Wildfire Today

News and opinion about wildland fire

Wildfire Today

Category: Wildfire

Unplanned vegetation fires

Leilani Fire burns more than 20,000 acres in Hawaii

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories WildfireTags , 5 Comments on Leilani Fire burns more than 20,000 acres in Hawaii

Started in a US Army training area in July

Updated 8:55 a.m. PDT August 13, 2022

More accurate mapping on Friday found that the Leilani Fire on Hawaii’s Big Island was not as large as the earlier 25,000-acre estimate, and had instead burned 16,400 acres as of Friday afternoon. Fire officials said it was about two miles from Highway 190.

From BigIslandNow, August 12 at 3:41 p.m. HST:

“The last two days the fire was mostly burning in invasive fountain grass. It’s the first plant that comes in after fire disturbance,” said Steve Bergfeld, the Hawaii Island Branch Manager for the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Wildlife, and one of three incident commanders on the fire. “Unfortunately, the fire has moved into some dryland forest which has native ōhiʻa lehua and we are trying to keep flames away from this sensitive area.”

Seven contracted bulldozers left a fire command post this morning, leading the way into the fire area, where the heavy machines continued building wide fire lines. Five helicopters from the U.S. Army’s Pōhakuloa Training Area are conducting aerial water drops. It’s hoped this all-out assault on the Leilani fire will result in firefighters gaining the upper hand in the next few days.

The video below was shot Friday August 12 by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR).

The photos below are still images from DLNR videos.

12:01 p.m. PDT August 12, 2022

Map of the Leilani Fire, morning of Aug. 12, 2022
Map of the Leilani Fire. The red and tan dots represent heat detected by a satellite early in the morning Aug. 12, 2022. The small red perimeter was the extent of the fire on July 22, 2022.

A fire in Hawaii that the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) said has been burning for weeks has suddenly become much more active. The Leilani Fire started in the US Army’s Pohakuloa Training Area on the Big Island and was mapped July 22 at 2,362 acres. Recent strong winds and extremely dry conditions have helped it spring back to life and was reported Thursday evening to be 25,000 acres.

Satellite heat detections early Friday morning appeared to show it has advanced out of the Department of Defense training area and spread northwest onto state land, approaching the Daniel K. Inouye Highway (Highway 200). State officials said it was about a mile south of Hawaii Belt Road (Highway 190).

Leilani Fire big Island Hawaii
Leilani Fire, image from video by Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Officials with the DLNR said Thursday it was not threatening any homes but dry fuels and winds gusting up to 30 mph are making it difficult to contain the blaze. It is burning through brush and grass dessicated during the drought.

A spokesperson for the Army told The Associated Press that while there is active military training in the area, the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Leilani Fire big Island Hawaii
Leilani Fire, image from video by Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources.

“There are units up there training, I can’t confirm or deny if live fire was taking place,” said Michael O. Donnelly, chief of external communications for the U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii. “It’s business as usual, but the exact cause we don’t know.”

Leilani Fire big Island Hawaii
Leilani Fire, image from video by Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Fire south of Bordeaux in France forces 10,000 to evacuate

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories WildfireTags
Q400 drops retardant on a fire in France
A Q400 drops retardant on a fire in France. Reuters.

The number of acres burned this year in France through mid-August, 148,000, is six times the full-year annual average over the last 15 years. Currently there are eight large fires in the country.

In the southwest, the Gironde region south of Bordeaux has been especially hard hit. One of the fires started a month ago and burned 14,000 acres. It was thought to be controlled, but officials said it either “reignited” on Tuesday or arson may have played a role. Since then it has blackened an additional 18,000 acres, destroyed or damaged 17 homes, and prompted about 10,000 residents to evacuate.

It has forced the closure of the A63 motorway, a major route to Spain between Bordeaux and Bayonne.

The difficulty in suppressing the fires is being attributed to record-breaking drought, strong winds, and high temperatures occasionally hitting 104 Fahrenheit in the southwest.

wildfires in France in the Gironde region map
The red areas represent heat detected at wildfires in France in the Gironde region south of Bordeaux during the 31-day period ending August 12, 2022. FIRMS.

International assistance is coming in the form of 65 firefighters from Germany, others from Romania, Austria, and Poland, and water scooping air tankers from Greece and Sweden.

firefighters Romania are assisting France
Dozens of firefighters from Romania are assisting France

France has a fleet of nine S-2 air tankers and has purchased six Q400 MR air tankers, with at least four having been delivered.

There is also large fire in the mountainous Serra de Estrela park in central Portugal, where 24,000 acres have burned. It is being fought by about 1,500 firefighters.

map Fires Portugal Serra Da Estrela Natural Park
The red areas represent heat detected by satellites in Portugal’s Serra de Estrela Natural Park during the 7-day period ending August 12, 2022.

Impressive fire whirl on the Sam Fire in LA County

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories WildfireTags , 1 Comment on Impressive fire whirl on the Sam Fire in LA County
Fire whirl on the Sam Fire in LA County, Aug. 10, 2022
Fire whirl on the Sam Fire in LA County, Aug. 10, 2022. KTLA-2

On Wednesday afternoon the Sam Fire burned nearly 150 acres of grass and brush in northwestern Los Angeles County. No structures were damaged and there were no reports of injuries.

The KTLA Channel 5 helicopter captured some interesting video of an impressive fire whirl. It’s hard to appreciate it from seeing still photos since it did not appear to be very tall like many large fire whirls, but the indrafts it created are fascinating. At the end of the video below, an Air-Crane helicopter dropped water that at least for a while took most of the energy out of it.

Fire whirl on the Sam Fire in LA County, Aug. 10, 2022
Helicopter drops water on a fire whirl on the Sam Fire in LA County, Aug. 10, 2022. KTLA

Maybe a helicopter pilot can tell us how ballsy it was, or was not, to fly close enough to drop water on the fire whirl.

Fire whirls, much like dust devils, are not uncommon on a fire when the atmosphere is unstable, and are much smaller than fire tornados. In 1978 a researcher for the National Weather Service in Missoula, David W. Goens, established parameters for the two.

He said the average size of a fire whirl is usually 33 to 100 feet, with rotational velocities of 22 to 67 MPH.

But a fire tornado dominates the large scale fire dynamics. They lead to extreme hazard and control problems. In size, they average 100 to 1,000 feet in diameter and have rotational velocities up to 90 MPH.

 

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Pat.

Firefighter killed at a wildfire in Oregon

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories WildfireTags , , 20 Comments on Firefighter killed at a wildfire in Oregon

Updated 9:12 a.m. PDT August 12, 2022

The 24-hour Preliminary Report was released today for the August 10 fatality on the Big Swamp Fire in Oregon.

Below is the narrative from the document:

Narrative: A crewmember from a Bureau of Land Management Interagency Hotshot Crew was killed as a result of critical injuries sustained during firefighting operations on the Big Swamp Fire. He was struck by a falling tree and transported via helicopter to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

Notifications to the family have been made and preliminary steps taken to convene an Interagency Serious Accident Review team ordered to facilitate organizational learning.

/s/ Duane Bishop – Acting Forest Supervisor, Willamette National Forest

Updated 12:23 p.m. PDT August 11, 2022

Firefighter Collin Hagan's body
REACH Air Medical helicopter arrives at the Roseburg Regional Airport with Firefighter Collin Hagan’s body. Douglas County Sheriff’s Office photo.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s office reported that the firefighter who was killed on the Big Swamp Fire in Southwest Oregon on August 10 was 27-year-old Collin Hagan of Toivola, Michigan.

Shortly after 12:30 p.m., 9-1-1 dispatchers received information that a wildland firefighter was critically injured after being struck by a tree. An ambulance and REACH Air Medical Services were dispatched to the scene. Despite lifesaving efforts by EMS personnel assigned to the fire, Mr. Hagan succumbed to his injuries.

Mr. Hagan’s body was flown from the Toketee Airstrip to the Roseburg Regional Airport by REACH Air Medical Services helicopter. Firefighters from the Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service, Roseburg Fire Department, and Douglas County Fire District #2 stood together to honor Mr. Hagan as his body arrived and was transferred to the care of a funeral service provider. The firefighters then provided an honor escort to the funeral home.

“We are devastated by the tragic loss of a cherished firefighter working on our forest to save our communities and beloved recreational areas,” said Duane Bishop, Acting Forest Supervisor on the Willamette National Forest. “Their family has been notified and we are working with our partners to ensure the crew is well taken care of. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families and fellow crew members of this brave firefighter.”

Updated 8:43 a.m. PDT August 11, 2022

Map, location of Big Swamp Fire
Map, location of Big Swamp Fire, August 11, 2022.

The National Interagency Fire Center reported early Thursday morning that on August 10, a member of the Craig Interagency Hotshot Crew was fatally injured while assigned to the Big Swamp Fire on the Willamette National Forest in southwest Oregon.

A Serious Accident Investigation Team has been mobilized.  As of 8 a.m. Thursday morning the name of the deceased had not been released.

The Craig Interagency Hotshot Crew, founded by the Bureau of Land Management in 2001, is based in Craig, Colorado.

The Big Swamp Fire has burned 117 acres. It is 5 miles northwest of the 1,009-acre Windigo Fire and 62 miles southeast of Eugene. The August 10 update from the Incident Management Team said crews were securing line, mopping up, and looking for opportunities to put in direct fire line. It is one of four blazes being managed by Northwest Incident Management Team 6. The others are Windigo, Potter, and Shelter Fires.

Our sincere condolences go out to the family, friends, and co-workers.

Big Swamp Fire 9:29 p.m. August 10, 2022
The red shaded area represents the Big Swamp Fire in southwest Oregon, mapped at 9:29 p.m. PDT August 10, 2022. Looking northwest.

Scooping air tanker crashes in Texas Lake, pilot rescued

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories WildfireTags , ,

The single engine air tanker was refilling at Lake Livingston

7:27 p.m. CDT August 9, 2022

Map, August 9, 2022 helicopter crash
Map, August 9, 2022 helicopter crash in Lake Livingston, Texas.

This article was first published at Fire Aviation.

Tuesday afternoon, August 9, a single engine air tanker working on a wildfire in southeast Texas crashed in Lake Livingston. The pilot was quickly rescued, taken to shore, and treated.

The accident was announced by the Texas Forest Service’s Lone Star State Incident Management Team which said the agency was assisting with wildfires in the Corrigan area.

The incident occurred at about 5 p.m. CDT. Lake Livingston is 25 miles southwest of Corrigan and 55 miles northeast of Houston.

The Air Tractor 802 Fire Boss is amphibious. It has floats and can skim across the surface of a lake to refill its water tank, then fly to the fire and assist firefighters by dropping water. The Texas Forest Service does not own any air tankers, they issue contracts to private companies.

When we hear more about the condition of the pilot we will update this article. An 802 Fire Boss usually only has one person on board.

File photo of an Air Tractor 802 Fire Boss operated by Conair. Not necessarily the aircraft involved in the incident.
File photo of an Air Tractor 802 Fire Boss. Not the aircraft involved in the incident.

There have been two other incidents in the last seven days involving Air Tractor 802 Fire Boss air tankers.

On August 3 a Fire Boss suffered an engine failure and made a forced landing while working on a fire in British Columbia. The pilot survived.

Two days later on August 5 a Fire Boss crashed and sank in the Gulf of Elefsina while working on a fire near Nea Peramos in Greece. It occurred about 12 miles west of Athens as the air tanker was scooping water. Both crew members were rescued.

There have been three recent fatal helicopter crashes related to wildfires.

On July 16, 2022 a Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office Bell UH-1H Huey helicopter crashed northeast of Albuquerque, New Mexico, killing all four on board. It had been assisting with a wildfire, providing bucket drops and other air logistics needs to fire crews on the ground.

A Boeing CH-47D helicopter crashed into the Salmon River July 20, 2022 while working on the Moose Fire in Idaho, firefighters swam across the river to extract and care for the two pilots. Unfortunately, both of the pilots died from their injuries.

On June 26, 2022 a Bell UH-1B operated by Northern Pioneer Helicopters out of Big Lake, Alaska was attempting to assist firefighters by hauling equipment to the Clear Fire by a 125-foot long line. It was maneuvering at the Clear Airport 53 miles southwest of Fairbanks about 140 feet above the ground to have the end of the long line connected to the cargo. A loud noise was heard and the helicopter fell to the ground, killing the pilot, the only person on board.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Tom.

Forest Service lookout one of four killed during McKinney Fire in Northern California

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories WildfireTags , , 2 Comments on Forest Service lookout one of four killed during McKinney Fire in Northern California
Kathy Shoopman
Kathy Shoopman. USFS photo.

The US Forest Service has announced that one of the four people killed in the McKinney Fire in Northern California was Kathy Shoopman, a long-time FS employee. The agency said she died in her home in the community of Klamath River as a result of the fire on July 29, the day the fire erupted.

Ms. Shoopman started her career as a lookout at Baldy Mountain Lookout, west of Happy Camp, in 1974. Since then, she has staffed Lake Mountain Lookout, and most recently Buckhorn Lookout, a post she has held since 1993. She lived in the community of Klamath River for nearly five decades and was a talented artist, gardener, and a devout animal lover.

All four victims lived in Klamath River, which was ordered to evacuate on July 29 as the fire spread rapidly. It has now burned more than 60,000 acres. Ms. Shoopman was the first victim to have been positively identified.

Our sincere condolences go out to Ms. Shoopman’s family, friends, and co-workers.