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Wildfire Today

Category: Wildfire

Unplanned vegetation fires

Forestry student receives Truman scholarship

Author Kelly AnderssonPosted on Categories WildfireTags , , , Leave a comment on Forestry student receives Truman scholarship

Jaiden Stansberry, a senior in the forestry program at the University of Montana in Missoula, is one of just 60 Truman Scholars this year — chosen from 709 candidates. Stansberry is in the Davidson Honors College and is  also completing a Fire Science and Management minor. Stansberry’s application focused on wildland fire.

She is studying fire science and management at UM and works summers as a wildland firefighter in Yosemite National Park, where she spent much of her childhood. Because of her father’s work there, Stansberry grew up at Yosemite — she calls herself a park brat and says her experience as a firefighter gave her an edge in the scholarship competition. The application process requires a policy proposal, and her focus was recruitment and retention of leaders in fire management — by drawing more seasonal workers into the NPS apprenticeship program.
University of Montana Forestry School
University of Montana Forestry School

Grad students in the Truman program are selected for their leadership potential, commitment to a career in government or the nonprofit sector, and demonstrated academic excellence.

Jaiden Stansberry

Growing up in the National Park Service encouraged a dedication to natural resources for Jaiden. She is currently studying forestry with a minor in fire sciences and management and has worked as a wildland firefighter for the National Park Service for the past two years. Her experience inspired her to focus on prescribed fire implementation and challenges. She intends to pursue an MS in natural resources stewardship with a concentration in forest sciences to expand her knowledge of the influence of policy in forest management. Jaiden is particularly interested in designing prescribed fire programs for the National Park Service to support natural disturbances on a landscape while mitigating fuel to protect property and life. She hopes to encourage collaborative efforts between National Parks and local tribes to perform burning in areas with cultural significance. In her free time, Jaiden can be found flyfishing the Blackfoot River and traveling to different National Parks.

The Truman Scholars receive $30,000 for graduate studies, leadership training, career counseling, and internship opportunities in  federal agencies. Stansberry said her experience at the University of Montana has been just what she’d hoped college would be. “It’s been a phenomenal time here, and I’m really glad this is the school I ended up going to,” she said.

She’ll work this summer as a firefighter at Glacier National Park, then head to Washington DC for her internship after her first year of grad school focused on wildland fire policy. We certainly congratulate Jaiden and wish her the best; you can the full story feature by Abigail Lauten-Scrivner of the UM News Service [HERE], and there’s more about the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation [HERE]. Brief bios of the 2024 Truman Scholars are posted [HERE] and it’s a mighty impressive read.

 ~ Thanks and a tip of the hardhat to Steve for this. 

 

Texas hearings live

Author Kelly AnderssonPosted on Categories Insurance, Prevention, WildfireTags , ,

Here’s a tip from Michael Archer’s “Wildfire News of the Day”

ABC 7 in Amarillo is livestreaming the Texas House Committee that’s  investigating the deadly Panhandle wildfires; it resumes testimony today in Pampa.Before testimony began, Chairman Ken King, R-Canadian, said Osmose decided the company does not need to participate in the investigation. Osmose is a third-party contractor that inspects power poles for Xcel Energy. The company is named in some of the wildfire related lawsuits.

According to one of the lawsuits, the pole determined to be the ignition source of the Smokehouse Creek Fire should have been removed after it was inspected by Osmose earlier this year.

Day 2 of testimony in legislative hearings on deadly Panhandle wildfires:

One of the witnesses is explaining that without the many loads of water and retardant dumped on the Smokehouse Fire, his town would have completely burned to the ground. (Remember as you listen that the references to the “Forest Service” is not the federal USDA agency — it’s Texas A&M Forest Service.)

Here’s Day 1 of testimony, with a transcript:

Bring another round of brews …

Author Kelly AnderssonPosted on Categories WildfireTags , , , , , 1 Comment on Bring another round of brews …

This is the most-fun note in my inbox for at least a couple of months.
Likely more.  [cheers]

Eric Malofsky with Trans Canada SCOOPER pale ale
Eric Malofsky with Trans Canada SCOOPER pale ale
From: Eric Malofsky 
Subject: Scooper Beer 
Hey y’all. Longtime subscriber here.
I just wanted to message you and share that Trans Canada Brewing up here in Manitoba took my suggestion to immortalize the venerable CL-215 by brewing an ale dedicated to fire aircraft -- it's the Scooper Pale Ale!
Not sure how far abroad availability will be, but I know for sure it will be well-received after alerts on tanker bases around here!
CHEERS, Eric

“Welcome to our newest seasonal series beer, Scooper Pale Ale,” says Trans Canada. “The CL-215, an iconic Canadian waterbomber commonly referred to as a Scooper, has been guarding the Canadian wilderness for decades. This pale ale boasts tropical and citrus notes with a refreshing bitterness to create a thirst-quenching finish.”

Flying Otter light lager
Flying Otter light lager

Trans Canada Brewing Co. also makes the FLYING OTTER Light Lager, complete with just about the coolest and most iconic and awesome brew logo  EVER, so they can’t be all bad.

⇠ ⇠  Does the Flying Otter lager logo make you think of FirePirates, I mean fire pilots, who drove Twin Otters, I mean twatters, for smokejumpers ????? Yeah, me too !

Trans Canada has a brewery, a taproom, and a general store in Winnipeg’s southwest corner. The company is Manitoba-owned and 100 percent  independent — and they’ve got some dandy vintage-style art on their website:

Trans Canada Brewing
Trans Canada Brewing at tcb.beer !

The more you look at that art the better you will like it.

I fully expect this SCOOPER pale ale will become just as iconic with firefighters as Moose Drool (and its family of seasonal delicious brews from Big Sky Brewing) became some years ago in the Northern Rockies fire region.

And the SCOOPER pale ale’s only “available seasonally,” so heads-up on when and where you’ll find it.

Trans Canada SCOOPER Pale Ale
Trans Canada SCOOPER Pale Ale

— and —

BIG CHEERS and un fuerte abrazo to Our Pal Eric Malofsky for suggesting in the nicest most persuasive way to Trans Canada Brewing Co. that they oughta make us a pale ale branded with a CL-215 ! He just happens to be a 215 mechanic.

(And BTW anyone who ships me a can or six of either one wins a bonus prize.)

This is awesome, thank you so much for the article! I'm glad you like it; we've had quite the response since putting this beer out into the market. I just shipped a case to Quebec to some of the pilots out there yesterday.

One thing about our brands is there is always some sort of easter egg hidden in the label. The Scooper label has an Otter plane in the background, and our Flying Otter label is modeled after a Royal Canadian Airforce recruitment poster. Thanks again, I'm going to share this article around the office!

Trans Canada Brewing Co. Cheers,
Emma Houldsworth
Brand & Marketing Leader
Trans Canada Brewing Co.
1-1290 Kenaston Blvd., Winnipeg MB R3P 0R7

 

Anyone got a spare helicopter?

Author Kelly AnderssonPosted on Categories WildfireTags , 4 Comments on Anyone got a spare helicopter?

Cuesta Colorada Ixmiquilpan Hidalgo — At least six active wildfires are burning in Hidalgo, according to a report by La Silla Rota, fires that have affected hundreds of hectares and also the civilian population, including the fire that started in Nicolás Flores and has spread to Cuesta Colorada, Ixmiquilpan.

Mexico City
Smoke just north of Ciudad de México, photo ©2024 Brian Okarski

From the plenary session of the local Congress, deputy Osiris Leines Medécido made a call to support fire victims.

Fires just north of Mexico City have evacuated residents and threatened towns.

Mexico fires -- Cuesta Colorada Ixmiquilpan Hidalgo north of Mexico City.
Mexico fires — Cuesta Colorada Ixmiquilpan Hidalgo north of Mexico City.

Osiris Leines Medécido talked about the fires in Hidalgo territory, and he emphasized the one that started in Nicolás Flores and has spread to  Ixmiquilpan.

Fires in the community called Cuesta Colorada Ixmiquilpan Hidalgo
Fires in the community called Cuesta Colorada Ixmiquilpan Hidalgo

“In Cuesta Colorada, people have organized themselves to be able to fight this fire, the entire population, the delegates, those who represent spas and citizens have all organized, but the intervention of the authorities at the different levels of government is required; the situation requires professionals in the subject, with the appropriate tools and instruments,” he said.

Smoke just north of Ciudad de México, photo ©2024 Brian Okarski
Smoke just north of Ciudad de México, photo ©2024 Brian Okarski

Osiris Leines extended the request of his colleague Aarón Charrez Paloma,  substitute local deputy for the District of Ixmiquilpan, to provide support for the people affected by this fire in the Mezquital Valley.

CuestaColorado Ixmiquilpan Hidalgo
facebook post about fires at Cuesta
Colorado Ixmiquilpan Hidalgo

The Associated Press reported that wildfires were burning in nearly half of Mexico’s drought-stricken states yesterday, fueled by strong winds; the National Forestry Commission reported 58 active fires in 15 states, including in protected nature reserves in Morelos, Veracruz, and Mexico states.

Strong winds and high temps have blocked the efforts of local volunteers to fight the fire
Strong winds and high temps have blocked the efforts of local volunteers to fight the fire

Mexico News Daily reported earlier this month that five residents of the town of San Lucas Quiaviní died while trying to fight a forest fire that threatened their village in the eastern section of the Central Valleys region of the state of Oaxaca, some 40 kilometers from the state capital of Oaxaca City. Villagers had tried to contain the fire but it quickly spread and the five men were overwhelmed by the fire.

In front of my father's house
“In front of my father’s house” Tuesday afternoon

State authorities were alerted as soon as the fire was spotted, but villagers say officials were slow to react.

The Oaxaca state government did not issue an emergency assistance plan until after the fatalities were reported, two days after they were alerted to the fire. By then, San Lucas Quiaviní had issued a call to neighboring municipalities to help combat the blaze.

Remote fire sensors deployed on Hawaiian islands

Author Kelly AnderssonPosted on Categories WildfireTags , , ,

Fire detection sensors are being set up around Maui and other Hawaiian islands to allow local resources to respond faster when wildfires break out, said Governor Josh Green today.

CNN reports that Maui Mayor Richard Bissen added, “The introduction of an early detection system will give our first responders a critical advantage in protecting our community. With this new technology, detecting fires at the very early phases will save lives.”

According to MauiNow, the remote sensors are en route to Kīhei and Lahaina, and they will use a combination of thermal imaging, gas detection, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms; the wildfire sensors detect concentrations or spikes in particulates or carbon monoxide to identify wildfire ignition — in real time. The sensors transmit data by email or text notifications to pre-set contacts, and the remote units are small enough for installation on utility poles or traffic lights. They can also work in all weather conditions, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

“What’s important is we get to the scene as fast as we can, so that we can catch fire in incipient phases,” said Maui Fire Chief Brad Ventura. “Today we share one more tool that’s going to help expedite our responses to our communities.”

About 80 fire sensors are being set up around the islands; the first 20 on Maui are planned for deployment by the first week of April.

These sensors detect heat and also can track anomalies such as airborne smoke particles and gases produced by fires — and can distinguish those from other substances common in the air around Hawai’i — including volcanic ash and ocean salt.

~ Thanks and a tip of the hardhat to Rick for this.