6:19 p.m. PT Feb. 16, 2022
A fire in the northern end of California’s Owens Valley has burned about 2,156 acres, according to the FIRIS mapping aircraft at 4:45 p.m. PT Wednesday.
(To see all articles on Wildfire Today including the most recent, click https://wildfiretoday.com/tag/airport-fire/)
The incident is three miles east of Bishop and one mile southeast of the Eastern Sierra Regional Airport. Aircraft are having difficulty flying safely and dropping retardant accurately in the very strong winds gusting out of the north at 28 mph gusting at 32 to 50 mph while the relative humidity is 30 percent.
The wind is pushing it to the south. The CHP reports it has crossed Collins Road, which is five miles south of Bishop.
CAL FIRE reported at 5:38 p.m. that the town of Big Pine is being evacuated. The agency said the evacuation center is at the Bishop Senior Center, 506 Park Ave., in Bishop.
Below is video, visual and infrared, of the Airport Fire southeast of Bishop, California at 4 p.m. PT Feb. 16, 2022. Shot by the Orange County FIRIS aircraft, Intel 12. When in infrared mode, the bright white areas represent heat from the fire.
Hey Jeff,
Kinda speechless now huh !
Nope, just doin other stuff. Voicing my opinion on what I think is a waste of taxpayers money, whoever’s that may be. Tough crowd (but, been awhile since some heat was thrown around!). Still, these MMA have a place, and if there is a mutual aid agreement with CALFIRE and OC for the use of this resource, then good for them. But what did it accomplish and was it cost effective? If it was justified, then I’ll change my tune. It’s part of a bigger picture that generally speaking, ground resources rely on ac way too much. Like when this ac flew on the fire in Laguna Beach the other day. Someone probably could have walked it and accomplished the same thing, for the most part.
My biggest beef is that ground folks should stop transferring risk to pilots and other aerial firefighters. Don’t call for an MMA just to get IR view of a cold fire. Quit calling for endless water drops on fires when you’re not going to support them. Quit telling the pilots to “drop on targets of opportunity for the rest of your fuel cycle”. Don’t get me started on abuse of retardant use. I see it every year, on every large fire I’m on (5-10 per year).
So much for speechless…
Great, fly an OC aircraft all the way up to Bishop just to show off the bells and whistles (during the daytime, no less). IF I was an OC taxpayer, I wouldn’t want resources I contribute to off doing unnecessary stuff elsewhere. I can understand if it were the neighboring counties that need help, but really, Bishop? What if there’s a need in OC?
Hey Jeff? Do you know for sure the tab is on OC? Might there not be a mutual aid agreement? Some form of reimbursement? What do you think the “hit” to a taxpayer in OC will be? Sharing of assets for the greater good, the big picture, makes sense to me. LR
Maybe a deal could be reached between the citizens of Inyo and surrounding counties and the “OC” :
“OC” stops taking the water from citizens of Inyo and surrounding counties. “OC” stops lending aircraft for fires.
What do you figure Jeff ? Would that be something you could get behind?
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-kahrl-los-angeles-aqueduct-water-policy-20131103-story.html
“What if there is a need in OC?” Indeed, that is exactly why there are mutual aid agreements with departments all over the state. This last fire season, mutual aid strike teams came to Orange County when they had the need. Mutual aid out of county (and out of state including from Australia) has been going on for the last 65 years that I am aware of. Folks older than me can doubtless extend that history. Don’t get me started on the MWD aquaduct and taking water from the Owens River valley. Without water from out of the area, Orange county would still be a rural ranching community.
What an ignorant comment. I live in OC don’t have a problem with this. Certainly knowing Inyo County has our back when needed just like we do theirs. Mutual aid is for the better of all people and communities.
Thank you for your sensible response. Mutual aid is very important.
I’m betting OC has enough resources that they can “share” to help out a small community that has no planes at all. OC never has other agencies assist them in their time of need?????