NOAA released their latest Drought Monitor today, with data current through May 14.
The Wildland Fire Potential Outlook for May through August released May 1 can be found HERE.
Drought Monitor, May 14, 2013
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Author Archives: Bill Gabbert
Red Flag Warnings, May 16, 2013
Red Flag Warnings and Fire Weather Watches for enhanced wildfire danger have been issued by the National Weather Service for areas in Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Texas, and New Mexico.
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The Red Flag Warning map above was current as of 8:50 a.m. MT on Thursday. Red Flag Warnings can change throughout the day as the National Weather Service offices around the country update and revise their forecasts. For the most current data, visit this NWS site.
California: Grand Fire threatens structures near Frazier Park
Map of Grand Fire, 2-D, perimeter, 9:23 p.m., May 17, 2013
Map of Grand Fire, 3-D, perimeter, 9:23 p.m., May 16, 2013. Google Earth. Click to enlarge.
(UPDATED @ 8:40 a.m. PT, May 18, 2013)
CAL FIRE reports that there has been little to no increase in fire behavior observed. However, there are still areas of isolated flare ups of unburned islands well within the control lines. Demobilization will continue. There could be delays for resources departing the incident due to the Heartbreak Hundred Bicycle Race taking place in the area.
The updated size is 4,358 acres with 75 percent containment. Resources assigned include 1,853 personnel, 84 engines, 77 hand crews, 11 helicopters, 14 dozers, and 20 water tenders.
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(UPDATED @ 8:15 a.m. PT, May 17, 2013)
Crews made significant progress overnight on the southern and northern sides of the fire, assisted by lower temperatures and higher humidity. The acreage increase to 4,100 is due to more accurate mapping, and the incident commander is calling it 35 percent contained. The US Forest Service, Kern County and Ventura County are in a Unified Command.
Resources assigned:
- Total Fire Personnel: 1,452
- Engines: 65
- Fire crews: 81
- Helicopters: 7
- Dozers: 9
- Water tenders: 20
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(UPDATED with new maps at 12:43 p.m. PT, May 16, 2013)
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(Originally published at 8:46 a.m. PT, May 16, 2013)
The Grand Fire was reported at noon on Wednesday near Frazier Park in southern California and quickly spread through light grass and medium brush, requiring the evacuation of Frazier Mountain High School. The fire remained active until 3 a.m. Thursday.
As you can see by the maps of the Grand Fire above, it is west of Interstate 5 and west of Gorman, about 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles. It is near where the borders of three counties intersect: Ventura, Kern, and Los Angeles.
Grand Fire, May 15, 2013 Kern County FD photo
At 7 a.m.Thursday the Southern California Geographic Area Operations Center said the fire had burned 2,800 acres as of 3 a.m. and was 25 percent contained. Kern County’s report at 7:20 a.m. said it was 3,500 acres with 15 percent containment and 1,000 firefighters were assigned. Approximately seven air tankers worked the fire Wednesday and six helicopters will be assist firefighters Thursday.
Agencies affected include the Los Padres National Forest, and the counties of Kern and Ventura.
Initial efforts by firefighters Thursday morning will concentrate on the southern edge of the fire with hand lines and dozer breaks on the western edge. Helicopters will be assisting crews on the ground.
CAL FIRE Incident Management Team 6, with Incident Commander Kaslin, has arrived and transition is planned for 6 p.m. today.
KERO TV in Bakersfield has live streaming video of a fire that may be the Grand fire, but these streams come and go and might disappear as news priorities change.
Grand Fire May 15, 2013. Photo by Melody Fountain.
Training is underway this week for the two California National Guard C-130 Modular Airborne FireFighting Systems (MAFFS) air tankers based at the 146th Airlift Wing base at Point Mugu in Ventura County. It will be interesting to see if they do some training retardant drops on the Grand Fire which is 46 miles from the base.
Man arrested for starting fires near Helena, MT
A man has been arrested, suspected of starting multiple fires in the Helena, Montana area. Authorities are investigating Fredrick Maw of Helena and his possible role in starting five fires Wednesday, a 55-acre fire on Tuesday near the McMaster ranch, and another last week near Priest Pass.
The Helena Independent Record reported Mr. Maw “allegedly had been seen at the various fires as a private contractor seeking employment”.
The five fires that started Wednesday about 25 miles northeast of Helena are in the Helena National Forest and are being managed as the Sweats Complex. As of Thursday morning:
- Hunter Gulch Fire is more than 100 acres in size and is actively burning in grass and open timber, with 40% containment;
- Sweats Gulch Fire is about 300 acres with active fire behavior including isolated torching and crowning;
- [Unnamed] Fire approximately one acre, is contained and controlled;
- Kelly Gulch Fire is a group of five small fires that together are about 5 acres with a fireline around all of the fires;
- Cottontail Fire is about one acre and is contained.
Thanks go out to Al.
Lessons learned from the devastating Slave Lake Fire
The government of Alberta has developed a list of recommendations after studying the devastating fire that destroyed over 400 structures in the northern Alberta town of Slave Lake in May, 2011. It is very digestible — only three pages long. Here is a sample, showing page two:
AD pay plan for 2013
The Department of Interior’s 2013 pay plan for Administratively Determined (AD) emergency workers, including “casual” firefighters, has been released. On page one in the list of ”changes from the 2012 pay plan”, item number one is:
No pay adjustments will be applied to the AD pay rates.
So the change in the pay rates for this year is…there is no change. OK, got it.
I assume the rates are the same for AD employees working for the U.S. Forest Service this year.