On November 8 California voters could approve a proposition that would add up to $1 billion to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection budget.
Proposition 30 would create an additional 1.75% state tax on personal income above $2 million that would used for zero-emission vehicle subsidies; zero-emission vehicle infrastructure, such as electric vehicle charging stations; and wildfire suppression and prevention programs.
The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office expects the measure would would raise $3.5 billion to $5 billion annually, growing over time. Of that, 20 percent would be spent on wildfire response and prevention activities. In general, the state would have to prioritize spending to hire, train, and retain state firefighters. The rest of the money could be used for other wildfire response and prevention activities. The proposition would increase state funding for wildfire response and prevention activities by $700 million to $1 billion annually. The state typically spends about $2 billion to $4 billion annually on wildfire activities, mostly on firefighting.
The other 80 percent of the additional revenue would be used to help households, businesses, and governments pay for part of the cost of new passenger zero emission vehicles, as well as electric vehicle charging stations at apartment buildings, single-family homes, and public locations.
In other news about California’s spending on its wildfire program, Governor Gavin Newsom has proposed $800 million over the next two years to implement various efforts to improve forest health and make communities more resilient to future wildfires.
Tent ignites at 3:30 am. at the Kootenai River Complex in Idaho.
What do you do if a large tent at the Incident Command Post catches fire in the middle of the night when people are sleeping inside?
It happened September 12 on the Kootenai River Complex near Bonners Ferry, Idaho. Tents used as offices at an ICP are frequently called “yurts.” In this case at 3:30 a.m. the two workers inside were able to evacuate safely.
The Rapid Lesson Sharing report, below, says arson is suspected. The Incident Management Team developed some ICP fire mitigation measures that other teams may find useful.
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Updated 1:31 p.m. MDT September 17, 2022
Doug Forster pointed out in a comment below that an arrest has been made.
Mosquito Fire map. The red line was the perimeter at 3:58 p.m. Sept. 17, 2022. The white line was the perimeter at 8:45 p.m. September 15.
As expected, when the winds increased Saturday afternoon the activity on the east side of the Mosquito Fire picked up. Wind gusts measured at the Foresthill weather station began exceeding 15 mph at 11 a.m. and peaked at 24 mph at 1:30 p.m. The relative humidity was in the 40s until rising into the 50s at 6 p.m., after which the spread of the fire decreased.
The forecast calls for the RH Saturday night to reach 87 percent while the winds slow to 7 mph out of the south. The winds will increase Sunday out of the south to 15 mph with gusts of 21 to 25 mph. The chance of rain will rise throughout the day Sunday, reaching 66 percent by sunset. Precipitation could continue off and on through Wednesday, possibly exceeding an inch.
Mosquito Fire, as seen looking southeast from the Blue Canyon camera at 4:16 p.m. Sept. 17.
The fuels, the vegetation, are extremely dry after years of drought. The rain event will not end the fire season in this part of the state, but assuming the precipitation arrives as expected the spread of the Mosquito Fire should slow to a crawl for several days, at least.
The fire was mapped at 3:58 p.m. Saturday at 73,381 acres.
Firefighters continue to make good progress holding the fire along the Eleven Pines Road and other control lines along the eastern flank. Crews were able to successfully engage in strategic firing operations Saturday to continue building a buffer along these control lines. Saturday night firefighters will patrol, mop up, and secure established control and containment lines in an effort to ensure the fire remains within these existing lines while it is being tested by this wind event.
Placer County is maintaining an evacuation map. Approximately 11,277 people are currently under evacuation orders.
Fire officials said 78 structures have been destroyed. On Saturday there were 3,729 personnel assigned to the fire.
Mosquito Fire map. The red line was the perimeter at 8:45 p.m. Sept 15, 2022. The white line was the perimeter at 4:22 p.m. Sept. 14. Note the location of the Giant Sequoia trees two miles east of the fire.
Firefighters are making good progress on the south, west, and north sides of the Mosquito Fire near Foresthill, California.
On the northeast side, the firing operation along Chicken Hawk, Old Foresthill, and Deadwood Roads is complete and is being mopped up. This will reduce the chance of the fire spreading further to the west and northwest.
Below Todd Valley on the west side, another firing operation is tying in that corner of the fire with the Middle Fork American River. Much of the south side from Volcanoville past Quintette is looking fairly secure.
What is left is the east side which this week, pushed by the prevailing winds out of the southwest, has been moving east about a half mile each day. Firefighters are prepping multiple north-south roads out ahead to the east which could serve as indirect firelines when complete.
Tahoe National Forest’s Truckee Hotshots conducting a firing operation on Buckeye Ridge between Volcanoville and American River. Credit: Dustin Freedman, USDA Forest Service. Posted Sept. 15, 2022.
Two miles east of the fire is the northernmost grove of Giant Sequoias (see map above), trees that can live for 3,000 years during normal climate conditions or if managed and protected appropriately. On Thursday firefighters completed a four-acre burn in this small grove. This was to reduce the fuel so that when the main fire comes through hopefully these huge trees will be protected.
Northernmost Giant Sequoia grove, Tahoe NF, Aug. 13, 2022. Note the person, for scale, between the two trees on the right. Photo by Don Hosford.
The weather on Friday will be similar to what we have seen for several days, moderate relative humidity and wind. That will change Saturday as a system comes in that starts in the afternoon with strong southwest winds gusting to 23 mph, but the RH will still be moderate, in the upper 30s. These winds could throw out burning embers far ahead of the fire, starting spot fires that could increase the rate of spread significantly. Saturday night the wind will come out of the south at 14 mph and that is when the chances for rain begin. By Sunday morning the chances increase to 50 percent and through Monday will vary, but could be as high as 80 percent. The NWS forecast predicts the amount of precipitation through Tuesday could exceed one inch.
Tahoe National Forest’s American River Hotshots receiving an early morning briefing before heading to the fireline on their home district. Credit: Bobby Blaine, US Forest Service.
Forecast for distribution of smoke at 1 a.m. PDT Sept. 16, 2022. NOAA.
Wednesday afternoon most of the smoke from the Mosquito Fire 35 miles northeast of Sacramento was moving into Northern Nevada. But that changed overnight as it spread northwest toward Chico and Redding in north-central California.
A forecast produced by NOAA expects that by 1 a.m. Friday it will again be moving into Northern Nevada, Eastern Oregon, and Southern Idaho. And from there, most likely Montana.
Satellite photo showing smoke from the Mosquito Fire at 8:11 a.m. PDT Sept. 15, 2022.
Below is the current air quality, produced by AirNow.
Air quality, from AirNow, at 8:54 a.m. PDT Sept 15, 2022.Air quality, vicinity of Mosquito Fire, from AirNow, at 8:54 a.m. PDT Sept 15, 2022.
The Commission is already seven months behind the schedule required by legislation. They need to produce a revised schedule of deliverables.
A spot fire on the Mosquito Fire burns toward the community of Foresthill, California September 13, 2022. AlertWildfire image.
Today the Federal administration’s Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission met for the first time in Salt Lake City, Utah to begin crafting federal policy recommendations and strategies on ways to better prevent, manage, suppress and recover from wildfires across the West.
The establishment of the commission was required by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, H.R.3684, signed by the President on November 15, 2021, which became Public Law Number 117-58.
More than 500 applications were received, and 36 non-federal members — 18 primary and 18 alternates — were selected. Along with 11 federal members, the commission will be co-chaired by Departments of Agriculture, the Interior, and FEMA leadership. Commission members represent federal agencies, Tribes, state and local municipalities, and private entities, as directed by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The selections of the members were made by the three co-chairs of the Commission, Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilisack, Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell, and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland.
Of the 47 members of the Commission, there are two, including an alternate, who fill the slot allocated for “wildland firefighter” — Kelly Martin, President of Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, and Nathan Miller, Wildland Superintendent for the City of Santa Fe Fire Department, NM. The full list of members as announced by the government in July can be found here.
The legislation which established the Commission required that the first meeting be held no later than February 13, 2022. It also included deliverables in two broad categories, with due dates, two of which were breached months ago:
1. Develop recommendations to mitigate and manage wildland fires
By February 13, 2023 develop a report describing recommendations to prevent, mitigate, suppress, and manage wildland fires; consider protection of human life, short- and long-term forest management; wildland-urban interface; utility corridors; rehab after fires; streamlining environmental reviews; and, recommendations for modernizing and expanding the use of technology, including satellite technology, remote sensing, unmanned aircraft systems, and any other type of emerging technology to prevent, mitigate, suppress, and manage wildland fires.
2. Report on aerial wildland firefighting equipment, strategy, and inventory
By March 30, 2022 prepare an inventory of surplus cargo and passenger aircraft that may be used for wildland firefighting purposes.
By June 28, 2022 develop an assessment of the number of aircraft needed to fight wildland fires through 2030. The report will include an assessment of the federal government’s authorities to provide or sell surplus aircraft to Federal, State, or local organizations to be used for wildland firefighting, and, identify any additional authorities that are needed. The Commission is directed to consider all private and public sector options for accessing necessary aircraft and aircraft parts, including procurement, contracting, retrofitting, and public-private partnerships.
Our take
Since the Commission is already seven months behind the schedule required by legislation, it remains to be seen if the three co-chairs, Secretary Vilisack, Administrator Criswell, and Secretary Haaland are taking their charges seriously.
Since multiple due dates for deliverables have passed, in order to establish confidence among those who are watching that they can produce useful results, they need to admit they are already far behind, and publicise a revised schedule with dates they pledge to honor. It should include the names of persons responsible for each item.
Too often we see federal agencies ignore laws passed by Congress and incur no penalty. In this case, they have an opportunity to do something meaningful. Let’s hope it is not squandered.
MAFFS training, Boise, April 21, 2017. Photo by Bill Gabbert.
The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) has requested two Department of Defense C-130 aircraft equipped with Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS) to support wildland firefighting operations in support of NIFC in the northwestern United States. One C-130H from the Nevada Air National Guard’s 152nd Airlift Wing, Reno, Nev., and one C-130J from the California Air National Guard’s 146th Airlift Wing, Port Hueneme, Calif., will arrive at Boise Airport in Idaho today. The aircraft are standing by for flying on behalf of a DoD-approved US Forest Service Request.
“We greatly appreciate the assistance of our military partners,” said Kim Christensen, deputy assistant director for operations for the US Forest Service. “These aircraft will help provide additional capacity for aerial firefighting.”
Having military C-130s that can be converted into air tankers provides a critical “surge” capability that can be used to bolster wildfire suppression efforts when commercial air tankers are stretched thin or an inadequate number remain available for initial attack.
Nationally there are 35 large uncontained wildfires being managed by 26 Type 1 or 2 incident management teams. As of Friday morning 156 helicopters are committed to fires along with more than 17,000 personnel. The number of contracted large air tankers activated was 23, plus 6 water scooping air tankers, before the 2 MAFFS came on board.
Looking at the inside of a MAFFS air tanker, the retardant tank and one of the compressed air tanks. Photo by Bill Gabbert.
