurricane Ian more than I usually do because I have some friends who had houses on the Florida gulf coast barrier islands of Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel. All my friends are alive and evacuated while others are winter residents and had not yet gone to their winter homes.

I am always interested in what New Jersey does to help other states in need after disasters. In part because I know for a fact that other states have helped us out be sending utility crews after storms. One example being the Florida electric utility crew that helped to restore power to my neighborhood after Superstorm Sandy the fall of 2012. So I was delighted when I heard from reliable sources, sorry I have no media articles to show you, that New Jersey electric utilities have sent trucks and crews down to Florida to help them restore power. In addition, the New Jersey Red Cross has sent a team down to Florida, see this article from News 12 New Jersey for more information

Just this morning, thanks to the NJ Forest Fire Service Section B10, I saw the following video showing footage of the deployment of New Jersey Task Force 1 to Florida on October 1, 2022. According to their website The New Jersey Task Force 1 is one of 28 FEMA urban search and rescue teams in the country.

Direct link to video from Shane Branin on YouTube

I know that other states have sent various teams to help Florida and South Carolina recover from the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Even so, I am so very proud of New Jersey for helping out Florida in their time of great need after the devastation of Hurricane Ian.

Friday Fun: Stearman biplanes performing flybys

On this edition of Friday Fun, I offer a video from AirshowStuffVideos of two WWII-era Stearman Biplanes performing at the 2021 Wings fo the North AirExpo. Allow less than seven minutes to watch the video.

Direct link to video from AirshowStuffVideos on YouTube

Hurricane Hunters fly into Hurricane Ian

 I have spent much of the morning in touch with a good friend on the gulf coast of Florida relaying information to her about Hurricane Ian as they are having a difficult time with communications and getting current information on Hurricane Ian. It therefore seems appropriate and fitting within the aviation focus of this blog to share two videos of our wonderful Hurricane Hunter Aircraft flying into Ian. Before I do, I have previously posted many articles on Hurricane Hunters that my be found here, note these are articles tagged Hurricane Hunters. I also have to be quick because I have to recharge my wireless mouse in advance of a midday online commitment.

Life of an Incident Meteorologist: NOAA photo story

 I have a deep respect for the work that National Weather Service specially trained Incident Meteorologists (IMETs) do. IMETs are deployed for up to two weeks to provide weather forecasts specific to a wildfire. If you are like me, and I believe that some of you are, then you are wondering what it is like for an IMET on the fire line this summer. This photo story from NOAA called "Fighting Fire with Forecasts" provides an answer. Enjoy! IMETs save lives. If you have trouble accessing the tweet from the NWS IMET Operations or prefer not to access Twitter, here is the direct link to the NOAA photo story "Fighting Fire with Forecasts". Plan on spending some time with the photo story, there are several photos and a couple of videos.

Ever wonder what life as an IMET is like? Here's a good summary of life on the fire line for IMETs this summer helping our land management agency partners. @NIFC_Fire @NWS #WeatherReadyNation #ClimateReadyNation #Wildfire https://t.co/IrAvXUb0Ge

— NWS IMET Operations (@NWS_IMET_OPS) September 20, 2022

About the Great Basin Smokejumpers

Better late than never. I had my Omicron Covid booster yesterday and was a little out of it. So this is late. Enjoy this short video about the Great Basin Smokejumpers by the National Interagency Fire Center.

Direct link to video on YouTube by the National Interagency Fire Center

2022 wildfire season: NJ Forest Fire Service crews working in TX & MT

 Here in New Jersey we have been in a drought for the last couple of months and I know that the New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) have been working to keep us in New Jersey as safe as possible from wildfires. I know that each year the NJFFS responds to requests to help wildland firefighters in other parts of the country to fight wildfires and this year is no exception. At no time did they put New Jersey at risk by sending crews and engines to assist crews in other parts of the country. I am always honored by the service of the NJFFS crews and engines working in other parts of the country, I am so proud of the NJFFS crews. This year NJFFS crews and engines have worked in Texas, Montana and Idaho. Typically, crews work on two week rotations.

This summer, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service spent eight weeks supporting the @TXForestService during heightened wildfire risk.

In total 26 firefighters from New Jersey spent a two-week rotation on one of three firetrucks that New Jersey provided to Texas. pic.twitter.com/HpvvKKGBv1

— New Jersey Forest Fire Service (@njdepforestfire) September 15, 2022

A little more about wildland firefighting in Maryland

After returning from a short trip to the Chesapeake Bay area of Maryland on Friday, I was curious to see what I could learn about wildland fires in Maryland. It did not take me long to find the Maryland DNR's Forest Service Wildland Fire Page. Fire season peaks in the spring and the fall, similar to others areas in the mid-atlantic region. They have a nice downloadable page on wildfire behavior in Maryland

The first thing I checked out was their history page (pdf), the Maryland Forest Service was founded in 1906, the same year they started to fight wildfires. At one time there were many fire towers in Maryland, only a few currently remain. Today Maryland DNR has much of the same equipment and vehicles as other wildland fire fighting agencies: engines of various sizes and dozers along with GPS capability and vastly improved communications.

Finally, I was curious about the acreage burned by wildfires in Maryland. I found no information on wildfires in 2022, but perhaps I was not looking in the right place. I did find a page of wildfire statistics with annual reports from 2004 to 2021. I looked at the 2021 Wildfire Summary Report by the Maryland DNR. What follows is some information from the 2021 report:

• 102 fires burned 1,363 acres. 
• Looking at acreage burned, seven fires in January burning 973.8 acres, the second highest month was December where 17 fires burned 211 acres. 
• Current v ten year average
• number of fires: 102 wildfires in 2021, ten-year average is 122.4
• acreage burned: 1,363 acres burned in 2021 compared with a ten-year average of 1,947.5
• There is an active prescribed burning program with 2,769.2 acres in the 2021 prescribed burning program scattered across the state.

What I did not post here was the information that can be found in the daily intelligence briefings from the Eastern Area Coordination Center. I did take a peak at their EACC Detailed Situation Report by Protection Area (daily at least during fire season). There is a wealth of information in this report for the states in the Eastern Region. For example, in the report dated September 18, 2022, I saw that the 2 human-caused fires burned 18 acres in the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge which I visited last week. I believe but am not certain there have been 12 prescribed burns in the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge to date for 2,156 acres burned.

Finally, I did get the feeling that as in other States, local fire companies provide mutual aid as needed to the Maryland DNR firefighters. I do not know what aerial resources Maryland uses to fight and/or observe wildfires. I do not mean to imply that are no aerial resources, just that I do not know about such resources.

I know that I am barely touching the surface of fighting wildland fires in Maryland. I do so to show that I am interested. I am hoping to follow a social media site that might help me keep in touch with Maryland and Delaware wildland fire news. 

Prescribed burning at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge (Chesapeake Bay)

I got back yesterday from a short trip with some good friends to the Chesapeake Bay region in Maryland. We only had three days there and one of the treasures was the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge near Cambridge, Maryland. Always being on the alert for anything about wildfires, in this case prescribed burns, when we got to the visitors center of Blackwater, I noted that they had a display talking about prescribed burning in the refuge and why it is important. I was not thinking at the time, so I did not take a photo to share with you. I did appreciate and applaud the Fish and Wildlife Service for putting up this display to educate the public about the importance of prescribed burning. 

We were there twice, the second time we were there, I was asking one of the rangers if there was any flooding on the shorter driving tour that we were going to take, there was not. By the way, this was our second time on the driving tour. Anyway, she took the time to tell me that there was a prescribed burn going on, that we might see smoke. If there was any smoke, we were distracted by looking at the beauty of Blackwater, and later troubleshooting our maps app so we could get back to the place we were staying. Anyway, I do appreciate this prescribed burn in preparation for planting winter crops to support wildlife.

I thought that some of you might enjoy getting to know the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge so I am sharing a video of the driving tour we took. This was shot in the summer of 2020 by the Friends of Blackwater

Direct link to video on YouTube by the Friends of Blackwater NWR

Aerial fire fighting tactics

 I was looking for something different to post today and came across this video from 2015 that I had bookmarked for later posting. The video is called "Basic Tactics" and is shot from a camera mounted on the aircraft, perhaps on the wing. You will listen to radio conversations directing the aerial attack on the fire with some printed commentary telling you what is going on. I always enjoy these videos, I always learn. Enjoy.

Direct link to video on YouTube

Reflections on a little rain during a drought

 

This is the current Drought Monitor Map for the area covered by the NWS Philadelphia/Mt Holly Weather Forecast Office. We have had some beneficial rains over the last week, some of which may not be reflected in this map. I do not know enough to know what the situation will be when the next Drought Monitor Map is issued, will there be a slight change for the better? I am not a Meteorologist, but I suspect that we need several beneficial rainfalls before we come out of the drought. However, I along with my trees and other greenery are grateful for the rain. I am not letting up on my efforts to conserve water.

What I do know is that last weeks beneficial rains and perhaps today's rains mean that the wildland firefighters in my area got a bit of break. According to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, fire danger today is low (map is updated daily, as it was last week following the beneficial rains (what you see will likely be different as conditions change). While I am grateful that the fire danger in New Jersey has been low the last few days, it is no time to be complacent. Wildfires can still happen. the crews of the NJFFS have not put away their equipment and trucks, they are still on call if the need should arise. 

I thank the wildland firefighters of the NJ Forest Fire Service and those in adjoining states for your service. Stay safe.

NOAA Satellites looking at wildfires

Coming off of a busier than normal couple of days, so I am sharing three videos of NOAA Satellites looking at wildfires. All three videos are from four to six weeks ago.

Fires Across Europe

Fires Across Alaska

Fire near Yosemite

Wildfire History: Lockheed P2V airtanker operations in 2017.

 I got side tracked yesterday with some unexpected business and was unable to make my usual Wednesday blog entry. I will be tied up with that same business this afternoon but I diid want to take a few moments to post. In this case, this is a video from Bob Webb showing the pilots view of air operations in steep terrain behind a lead plane. Enjoy

Direct link to video on YouTube from Bob Webb