Snow helps firefighters contain Reno fire

Caughlin fire at Reno
Caughlin fire at Reno 11-18-2011. Photo by Blake Houston

Snow and decreasing winds helped firefighters stop the spread of the Caughlin fire that burned 1,847 acres and caused the evacuation of 10,000 residents on the southwest side of Reno, Nevada on Friday. A report on InciWeb on Saturday said the fire destroyed 15 structures and damaged 40 others. The AP reports “the estimated number of homes destroyed in a wind-fueled wildfire more than doubled on Saturday to a total of 32”.

Fire Chief Mike Hernandez said on Friday a firefighter suffered first and second-degree burns while working on the fire.

The map below shows the approximate location of the Caughlin fire, using data from the MODIS satellite system.

Map Caughlin fire Reno
Map of Caughlin fire at Reno, showing the approximate location. MODIS/Google Earth

Wildfire burns 20 homes in Reno

Caughlin fire Reno
A home burns in the Caughlin fire in southwest Reno at approximately 9 a.m. November 18, 2011. Photo by Sarah Bear

UPDATE: at 3:30 p.m. PT, Nov. 18

Reno Fire Chief Mike Hernandez said the Caughlin fire damaged or destroyed 25 homes but firefighters saved about 4,000 to 4,500 homes. He said the fire has burned 2,000 acres but the forward spread has stopped and firefighters are making good progress.

A 74-year old man suffered a heart attack and died during the evacuation and a local hospital treated 16 patients for respiratory conditions.

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At least 20 homes in southwest Reno, Nevada have burned in the wind-driven Caughlin wildfire. The Reno Gazette-Journal reports that 9,500 people had been evacuated as of 9:53 a.m. on Friday, but at 10:32 the evacuation area expanded.

Map of Caughlin fire Reno 1125 11-18-2011
Map of the Caughlin fire area near Reno, 11:25 a.m. 11-18-2011 by "Bryce"

The above map showing the Caughlin fire area in Reno is unofficial and is produced by “Bryce”. It is the only map we could find and it may or may not be accurate. The blue line is supposed to represent the evacuation area. The map was obtained at 11:25 a.m. PT November 18, 2011. “Bryce” revises the map frequently, and the “live” version can be found HERE.

Governor Brian Sandoval spoke at a press conference Friday morning and announced that he had declared a state of emergency and requested help from California. Reno Fire Chief Michael Hernandez said at the time that the fire would remain a threat throughout the day, with active firefighting expected for the next 24 to 36 hours.

Friday morning the Federal Emergency Management Agency declared the fire to be a “major disaster” and approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant. As a result, Nevada is eligible for up to 75% funding assistance for eligible costs.

The strong winds that are driving the fire have caused the cancellation or delay of several flights at Reno-Tahoe International Airport.

Genny Wilson, the District Ranger of the Carson Ranger District on the Toiyabe National Forest said the fire has burned about 450 acres on the national forest, however most of the fire is within the city of Reno.

KTVN has frequent reports on the fire, and occasionally they have live streaming video.

Fire in sandstone building in Hot Springs, South Dakota

Thursday night Nov. 17 at about 10 p.m. the Hot Springs Fire District responded to a report of a fire in the kitchen of the Gathering Place restaurant in Hot Springs, South Dakota. The restaurant is one of several businesses on the ground floor of a historic sandstone two-story building which has apartments on the top floor. The fire extended quite a bit beyond the kitchen, and firefighters worked the fire into the night. All photos were taken by Bill Gabbert.

[UPDATE November 18: scroll down to see photos taken the day after the fire.]

Gathering Place fire

Gathering Place fire
Continue reading “Fire in sandstone building in Hot Springs, South Dakota”

3 Utah firefighters injured in truck rollover

Three firefighters from the Farmington (Utah) Fire Department were injured Wednesday night when their 22,000-pound military surplus vehicle rolled 70 feet down an embankment during what the department said was driver training. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, one firefighter was flown to a hospital and remained there Thursday with head injuries. The other two were transported by ground ambulance. One of them was released from the hospital Thursday morning.

The fire department, which is north of Salt Lake City, Utah (map) had just acquired the truck and planned to convert it into a water tender to be used on wildfires. At 9 p.m. the three firefighters were training to drive the truck in conditions they might find on a fire, and were on an unimproved narrow road. The driver failed to negotiate a tight turn and the truck went off the road, rolling three or four times as it tumbled down an embankment, ending up on it’s side. Two of the firefighters were ejected, in spite of wearing seat belts, which were the old lap belt style without shoulder restraints.

Wildland firefighters: rhabdomyolysis or “rhabdo” can be extremely serious

Employee's left leg after 5 surgeries
From the FLA. Employee’s left leg after 5 surgeries

I will have to admit that when the National Wildfire Coordinating Group’s Risk Management Committee distributed some information earlier this year about rhabdomyolysis, which is frequently referred to as “rhabdo”, I didn’t pay much attention. But today when the Wildfire Lessons Learned Center announced that a Facilitated Learning Analysis (FLA) for a severe case of rhabdo was available, I read it carefully and am now converted. The injury in the FLA occurred September 21, 2011 while a firefighter was taking the Work Capacity Test, or “pack test”. I have seen the light and realize how serious this condition can be.

Left untreated, or if not treated early enough, rhabdo can  lead to irreversible muscle damage, permanent disability, kidney failure possibly requiring lifelong dialysis, and even death. Up to 8% of cases of rhabdomyolysis are fatal according to a NIOSH report. And all of this can be the result of exercising hard or engaging in a strenuous fire assignment if other risk factors are also present.

Rhabdomyolysis is the breakdown of muscle fibers resulting in the release of muscle contents (myoglobin) into the bloodstream which are harmful to the kidneys and may lead to kidney failure.

The link between rhabdo and “compartment syndrome”, the condition that is emphasized in the FLA, is certain, but it is not clear to me, having much more fire training than medical training, if compartment syndrome leads to rhabdo or vice versa, and my research found conflicting information. But that is not really important, in that both conditions are similar in that they are caused by damaged muscle tissue. Compartment syndrome occurs when the damaged muscle is inside an enclosed compartment in a fibrous sheath with other muscles, as is found in the arms and legs. Rhabdo can occur with any muscles, but both can lead to the same outcome, including death.

I was disappointed that the recently released FLA did not state the cause of the injured employee’s compartment syndrome/rhabdo, nor did it provide much useful information about how to prevent a similar occurrence, other than to “prioritize staying physically fit”, and the “incorporation of healthy lifestyle choices and better nutrition”. So I attempted to gather some information here in one place that will hopefully be useful for wildland firefighters, to increase their chances of avoiding rhambdo, or diagnosing it if it occurs.
Continue reading “Wildland firefighters: rhabdomyolysis or “rhabdo” can be extremely serious”