Charlotte MAFFS return to the West

The North Carolina Air National Guard’s 145th Airlift Wing crews will return to firefighting missions in the West on Monday. They’re headed back to Idaho, nearly a month and a half after a tanker crash in South Dakota killed four of the unit’s members.

“We all feel it’s extremely important for our people to get back to this critical mission,” said Col. Roger Williams, 145th Airlift Wing Operations Group commander. “We will carry the memory of MAFFS 7 in our hearts as the wildland firefighting continues.”

Waldo Canyon Fire 06/27/12  ~ USAF photo by Staff Sgt. Stephany D. Richards
Waldo Canyon Fire 06/27/12 ~ USAF photo by Staff Sgt. Stephany D. Richards

WBTV News reported that the 145th will send two aircraft and 16 airmen to Boise, where they’ll start duties on Tuesday. One aircraft is MAFFS-equipped and the other will transport equipment and personnel. MAFFS 7 was assigned to the White Draw Fire on July 1 when it crashed, killing four crew members and severely injuring two others.  The Charlotte unit decided to retire the tanker’s tail number; they will operate MAFFS 8 for the upcoming assignment, and one of the California MAFFS tankers will return to its base for maintenance.

Russian helicopter down in Turkey

Five people including three Russian firefighters were killed in the crash of a firefighting helicopter in the Koycegiz district of the Turkish province of Mugla. Radio Free Europe reported that the Russian helicopter was operated on the fire by Turkish and Russian crew members.

Turkey’s Forestry and Water Ministry says the helicopter crashed as it was headed into a valley fighting a fire near the village of Karacam. The Turkish Weekly reported that the helicopter hit a mountain slope and rolled down into a ravine. “The Kamov Ka-32 helicopter belonged to the Nefteyugansk Air Group,” said a Rosaviatsia spokesman. “The helicopter flew seven forest firefighting missions in the area through the day.”

A report by the Anatolia News Agency said the crash occurred near Otmanlar Village; the Russian-made Ka-32T helicopter crashed near the Kepez fire tower.

There were no survivors. A team of rescue workers is attempting to reach the crash site.

National Wildlife Refuge in Texas closed by fires

Four fires on the McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge on the Gulf Coast of Texas have grown to 13,000 acres in the last few days. It’s prompted officials to close the wildlife refuge to the public.

McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge burnout
McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge burnout

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel said today that the fires on the refuge were ignited by lightning — the first on July 14. A series of lightning storms has since passed through, torching off more fies. Park Ranger Tami Schutter said they decided to close the refuge yesterday.

Jim Stockie, the FMO on the refuge, told the Associated Press that they’ve had a tremendous amount of lightning across the 68,000-acre refuge for the last three weeks. He said the latest fire grew to over 4,000 acres.  About 15 firefighters from the wildlife agency and National Park Service are assigned.

Fire near San Diego

A fire near Warner Springs in San Diego County has grown to over 900 acres.

KXO Radio reported that the Chihuahua Fire was estimated at 5 percent containment this morning, with mandatory evacuations in effect for residents of the Chihuahua Valley Road area. Resources assigned include 15 engines and 12 crews, along with three airtankers and six helicopters.

AP reports said the fire was ignited by lightning on Thursday, when thunderstorms rolled through the region with heavy rain and hail.

Oregon fires update

The 2,000-acre Barry Point Fire southwest of Lakeview, Oregon, is burning on the Fremont-Winema National Forest and private lands. This morning the fire was transitioned to Oregon Incident Management Team 4 (IC Brian Watts).  On Tuesday the Lake County Sheriff’s Department and Forest Service law enforcement notified residents and others in the area that threats from the fire are severe.

Barry Point Fire, 08/07/12  ~  photo by Fred Way
Barry Point Fire, 08/07/12 ~ photo by Fred Way

The fire’s burning in heavy dead and down fuels on steep, rocky terrain. Strong gusty winds, high temperatures, and extremely heavy brush and timber pushed the fire to the north and northeast.

One of Butler’s DC-7 airtankers dropped on the fire, then returned to the Medford tanker base with a bad tire; crews at the base had noted tire pieces on the runway after the tanker left Medford. The pilot of another plane in the air saw that the tire was damaged, and the tire was changed after the tanker returned to Medford.

The Barry Point Fire is threatening the Dog Mountain Lookout, and several road closures are in effect.

The Holloway Fire is at 100,000 acres with just 5 percent containment, with about half the fire in Oregon and the other half in Nevada. The fire’s spread significantly in the northeast and southeast, but the south flank’s been secured. The fire’s threatening communities, critical infrastructure, critical sage grouse habitat, and other natural and cultural resources between McDermitt and Denio, Nevada.

Holloway Fire on the Oregon/Nevada border
Holloway Fire on the Oregon/Nevada border

Chris Ourada’s Great Basin Incident Management Team 6 said the fire’s starting spot fires when it’s burning sagebrush, and crews reported torching, fire whirls, long runs, and extreme fire behavior. Repeatedly shifting winds on the west side have pushed the fire over firelines. Firefighters are working in 100+ temperatures and single-digit humidity.

West of Cove Palisades State Park, the Geneva 12 Fire is burning in juniper, bitterbrush, sage, and grass. It’s 80 percent contained at 1,337 acres, and will transfer bck to the local unit tomorrow. Full containment is expected by this evening. Crews today will mop up smokes and hot spots within 300 feet of containment lines, and rehab is under way. The fire’s on the Crooked River National Grasslands managed by the Ochoco National Forest, private land, and BLM’s Prineville District. Some resources will be released today.

The Lava Fire is north of Christmas Valley, about 15 miles northeast of Fort Rock. It was ignited by lightning on July 23. Improved burning conditions yesterday allowed crews to build perimeter along part of the lava flow border. The fire’s about 50 percent contained at 21,300 acres; it’s been actively backing, with individual tree torching in juniper, grass, and sage.

Tanker 42 drops on the Lava Fire.  Photo by Kevin Abel, Lakeview BLM
Tanker 42 drops on the Lava Fire. Photo by Kevin Abel, Lakeview BLM

Incident managers plan to continue firing along the perimeter until there is a line around the entire fire, keeping the fire from moving out of the lava flow area. It’s in a wilderness study area managed by the BLM’s Lakeview District. Containment’s predicted for August 15.

Nevada fires update

The Elko Daily Free Press reported that the 16,000-acre Willow Fire is now the main priority for the BLM’s Elko district. It’s burning north of Battle Mountain; resources on the fire include one of 10 Tanker Air Carrier’s DC-10 aircraft.
Willow Fire 08/07/12Most of the fires in Nevada have not been updated on Inciweb since the middle of July, except for the Lake Fire Complex, which comprises the 162-acre Lake Fire and the 42-acre Murphy Fire on the Bridgeport District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Those fires are just south of Wellington, Nevada, and north of Bridgeport, California. The fires started early Sunday afternoon; both are at about 80 percent containment.
Willow Fire on 08/07/12The Elko Daily Free Press reported on Monday that 11 major fires were burning in north and central Nevada. A 7,000-acre fire southeast of Alamo was at zero containment, another north of Battle Mountain was at 5,000 acres, and a 3,000-acre fire near there was threatening structures. East of Denio, another fire had reached 3,000 acres.

According to the newspaper report, smaller fires were active 31 miles northwest of Winnemucca, 20 miles northwest of Battle Mountain, 22 miles southeast of Winnemucca, 5 miles southeast of Winnemucca, 25 miles southwest of Winnemucca, 55 miles northwest of Winnemucca, and 65 miles northwest of Winnemucca.

The fires were started Sunday afternoon by lightning.

The 20-Mile Fire northwest of Montello likely won’t be aggressively fought from the ground because thunderstorms and heavy rain in steep terrain last month made entry to the fire area impossible. According to fire managers, mopup, rehab, and demob have been delayed by impassible roads. The fire is 98 percent contained at just over 13,000 acres.