As we pointed out in an article on February 12, about 4 percent of the visitors to WildfireToday.com do it on a mobile device such as a smart phone. That number may increase after today because we just optimized our site for these hand-held devices. Previously when you used a smart phone the site would take a while to load, the type would be small requiring you to zoom in, and the photos would then be too large to conveniently view.
Changes made today fix these issues. It loads very quickly and the type and photos are appropriately sized for reading and viewing on a small screen.
It looks very different, however, as you can see:
You will see a list of posts titles, rather than opening the latest six posts all at the same time as happens on the regular version of the site. If you prefer the standard view of the site on your smart phone, simply click “View Full Version”.
We hope this works for you if you use a smart phone. For now we will consider it an experiment. Let us know what you think, and if you have any issues, good or bad, let us know what type of device and operating system you are using.
Does a series of photos have to end with a sunset? No, but this one does.
The above photo is the last in the series of winners that we are highlighting from the 2010 National Park Service Fire and Aviation Photo Contest. This image was taken by Jim Jensen of Golden Gate National Recreation Area and took first place in the Fire Apparatus category. It was shot in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park. Click on the photo to see a larger version.
This wraps up our series of photos from the NPS photo contest. We will look forward to next year.
We are sad to report that Donald S. Lam of the Kentucky Division of Forestry, died today, February 17, of injuries he sustained while fighting a fire in western Kentucky on September 7, 2010.
Initial investigations report that Ranger Lam was struck by a rolling log, a burning snag approximately 10 ft in length that broke loose and rolled off a bluff. The impact has left Ranger Lam unconscious and with serious injuries including second degree burns.
Here is more information reported today by LEX18.com:
Lam, 58, was a dedicated forest ranger technician and experienced wildland firefighter who had assisted with fire suppression efforts on the local, state and national level for nearly 12 years.
“This tragedy is a tremendous loss to our organization,” said Leah MacSwords, director of the Kentucky Division of Forestry. “When you think about what forest wardens do every day and the frequency in which they put themselves in harm’s way for the protection of citizens and forest resources, it makes you realize the commitment and loyalty that make up their character.”
Lam, who had been in critical condition since the accident occurred on September 7, received injuries while working the Scotts Chapel Road Fire-a 12-acre wildfire in Livingston County. Lam was clearing a fire break for containment at the base of a bluff when a burning snag broke loose on top and rolled off striking him from behind. The impact left him unconscious and with serious injuries including second degree burns.
The Scotts Chapel Road fire initially spread from a burning brush pile during a county-wide burn ban. The brush pile was set fire by FCE Construction and Excavation while clearing a construction site owned by River Oaks Timberland Management. Currently, charges are pending for the person responsible for starting the fire.
Our sincere condolences go out to Mr. Lam’s family and co-workers.
Thanks for the information Tyson, and we are sorry for your loss.
The above photo is another in the series of winners that we are highlighting from the 2010 National Park Service Fire and Aviation Photo Contest. This image was taken by Andrew Munoz of Lake Mead National Recreation Area and took first place in the Public Interaction category. It was shot in Lake Mead NRA. Click on the photo to see a larger version.
Numerous reports, blogs, and press releases continue to perpetuate the rumor that the current fleet of large airtankers used to fight wildland fires are going to be unavailable after 2012. These rumors are extremely misleading and totally false, and AHSAFA would like to set the record straight.
The privately operated large airtankers continue to be a viable component of wildland firefighting. Since 2005, the US Forest Service (USFS) has required all large airtanker operators to institute a comprehensive Continuous Airworthiness Program (CAP) in addition to the normal, routine maintenance requirements. Under the program, the operator must spell out an extensive inspection, and parts replacement plan, which must be verifiable with appropriate data and documentation. Additionally, all inspections under the CAP must be completed on schedule. This is why, contrary to current rumor, no law or regulation has mandated a phase out of the large tankers starting in 2012–or any other date– and why the industry believes the fleet is expected to remain airworthy for at least another 10-12 years of service.
Aero Union Corporation of Sacramento, California, and Neptune Aviation of Missoula, Montana are the major operators of the large airtankers under contract to the USFS. To assure the continued airworthiness of the Lockheed P-2V and P-3 airtankers, an extensive fatigue and damage tolerance assessment was carried out on the aircraft between April 2004 and August 2007 by an FAA-qualified, independent consulting firm, under a USFS contract.
For Aero Union’s eight P-3 aircraft, the average airframe hours are 17,040, with one as low as 13,900. In comparison, the current U.S. Navy P-3 aircraft averages over 20,000 hours.
The nine Neptune P-2 airtankers have a fleet average of just 9,500 flight hours on their airframes, with some aircraft, as little as 3,000 hours. New FAA requirements for continued airworthiness have even extended the service life of the aircraft.
The chart below shows the numbers of aircraft by type and the life expectancy of the majority of the existing large airtanker fleet. The chart is based on airtanker data from Aero Union and Neptune Aviation. Note the first major reduction of available aircraft doesn’t occur until 2019.
In spite of the rigorous maintenance oversight to insure the continued airworthiness of the airtankers, the industry agrees these aircraft will eventually reach the end of their service life and no longer be economical to operate. The current efforts by the USFS and the private sector are producing positive and specific solutions to the large airtanker challenge without any intervention and expansion of the role of any Federal agencies. The USFS and this association are actively addressing immediate and future large airtanker needs and together there has been significant progress in federal contracting strategies that provide the private sector with financial strategies that will position the private sector to be responsive to the need for modernized aerial firefighting assets. One of the important changes in contracting strategies requires Congress to provide the USFS with authority to contract for longer periods of time than the existing five year options. Ten year contracts would allow the private sector numerous financial options when procuring new large airtanker aircraft.
The public should rest assured the current large airtanker operators are mission-ready for deployment to any wildland fire at a moment’s notice and are currently under contract to the US Forest Service to fly on wildfires anywhere in the United States.
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UPDATE by Wildfire Today @ 7:50 p.m. MT, February 17
More information:
List of federally contracted large air tankers in 2010 revised March 30, 2010
A notice was published in the February 15, 2011 edition of the Federal Register that announced the establishment of the “Wildland Fire Executive Council”. Here is an excerpt from the article:
The purpose of the WFEC is to provide advice on the coordinated national level wildland fire policy leadership, direction, and program oversight in support to the Wildland Fire Leadership Council.
[…]
It will report to the Secretary of the Interior and Secretary of Agriculture through the Wildland Fire Leadership Council, which is comprised of, in part, the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget and the Directors of National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the U.S. Geological Survey for the Department of the Interior, and for the Department of Agriculture, the Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, the Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, and the Chief of the Forest Service.
The Department of the Interior’s Office of Wildland Fire Coordination will provide support for the WFEC.
The purpose of the WFEC is to provide advice on the coordinated national level wildland fire policy leadership, direction, and program oversight in support to the Wildland Fire Leadership Council.
The WFEC will meet approximately 6–12 times a year. The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture will appoint members on a staggered term basis for terms not to exceed 3 years.
Members of the WFEC shall be composed of representatives from the Federal government, and from among, but not limited to, the following interest groups.
Director, Department of the Interior, Office of Wildland Fire Coordination;
Director, United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Fire and Aviation Management;
Assistant Administrator, U.S. Fire Administration;
National Wildfire Coordinating Group;
National Association of State Foresters;
International Association of Fire Chiefs;
Intertribal Timber Council;
National Association of Counties;
National League of Cities; and
National Governors’ Association
Since the Wildland Fire Leadership Council was created, I have wondered how it could really get anything accomplished with the membership consisting of extremely high-level people such as Assistant and Deputy Secretaries, and Directors of agencies, few of whom have much in-depth knowledge of wildland fire or emergency management, or have much time to devote to regular meetings about wildland fire. It is a good sign that all of the federal members of this new WFEC have the word “fire” in their titles.
It is interesting that the International Association of Fire Chiefs, an organization that primarily concentrates on structural fire, will have a seat at the table. As we have pointed out earlier, they appear to have an extremely close relationship with some of the federal wildfire agencies. One might expect that a non-government organization that is dedicated to wildland fire would be a member instead of a structural fire outfit.
UPDATE @ 8:57 a.m. MT, February 17
Wildfire Today has been informed that the “Wildland Fire Executive Council” has been in existence for three to four years, and has been conducting meetings unofficially. The legalese in the Federal Register when the council was officially announced this week is interesting:
In accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended, 5 U.S.C. App. 2, and with the concurrence of the General Services Administration, the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture are announcing the establishment of the Wildland Fire Executive Council (WFEC).
