Kelly Andersson, Author at Wildfire Today

ARSON: Man arrested on suspicion of starting 103-acre fire in Banning

Kelly AnderssonJuly 30, 2023Arsonarson, Banning3 Comments

An arson suspect investigators say may have started a wildland fire that burned over 100 acres Thursday night in southern California has been arrested; 45-year-old Andre Cox was taken into custody just after midnight in Highlands Springs in Banning. Cal Fire said investigators determined the fire was arson-caused.

The suspect will be charged with multiple counts of arson, along with possession of methamphetamine. He is being held on $60,000 bail.

He hasn’t been officially charged by the District Attorney’s office, according to a report by KESQ-TV, but is expected to be arraigned in court on Tuesday.

The Sunset Fire was reported at around 6:50 p.m. on Mesa Street and Gilman Street, and it was burning at a dangerous rate of spread; firefighters were able to contain the fire the next day.

The Desert Sun reported that Cal Fire did not say specifically how Cox is accused of setting the fire. He was arrested on suspicion of two felony counts, arson to forest land and arson during a declared emergency, and two misdemeanor drug counts, possession of meth and drug paraphernalia.

The fire started Thursday on the north side of Banning; by noon Friday, it was 103 acres and 90 percent contained. It did not reach any structures.

Anyone with information related to this incident should contact the Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department’s arson hotline at (800)633-2836.

Yet another Canadian firefighter dies … on the largest fire in British Columbia’s history

Kelly AnderssonJuly 29, 2023July 29, 2023WildfireBritish Columbia, Canada, Donnie Creek, fatality6 Comments

Second firefighter to die in B.C. in 2023 responding to wildfires

A Canadian wildland firefighter in British Columbia died while responding to the Donnie Creek Fire in northeast B.C., according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. This is the second firefighter death on the front lines during the 2023 wildfire season in the province, along with other fatalities in Canada this season. RCMP said in a statement that the firefighter was a 25-year-old man from Ontario who died on Friday.

According to police, the firefighter, who was contracted to the B.C. Wildfire Service, was working in a remote area about 150 km (a little over 90 miles) north of Fort St. John when his utility terrain vehicle rolled over a sharp drop in a gravel road. “He was transported by helicopter to the Fort St. John Airport, but sadly succumbed to his injuries while en route,” reads the statement.

B.C. Premier David Eby said Saturday that the Donnie Creek Fire is the largest ever recorded in B.C. history. “I am heartbroken that another firefighter was lost protecting our communities and our province during this devastating wildfire season,” Eby said.

The incident’s still under investigation.

Bedrock Fire over 6000 acres

Kelly AnderssonJuly 26, 2023July 26, 2023WildfireBedrock Fire, Eugene, Oregon, Willamette National Forest6 Comments

As the Bedrock Fire near Fall Creek Reservoir east of Eugene, Oregon burns on the Willamette National Forest, officials are asking the public to help with tips to determine who or what started the fire.

According to a report by KLCC Radio, the fire was called in on Saturday, July 22, and grew to 300 acres by the next day. Crews worked overnight on the fire — and to protect nearby buildings on private land. A Type 2 team took over Sunday evening.

Named for the nearby Middle Fork Ranger District’s Bedrock Campground, the fire put up enough smoke on Tuesday to temporarily pause air ops, but firefighting helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft returned later. Two CL-415s scooped water from Lookout Point Lake, and additional aircraft have been ordered.

Chris Pietsch shot of Erickson Aircrane on the Bedrock Fire. — Chris Pietsch with the Register-Guard caught this superb shot of an Aircrane working the fire.

KEZI-TV reported that crews are building lines along the ridges between Little Cowhorn Mountain and Fawn Peak, and are assessing firelines that remain from previous incidents (including the Cedar Creek Fire) to help in containment.

Fire Behavior Analyst Dean Warner said the fire has been more active than expected in this area for late July. “Fuels are abnormally dry for this time of the season due to drought,” he said. “Drier fuels take less energy to ignite, and burn more rapidly and intensely than wetter fuels.”

Fire crews are working to establish firelines along the ridgelines between Little Cowhorn Mountain and Fawn Peak.

Little Cowhorn Mountain Lookout to the north of Bedrock Fire. The main body of the structure has been wrapped with fire-resistant material. — Little Cowhorn Mountain Lookout to the north of the Bedrock Fire. The main body of the structure has been wrapped by crews with fire-resistant material.

The fire is currently sized at 6,161 acres. Smoke from the fire is spreading into central Oregon, affecting air quality as far east as Bend. Weather conditions are expected to remain hot and dry, which could exacerbate the fire’s spread, according to the Northwest IMT 13 headed up by Brian Gales and Eric Riener, which took over on July 25.

Extreme fire behavior and gusty winds have pushed the fire to rapid growth, and mixed ownership of private and federal lands coupled with old fire scars means a checkerboard of fuel types. Mixed age classes of timber from slash and young managed stands to late seral stage timber are spread across the landscape, with light dry lichen moss draped in the canopies, exacerbating spotting. Steep slopes in the area have encouraged uphill runs, so the fire gets established in crowns and makes for spotting up to ¾ mile from the fire’s edge.

Afternoon winds have driven the fire to spread up drainages — including Alder, Hehe, and Fall creeks to the northeast and in the south at both Andy and Rubble creeks. As fire has moved into old burn scars, the intensity decreases, but abundant fine fuels (likely resulting from this year’s late rainy start to the season) maintain the fire’s spread.

On Thursday, it’s predicted that consistent weather conditions will mean persistent fire growth in the active drainages. Fire spread is predicted to crest the ridgeline in the Hehe drainage.

The origin of the fire is still being investigated. The USFS is requesting any information, tips, photos, or videos of the area from July 22 when the fire started. Anyone with information is asked to email the U.S. Forest Service’s TIP LINE; people with info can also email the Lane County Sheriff’s office or the Willamette National Forest Supervisor’s Office. The Middle Fork office in Westfir is at 541-782-2283.

By Wednesday afternoon the fire was still at zero containment, with over 200 firefighters assigned. Containment’s estimated for the first week of October.

Two years ago, July 2021

Kelly AnderssonJuly 26, 2023Wildfire2021 Bootleg Fire, southern Oregon

Dozens of homes burned in southern Oregon

Kelly AnderssonJuly 25, 2023WildfireBonanza Fire, ODF, Oregon State Fire Marshal4 Comments

The Golden Fire north of Bonanza, Oregon was estimated this afternoon at 2,052 acres with about 9 percent containment, after it burned 43 homes and 43 outbuildings during its initial runs. The incident management team — jointly staffed by the Oregon Department of Forestry and the State Fire Marshal’s Office — said 440 firefighters were working on the fire.

Fire behavior’s been active with wind-driven runs, but crews are now mostly holding the fire, which is burning in short grass, timber, and dry brush. High temperatures and low RH are expected to persist for at least the coming 48 hours, with winds picking up in the afternoons; incident managers are concerned that a wind switch from the north later this week could test the fire’s containment lines.

The Golden Fire is about 11 miles north of Bonanza, Oregon.

Temperatures in the 90s with wind gusts up to 20 mph contributed to extreme fire behavior during initial attack. The fire spread rapidly in dry fuels and most of the destroyed homes were lost during the fire’s initial run on July 22. Since then downed powerlines, burned snags, and road conditions have limited crews’ access to portions of the fire. Resources with the State Fire Marshal’s Office are working on hotspots and mop-up around structures to protect additional homes.

Community meeting: Golden Fire Unified Command will host an outdoor information meeting this evening at 7 p.m. at the Bonanza School on Mission Street. Cooperating agencies include the U.S. Forest Service, BLM and Klamath County; no seating is available and residents are asked to bring lawn chairs. Details and more information on the fire are available from goldenfireinfo2023@gmail.com

Despite near-Red-Flag conditions, crews the last couple days were able to strengthen lines around the fire and take down snags and hazard trees around the perimeter. A fiber-optic cable for major portions of Klamath and Lake counties was severed by the fire, causing loss of 911 and Lakeview Interagency Fire Center dispatch operations, along with Lakeview hospital, pharmacy, county-wide internet, and phone service. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek invoked the Conflagration Act on July 22, boosting available resources from out of the area.

KDRV-TV reported that the number of destroyed homes is expected to rise as assessment teams are able to safely access those parts of the fire.

“Our hearts go out to the Bonanza community and those affected by the Golden Fire,” said Matt Howard, incident commander with ODF Team 2. “We grieve with the community and your loss. Our goal on this fire has been, and will continue to be, to contain this fire to minimize its impact. Our job now is to fully suppress this fire so the recovery process can begin. That is our commitment to you.”

KOIN-TV reported that FEMA announced yesterday it had authorized federal funding after determining destruction from the fire would constitute a “major disaster.”

The fire started Saturday on Bly Mountain, about 18 miles east of Klamath Falls.

The American Red Cross and the Klamath County Emergency Response Team have set up a shelter at Bonanza High School. The fire damaged fiber-optic communication lines from Klamath County to Lake County. At the time of the state’s FEMA request, the fire threatened homes around Bly Mountain and the communities of Beatty, Bonanza, and Dairy along with Highway 140 and Bonneville Power Administration transmission lines.

Firefighter from Prescott runs for the Foundation

Kelly AnderssonJuly 24, 2023UncategorizedCocodona 250, Harley Guy, Wildland Firefighter Fooundation1 Comment

The Cocodona Trail is a curated route linking historic towns and paths through central Arizona. The rich history of the towns linked up through little-traveled ranges makes this a one-of-a-kind tour of the Grand Canyon State, and the Cocodona 250 race is set for May 6–11, 2024. Runners travel from Black Canyon City to Flagstaff; it’s the ultimate run across the ultimate places of northern Arizona!

northern Arizona's best — Some of northern Arizona’s best views will be highlighted during this race!
Still shot from Anthony Leach’s video.

The Cocodona 250 will take runners from Black Canyon City up into the Bradshaw Mountains to the historic little town of Crown King. The course then traverses more of the Bradshaws, up and over Mount Union, and snakes down into Prescott, where it cuts straight through town on Whiskey Row and out into the iconic Granite Dells. From Prescott the course heads up and over Mingus Mountain — on one of the world’s best motorcycle roads — into the billion-dollar copper camp known as Jerome, and then down and onward through Sedona, with its stunning red rock formations and high desert vistas. As runners leave Sedona, the course breaks into the pines of Flagstaff, finishing up and over Mt. Elden and into downtown Flagstaff. It is an extraordinary undertaking and treats runners to some of the best landscapes Arizona has to offer.

Jerome, perched on a hillside above Cottonwood.
Photo by Cocodona 250.

Harley Guy will be running the Cocodona 250 again to raise money for the Wildland Firefighter Foundation. Harley’s worked on a BLM engine and with Prescott Helitack and in other wildland fire roles; his past struggles with addiction led him to discover running and wildland fire. Help him raise awareness about the mental health issues that firefighters often struggle with — he will donate all his proceeds to the Foundation to help firefighters and their families during hard times.

“I was a wildland firefighter for two seasons,” explains Harley, “and I have seen firsthand what can happen when firefighters get injured, or worse. Firefighting is a hard job and doesn’t pay well. These men and women put their lives on the line to protect our public lands and can be away from loved ones for months at a time. An injury can mean a lack of finances causing hardship for firefighters and their families, which can be devastating.”

“When a firefighter passes away, this hardship can mean an even heavier burden to bear for the families,” adds Harley. “The Wildland Firefighter Foundation helps cover these expenses, helping both financially and with mental health care. Mental health is a big issue in the wildland community and unfortunately, there are many suicides and suicide attempts. The Foundation helps improve mental health for both firefighters and their families.”

Burk Minor with the Foundation explains what they do, who they help, and what they do behind the scenes.

Anthony Leach and Northern Arizona Productions posted a 5-minute video called Harley Runs to youtube, highlighting Harley Guy’s story. It’s a great little feature including Burk Minor’s explanation of what the Foundation does behind the scenes — and why.

Because he’s from Prescott, Harley says he’s felt the loss of loved ones in the community firsthand; he knew many of the Granite Mountain 19 who lost their lives on June 30, 2013 on the Yarnell Hill Fire. “This year is the tenth anniversary of that tragic event, and I want to raise money by running 250 miles during the Cocodona 250, as well as honoring and remembering the Granite Mountain Hotshots.”

Learn more about the Wildland Firefighter Foundation at wffoundation.org

You can learn more about Harley Guy’s effort at his Donation Page.
Cocodona 250 Charity Bib (Arizona) — $1875 raised of $5000 on July 24.