Screenshot from Part 12 of the Santa Fe NF series of videos on fuel management.
Here are parts 11 and 12 in the series of 12 videos produced by the Santa Fe National Forest on the topic of fuel management and forest restoration.
Fuel Management is defined as:
An act or practice of controlling flammability and reducing resistance to control of wildland fuels [vegetation] through mechanical, chemical, biological, or manual means, or by fire, in support of land management objectives.
Forest Restoration:
Actions to re-instate ecological processes, which accelerate recovery of forest structure, ecological functioning and biodiversity levels towards those typical of climax forest, i.e. the end-stage of natural forest succession.
Little Tujunga Hotshots in eastern Tennessee. Screenshot from WJHL video.
The Little Tujunga Hotshots are about 2,000 miles away from their southern California home on the Angeles National Forest. The crew is staged on the Cherokee National Forest in eastern Tennessee due to the high wildland fire danger in the area.
Earlier this week the topic on Wildfire today was “Criticism and Accuracy”. Here is a quote from President Theodore Roosevelt about criticism, part of a speech delivered April 23, 1910 at the Sorbonne, in Paris, France.
The change occurred at 2 p.m. MDT Friday, “…due to an increase in resource mobilization, competition for resources, significant incidents occurring in multiple geographic areas and critical fire weather conditions in those geographic areas.”
As of today, October 18, fourteen active large fires have burned more than 228,000 acres in five states. Twelve new large fires were reported this week.
Firefighting resources committed to fires today:
87 hand crews
166 engines
22 helicopters
3,181 personnel
“Fire Season” is now “Fire Year”.
Red Flag Warnings and Fire Weather Watches, current at 6:15 p.m MDT October, 18, 2019 Click to enlarge.
(Red Flag Warnings can be modified throughout the day as NWS offices around the country update and revise their weather forecasts.)
Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to LM. Typos or errors, report them HERE.
3-D map (looking east) showing the perimeter of the Cow Creek Fire at 10:04 p.m. Oct. 17, 2019. Click to enlarge. The spot fires are on the left.
Updated at 10:12 a.m. MDT October 18, 2019
The Cow Creek Fire climbed further up the steep slopes east of Ridgway, Colorado on Thursday, growing to 655 acres according to an overnight mapping flight. (see map) Burning embers started three spot fires near the western base of Courthouse Mountain about 0.75 miles away from the main fire. The incident management team said the spot fires are within the identified area of containment and currently pose no threat to private property or structures.
The spot fires are at 10,700 feet in an area that has Aspen groves in their autumn colors. The main ridge to the east ranges from 11,000 to 12,000 feet.
Fire officials ordered a Type 2 Incident Management Team Thursday night.
Below is an update from the Forest Service at 8:45 a.m. October 18:
Access to the Cow Creek Fire remains a safety concern for assigned fire crews. Rugged terrain combined with dry fuels have caused crews to adopt an indirect confine and contain suppression strategy. Firefighters spent Thursday identifying and constructing contingency lines in areas where predictive models have shown a potential for fire spread. These lines, using existing natural and manmade features, will help contain the fire in the event of rapid spread. On Friday, crews are expected to continue confine and containment operations.
Fire Weather: On Friday, forecasts show scattered showers throughout the morning into the afternoon with temperatures in the low to high 40s and minimum humidity ranging from 42-47%. There will be moderate southwestern winds, with strong gusts, that will shift to steady, western winds during the late morning and eventually northwest in the afternoon. Smoke from the fire could be present in Mesa, Delta, Montrose, Ouray, Gunnison, Saguache, San Miguel, Hinsdale, Garfield and Eagle counties.
Resources assigned to the fire include 2 hand crews, 2 engines, and 3 helicopters for a total of 64 personnel.
A photo of the Cow Fire on October 17 shows a spot fire shortly after it ignited near the western base Courthouse Mountain. Incident Management Team photo.Map showing the perimeter of the Cow Creek Fire at 10:04 p.m. Oct. 17, 2019.Helena Regulars 20 person handcrew on the Cow Creek Fire near West Fork October 17, 2019, with Chimney Rock in the background. IMT photo.
