Wildfire Today

News and opinion about wildland fire

Wildfire Today

Month: July 2014

Fire Chief seriously wounded by rock thrown from brush clearing machine

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags

From Firefighter Close Calls:

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Murrieta (San Diego County, California)
Fire Chief Matt Shobert was severely injured Wednesday by a rock thrown from brush-clearing equipment. Shobert, who has served as chief of the Murrieta Fire Department since 2011 and was previously fire chief in Hemet, suffered severe trauma to his face. He was taken to Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar Wednesday then flown to Loma Linda University Medical Center in Loma Linda. He underwent his first reconstructive surgery last night.

Chief Matt Shobert
File photo of Chief Matt Shobert. Murrieta FD photo.

Maintenance crews were clearing brush yesterday morning and had called the Fire Department to make sure they weren’t at risk of starting a fire. A Firefighter, along with Chief Shobert, went to check on conditions there.

About 0900 hours, Chief Shobert was standing outside his SUV, a good distance from the nearest mower, when a large rock struck him in the face — witnesses thought he was shot. When paramedics saw the trauma to his face, they thought it was a gunshot wound as well.

Police were called out for fear there was a person armed with a gun. They used an armed vehicle to search the area but found not sign of a gunman. Eventually, they realized it must have been a projectile flung by the mower and they found the rock that struck the chief.

Reports are that Chief Shobert is likely to face many more surgeries. His wife is at the hospital and other family are on their way from Arizona.

Red Flag Warnings, July 2, 2014

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags

wildfire Red Flag Warning, July 2, 2014

Warnings for elevated wildfire danger have been issued by the National Weather Service for areas in Oregon, California, Utah, and Colorado.

The Red Flag Warning map was current as of 9 a.m. MDT on Wednesday. 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.

Post Independent: lessons learned after South Canyon Fire

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags 1 Comment on Post Independent: lessons learned after South Canyon Fire
South Canyon Fire
The blow-up at the South Canyon fire, July 6, 1994 between 1630 and 1700. The photo is from the report.

A newspaper based in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, the Post Independent, is publishing a series of articles commemorating the 20th anniversary of the South Canyon Fire that occurred just outside of town. Today’s piece concentrates on the lessons learned following the deaths of the 14 firefighters. In spite of the fact that they quoted this writer, it is worth reading.

Below is a brief excerpt that quotes Bill Hannenberg, who in 1994 worked on the White River National Forest in Meeker, Colorado. Today he is a Type 1 Incident Commander on the Portland National Incident Management Organization Team.

…Another improvement made after South Canyon, [Hannenberg] said, was in the way fire agencies, both federal land fire managers and local fire departments, communicate with each other and cooperate on fire incidents.

A criticism 20 years ago was that, with resources spread thin fighting dozens of fires across the Western Slope, the BLM decided to monitor the small lightning-caused fire on Storm King Mountain during the initial three days after it started.

Local fire agencies reportedly offered to hike up and put out the fire soon after it started, but were advised by BLM officials to wait until they could bring the more highly trained wildland firefighters in.

“The level of coordination between federal agencies and city or county fire organizations is much, much higher now,” Hahnenberg said. “There is also a greater emphasis on wildland fire training and capability with the local departments.”

Other articles in the Post Independent’s series about the South Canyon Fire are here, here, and here.

The public is invited to a commemoration to honor the 14 firefighters who died 20 years ago, July 6, 1994, on Storm King Mountain while fighting the South Canyon Fire. It will be held on July 6 from 4:45 p.m. until 6 p.m in Two Rivers Park in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

Those 14 firefighters were: Kathi Beck, Tamera Bickett, Scott Blecha, Levi Brinkley, Robert Browning, Doug Dunbar, Terri Hagen, Bonnie Holtby, Rob Johnson, Jon Kelso, Don Mackey, Roger Roth, Jim Thrash, and Richard Tyler.

California: Butts Fire

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , 3 Comments on California: Butts Fire

(UPDATED at 7 a.m. PDT, July 4, 2014)

The Butts Fire is still listed at 4,300 acres and the incident management team is calling it 55 percent contained. Two residences and seven outbuildings have been destroyed and all evacuation orders have been lifted. Favorable weather conditions led to a successful burning operation Thursday on the Lake County side of the fire.

This will be our last report on the fire.

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(UPDATED at 2 p.m. PDT, July 3, 2014)

CAL FIRE reported at 1:30 p.m. that most of the evacuations on the Butts Fire north of Napa, California have been lifted.

Evacuations have been lifted along Butts Canyon Rd north to Snell Valley Rd
An Evacuation Advisory is in effect for residents in Lake County on Butts Canyon Road from the Lake County line to Langtry Estates.

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(UPDATED at 9:55 a.m. PDT, July 3, 2014)

The Butts Fire north of Napa, California has grown to 4,300 acres with 30 percent containment according to CAL FIRE. Winds Wednesday afternoon were from the west at 7 to 15 mph with gusts up to 21, while the relative humidity bottomed out at 17 percent at the Konocti weather station north of the fire. The forecast for Thursday is for 93 degrees, a 7 mph wind out of the south, and a relative humidity of 27 percent — not extreme weather, but it is likely that the fuel moisture is very low, which can contribute to elevated fire behavior. Similar weather is in the forecast for Friday.

An Evacuation Order remains in effect along Butts Canyon Rd from James Creek Road to Snell Valley Road, as well as the Berryessa Estates. An Evacuation Advisory is in effect for residents in Lake County on Butts Canyon Road from the Lake County line to Langtry Estates.

CAL FIRE reports that two residences and seven outbuildings have been destroyed.

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(UPDATED at 7:40 a.m. PDT, July 2, 2014)

The Butts Fire 26 miles north of Napa, California slowed down overnight when the wind decreased and the relative humidity went up into the 50s. CAL FIRE reported Wednesday morning the size is now 3,200 acres with 30 percent containment. Crews made “good progress”, they said. The fire continues to burn northeast into Lake County toward Snell Peak. Five structures have been destroyed. The weather forecast for the fire area predicts 94 degrees, winds generally out of the south at 8 mph, and a relative humidity of 25 percent. Firefighting resources assigned to the Butts Fire include 1,000 personnel, 57 engines, 10 hand crews, and 12 dozers. Continue reading “California: Butts Fire”