Vicki Christiansen to be Chief of the U.S. Forest Service

Victoria Christiansen forest service
Victoria Christiansen speaks at the Fire Continuum Conference in Missoula May 21, 2018. Photo by Bill Gabbert.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced October 10 that Vicki Christiansen will serve as the 19th Chief of the U.S. Forest Service. Ms. Christiansen has been serving as Interim Chief since March of this year when Tony Tooke resigned after allegations of sexual misconduct were aired on the PBS program NewsHour.

On October 11 Secretary Perdue will swear her in as Chief in the Sidney Yates Building in Washington, D.C. at 9:45 a.m. ET.

Ms. Christiansen has experience in wildland fire suppression. After obtaining a degree in forestry at the University of Washington in 1983 she accrued firefighting experience with the Washington Department of Natural Resources. There is one report that she was qualified to use fireline explosives. Thirteen years after graduating she was the Washington State Forester. Between 2006 and 2012 she served in five different positions with the Washington DNR, Arizona Division of Forestry, and the U.S. Forest Service. Her last job before becoming interim USFS Chief was Deputy Chief, State and Private Forestry with the USFS.


(UPDATE October 12, 2018)

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Author: Bill Gabbert

After working full time in wildland fire for 33 years, he continues to learn, and strives to be a Student of Fire.

2 thoughts on “Vicki Christiansen to be Chief of the U.S. Forest Service”

  1. I discovered our atmosphere’s N2 Nitrogen gas is a better fire suppressant than water and water based chemicals. This cloud formed by evaporating liquid Nitrogen is transparent, cohesive displacing all but N2 molecules, cryogenically cold to start, and pure N2 Nitrogen. One can see through the cloud in a smoke environment. It displaces Oxygen ending flames instantly and cools the fuel reducing re-ignition. Using this to end wildfires will preserve property presently being lost to these fires.
    The cost of using it is low. The expansion of liquid Nitrogen by 230 times the volume gives the quantity of fire suppressant from each application making it most efficient for fire fighters to use.
    The dangers to life in fires are both the lack of Oxygen since the fire consumes Oxygen and the threat of burning.
    With establishing the Evaporated Nitrogen Gas clouds in the fire displacing the Oxygen, the flames end. This reduces toxic Carbon monoxide. A breath of this pure Nitrogen gas can flush the lungs of smoke toxins, particulates and high levels of Carbon dioxide. Fresh air availability recovers the fire victims.
    A fine mist of liquid Nitrogen evaporating will stop any clothing or flesh burning instantly cooling the tissue and leaving it dry and clean reducing pain, function loss, and recovery time from the incident.
    And, when the cloud rises as it warms cooling the fuel, it mixes back into the air from whence it came as industrial gas companies liquefied the air to isolate Oxygen and liquefy Nitrogen.
    This technology broadens the thermal factor in fire control and applies the cohesiveness of pure Nitrogen – obvious in the liquid which looks like water but flows like Mercury carrying any contaminant on the outside of the balls of Nitrogen. The gaseous pure N2 Nitrogen does the same keeping Oxygen from the fire ending flames as it warms even to inferno temperatures as it cools the fuel without contaminating the fuel or the environment.
    And all the fresh water is available for community and agricultural uses.

    It is time to test this technology and allow crew members on the fire lines trained in using this Evaporated Nitrogen gas.

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  2. I wish you well as Chief of the USFS. Beef up the HOTSPOTS AND FIRE CREWS ENGINE’S
    I KNOW YOU HAVE LIMITED BUDGET kindly hang in there with me o.k. LOVE AMEN

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