Wildfire Today

News and opinion about wildland fire

Wildfire Today

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.

Waldo Canyon Fire survivors help survivors of Black Forest Fire

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A tweet from KKTV in Colorado Springs:


That is the first time I have heard of this happening — survivors from a massive, very destructive wildfire less than a year before hold a picnic for survivors of another even more destructive wildfire that occurred just a few miles away.

The Black Forest Fire just north of Colorado Springs has destroyed approximately 480 structures. The Waldo Canyon Fire less than a year earlier wiped out 347 homes in Colorado Springs.

This is a great thing that the Waldo Canyon survivors are doing.

Our most current information about the Black Forest Fire is HERE.

Photos from the Black Forest Fire

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These photos were taken at the Black Forest Fire near Colorado Springs, Colorado by Bill Gabbert, June 14 and 15, 2013. More information about the fire can be found HERE.

Black Forest Fire
Very small fire hose, called “baby hose” by firefighters, just does not look right being pumped by a large Type 1 engine from the Denver Fire Department during mop up on the Black Forest Fire. Can you find it in the photo?
Black Forest Fire
Firefighters from Denver FD Engine 24 cut down a hazardous tree. The operation was used as a training opportunity.
Black Forest Fire
Firefighters from Denver FD Engine 24 discuss the cut on the tree stump after felling a hazardous tree. The trainee later cut the stump much closer to the ground. The operation was used as a training opportunity.
Black Forest Fire
Firefighters from Pueblo Engine 7 work with a dozer to put out a deep-seated fire in wood chips and sawdust on the Black Forest Fire.
Black Forest Fire Incident Commander and Deputy Incident Commander
Black Forest Fire Incident Commander Rich Harvey (L) and Deputy Incident Commander Paul Broyles (R)
Black Forest Fire
The Eurocopter UH-72 Lakota is flown by the Army and the Army National Guard.

Black Forest ICP
Continue reading “Photos from the Black Forest Fire”

Canada exports smoke to New England

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories Uncategorized

Wildfire smoke map

The map shows the distribution of smoke from wildfires in the United States and Canada.

Maine and some other New England states are being visited by smoke from fires in Canada. Here is how NOAA describes it:

New England and Eastern Canada:
Very large fires across the Boreal Quebec (particularly, south of La Grande Riviere Reservior) have produced very dense smoke that has migrated E and SE over the last day and covers the Western portions of the St. Lawrence Seaway into New Brunswick and far E ME. Thin smoke surrounds out to Nova Scotia but also extending SE along and over SE New England into the Hudson Valley Shelf/Canyon region off NJ/NY and about 50km offshore of the Delmarva.

Black Forest Fire update: 473 structures burned

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , ,
Sleeping Area at Black Forest Fire
Sleeping Area at Black Forest Fire, Photo by Bill Gabbert

While cooler weather and even a little rain helped firefighters make progress on the Black Forest Fire near Colorado Springs Friday, the reported number of structures destroyed increased to 473. Of those, 419 are homes. An additional  17 structures had partial damage. The official list of affected structures is at the El Paso Sheriff’s web site.

The most current information about the Black Forest Fire is in our main article about the fire.

Fish starts fire

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Fire investigators and workers at the Grand Electric Company in Bison, South Dakota concluded that one or more fish started the Shadehill fire that began at the base of a power pole in the Fall of 2012. Well, indirectly anyway. After examining the remains of broiled fish lying across a transformer bushing, an arrestor, and other hardware on the pole, the best theory they could come up with was that a bird, a raptor, carried the fish to the pole and dropped one of them which started a phase to phase ground.

Shadehill Fire
Shadehill Fire near Bison, SD, Fall, 2012

We added this to our Animal Arson series.

 

Thanks go out to Todd

Colorado Springs FD protects a structure on the Black Forest Fire

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Yesterday we posted two videos produced by the Department of Defense showing a wildland firefighter’s view from his helmet camera while fighting the Black Forest Fire near Colorado Springs, and another that featured the military’s participation in the firefighting effort on the Fire.

Now we have another, this time produced by the Colorado Springs Fire Department which gives the viewer a close-up look at how one of their engine crews protected a residence as the fire approached. The five-minute video summarizes what the crew did over a two-hour period to keep the house from burning, which was made more difficult by a ring of mulch the homeowner had carefully placed around the house. If you have never fought a wildland fire or been engaged in structure protection as a fire spread toward the building, you will be impressed by what it can look like from a firefighter’s point of view.

Congratulations to the Colorado Springs Fire Department for putting this video together.