A Black Hills National Forest engine crew makes sure the North Pole Fire does not spread into the meadow near Highway 18 west of Custer, SD. Photo by Bill Gabbert.
(UPDATE at 11:10 a.m. MDT, March 11, 2015)
The North Pole Fire west of Custer, South Dakota has not grown since late yesterday. The size is now reported to be 59.3 acres and is being held in check by hand firelines, dozer lines, and roads. Firefighters from multiple agencies staffed the fire overnight and a new shift has taken over today. There have been no reported injuries.
In something that is fairly new for South Dakota, yesterday and today inmates from the “Rapid City Minimum Unit” were assigned to the fire; 11 yesterday and 12 today.
State and federal investigators are attempting to determine the cause.
While there is a Red Flag Warning in effect for south-central South Dakota, the weather forecast is not as extreme for the area where the fire is in the Black Hills in the southwest part of the state. The spot weather forecast for the fire, which is 5,600′ above sea level, issued at 5:27 a.m. on Wednesday calls for sun, 62 degrees, 15 percent relative humidity, and afternoon west winds of 10 to 15 mph, gusting to 20. For Thursday they expect partly cloudy skies, 56 degrees, 27 percent RH, and winds out of the northwest at 5 to 10 mph.
The name of the fire came from the nearby North Pole Spring and North Pole Road, which is also known as FDR 288.
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When I arrived at the North Pole Fire six to eight miles west of Custer, South Dakota, (map) at about 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10, the firefighters had just about stopped the spread. It was burning in timber adjacent to a complex of cabins and had bumped up against a meadow on the southwest side near Highway 16. The sun was setting and I grabbed a few pictures like the one above before the light swung into near-night mode, which provided some opportunities for shots of firefighters illuminated by flames. Click on the images to see larger versions.
North Pole Fire. Photo by Bill Gabbert.North Pole Fire. Photo by Bill Gabbert.
Firefighters did a good job of protecting the structures seen in these photos.
The 8:31 p.m. update from the Great Plains Fire Information staff put the size at about 60 acres, on a combination of private and Black Hills National Forest land. Firefighters will be on the fire all night Tuesday and will have fresh crews on the fire Wednesday.
A firefighter uses a chain saw to buck a burning log on the North Pole Fire. Photo by Bill Gabbert.Embers fly as a firefighter with a Pulaski mops up the North Pole Fire. Photo by Bill Gabbert.As a firefighter throws a burning branch deeper into the North Pole Fire, embers streak through the air. Photo by Bill Gabbert.
It is not that unusual to have wildfires in the Black Hills in March and April. While it can snow in these months, the herbaceous vegetation is still dead and there are frequently dry spells between the precipitation events. Prescribed fires are often conducted this time of the year before green-up begins in May, however the weather in the spring is usually very variable and it can sometimes be difficult to squeeze in a prescribed fire in this season. The spring of 2014, for example, was wetter than normal and little to no broadcast burning occurred.
The trial began today for a girl who was 13 when she was accused of starting a fire last year in San Diego County. In May, 2014 the Cocos Fire burned 1,995 acres and destroyed 36 homes in San Marcos, California, north of San Diego.
The prosecution hinges on the theory that when the girl ignited a “branch” in her back yard, an ember from that fire traveled 0.44 miles to start the Cocos Fire west of Escondido and south of San Marcos. According to NBC 7 in San Diego the defense will have an investigator from CAL FIRE testify that the ember could not have traveled that far to start the fire.
The Cocos Fire, first called the Washingtonia Fire, was one of at least 10 fires that burned in San Diego County during the same time period in mid-May, 2014.
Map showing the Cocos Fire. The dark red squares represent heat detected by a satellite at 2:27 p.m. PDT, May 15, 2014. The location of the icons can be as much as a mile in error.
The map showing critical fire weather and a Red Flag Warning in Nebraska for Wednesday looks like a bulls eye in the center of the country. Elevated fire danger is in the forecast for parts of South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas.
Over the next couple of days portions of South Dakota and Nebraska are expecting highs in the 60s and 70s, winds 20 to 35 mph, and relative humidity of 20 to 35 percent.
The Department of the Interior continues to address the issue of restoring rangelands, with one of the primary objectives being to reduce the threats to the greater sage-grouse in the Great Basin.
On March 9 the Department released “SO 3336 — The Initial Report” which identifies actions to be implemented prior to the onset of the 2015 Western fire season. The BLM, Fire and Aviation will lead the development of all actions associated with the initiative.
Below is a list that summarizes some of those actions that are related to wildland fire management, and following that is the text of a message released on March 10 that provides more information. More details about each item are in “The Initial Report”.
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“Prior to the 2015 Western wildfire season, all units that manage priority greater sage-grouse habitat will complete the actions identified in this section of the Initial Report:
Increase the capabilities and use of rural/volunteer fire departments and RFPAs and enhance the development and use of veterans crews.
Ensure local, multi-agency coordination (MAC) groups are functional, and MAC plans are updated.
Ensure local, multi-agency coordination (MAC) groups are functional, and MAC plans are updated.
Apply a coordinated, risk-based approach to wildfire response to assure initial attack response to priority areas.
Develop a standardized set of briefing materials.
Review and update local plans and agreements for consistency and currency to ensure initial attack response to priority greater sage-grouse areas.
Develop supplemental guidance for the use of “severity funding.”
Evaluate the effectiveness of action plans.
Increase the availability of technology and technology transfer to fire management managers and suppression resources.
Improve the description and awareness of critical resource values threatened in various stages of the fire response process including large fire management.
Ensure compliance and evaluation of the implementation plan action items.”
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Below is information released by the DOI today, March 10:
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“Secretary Jewell Issues Strategy to Protect, Restore Sagebrush Lands for 2015 Fire Season. Report advances work with Federal, state, Tribal and non-government partners to protect economic activity and wildlife habitat vital to the Western way of life.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today released the first of two reports developed by the Rangeland Fire Task Force. This initial report includes actions to be implemented by Interior’s bureaus to immediately address the threat of rangeland fire to Western sagebrush-steppe landscapes and improve fire management efforts before the start of the 2015 wildfire season.
“Cheatgrass and other invasive species have contributed to making rangeland fire one of the greatest threats in the Great Basin – not only to sagebrush habitat, but to wildlife, ranching, and other economic activities that depend on a healthy landscape,” Secretary Jewell said. “As we head into the 2015 fire season, the actions recommended in this report will help ensure that our preparedness, response and recovery strategies better align with the threats facing the West.”
Secretarial Order 3336, signed by Secretary Jewell on January 5, 2015, called for the development of a comprehensive, science-based strategy to reduce the size, severity and cost of rangeland fires; address the spread of cheatgrass and other invasive species; and position wildland fire management resources for more effective rangeland fire response. The Order called for the creation of an implementation plan, initial report, and final report. The Implementation Plan, completed on January 31, 2015, established a roadmap to accomplish the objectives of the Order. This initial report released today outlines actions and activities that the Department, in collaboration with partners and interested stakeholders, can take prior to the onset of the 2015 Western wildfire season. The goal is to protect, restore and conserve vital sagebrush landscapes and productive rangelands, particularly in the Great Basin region of Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Oregon and California.
Wildfire Today has learned that two former Bureau of Indian Affairs wildland firefighters have been convicted of arson. In late February, 2015 Joshua Joseph Gilbert and Blase Anthony Smith pleaded guilty to felony charges of starting wildfires in southeast California and southwest Arizona in 2009 and 2011.
Both firefighters were charged with starting at least one fire north of Yuma, Arizona — the Centipede Fire on October 17, 2009 on the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation (map).
Mr. Gilbert admitted helping to start another fire also, the May 18, 2011 Laguna Fire. With strong winds of 25-35 mph with gusts to 45 mph the fire burned through Betty’s Kitchen Wildlife and Interpretive Area (Betty’s Kitchen is a significant archaeological site which was recorded in the National Registry), Pratt Nursery, Mittry South Restoration Area, and into Mittry Lake Wildlife Area (map), totaling 751 acres. The firefighter lit the fire on the California side of the Colorado River but it jumped the river and spread into Arizona. The fire then tracked north through the popular recreation sites at Laguna Dam and Mittry Lake. Several historical sites were damaged or destroyed and wildlife habitat was burned. On May 23, 2011 an early cost estimate for the suppression of the fire was $300,000.
Dennis Godfrey, a Public Affairs Officer with the Bureau of Land Management, said Mr. Smith was directly involved with illegally starting multiple fires on BLM, tribal, and state trust lands in Arizona and California between the years 2009 and 2012. It was determined that BIA and tribal firefighters at BIA’s Fort Yuma Agency in Arizona had either intentionally started fires on tribal or BLM administered public lands, or were paying Smith to start the fires. The firefighters were or had been Administratively Determined or AD firefighters, and worked only on an as-needed basis for the government, usually when there was an ongoing fire.
Extensive Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation (ESR) was required to restore 86 acres of habitat and recreation facilities that were damaged or destroyed in the fire. The BLM prepared an Environmental Assessment that analyzed the alternatives for restoration.
Between 2009 and 2012 there were an average of 31 fires a year in the Fort Yuma area. After the investigation began in 2012 the average number of fires per year dropped to five between 2013 and 2014.
Both firefighters pleaded guilty of violating Title 18, U.S.C. §1855, Timber Set Afire, a Class D Felony. The maximum penalty for the offense is a fine of $250,000 and/or 5 years in prison.
Mr. Gilbert was given five years’ supervised probation with six months’ home detention and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $40,624. The court’s justification for a sentence that was far below the maximum was based on their assessment that he admitted to his own criminal activity and provided agents with information regarding other individuals very early in the investigation. Most significantly, Mr. Gilbert provided information implicating Blase Smith.
Although Mr. Smith had already confessed, his statements were unreliable and Mr. Gilbert provided necessary corroboration which would have been essential if Smith went to trial. In addition, the court said, he is only 25 years old and appears to be the sole financial support for his wife and two children. He lost his job as a firefighter as a result of this crime and now owes a substantial amount of restitution, according to documents filed in court. The sentencing decision includes the following:
His criminal history consists of a series of misdemeanor offenses related to his alcohol abuse. The instant offense is relatively old and it appears that the defendant has mended his ways in many respects. Other than one arrest in April of 2014, Gilbert has not committed any crimes since 2011 and has complied fully with his release conditions. The recommended sentence will allow the defendant to receive appropriate treatment for his substance abuse issues, [and] will provide a just punishment for the offense.
The other firefighter, Mr. Blase Anthony Smith, was sentenced to 51 months in prison with credit for time already served. After his release he will be placed on supervised release for three years.
In addition, Mr. Smith was ordered to pay restitution of $3,813,983, “due immediately”, in order to repay several organizations for suppression of the Laguna Fire and the later restoration efforts.
The restitution is broken down as follows: $2,143,592.35 to the Bureau of Reclamation; $80,000 to Arizona Western College; $15,000 to Northern Arizona University; $1,396,925 to the Bureau of Land Management; $174,567 to the Bureau of Indian Affairs; and $3,898 to the Fish and Wildlife Service.
If the $3.8 million is not paid immediately as ordered, Mr. Smith will not be charged interest or penalties on any unpaid balances. After assessing his ability to write a check for $3.8 million, the court ordered him to pay $50 a month. At that rate the organizations will receive their full amounts after 76,282 years. While in prison, he will be required to pay $25 a month.
In May, 2011 a reward of $10,000 was offered by the BIA for information about the start of the Laguna fire which led to a conviction. BLM spokesperson Dennis Godfrey said someone had applied for the reward, but as far as he knew it had not yet been approved.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs refused to provide any information about the fires or the firefighters.
A briefing on the Laguna Fire in 2011. BLM photo.
This employment status of the two firefighters in this article was corrected on March 9 after it was found that incorrect information had been provided. The two firefighters were or had been AD, and were not regular federal government employees.
On March 8 we looked back at the weather in the United States over the last three months knowing that it could have an effect on wildfires over the next three to six months. However the extent to which past weather influences future fires is debatable and can be overridden by the weather conditions during the fire season.
What is YOUR prediction for the 2015 fire season? Like the first robin you see in the spring, the assignment of the first Type 1 Incident Management Team (IMT) is a sign that things are getting real. In the last few years there have been about 30 to 50 assignments each year for T1 IMTs.
So let’s have a contest about the date the first Type 1 IMT will be assigned on a fire.
How to enter: In a comment below this article give us your prediction of the date the first Type 1 IMT will be assigned to a fire in 2015. In case more than one person selects the correct date, include the state. A second tie breaker will be the general area within that state. The date is defined by the date they are actually dispatched to a fire, not necessarily arriving at the fire. For the purposes of this contest, a Type 1 IMT includes only the 16 national interagency IMTs listed here. Only one entry per person, of course.
Deadline for entries: write your date with the two tie breakers in a comment below this article before April 1, 2015. If an IMT is assigned before April 1, the deadline for entries will change retroactively to the day before that fire started.
Prize: the winner will receive a limited edition Wildfire Today cap. So that we can contact the winner, you must enter your correct email address in the form when you are writing your comment. As usual, email addresses will never be disclosed to anyone without your specific permission.
Thanks and a tip of the hat for the idea go out to Dick.
