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Wildfire briefing, March 12, 2014

Bill GabbertMarch 12, 2014UncategorizedCalifornia, fatality, West Virginia1 Comment

West Virginia man found dead at wildfire

A man that was found dead near the scene of a fire Tuesday in Kanawha County, West Virginia has been identified as Donald Chandler, 66. The cause of death has not been determined but relatives thought he probably suffered a heart attack while trying to put out the fire. Officials were not sure if the fire started in a storage building and spread into the vegetation, or if a brush fire ignited the structure.

Our sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of Mr. Chandler.

Fire resistant vegetation leads to a success story

Usually when a wildfire makes the news there has been a failure, perhaps more than one. The first of course is the ignition, if it is human caused. Then if the initial attack does not succeed it can spread — into the headlines of the media. But we rarely hear about the fires that are aggressively attacked and kept small, like what happened today in the southern California community of Brea.

Not only did the ground and aerial firefighters succeed, but decisions made by the homeowners association also deserve a pat on the back. The fire in Tonner Canyon near Lambert Road and the 57 Freeway was kept to only two acres thanks to the firefighters AND the fire- and drought-resistant vegetation that had been planted by the association. Even though there were Red Flag Warnings in effect today and strong winds were pushing the fire up a hill, it was stopped by the suppression forces and the proactive mitigation measures in place.

The fire was reported at 12:40 p.m. and firefighters were mopping it up by 1:20 p.m. Soon thereafter, they were back at their stations and ready for another fire.

Training for a wildfire in Lancashire, UK and Omaha, Nebraska

Bill GabbertMarch 12, 2014Uncategorizedtraining, United Kingdom

The video shows firefighters in Lancashire, UK engaged in wildfire training, using some equipment that you will not often see on the other side of the pond.

Here is how the video is described:

Firefighters along with partner agencies Bay Search and Rescue, Mountain Rescue teams (Bolton and Bowland), Pennine helicopters, United Utilities, the Moorlad Association and Lancashire County Council all joined together in an excercise on Bleasdle Fell, Lancashire to not only practice the skills required to tackle a wildfire but also raise awareness of the issues with the public through local media. This report was taken from Granada Television News, featuring Station Manager Shaun Walton, Jeremy Duckworth from the Moond Association and reported by Amy Welch.

And speaking of training, the photo below illustrates in a completely different environment annual firefighter refresher training in the National Park Service’s Midwest Regional Office in Omaha, Nebraska.

Firefighter refresher training, NPS regional office, Omaha, NE. Photo by Jim McMahill.

Red Flag Warnings, March 12, 2014

Bill GabbertMarch 12, 2014August 25, 2019UncategorizedRed Flag Warning, weather

I like the way the National Weather Service is putting together graphics that illustrate their warnings — for example, the one above for California. They can get a person’s attention more effectively than simple text.

Red Flag Warnings for elevated wildfire danger have been issued by the National Weather Service for some areas in California, Nebraska, Kansas, and Texas.

The Red Flag Warning map was current as of 10:01 a.m. MDT on Wednesday. Red Flag Warnings can change throughout the day as the National Weather Service offices around the country update and revise their forecasts. For the most current data, visit this NWS site.

Behind the scenes — the protests of an air tanker contract

Bill GabbertMarch 11, 2014March 31, 2014Uncategorizedair tanker, GAO

Neptune's Tanker 41 at Missoula — Neptune’s Tanker 41. a BAe-146, at Missoula, August 11, 2013. Photo by Bill Gabbert.

Today, March 11, the Government Accountability Office will hold a hearing at their office in Washington, DC to consider the protests filed by three air tanker companies over the propriety of the U.S. Forest Service’s non-competitive contract award to Neptune Aviation for next-generation large airtankers. After reviewing dozens of documents that revealed what was going on behind the scenes, Fire Aviation has the story of how the sole source contract developed, and the arguments from the other vendors about why that contract should be terminated.

Arizona firefighter dies while taking pack test

Bill GabbertMarch 10, 2014March 10, 2014Uncategorizedfatality, lodd, Pack Test17 Comments

On Saturday, March 8, 61-year old volunteer firefighter Bobby Mollere of the Hellsgate Fire Department in Star Valley, Arizona collapsed and died while taking the pack test version of the Work Capacity Test, which requires a person to carry a 45-pound pack for three miles in less than 45 minutes. The cause of death was listed as “stress/overexertion” and heart attack.

Below is the official notice from the U.S. Fire Administration:

While performing a Wildland Pack Test, Lieutenant Mollere collapsed on the Payson High School track. Fellow firefighters on scene initiated a medical assessment and found Mollere in cardiac arrest. The EMTs and Paramedics began advanced life support immediately on scene. Lieutenant Mollere was transported to the Payson Regional Medical Center where resuscitative efforts continued until he passed away. Incident Location: Payson High School track, AZ (U.S. National Grid: 12S VC 6952 8857)

Our sincere condolences go out to Mr. Mollere’s family, friends, and fellow firefighters.

Previously we have written about other fatalities and serious injuries that occurred while taking the Pack Test. Federal land management agencies and some other organizations require that their on-the-ground firefighters pass the test once a year in order to be qualified to fight wildland fires.

Laguna Hot Shots taking Pack Test — File photo of the Laguna Hot Shots, based at Descanso, California, taking the Pack Test while wearing weighted vests. Photo by Laguna Hotshots.

Coal mine fire under control in Victoria

Bill GabbertMarch 10, 2014March 13, 2014UncategorizedAustralia, coal fire, Victoria

The fire at the Hazelwood open cut coal mine that we told you about on March 5 is now under control after firefighters battled it for 29 days. It is not out, but they hope to obtain that status by this weekend if the predicted rain occurs.

It is believed the fire started when two bush fires burned close to the mine and spotted into the coal. The suspected cause of at least one of the fires is arson.

Helicopters have been used to drop water on the fire, while ground forces use sprinklers and master streams from fire engines. They have been using Class A foam from the beginning, but when experiments with compressed air foam were successful, they began using those systems from the Country Fire Authority (CFA) and a Tasmanian crew on the northern batters to smother the fire with thick foam and help reduce the amount of smoke affecting Morwell.

CFA personnel have also been using an airborne heat-detecting infrared line scanner to fly over the fire to produce a map showing firefighters where the heat still remains and where they should concentrate their efforts. Infrared mapping systems are frequently used on vegetation fires in Australia and the United States.

All of the photos are from the CFA.

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