News and opinion about wildland fire
On Tuesday the National Weather Service issued Red Flag Warnings in areas of Montana, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, and New Mexico.
(Red Flag Warnings can be modified throughout the day as NWS offices around the country update and revise their weather forecasts.)
This week first responders can begin applying for $100 million in funding for the Fiscal Year 2020 Assistance to Firefighters Grant – COVID-19 Supplemental Program (AFG-S) to help provide personal protective equipment to firefighters and first responders who are managing emergencies during the Coronavirus pandemic.
FEMA will begin accepting AFG-S applications at 8 a.m. ET on Tuesday April 28, 2020. The application period will close at 5 p.m. ET on Friday, May 15, 2020, so start planning your application now by reviewing the information below. These tools were produced to help potential applicants begin to plan their AFG-S applications ahead of the application period. These documents can be viewed on the AFGP website at FY 2020 AFG-S COVID-19 Guidance Documents or can be downloaded to your computer.
If you have questions about the technical assistance tools listed above, call or e-mail the AFG Grants Help Desk at 1-866-274-0960; or firegrants@fema.dhs.gov . The AFG Help Desk is open Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories Uncategorized2 Comments on Pioneer Peak Hotshots prepare for the fire season 
The Pioneer Peak Interagency Hotshot Crew has completed their annual critical refresher training and is ready to fight fire. Most Hotshot crews are managed by the U.S. Forest Service, BLM, or NPS, but Pioneer Peak, based in Palmer Alaska northeast of Anchorage, is one of three that are part of state organizations. The others are Alta and Lone Peak in Utah. The only county crew is Rio Bravo in Kern County, California. (The complete list is here.)
The text below was posted April 24 by Pioneer Peak along with the photo on their Facebook page. It is used here with permission:
“The 2020 Pioneer Peak Hotshot Crew! We’ve just finished our 2 weeks of critical training. You won’t see this crew socially distancing from each other while we train. We will train as we fight and we will be fighting together as one family unit. It’s the only safe way to do our job effectively. We’ve implemented new SOP’s into our program so we don’t help the spread of this virus while in public settings.
“A lot of sacrifices are being made by our folks and their families to make this happen and they really need your support. We will keep our distance from the general public and we will wear masks if we enter public spaces like gas stations or grocery stores. We’re also disinfecting our rigs and facilities twice daily. Those are just a few examples. Our hand washing skills are also on point these days! Thank You for the support!”
Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories Uncategorized2 Comments on Red Flag Warnings Sunday in areas of Montana, North Dakota, and Colorado 
The National Weather Service has issued Red Flag Warnings due to low humidity and gusty winds in areas of Colorado, Montana, and North Dakota for Sunday. Most of the warnings expire Wednesday evening.
In southwest Colorado similar conditions could persist into Monday .
(Red Flag Warnings can be modified throughout the day as NWS offices around the country update and revise their weather forecasts.)
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Earlier, power companies agreed to pay the seriously injured lone survivor $5 million
The Okanogan County Electric Co-op has agreed to a $1.1 million settlement for the suppression costs of the deadly 2015 Twisp River Fire.
U.S. Attorney William D. Hyslop announced that the settlement had been reached with Okanogan County Electric Cooperative, Inc. (“OCEC”) and its insurer, requiring the payment of $1.1 million to the United States in fire suppression costs resulting from the Twisp River Fire that began on August 19, 2015 in north-central Washington.
The $1.1 million recovers a large portion of the U.S. Forest Service’s costs incurred in suppressing the fire. It was part of a larger settlement of claims that were brought separately by other plaintiffs, including U.S. Forest Service firefighter Daniel Lyon and the State of Washington, who sought to recover damages for personal injury and property damage caused by the fire.
The Twisp River Fire ultimately burned approximately 11,200 acres, claimed the lives of three USFS firefighters, and severely injured Mr. Lyon. He suffered third degree burns over nearly 70 percent of his body, but three other firefighters in the same engine died in the vehicle, according to the corner’s report, from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries. They were Richard Wheeler, 31; Andrew Zajac, 26; and Tom Zbyszewski, 20. All four were employees of the USFS working on the Okanogan/Wenatchee National Forest out of Twisp, Washington.
The US Attorney claimed the Twisp River Fire ignited due to contact between a tree branch and OCEC’s electrical distribution line. He further claimed OCEC failed to properly maintain a vegetation management plan designed to detect and prevent the tree branch from contacting the distribution line. OCEC denied these allegations.
In January Mr. Lyon reached a settlement with two utility companies, OCEC and Douglas County PUD, just before an appeal of his $100 million civil suit was to be heard before the state Supreme Court. In that settlement the companies agreed to pay $5 million.
From the Wenatchee World, when the $5 million settlement was announced in January:
“I am very grateful that my case calls attention to the plight of injured first responders,” said Lyon, who was burned over most of his body and has undergone more than a dozen surgeries and 100 medical procedures. “I am also grateful my case has reached a settlement so that I can now move on with my life knowing I will have the resources I need for the future.”
Last July, his attorneys, in an appeals brief, argued the Professional Rescue Doctrine that largely bars such claims violates the state constitution, which gives people equal protection under the law and offers the right to seek compensation for damages.
Lyon’s attorneys note that courts in some other states, where the doctrine once held sway, have opted to throw it out.
An attorney for one of the two defendants, in an earlier interview, says the wounds Lyon suffered — however grievous — resulted from risks inherent to the dangerous job of firefighting.
“The law does not allow them (professional first responders) to sue — and there are good policy reasons behind that,” said A. Grant Lingg, who represents the Okanogan County Electric Cooperative. “You don’t want the people who start a fire to be afraid to call the fire department for fear that that an injured first responder will sue them.”
The video below is about the January settlement.
Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Tom. Typos or errors, report them HERE.
Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories Uncategorized2 Comments on Oregon enlists Bigfoot for help with wildfire prevention 
The Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal’s “Bigfoot: Believe in Fire Safety” campaign is returning for the 2020 wildfire season, asking Oregonians to protect their communities by preventing wildfires.
“This really comes down to protecting communities and preventing wildfires,” says State Fire Marshal Jim Walker, of the OSFM’s Bigfoot campaign. “Wildfire prevention begins with all of us. Together we can make a positive impact. Since most wildfires are started by people, please do your part to prevent them.”
In response to the challenges of recent wildfire seasons, the OSFM enlisted Pacific Northwest icon Bigfoot, friend in fire prevention, to inspire the public to take action and reduce risks of human-caused wildfires.
The campaign first launched in spring 2019. From the start, Bigfoot served as an iconic messenger to encourage Oregonians and visitors to protect our communities and homes from human-caused wildfires.
OSFM’s Fire Prevention Coordinator Stephanie Stafford made the connection that wildfires occur where Bigfoot “lives,” which created the opportunity to promote awareness around fire prevention in the wildland urban interface (WUI). Data show the most costly fires in recent years nationally all occurred on WUI lands.
Wildfire threats to Oregon’s communities have led to longer and costlier fire seasons for state and local agencies. The wildfire problem also has captured the attention of Oregonians. Statewide they see the effects of fires on forests, as well as on homes in the wildland urban interface.
In the past two years, data collected in Oregon for the National Fire Incident Reporting System show there were 14,971 outdoor fires with 554,196 acres burned. Most of these outdoor fires were caused by unintentional human ignition rather than natural sources such as lightning.
The OSFM will be working with its more than 300 Oregon fire service partners to help share Bigfoot-themed education and branding materials that encourage Oregonians to “believe in fire safety,” around their homes and when recreating around their communities and in the outdoors.
The Oregon fire service plays an important role in providing critical first response for initial suppression of many wildfires that begin in their jurisdictions and can often spread to public lands.
In 2019, fire agencies helped Bigfoot reach residents statewide, and the OSFM will be providing Bigfoot materials for agencies to share and motivate their residents to prevent wildfires.
More than 40 Bigfoot fire prevention posters can be downloaded at the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s website.
