This video illustrates why proper placement of fire apparatus and protection of firefighters at the scene of a vehicle accident is crucial. The action begins 30 seconds in.
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.
USFS seeks nominations for Forest Landscape Restoration Advisory Committee
The U. S. Forest Service is accepting nominations for a 15-person Forest Landscape Restoration Advisory Committee. The committee will evaluate forest landscape restoration proposals and make recommendations for approval which will affect how up to $40 million each year is dispersed to fund restoration projects on National Forest System (NFS) lands. The funding comes from the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Fund which can only be used on NFS lands.
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said this about the committee:
This committee will help us prioritize the work that needs to be done and empower citizens and the Forest Service to work together through the entire process of ecological restoration work, from identifying needs on the landscape to achieving ecological objectives in ways that provide jobs and protect local communities from wildfire.
The Federal Register has more information about the committee, including application procedures and the fact that it shall include experts in:
1. Ecological Restoration,
2. Fire Ecology,
3. Fire Management,
4. Rural Economic Development,
5. Strategies for Ecological Adaptation to Climate Change,
6. Fish and Wildlife Ecology, and
7. Woody Biomass and Small-Diameter Tree Utilization.
Phuket fires under control
Frequently I run across stories about wildfires in Phuket. Now quit giggling. Phuket is really a place. Maybe you, unlike me at first, are familiar with Phuket, and you already know that Phuket is an island and also a province in Thailand (map).
Here is a photo and an article from phuketnews:
On March 10th, 2010, Wichai Praisa-ngob, announced that all area in Phuket is now under the wild fire control. During the dry season, farmers who have to burn their crops have to ask for burning permission from the village leaders. When the crop burning occurs, farmers have to build up a fence to control the fire. Moreover, they have to make sure that the fire will not spread to connected areas. If there are any wildfires caused by crop burning without permission and control fences, the farmers will be prosecuted. In addition, the government will ask people who encroach or exploit preserved forests or national park areas, to move out and indict them as well.
Wichai also asked for all Phuket residents to be aware of wildfire: if there is any wildfire and they cannot stop it, call Phuket Wildfire Control Station Hotline:1362 or Tel. 08-6272-7492,08-7886-4498
I dare you to name your next fire “Phuket”!
For a different view of Phuket, check out this beach scene.
Illinois prescribed burn manager certification
In 2007 the state of Illinois passed a law, Public Act 95-0108, that established some requirements related to conducting prescribed fires. Some of the key points included in the legislation include:
- A “certified burn manager” must be on site.
- A written prescription for the project must be approved by a “certified burn manager”.
Prescribed fire is a serious business and needs to be conducted by highly skilled and experienced professionals. But this is the first we have heard of a state passing a law requiring that a person be certified as a “burn manager” under specific requirements written by the state. Are there other states with similar laws?
After the law was passed in 2007 the state’s Department of Natural Resources established the requirements to become certified. They include:
- Training: Basic ICS, basic wildland firefighter training (S-130, S-190), and a “specialized Illinois Prescribed Burning Manager Course”.
- Participate in five burns.
- Complete two burns as an apprentice prescribed burn manager.
- Submit a written application with a $50 fee.
These are very minimal training requirements.
And, there is this:
Persons who have received the certification as a Prescribed Fire Burn Boss Type 1 or Type 2, known as RXB1 or RXB2 respectively, under the NIIMS Wildland Fire Qualification System, can receive an Illinois Certified Prescribed Burn Manager Certificate by submitting an Application, proof of the RXB1 or RXB2 certification and the $50 fee.
There is also a grandfather clause that makes it easier for someone to become certified that has been conducting prescribed fires for a while.
I wonder if federal employees conducting burns on federal lands will have to apply and pay the $50 fee.
Below are the key sections of the law that was passed in 2007:
Continue reading “Illinois prescribed burn manager certification”
Northern Great Plains Park Group Receives National Award
Congratulations to the National Park Service fire management staff at the Northern Great Plains park group for winning the Brad Cella award. Here is a news release from the National Park Service.
WIND CAVE NATIONAL PARK, S.D. – Staff from the Northern Great Plains Park Group based at Wind Cave National Park recently received the Brad Cella Award for diligence and proficiency in managing fuels funds to reduce risk to critical park values. The award was presented at the 2010 Fire and Aviation Management Workshop in San Antonio, Texas.
The award is given annually to the fire unit or park for diligence and proficiency in managing vegetation as it relates to wildfire risks. This includes conducting prescribed burns and removing vegetation using thinning, piling, and chipping. These activities help reduce the amount of fuels that could contribute to a catastrophic wildfire.
Award recipients are: Jim McMahill, Al Stover, Eric Allen, Dan Swanson, Andy Thorstenson, Jon Freeman, Toby Nettifee, Karri Fischer, Angie Nellen, Sonya Feaster, Kenn Perreault, Keith Mitchell, Noah Daniels, Matt Koller, and Andrea Holmquist.
“This national award acknowledges the fire program within the Department of Interior that has best aligned their efforts with the goals of the Department of Interior and the National Park Service’s Hazard Fuels Program,” said Dan Buckley, National Fire Operations Chief for the National Park Service. “The competition for this award is strong, and we were very pleased to award it to the Northern Great Plains Park Group.”
The Northern Great Plains Park Group provides fire management support for eight National Park units in South Dakota, Nebraska, and Wyoming. In addition, fire ecology support is provided for three additional units in North Dakota. The award is named after Brad Cella, a nearly 30-year veteran of the National Park Service who worked extensively in fire and natural resource management and who passed away in 2007.
Brad Cella was one of two federal Department of Interior wildland firefighters who died while parachuting in the last three years. He died of a massive stroke at Star, Idaho after he deployed his parachute while skydiving on September 15, 2007. Brad had just moved from Anchorage to Boise to begin his new job as the Budget and Planning Chief for the NPS Branch of Wildland Fire at the National Interagency Fire Center. His previous position was the regional Fire Management Officer for the NPS’ Alaska Region.
Chad Suppa, the Module Leader of the Bureau of Land Management’s Unaweep Fire Use Module in Grand Junction, Colorado died in a parachuting accident near Phoenix on Feb. 15, 2009. He died while he was attempting a Base jump when his chute failed to open properly.
Victorian government approves fire bunker
The Victorian government in Australia has introduced new interim regulations for bunkers in which residents can take refuge when threatened by a bushfire. In order to install a fire bunker, a building permit must be obtained and the bunker must comply with performance requirements such as accessing and exiting the shelter, as well as utilities and the air supply. Residents need to purchase a bushfire bunker or shelter which is accredited, or satisfy a building surveyor that it meets the requirements contained in the regulations.
Under the new interim regulations, the first fire bunker has been accredited by the Victorian government. It is built by the Melbourne-based company Wildfire Safety Bunkers and is designed to be installed underground to shelter up to six people. The company emphasizes that the bunker should be used as a “last resort” and evacuation should be considered first.
The interim regulations will be in effect until proposed new national regulations are approved later in the year.
