Prescribed burning season in NJ: February 27th and 28th

I wrote about the start of the spring prescribed burning season in New Jersey  last Wednesday, February 24th. I understand from the NJ Forest Fire Service's February 21st press release that prescribed burns were planned for February 22nd in Burlington. Ocean and Cumberland counties.

The New Jersey Forests Facebook page lists the prescribed burns that were planned for this past weekend, February 27th and 28th (go here to see article):

ATLANTIC COUNTY 

Hammonton Wildlife Management Area in Mullica Township; Maple Lake Wildlife Management Area in Estell Manor City; Stockton College in Galloway Township; Strawberry Field in Hamilton Township;  Tuckahoe Wildlife Management Area in Estell Manor City 

BURLINGTON COUNTY Brendan T. Byrne State Forest in Pemberton Township; Warren Grove Gunnery Range in Bass River Township; and Whitesbog in Pemberton Township 

CAMDEN COUNTY Wharton State Forest in Waterford Township 

CAPE MAY COUNTY Belleplain State Forest in Upper Township; and Cox Hall Creek Wildlife Management Area in Lower Township

CUMBERLAND COUNTY Buckshutem Wildlife Management Area in Fairfield Township; Millville Wildlife Management Area in Commercial Township; and Peaslee Wildlife Management Area in Maurice River Township

MIDDLESEX COUNTY Pigeon Swamp State Park in South Brunswick Township

MONMOUTH COUNTY Manasquan Wildlife Management Area in Wall Township 

OCEAN COUNTY Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area in Jackson Township; Greenwood Wildlife Management Area in Barnegat and Lacey Townships; Warren Grove Gunnery Range in Stafford Township; and  Whiting Wildlife Management Area in Manchester Township (obtained on February 29, 2016 from NJ Forests Facebook page  

My friends at the B10 NJ Wildland Fire Page continue to cover the prescribed burns, today I found a couple of photos from recent prescribed burns on their home page about on-third of the way down the page (this page updates frequently); you will also want to check out their 2016 prescribed burn photo page.

I found one article reporting on two of the prescribed burns done this past weekend: Philly dot com on prescribed burns done near Stockton University

Thank-you New Jersey Forest Fire Service

I have been writing this blog on aerial wildland firefighting (and related issues) for just over seven years now. During that time my respect and admiration for the men and women of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service along with the contract aircraft has increased with each passing year. They do a great job keeping us safe all year round, and not just during the wildfire season. For example, I believe that they helped out across the state during post-storm recovery from severe weather events such as Hurricane Irene and Super Storm Sandy.

Please join me in thanking the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. Thank-you everyone!

I recently found this New Jersey Forest Fire Service Tribute on youtube (uploaded in March 2010) by awolfpack343. Great photographs of current and older equipment.


Direct link to video

Spring is coming: longer days and Prescribed Burning season

In late February there are a couple of signs that spring is near. One is that daylight is starting to get noticeably longer. For example I am seeing eleven hours of daylight today as opposed to 9 hours and 16 minutes on December 21, 2015. For those that are interested in such things, you may go the U.S. Naval Observatory webpages where they have a page for sun or moon rise data for most locations in the United States and many international locations that may be found here. The USNO data is printed gives you data for one year, which is great. However, in addition to sunrise and sunset I like to know additional information such data on the length of the day and twilight in an easy ready format. I found a website that gives me that and more by month for my location, sunrisesunset. I'm not sure of the precision of their data but it is good enough for most of my uses.

Another sign that spring is coming is the start of prescribed burning season here in New Jersey. This year the announcement of the beginning of prescribed burning season came from the NJ Forest Fire Service in a February 21st press release, here is an excerpt from their press release:

“The state’s prescribed burning program, conducted only under exacting conditions and by highly trained personnel, is an important management tool in protecting lives and property, while providing an important additional benefit of keeping our wildlands ecologically healthy,” said Richard Boornazian, DEP’s Assistant Commissioner for Natural and Historic Resources. ... 

Prescribed burns, also known as controlled burns, help reduce forest fire risks prior to entering the prime wildfire season, which in New Jersey generally begins in the early spring, when leaves and debris are abundant, tree cover is sparse, and conditions tend to be dry and windy.

“Prescribed burns that take place now reduce accumulations of forest undergrowth, fallen branches, leaves and downed trees that can become tinder for wildfires during dry periods in the spring,” said State Fire Warden Bill Edwards. “Both the safety of our firefighters and the general public are our top priorities as we implement these burns.”

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service has a nice information page on prescribed burning in New Jersey that may be found here. I could not get the video to play on my Apple browsers, perhaps those of you with windows based machines will have more luck.

If I can find information on locations of prescribed burns in New Jersey, I'll post them here from time to time. In the meantime, my friends at the B10 NJ Wildland Fire Page have a photo page for the 2016 prescribed burn season.

2015 Soda Fire ESR -- Reflections

I conclude this series on the 2015 Soda Fire ESR with some of my own reflections.

As I reflect upon what I have learned in writing about the 2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan, I want to take a step back and begin with saying that I have enjoyed learning a little about the sagebrush-steppe ecosystem. I say that I have only learned a little because I know that watching some videos online and reading some documents only skims the surface about how special the sage-steppe ecosystem is. I have said this before in other contexts on this blog, and it bears repeating here. I hope that one day, I can visit this part of Idaho where the 2015 Soda Fire burned. It is unfortunate that I first made the acquaintance, so to speak of the sage-steppe ecosystem in western Idaho and eastern Oregon through this tragic wildfire.

Reflecting on the wildfire and then the 2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan, I keeping coming back to the complexity of stabilizing and then restoring this ecosystem (and any other ecosystem) after wildfires. At the same time through my correspondence with some of the Idaho BLM staff and reading what the Idaho BLM has shared about the ESR plan on social media I see that there are some very good and knowledgeable people who are overseeing and implementing the ESR plan. I can also see that they love the sage-steppe ecosystem. The BLM staff and others who are implementing the ESR plan are very well equipped to do so. They know what they are doing and I take a great deal of comfort in that. 

I hope that through my blog, I have given you a small amount of insight into what goes into post-fire recovery. The ESR plan will be going on for another four plus years. I look forward to following the progress made as the 2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan continues to be implemented.

2015 Soda Fire ESR -- Interview with Idaho BLM (part 2 of 2)

Continuing with the second part of my e-mail interview with Idaho BLM about the 2015 Soda Fire ESR. Sorry I am posting this a day late.

Q5) RRamblings: Is emergency stabilization the first step in post-fire recovery and if so, can you briefly describe what progress is made to date and when they will be completed. Perhaps focusing on soil/water stabilization; habitat for sage-grouse, threatened and endangered species; and noxious weeds and invasive species.

Idaho BLM: Yes, emergency stabilization is the first step in post-wildland fire recovery.  To date, we have completed numerous soil/water stabilization activities, such as waterbarring in areas prone to water run-off, drill and aerial seeding to prevent soil erosion, and repairing culverts to prevent flooding.  We have used aerial herbicides in areas where there was a large concentration of cheatgrass and medusahead pre-burn to prevent their reemergence and provide a blank landscape for us to replace them with desirable perennial grasses that will stabilize the soil and create a healthy environment for us to go in and plant sagebrush seedlings at a later date.  The aerial and drill seeding in other areas of the burn also helps us to combat the spread of cheatgrass and medusahead by putting those desirable perennial grasses there to out compete with the invasives and make the soil more stable for sagebrush in the future.  We finished drill seeding for this season in early January and should have the aerial seeding complete the first part of February.  There will be more herbicide, drill and aerial seeding this spring.  All of this activity will not only benefit the sage grouse, but other native animal and plant species who call this landscape home.  

Q6) RRamblings: How long will it take to reestablish sage-brush and other native plants? Will there be a negative impact on wildlife?

Idaho BLM: It will take many years to re-establish a functioning sagebrush community.  The length of time depends on many variables such as seeding establishment, weather, moisture. Wildlife will move to other areas while Soda recovers.  However many of the treatments will provide new and lush perennial grass growth that is desirable to upland and big game species.

Q7) Rramblings: When will the Burned Area Recovery (BAR) start?

Idaho BLM: ES or emergency stabilization funding can continue for up to 18 months after the fire.  Burned Area Recovery funds can be utilized from years 1-5 depending on the treatment. However the program is being revised as we speak and these time frames can change. 

Q8) Rramblings: Can you briefly describe any challenges in implementing the post-fire ESR plan?

Idaho BLM: It is always a race against time when doing ESR work.  Weather and contracting challenges are a common occurrence, but we work through them and get things done.

  

Q9) Rramblings: Is there anything else that you would like to say to my readers? 

Idaho BLM: Multiple use management adds challenges to an already challenging ESR program.   ESR plans are to be completed and signed within 21 days after the fire containment and treatments begin immediately.  Challenges include obtaining funding, and procurement requirements that make purchasing goods and signing up contractors prior to optimum treatment windows.   Large and complex and multiple fires that span several years are challenging to personnel.  The work that government employees in the Boise District do is hard, complex, but their effort comes from the heart. I want people to know that we do this work because we love and believe in it and there isn’t anything else we would rather be going.

Thanks to staff from the Idaho Bureau of Land Management for taking the time for this e-mail interview. I learned a lot.

My final article in this series will be some personal reflections that I plan to post on Monday, February 22.

2015 Soda Fire ESR -- Interview with Idaho BLM (part 1 of 2)

I want to thank the staff from the Idaho Bureau of Land Management for taking the time to answer a few questions I had on the 2015 Soda Fire ESR. I present this interview, conducted over e-mail in two parts, the second part of the interview will post this Saturday, February 20th.

Q1) RRamblings:  I know that the Soda Fire burned 279,144 acres in  Owyhee county Idaho and Malheur county Oregon. How does the Soda Fire compare with other fires of significant size that have burned in this region and (if applicable) how is the post-fire ESR Plan (aka 2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan) different? For example, were there more invasive species and noxious weeds that perhaps contributed to the spread of the fire?

Idaho BLM: There have definitely been other large fires in the region in recent memory (Murphy Complex, Tri-State), but what sets the Soda fire apart is that almost all of the acreage burned was in sage grouse habitat known as sage brush steppe.  Invasives such as cheat grass and medusa head definitely played a part in the severity of the Soda fire due to their low moisture content but so did erratic wind behavior, and overall dry conditions of the landscape.  Because of the recognized threat to sage grouse habitat posed by wildland fire and how invasives play a part in that and in edging out their healthy habitat, three new polices were issued:  Secretarial Order 3336, Sage Grouse Implementation Plan Amendment and the National Seed Strategy.  These policies allowed for changes in the ESR program as they recognized that it will take years to combat invasives and promote a resistant and resilient landscape.

Q2) RRamblings: Am I correct that the ESR plan is a five-year plan that runs through FY20?

Idaho BLM: Yes, the Soda fire ESR plan is a five year plan.  It was signed the latter part of September 2015.

Q3) RRamblings: How has secretarial order 3336 impacted emergency stabilization (ES)? How do you expect secretarial order 3336 to impact burned area rehabilitation (BAR) and restoration? If there are numerous impacts, can you focus on the most important treatments affecting the Sage-Grouse.

Idaho BLM: SO 3336 paved the way for ESR to go from strictly a three year stabilization and restoring to pre-fire condition to a five year program that opens up more allowable treatments and the ability to do re-treatments to bring the fire damaged area back to resistance and resilience and moving toward functioning habitat.   The most important thing for sage-grouse habitat is keeping fires to a minimum and to prevent invasive species such as cheat grass from spreading which degraded the vegetative community as a whole and can increase the size and frequency of wildland fires.  The most important treatment(s) are a combination of many that are used to keep invasives as a minor part of the community and start the process to moving back to a functioning sage-grouse habitat.  All treatments in combination are important.

Q4)  RRamblings: I understand that the Sage-Grouse depends on Sage-Brush, and that large areas of Sage-Brush were burned in the fire. Am I correct that there was no evidence of Sage-Grouse mortality from the Soda Fire? If so, what happened to them.  

Idaho BLM: There was a chance of some sage-grouse mortality due to the fire.   Sage-grouse probably moved to suitable habitat away from the fire perimeter.

2015 Soda Fire ESR -- A very brief introduction to the 2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan (2 of 2)

This second article, a very brief introduction to the 2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan (2 of 2) is slightly different from what I had originally conceived. You may recall from my article of Friday, February 12th (part 1) that I had referred you to a BLM web page listing all planning documents related to the Soda Fire ESR/BAER Plan where I referred readers to the first document on that list, the BLM Idaho Post-Fire Recovery Plan Emergency Stabilization and Burned Area 2015 Plan (aka the2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan). In preparation for this article I went in and skimmed the other two planning documents on the BLM web page listing all planning documents related to the Soda Fire ESR/BAER Plan. I found what I thought were some differences across these documents that confused me. After some initial struggles where my eyes were starting to glaze over, I ended up making some more drastic changes to my early draft. The result is what you see here. In the spirit of trying to keep things simple, I will go into a little more detail in this article on treatment areas as described in the 2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan. I have revised the article I wrote on February 12th to reflect the changes I made to this article since the 12th.

In my previous article (Friday, February 12th), I listed treatment categories from the 2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan for Emergency Stabilization — ES (S) and Burned Area Rehabilitation — BAR (R), which I list again for your convenience:

• S/R2 Ground Seeding 
• 
S/R3 Aerial Seeding 

• S/R4 Seedling Planting 

• S/R5 Noxious Weeds 

• S/R6 Soil Stabilization 

• S/R7 Fence/Gate/Cattleguard 

• S/R8 Road/Trail Water Diversion 

• S/R9 Cultural Protection 

• S/R10 Tree Hazard Removal 
• 
S/R11 Facilities 

• S/R12 Closures (Area, OHV, Livestock) 

• S13 Monitoring
• 
S/R14 Other Treatments (2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan, p. 11)

There were many things of interest to me as I learned more about the sagebrush-steppe ecosystem, and the recovery from the 2015 Soda Fire. In the spirit of brevity, I will only focus on areas that are of the most interest to me. That is. I am going to talk about treatments used to address threats to riparian & aquatics, wildlife including the greater sage-grouse, and noxious weeds. All are described in some detail in the 2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan.  I will leave it to the reader to read more if you so desire. 

There is much from the 2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan that I am not discussing here such as treatments that will address threats to transportation infrastructure, cultural resources, recreation, horses & burrows, to name a few. 

As you continue to read I’d like to draw your attention to S/R2 ground Seeding (drill seeding) which is a treatment under both wildlife, and noxious weeds. S/R3 aerial seeding is a treatment under riparian & aquatics, and wildlife.

Riparian and Aquatics (2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan, pages 17-9)

“Fire may result in a large array of direct and indirect effects to aquatic species and riparian habitats. Direct effects to aquatic populations will generally occur in riparian areas where burn intensity was high. These areas are typically denuded of all vegetation and, during the fire, could have experienced increased water temperatures, decreased oxygen availability, and ash loading into streams. Since some of the drainages burned very hot, aquatic species may have died as a result” (2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan, p. 17).

Treatments to address the threat to riparian and aquatics are: R7 fence (repair and replace fencing), S3 aerial seeding, R11 facilities (repair and replaces facilities damaged by the fire), and R4 seedling planting (for soil and water stabilization).

Wildlife (2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan pages 20-8) 

Under wildlife, the top concern is for the greater sage-grouse (sage-grouse). Other wildlife species are also impacted, at least temporarily by the loss of the sage brush: e.g. bighorn sheep, mule deer, and pronghorn. The brewer’s sparrow, sage thrasher, and brewers thrasher are also impacted by the loss of sagebrush. Finally, the golden eagle will be impacted by the loss of prey.

Treatments include: S5 noxious and invasive weeds (aerial applications of an herbicide prior to drill seeding), S2 ground seeding (drill seeding), S3 aerial seeding (grass), S3 aerial seeding (shrubs and forbs) and S14 other - juniper removal. You may read about the details of each treatment in the 2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan pages 20-8).

Noxious Weeds (2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan pages 34-8)

“Noxious weeds are present in the burned area. Noxious weeds are now recognized worldwide as posing threats to biological diversity, second only to direct habitat loss and fragmentation. Noxious weeds are known to alter ecosystem functions such as nutrient cycles, hydrology, and wildfire frequency; out-compete and exclude native plants and animals; and to hybridize with native species” (2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan, p. 34). Noxious weeds are listed on pages 35 to 36 of the 2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan.

The first treatment listed under noxious weeds is, not surprisingly, S5 and R5 noxious weeds. This treatment includes monitoring and assessments of noxious weeds in the area burned by the 2015 Soda Fire, inventory of noxious weeds, photos and mapping of infestations of noxious weeds, treatment with chemical and bio-control agents (2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan, p. 37). Related to this is an herbicide trial under S5 and R5 noxious and invasive weeds (2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan, p. 38).

S2 ground seeding (drill seeding) is the other treatment listed for noxious weeds.

Next-up: Interview with Idaho BLM (in two parts).

2015 Soda Fire ESR -- A very brief introduction to the 2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan (1 of 2)

One of the documents that I obtained from the BLM websites is a document known as the BLM Idaho Post-Fire Recovery Plan Emergency Stabilization and Burned Area Rehabilitation 2015 Plan (2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan). The direct link to this plan (pdf file) is here. Alternatively, it is the first document listed on this BLM web page listing all planning documents related to the Soda Fire ESR/BAER Plan.  Just so you know, I found the last link I listed on the Soda Fire Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation Page. If you are landing on this page sometime in the future, I am never quite sure how long these links will last. I assume that because the 2015 Soda Fire ESR will be going on for another five years, that some or all of these links will be good for awhile.

I find the 2015 Soda Fire ESR Planning document a little complicated; yet I have found that this document has given me an appreciation of the complexity of the 2015 Soda Fire Emergency Stabilization and Burned Area Rehabilitation (ESR). Writing about the details and the ins and outs of the 2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan is beyond the means of this blog. Knowing this, I reached out over e-mail to the Idaho BLM office involved in the ESR and asked them some questions. I will be sharing about the Question and Answer session in two posts next week (February 17th and 19th).

However, while the 2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan can be a little difficult to read, I did find it somewhat useful.  For those who are interested I am going to present some highlights from the 2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan that I have found useful in this article with part 2 posting on Monday February 15th. The 2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan identifies two post fire recovery issues: emergency  stabilization and burned area rehabilitation. 

Emergency Stabilization (ES) and Burned Area Rehabilitation (BAR) Objectives and Issues

Emergency stabilization (ES) objectives are to “determine the need for and to prescribe and implement emergency treatments to minimize threats to life or property or to stabilize and prevent unacceptable degradation to natural and cultural resources resulting from the effects of a fire. …ES Issues:

• ES Issue 1 - Human Life and Safety
• ES Issue 2 - Soil/Water Stabilization
• ES Issue 3 - Habitat for Threatened and Endangered Species
• ES Issue 4 - Cultural Heritage Resources
• ES Issue 5 - Noxious Weeds and Invasive Species” (2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan, p. 5)

Burned Area Rehabilitation (BAR) Objectives are: “ 1)To evaluate actual and potential long-term post-fire impacts to critical cultural and natural resources and identify those areas unlikely to recover naturally from severe wildland fire damage, 2) to develop and implement cost-effective plans to emulate historical or pre-fire ecosystem structure, function, diversity, and dynamics consistent with approved land management plans, or if that is infeasible, then to restore or establish a healthy, stable ecosystem in which native species are well represented, and 3) to repair or replace minor facilities damaged by wildland fire. … BAR Issues:

• BAR Issue 1 - Lands Unlikely to Recover Naturally
• BAR Issue 2 - Noxious Weeds and Invasive Species
• BAR Issue 3 - Tree Planting
• BAR Issue 4 - Repair or Replace Fire Damaged Facilities” (2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan, p. 6)

Treatments

ES and BAR efforts under the 2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan are divided into different areas of concern (see note 1) two of which are wildlife (including but not limited to the sage grouse, noxious weeds, and riparian and aquatics. Treatments are divided into two groups: ES (S) and BAR (R). All but one of the treatment categories are the same for both Emergency Stabilization — ES (S) and Burned Area Rehabilitation — BAR (R). To keep it simple I am only listing the treatment categories once. You will see prefixes (S/R) listed in all but one case (monitoring) indicating that the treatment category falls under both ES and BAR (2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan, p. 11):

• S/R2 Ground Seeding 
• S/R3 Aerial Seeding 
• S/R4 Seedling Planting 
• S/R5 Noxious Weeds 
• S/R6 Soil Stabilization 
• S/R7 Fence/Gate/Cattleguard 
• S/R8 Road/Trail Water Diversion 
• S/R9 Cultural Protection 
• S/R10 Tree Hazard Removal 
• S/R11 Facilities 
• S/R12 Closures (Area, OHV, Livestock) 
• S13 Monitoring
• S/R14 Other Treatments 

Here are four of examples of treatments:

• drill seeding from my Dec 2, 2015 article;
• noxious (and invasive) weeds from my Nov 30, 2015 article;
• Two articles from the Soda Fire 2015 Facebook page on aerial seeding may be found here and here; and
• Two articles from the Soda Fire 2015 Facebook page on seedling planting may be found here and here.

In my next post on Monday February 15th, I will go into a little more detail about some of the treatments from 2015 Soda Fire ESR Plan.

Note 1 (added on February 15, 2016 3:10 PM EST): I have edited this article to reflect last minute changes that I have made in part 2.

2015 Soda Fire ESR - more on Sagebrush Steppe Ecosystem and the Sage Grouse

As I continued to do my background reading and research on the 2015 Soda Fire post-fire recovery Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation I gained an appreciation for the sagebrush steppe ecosystem and at the same time frustrated because I felt, and still do, feel like there is a lot that I don't know about that ecosystem and the greater sage-grouse and other wildlife that live in and depend on the sagebrush steppe ecosystem. I wrote a little about the greater sage-grouse and their preferred habit in my November 27, 2015 article.

Somewhere, I don't quite remember where, in the course of my wonderings on the internet doing background research for my current series of articles on the 2015 Soda Fire ESR I found this link for a May 2015 episode of the PBS Nature series called the Sagebrush Sea (about an hour playing time). I learned a lot about the sage-grouse on their habit, and I thought that you would enjoy watching this episode.

Enjoy!

Updated on May 2, 2016, 4 PM EDT to remove possibly incompatible video embed code. You should be able to use the supplied link from PBS (above) to watch the video.

Soda Fire Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation - Upcoming posts

I first wrote about the 2015 Soda Fire post-fire recovery in a series of six posts that ran from November 25, through December 4, 2015, focus on the Burned Area Emergency Response for the Soda Fire. For your convenience (updated on September 19, 2016), I have included links to all of these earlier articles below).

This Wednesday, February 10th, I am going to resume posting about the 2015 Soda Fire Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation (ESR) in what I think will be six posts). I am still working on the upcoming posts, but this is how I think it will shake out. I will revise this post as necessary after I post each article to link to each article in this series.

Wednesday February 10th: More on the sagebrush-steppe ecosystem and the Sage Grouse. 

Friday February 12th: A very brief intro to the 2015 Soda Fire ESR (part 1 of 2)

Monday February 15th: A very brief intro to the 2-15 Soda Fire ESR (part 2 of 2)

Wednesday February 17th: Interview with Idaho BLM (part 1 of 2)

Saturday February 20th: Interview with Idaho BLM (part 2 of 2)

Monday February 22: Reflections

Earlier posts from late 2015 on the 2015 Soda Fire post-fire recovery:
November 18, 2015: Soda Fire (2015) BAER - Intro (1 of 3)
November 25, 2015: Soda Fire (2015) BAER - Intro (2 of 3)
November 27, 2015: Soda Fire (2015) BAER - Intro (3 of 3)
November 30, 2015: Soda Fire (2015) BAER - challenges ahead and invasive weeds
December 2, 2015:  Soda Fire (2015) BAER - drill seeding
December 4, 2015: Soda Fire (2015) BAER - more maps and reflections

Later articles on the 2015 Soda Fire post-fire recovery (September 2016 and later):

September 19, 2016: Revisiting Soda Fire (2015) Post-Fire Recovery (Sept. 2016)

Powerline Fire, Big Bend National Park (TX)

February 11, 2016 at 1:25 PM EST
The Powerline Fire that burned 1,792 acres in Big Bend National Park (TX) was contained on February 6, 2016. The Inciweb on the Powerline Fire updated their page on February 6 with containment information. You might also want to see this article from BigBendNow (February 11, 2016).

February 5, 2016 at 3:45 PM EST

Yes, it is winter here in much of the United States, and wildland fires are still happening, including but not necessarily limited to warmer parts of the country such as Texas. On February 1, a downed power line coupled with high winds lead to the Powerline Fire in Big Bend National Park in Southwest Texas near the Mexican border. No injuries have been reported and no park structures have burned.

I've seen two slightly different acreage and contaiment information on the Powerline Fire. The last update that I saw from Inciweb on the Powerline Fire (posted sometime on February 4th)  reports that the fire has burned 1,537 acres and is at 55 percent containment (what you see on Inciweb may differ depending on when the page is updated). The Big Bend National Park reports in a post on their Facebook page made about 12:30 PM EST today, that the fire had burned approximately 1,790 acres as of 5PM (local time?) on February 4th with approximately 75 percent containment. I wonder if the the figures reported by Big Bend National Park are the latest figures?

There is at least one type III helicopter with bucket working the fire, see this post by the Big Bend NP on their Facebook page (February 4th). See also this February 4th post by Bill Gabbert on Fire Aviation

Bill Gabbert wrote about the Powerline Fire in a February 2nd post (with updates, maps and photos).

There is a nice photo gallery of the fire on this Inciweb Powerline Fire page.

Selected media coverage:

Texas Public Radio (February 4th)

SanAntonioCurrent (February 4th)
WKSO (February 4th)

About Ag Aviation from an Ag pilot based in Mississippi

Please take six minutes to watch this nice video from the Mississippi Farm Bureau where you will hear Ag Pilot, Karl Holcomb talk about agricultural aviation in Mississippi. While perhaps specific to Mississippi, agricultural aviation plays an important role in agricultural all over the United States and over seas. Enjoy.


Direct link to video

It is airborne snow survey season again

In November 2014 I was spending some time in southern California when a lake effect snow storm brought five to seven feet of snow to portions of the Buffallo New York region. It was through that lake effect snow storm that I first learned of the Airborne Snow Survey Program of NOAA’s National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center (NOHRSC).

As I understand it, airborne snow surveys are done to measure the amount of water contained in a snow packTwo  aircraft are used, a Jet Prop Commander and a Rockwell Aero Commander (NOAA has two of these aircraft). 

According to the NOHRSC: 

The National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center (NOHRSC) has developed, and currently maintains, an operational Airborne Gamma Radiation Snow Survey Program to make airborne Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) and soil moisture measurements. Airborne SWE measurements are used by NWS Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) and NWS River Forecast Centers (RFC) when issuing river and flood forecasts, water supply forecasts, and spring flood outlooks (obtained from http://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/snowsurvey/ on February 1, 2016)

I first wrote about NOAA’s airborne snow survey program on November 24, 2014 with a follow-up article on February 9, 2015

Perhaps because of the two feet of snow we had in my part of New Jersey on January 23rd, I found myself thinking about the 2015-2016 Airborne Snow Season Survey, so I decided to write this article. If you are interested in historical snow surveys, the NOHRSC has a landing page with links to information on prior year's snow surveys. 

Post-Wildfire Recovery from CAL FIRE

The work is not done when a wildfire is contained and under control. Indeed for many wildfires, the all important post-fire recovery phase may have already begun before the wildfire is declared contained. Elsewhere I have written about post-fire recovery and will continue to do so as I can. See for example these posts on the 2015 Soda Fire Post-Fire Recovery and these posts on the Rim Fire (the later post focus on post-fire recovery). I am in the process of doing some background work in anticipation of resuming posting on the 2015 Soda Fire Post-Fire Recovery efforts soon. I have a little more work to do on the Rim Fire Post-Fire Recovery, so those posts will take a little longer to appear.

In the meantime, thanks to my friends at the B10 NJ Wildland Fire Page (videos change weekly), I found a nice video on CAL FIRE's post-wildfire recovery.


Direct link to video from CAL FIRE

NASA -- Day of Remembrance

Today, January 28th 2016 is the 30th anniversary of the loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger. On this Day of Remembrance NASA commemorates the loss of the crews of Apollo 1 (1967), Challenger (1986) and Columbia (2003). I know you are flying in favorable tail winds.


Direct link to video

NASA's remembrances

Blizzard of January 2016 - coastal flooding and beach erosion

No, I am not here to write about snow from the Blizzard of January 2016 that impacted much of the Mid-Atlantic in the USA. The Blizzard, which hit during a full moon, brought very high tides during three tide cycles. This resulted in coastal flooding and beach erosion.

Please take the time to read the article from the Washington Post (with photos and videos) of January 24th (from the Capital Weather Gang) which provides a nice overview of what went on in the Mid-Atlantic in addition to the Washington D.C. area.

Photo Galleries of January 23-22, 2016 Blizzard:

• From NJ.com focusing on beach erosion in Monmouth and Ocean Counties NJ
• Coastal flooding in the Wildwoods (Cape May County, NJ) from The Press of Atlantic City
• Flooding along the Bayshores in Cumberland County NJ from The Daily Journal

California wildfires - 2009

Like many others in the east coast USA, I got almost 2 feet of Snow Friday night January 22nd into Saturday January 23rd. My snowfall was 23 inches. Other areas saw from 24 inches to 30+ inches of snow. Thanks to some great help, I am dug out. But I did my share of shoveling before turning it over to a friend who offered to help. So, I think that you can understand that I was a little tired yesterday with the requisite sore muscles. So, I did not get online to post.

Like many, the blizzard put me behind schedule, I expect to resume work on a one project today.

I was looking around for an interesting video to share with you this morning and came across a nice video from Alan Simmons, a 9 minutes of highlights from his 2009 California Firestorm Video. Enjoy. Stay safe.


Direct link to video

Weather Balloons

I am sure that many of you in the United States know that the much of the east coast is experiencing a snow storm. If you are interested in knowing what is going on in a particular area of the east coast, just go to the National Weather Service.

I woke up this morning to no heat, fortunately the technician came almost first thing in the morning and it was up and running by 11:30 AM. Wish us luck. I am not quite sure what this storm will bring us. I am about 60 miles inland. Nonetheless, we are under a blizzard warning until early Sunday morning. I am hoping to set a couple of blog entries to post automatically into next week, just in case. Murphy's law and all that. [Comment added on December 14, 2016: for those who might be arriving at this post in late 2016 or after, I measured 23 inches of snow during the January 22-23rd snow storm. A lot of snow and we had good help with snow removal. We remained powered during and after the storm.]

Anyway, I got the idea for today's post (January 22, 2016) because a nearby National Weather Service Office (NWS), New York, NY launched extra weather balloons last night and today because of the upcoming storm. Let me backtrack a bit. Several National Weather Service offices around the country launch weather balloons twice a day with a radiosonde. The radiosonde measures and transmits air pressure, temperature, relative humidity, wind direction and wind speed. The NWS New York, NY is one of the NWS offices that launches balloons. Not every NWS office launches a balloon, mine in Mt. Holly does not. But Mt. Holly will get the balloon data from NWS offices that launch balloons. Among other things, the data from the balloons are used in the weather prediction models used by the NWS. For more information on weather balloons go to this NWS page. 

You may read about the extra balloon launches by the NWS New York, NY here and here.

Here are a couple of videos from the NWS New York, NY on their balloon launches.

Direct link to video

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I could be wrong, but I believe that the National Hurricane Center's Hurricane Hunter Aircraft may have flown into the low pressure system that is now bringing snow to the eastern seaboard. 

Ag Plane working a cotton field

I have a couple of irons in the fire, including reading up on post-fire recovery for the 2013 Rim Fire (California) and the 2015 Soda Fire (Idaho/Oregon). In addition, I had some house chores to do in anticipation of a snow storm this coming weekend, including buying groceries. Yes, I really was out of food and wanted to beat the milk-bread rush. Actually, I only bought one loaf of bread.

So I leave you with a nice 9 minute video of an ag planing working a cotton field. You will see the pilot doing some nifty flying to avoid some utility lines. Power lines are among the obstacles that pose hazards to ag pilots.


Direct link to video

Remembering Winter Floods of January 1996 (Pennsylvania)

Some of you know that I have gotten interested in weather because of my interest in aviation and wildland firefighting. While this is not a weather blog, I do like to post articles from time to time on weather events. I don’t believe that I have posted an article on an historical weather event, but I feel compelled to do so today. Before I get to the point of this article, I will briefly set the stage by offering some memories of some snow and rain storms in January 1996. 

Being that I have been living in New Jersey for quite awhile, there are certain weather events that stand out to me. One of those was a Blizzard on January 6-7, 1996. I was not in New Jersey at the time, rather I was driving to northern New England that day to visit some relatives, literally playing tag with the northern edge of the Blizzard until I got north of Springfield, MA. I spent about 4 days in northern New England where this snow storm dumped only a couple of inches. However, like many, I followed the Blizzard on TV. I knew that the Blizzard dumped 2 feet plus of snow in the greater New York City metro area, shutting almost everything done for two to four days depending on your location. When I got back to New Jersey sometime the following the weekend (on or about January 13th), there was still a significant amount of snow left along with some very impressive snow drifts. I had no driveway so usually parked on the street in front of my apartment. But no street parking was to be had. Fortunately, a nearby neighbor had room in their driveway and let me park there. 

A few days later, probably on January 18-19, 2016, it warmed up and the snow melted, and it rained. If memory serves, the town and the residents were pretty good at removing the snow from the storm drains so the snow melt had a place to go. At least the water had a place to go where the storm drains were uncovered. I recall being inconvenienced by the urban street flooding. But it was not a big deal.

Not so in other areas in the Mid-Atlantic. I do recall hearing about major flooding in Pennsylvania and upstate New York, among other places in the Mid-Atlantic. I remember thinking that I was pretty darn lucky. Those floods are now known as the Winter Floods of January 1996. The NWS Mid-Atlantic River Forecast Center (NWSMARFC) provides river and hydrologic forecasts many of the areas flooded that January. See the map on the NWSMARFC home page for a map. 

In remembrance of the 20th anniversary of the Winter Floods of January 1996, the NWSMARFC and the NWS State College, Pennsylvania has put together a nice webpage about the Winter Floods of January 1996, you may want to check out their additional links for more information. I am focusing here on Pennsylvania. New York, Virginia and to a lesser extent New Jersey were among the areas affected by these floods. The stage for these floods was set by some 30 to 40 inches of snow in areas of Pennsylvania during the Blizzard of January 6th and 7th. On January 19th temperatures warmed up to the low 60s and it rained, a lot of rain with winds gusting up to 38 mph. The snowpack was already melting because of the high temperatures and when you add 3+ inches of rain to that, problems ensued. The Rivers rose to and beyond flood levels. Add to that ice jams on the Rivers and the stage was set. Twenty lives were lost in Pennsylvania and damage from these floods was in the a billion dollars in Pennsylvania alone. Many bridges were damaged. (For more information see a USGS report on the January 1996 floods in Pennsylvania and this report from the Susquehanna River Commission).

I know a little about different types of ice jams on rivers from being an ice observer for my local NWS office, see for example this webpage on different types of ice jams from the NWS office in Great Falls Montana. Ice jams can be very dangerous and can cause damage to bridges and other infrastructure in or adjoining a river. I know enough to stay off a frozen river, including a river with ice jams. 

When I saw a video of the partial collapse of the historical Walnut Street Bridge over the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg during the Winter Floods of January 1996, I knew that I had to write this article and share this video with you (embedded at the end of this article). I am not a hydrologist nor am I expert in ice jams, and I am not an engineer. However in watching the video it seems to me that the ice jam on the Susquehanna probably lead to a partial collapse of the bridge that was already weakened by Tropical Storm Agnes in 1972. If you want to read more learn the Walnut Street Bridge go here (Bridgehunter.com) to see a nice photo gallery of the Bridge before and after the 1996 floods, some history of the Bridge, and an embedded google map. You might also want to check out this blog article on the Bridge written by a blogger who visited Harrisburg and took some photos of the Bridge in January 2015.

To the best of my knowledge, the damaged sections of the Walnut Street Bridge have not been repaired to date. 

Please stay safe this winter, stay off of ice-covered rivers and stay well away from a river with an ice jam. 

Direct link to video