Willow Fire Map, 10 p.m. PDT June 18, 2021; showing the footprints of the 2016 Soberanes Fire and the 2020 Dolan Fire.
The Willow Fire that started Thursday evening, June 17 has burned approximately 2,000 acres in the Ventana Wilderness in the Los Padres National Forest in Southern California. Friday night it was less than a mile from the facilities at Tassajara Hot Springs.
The fire is 6 miles east of the Pacific Coast, 21 miles west of King City, and 12 miles southeast of Big Sur.
Fixed-wing air tankers and water-dropping helicopters are assisting crews on the ground. The blaze is burning in steep, rugged, and brushy terrain that is accessible only by hiking in.
Willow Fire, early evening, June 18, 2021. USFS photo.
The weather forecast for the area on Saturday is for temperatures in the mid-90s, relative humidity in the low teens, and light terrain driven winds becoming southwest and upslope 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Sunday will be similar, with slightly lower temperatures and slightly higher RH.
Fire History near the Willow Fire, 2000 to 2020.
Very large recent fires could affect the spread to the south, west, and north. To the west and north is the footprint of the 2016 Soberanes Fire, with the 2020 Dolan Fire to the south. Southeast is the 2008 Indians Fire. It is currently in vegetation that burned in the 2008 Basin Fire; the Soberanes fire spread very well in that footprint which at the time was 8 years old.
There is a corridor to the east with no recent fire history, but if it runs six miles in that direction past Tassajara Hot Springs to East Carmel Valley Road it will enter the scar of the 1993 Rancho Fire with 28-year old brush that may burn very well.
Resources assigned to the fire include 7 hand crews, 12 engines, and 5 helicopters for a total of 337 personnel.
Map of the Robertson Draw Fire, 3:24 a.m. MDT June 19, 2021. The red and yellow dots represent heat detected by a satellite during the 24-hour period ending at 3:24 a.m. MDT June 19, 2021.
The 27,566-acre Robertson Draw Fire south of Red Lodge, Montana has not grown substantially during the last two days.
From the Incident Management Team that is working on the fire, morning of June 19:
Firefighters have been focusing their efforts on structure protection and containment and have made good progress. There is a Red Flag warning beginning at noon today until 9 p.m. The dry conditions, heat, and winds may lead to more active burning especially in the Grove Creek and Line Creek areas. Areas that were previously under evacuation orders are under an evacuation warning and should stay vigilant and have a plan to leave if necessary.
Robertson Draw Fire near Grove Creek June 18, 2021. InciWeb photo.
To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Robertson Draw Fire, including the most current, click HERE.
Map showing heat detected on the Willow Fire by satellites at 3:36 a.m. PDT June 18, 2021.
The Willow Fire was discovered Thursday at 8:10 p.m. in a remote area of the Ventana Wilderness in the Los Padres National Forest about a mile from Tassajara Hot Springs. Friday at 3 p.m. it was putting up a large column of smoke and had burned an estimated 750 acres.
The fire is 6 miles east of the Pacific Coast, 18 miles west of King City and Highway 101, and two miles north of the Dolan Fire that burned 124,000 acres in August and September of last year.
Smoke from the Willow Fire as seen from Millers Ranch at 3:37 p.m. PDT June 18, 2021.
From the US Forest Service Friday afternoon:
“There are approximately 300 firefighters on the ground including five Type 1 Interagency Hotshot crews. Air support including fixed-wing air tankers and water-dropping helicopters are assisting crews. The fire is burning in steep, rugged, and brushy terrain accessible only by hiking in.
“The weather is hot and dry with temperatures hovering around 100 degrees with low humidity levels. Winds out of the southwest are 5-10 mph with gusts up to 20 mph. The Arroyo Seco Recreation Area is closed. Tassajara Road is closed from the Tassajara Zen Center to China Camp. Residents have been evacuated from Tassajara Zen Center to China Camp. Arroyo Seco Road is under an evacuation advisory to Carmel Valley Road.”
Willow Fire, June 18, 2021. USFS photo, looking west-southwest.
The draft of a bill being worked on by a bipartisan group of Senators includes a $20,000 raise for some Federal wildland firefighters and a new job series.
The provisions are part of an infrastructure bill written by Senator Manchin and nine other Senators from both parties. The total scope of the legislation could spend $1 trillion or more. About $3.5 billion would be appropriated for wildland fire programs in the US Forest Service and the four land management agencies in the Department of the Interior.
One of the provisions would appropriate $600 million to give some firefighters a $20,000 bump in salary. The amount would be the same, regardless of their regular pay grade. For those working less than year-round, the raise would be prorated — work for six months and receive an increase of $10,000, for example. The catch is, it would only apply to firefighters whose pay is “lower than the minimum wage of the applicable State, or if the position is located in a location where it is difficult to recruit or to retain a wildland firefighter or wildland fire manager.” The bill does not specify who would decide if those conditions exist, but it could be argued that it is difficult to recruit and retain Federal wildland firefighters in most locations.
The bill would also have the Department of Agriculture work with the Office of Personnel Management to “develop a distinct ‘wildland fire manager’ occupational series.” Those presently employed would have the option of moving to the new series, but it would not be required.
On June 16 a group of 20 Senators released a statement saying they support the bipartisan infrastructure package. Of the 20, 11 are Republicans. If they all actually vote for the legislation, it would pass –if all Democrats are also in favor, which is not certain. Some have indicated they will oppose the bill which they say does not do enough to fight climate change or income inequality. If any Democrats oppose the plan, more than 10 Republicans would need to back it for it to hit the 60-vote threshold to pass legislation in the Senate. But it is key that Senator Manchin, Chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and a Democrat who frequently votes with Republicans, had a large part in drafting the bill.
The Associated Press reported that President Biden told reporters yesterday he had yet to see the emerging proposal from the group but remained hopeful a bipartisan agreement could be reached, despite weeks of on-again, off-again talks over his more robust $1.7 billion American Jobs Plan.
The 423-page bill has many other fire-related provisions. All of the funds listed below, except as noted, will be for both the US Forest Service and the four land management agencies in the Department of the Interior.
$100 million to work with the National Weather Service to establish and operate a satellite program to rapidly detect and report wildfire starts in areas where the two Departments have the responsibility to suppress wildfires.
Convert no fewer than 1,000 seasonal wildland firefighters to full-time year-round Wildland Fire Manager positions and reduce hazardous fuels on Federal land at least 800 hours per year. (Note from Bill: 800 hours would be 38 percent of each firefighters base time, a major change in their job duties. The $600 million allotted for the salary increase includes enough to pay for the conversion of the seasonals to permanent full-time.)
$20 million to acquire technology and infrastructure for each Type 1 and Type 2 incident management team to maintain interoperability with respect to the radio frequencies used by any responding agency.
$30 million to provide financial assistance to States and units of local government to establish and operate Reverse-911 telecommunication systems.
$100 million for the Secretary of the Interior to establish and implement a pilot program to provide to local governments financial assistance for the acquisition of slip-on tanker [fire engine] units to establish fleets of vehicles that can be quickly converted and operated as fire engines.
$20 million for research conducted under the Joint Fire Science Program.
$50 million for conducting mechanical thinning and timber harvesting in an ecologically appropriate manner that focuses, to the extent practicable, on small-diameter trees.
$500 million for the Secretary of Agriculture to award community wildfire defense grants to at-risk communities.
$500 million for prescribed fires.
$500 million for developing or improving potential control locations, including installing fuel breaks, with a focus on shaded fuel breaks when ecologically appropriate.
$200 million for contracting or employing crews of laborers to modify and remove flammable vegetation on Federal land and use the resulting materials, to the extent practicable, to produce biochar, including through the use of the CivilianClimate Corps.
$200 million for post-fire restoration activities that are implemented not later than 3 years after the date that a wildland fire is contained.
The Grassroots Wildland Firefighters organization has been very active in recent months, advocating for pay for federal firefighters that is competitive with the companies and agencies that are luring personnel to leave the Federal government to come work for far better pay and benefits. When told about the draft legislation, Kelly Martin, their President, said they have been advocating for elimination of the 25 percent hazard duty pay when working on a fire and a 50 percent increase in base salary, which she thought would be more appropriate than a $10,000 to $20,000 boost in pay. The organization also wants their firefighters who are classified as Forestry or Range Technicians correctly placed into a Wildland Firefighter job series. Ms. Martin said that lower and mid-level firefighters are not managers, so they should not be in a Wildland Fire Manager job series as proposed in the draft legislation.
My Take:
This bill has a long way to go before it is voted on, so the provisions could change. That will provide a window for firefighters to contact their Senators to express their opinion, ask for modifications of the content, or add items not included.
Changing the firefighters’ job titles from Forestry or Range Technician to Wildland Fire Manager is not a major step forward. It is too vague and might be confused with managing a less than full suppression fire. Like Ms. Martin said, it incorrectly describes rookie and mid-level firefighters as “managers”, and could lead to arguments about firefighter retirement and pay suitable for firefighters. They need a new Wildland Firefighter job series with a new pay schedule commensurate with their duties and competitive in the field.
This proposed legislation, which is yet to be introduced, does not have everything many firefighters are hoping for, but it may be like the infrastructure specifications that are not everything that some Democrats want. Unless there is more specific legislation being seriously proposed that would better address firefighter issues, it could be worthy of support if some of the provisions are changed. But it leaves out a more reasonable pay plan, presumptive illnesses, better support for mental and physical health issues, and a larger workforce to match the “new normal” very large fires which threaten homeland security.
Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen testified before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources June 17, 2021. (Still image from the Committee video.)
In what will be one of her last appearances in a Congressional hearing before she retires at the end of August, U.S. Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen called repeatedly for a “paradigm shift” for treating hazardous fuels.
Today she testified before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources to defend the President’s budget request for the U.S. Forest Service for Fiscal Year 2022 which begins October 1.
In addition to increasing the amount of timber harvested on Forest Service lands, the topic of reducing the number of devastating wildfires came up many times in the hour and a half hearing. A video is available on the Committee’s website.
Senator John Barrasso (WY) mentioned (at 27:49 in the video) that in an April hearing the chief said a paradigm shift was needed to reduce the hazard fuels in forests. He asked, “Do we need to dramatically increase the number of [wildfire mitigation] acres treated annually?” Chief Christiansen said,”Yes… We can’t just do the same old thing we’ve always done, just treat whatever acres we can get to… We have a crisis. We have a crisis that needs to be addressed differently.”
The Chief said the agency treats about three million acres each year, but they need to treat two to four times that amount.
Senator Ron Wyden (OR) got the Chief to confirm that the agency’s latest estimate is that it would take $20 billion over a 10-year period to “get in front of the hazardous fuel challenge” (at 39:25).
A fuel complex defined by kind, arrangement, volume, condition, and location that presents a threat of ignition and resistance to control.
Senator Wyden addressed the possibility of a fire season this year that could be worse than average (at 36:40). He asked, “What is the plan for keeping people safe when there are fires in multiple communities in the West?”
Chief Christiansen said, in part, that in recent years there has been competition for firefighting resources when the number of fires have resulted in requests for firefighters and equipment that were unable to be filled, and later said, “Our system is at a breaking point.”
Senator Wyden asked the Chief to submit a “written statement on what the plans are if we are short on resources in the West.”
Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (NV) asked if the President’s proposed budget includes sufficient funding for battling wildfires, post-fire recovery, prevention, reducing hazard fuels, and addressing invasive species.
“Senator, it’s a step in the right direction. A significant step in the right direction… It helps in modernizing our wildland fire workforce. It does not get us every step that we need to be.
“I’m very concerned about our workforce,” she continued. “They are tired, and fatigued. Their mental well-being and stress that we are concerned about. Many of these folks are temporary employees and they try to make a year’s living in six to nine months. There are still more things to address, but this budget is a very good first step.
Senator Masto asked about the recruitment and retention challenges that the agency is facing (1:05:30).
“It’s a calling to do this work,” the Chief said. “But anybody should be able to have a living wage to do this work. We do have concerns about a competitive wage… We are committed to work with the Department of the Interior and others to do a comprehensive look at our workforce needs.”
“Please share that,” said Senator Masto. “It’s the same thing I’m hearing in my state from our fire chiefs. It’s a challenge. And this is something we have to address.”
Senator Angus King (Maine) said timber sales on public lands fell from 13 billion board feet in 1988 to 3.2 billion last year, a factor of five, he said. (1:13:07) “What in the hell happened,” he asked. Later he said, “Coincidentally from 1991 to 2020 the number of acres burned has gone up by a factor of five. Is there a connection?”
“Yes sir, there is,” the Chief quickly replied. The Senator moved on to another topic and did not allow her to fully explain why she thought there is a connection.
Map of the Robertson Draw Fire. The red line was the perimeter Thursday morning June 17, 2021. The white line was the perimeter about 24 hours before.
Robertson Draw Fire
The fire spread to the north and south Wednesday, but not as much as in previous days. It was mapped overnight at 24,271 acres, a 24-hour increase of about 4,000 acres.
From the Incident Management Team Thursday morning:
“[Wednesday], moderated weather conditions allowed fire crews to work on the northeastern, eastern, and southeastern sides of the fire. Crews and equipment worked to tie in dozer lines to burned areas that had cooled down in the rangeland grass areas. Air tanker water and retardant drops were conducted along the northwest side of Mt. Maurice to check fire spread. Aircraft were also used on the south side to check fire spread. The fire remained active along portions of the northern edge and in the timbered areas south of Mt. Maurice. Additional firefighting crews and equipment arrived and Operations personnel from the incoming [Type 2 Incident Management] team worked closely with the local firefighters to increase their situational awareness and start developing firefighting plans for the next several days.
“Evacuation Orders are in effect for the areas of North and South Grove Creek, Gold Creek, Ruby Creek, and Robertson Draw east to Highway 72. Evacuations as a part of the Forest Closure Order include the USDA Forest Service Recreation Residences in Corral Creek, Spring Creek, Snow Creek, and Sheep Creek.”
To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Robertson Draw Fire, including the most current, click HERE.
Resources working on the fire Wednesday night included 4 hand crews, 17 engines, and 5 helicopters for a total of 162 personnel. At least 18 structures have been destroyed.
We have a series of photos of the fire taken over a three-day period from the same location. Check them out.
Deep Creek Fire
Map of the Deep Creek Fire. The red line was the perimeter Thursday morning June 17, 2021.
The Northern Rockies Type 1 Incident Management Team #1 assumed command of the fire at 6 a.m. Thursday.
The IMT reported Thursday at noon on InciWeb that the fire had burned 3,668 acres, but it is likely that the actual size is about 1,000 acres larger.
To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Deep Creek Fire, including the most current, click HERE.
The diminished fire intensity Wednesday allowed crews to reengage with a dozer, skidgens, and a hand crew on the southwest section of the fire. The plan for Thursday is to continue direct fire line construction on the southwest corner of the fire moving along the fire’s perimeter to the north while continuing to identify and work on spot fires to the north from Tuesday’s wind event.
The Grassy Mountain subdivision is still under an evacuation order.
Resources working on the fire Wednesday night included 1 hand crew, 6 engines, and 4 helicopters for a total of 94 personnel. There is no report of any structures that have been destroyed.
Fire Aviation reported that a helicopter working on the Deep Creek Fire crashed and burned June 15. There were five on board and all reportedly exited the aircraft before it ignited. They were assisted by a trooper from the Highway Patrol, Amanda Villa who was very close by when the crash, first described by the Montana DNRC as a “hard landing”, occurred. There were injuries, but no details have been released.
This Tweet was published the morning of June 17, 2021.
