Describing the size of a fire

The Columbia Journalism Review has an interesting article about how to describe the size of fires. The author, Merrill Perlman, laments that the general public has trouble visualizing what an acre looks like, let alone a large number such as 260,000 acres. Here is an excerpt:

…So what’s a better measurement? Square miles are useful. (A square mile is about 640 acres.) Nearly everyone knows how long a mile is, and it’s easier to visualize the size of a square with one mile on each side.

Using square miles also makes the numbers seem less dramatic. The 2,500 acres that were replanted in Arizona in the example above translates to about four square miles, which suddenly doesn’t seem so big. The 260,000-acre figure above is about 406 square miles. Putting them in a more manageable perspective will allow readers to say “Gee, that’s big.” Or not.

But you should be cautious with square miles, too: Just how big is 406 square miles?

American readers can usually understand the timeworn—but effective—comparison to the size of a state. For example, 406 square miles is about a quarter of the size of Rhode Island (1,545 square miles), or the equivalent of six Districts of Columbia (68.25 square miles). Or you can use a local equivalent: In the Southwest, you can say that the 260,000 acres consumed by fire is the equivalent of about one-quarter the size of Grand Canyon National Park; in the Northeast, it could be equivalent to almost eighteen Manhattans. The point is to keep the “equivalent” number small and relevant.

One further caution: Use “equivalent” when giving a size or comparison. No fire consumes in a *rectangular pattern, so even “square miles” or “acres” can make a reader think of a nice, neat pattern. And fires are nothing if not messy.

Making better comparisons can make for fewer “acres” and pains for readers.

*Check out the Onion’s report of a fire that “raged back into control”.

via @Firescaping

Automatic video camera photographed the Station fire

During the Station fire near Los Angeles last year, a remote wildlife video camera photographed the fire as it burned around the camera and consumed the vegetation in a canyon. It also photographed a mountain lion before the fire, and some bears after the fire passed through. Very cool.

I believe the fire video was captured on August 28.

Amazing.

Families of Iron 44 helicopter crash victims reportedly settle suits

The Oregonian newspaper reports that seven of the families of the firefighters that were killed and three that were injured in the crash of the helicopter on the Iron 44 fire in 2008 have reached a tentative settlement in various lawsuits.

On August 5, 2008, a Sikorsky S-61 helicopter crashed as it was taking off from a helispot on the fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest in northern California. Nine were killed, including a pilot, a check pilot, and seven contract firefighters with Grayback Forestry.

An attorney representing some of the families said a tentative agreement has been reached with Carson Helicopters, Columbia Helicopters, and the U.S. Forest Service, but the dollar amount is still being finalized. No agreement has yet been reached with Sikorsky, the manufacturer of the helicopter, or General Electric, which built the engines.

The Oregonian reports that the families of Roark Schwanenberg, the pilot who died, and Jim Ramage, a Forest Service check pilot, as well as surviving pilot William Coultas, did not reach settlements with any of the five defendants.

A contributing factor in the crash may have been the weight of the helicopter as it attempted to take off from the helispot with the ten firefighters, tools, two pilots, and one check pilot. In their report, the National Transportation Safety Board estimated that the actual empty weight of the helicopter was 13,845 pounds, while Carson Helicopters stated in their contract proposal that the weight was 12,013 pounds. For the purpose of load calculations on the day of the crash, the pilot assumed the weight to be 12,408 pounds, which was 1,437 pounds less than the actual weight estimated by the NTSB. In addition, the manifest for that fatal flight calculated that the payload was 2,355 pounds, while the NTSB report estimated that the actual payload was 3,005, a difference of 650 pounds. So the actual total weight of the loaded helicopter as it attempted to take off from the helispot may have been 2,087 pounds heavier than anyone at the fire realized, according to data in the report.

After the crash, the U.S. Forest Service weighed the 10 Carson helicopters that were under contract. They found that seven of them were heavier than Carson had stated in their contract proposals, by an average of 490 pounds. The USFS later canceled their contract with Carson.

In 2009 Carson obtained a contract to supply seven Sikorsky S-61 helicopters to haul supplies for the U. S. military in Afghanistan. The company is partnering with a subsidiary of Blackwater Worldwide, which recently changed their name to “Xe”.

Killed on the Iron 44 incident were pilot Roark Schwanenberg, check pilot Jim Ramage, Shawn Blazer, Scott Charlson, Matthew Hammer, Edrik Gomez, Bryan Rich, David Steele, and Steven “Caleb” Renno. Injured were William Coultas, Richard Schroeder Jr., Jonathan Frohreich, and Michael Brown.

The Wildland Firefighter Foundation has a tribute page online [HERE] and CALFIRE has one [HERE].

Propane tank launched from structure fire narrowly misses boaters

At a structure fire near Cayuga Lake in central New York state on Sunday, a 100-pound propane tank, its contents rapidly expanding in the heat, shot above the firefighters in a ball of fire and rocketed west into the lake, narrowly missing boaters who had gathered to watch. Flames from the tank started a vegetation fire which threatened nearby structures.

Using water tenders and water from the lake, firefighters were able to suppress the vegetation fire, as well as the remains of the structure, which was a total loss.

9 park visitors struck by lightning at Yellowstone’s Old Faithful

From the Billings Gazette:

Nine visitors to Yellowstone National Park were injured late Tuesday afternoon when they were struck by lightning. All were on the boardwalk or on walkways around Old Faithful Geyser when a small thunderstorm produced a single lightning bolt.

Bystanders had started CPR on a 57 year old man, who was conscious and breathing when rangers arrived. He was taken to the Old Faithful Clinic and then transported by an Air Idaho Rescue helicopter to the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls. His current condition was not available.

An 18-year-old male victim complained of shortness of breath. He was also taken by ambulance to the Old Faithful Clinic where we has treated and released.

Six others with minor injuries had gathered next to the Old Faithful Lodge under an overhang to get out of the rain and hail. They had various complaints of shortness of breath, tingling or numbness. They were all taken to the Old Faithful Clinic where they were treated and released. A ninth individual walked into the Old Faithful Ranger Station and reported being struck by lightning. The person did not seek medical attention.

Hundreds of visitors witnessed the incident as they were awaiting the next eruption of the geyser.

Here are some file photos of the Old Faithful area:

Old Faithful
File photo.

If you have been to Old Faithful you may remember that the boardwalk around the geyser is constructed of plastic lumber. I wonder how the electrical conductivity of the plastic compares to wood? But it was raining at the time of the lightning strike, so the water on the plastic may have affected the vulnerability of the victims that were standing on the boardwalk.

Old Faithful boardwalk
File photo of the boardwalk as it was under construction.

10% off for firefighters at Sears, June 5

Saturday, June 5, for three hours, Sears will give firefighters and other “heroes” 10% off most of their merchandise. Here is the information we received:

Sears is continuing to honor America’s service people (firefighters, police, military, veterans, teachers and hospital staff) this weekend with a special Salute to Heroes sale this Saturday, June 5, 11 AM to 2 PM.

Sears is offering an extra 10% off regular, sale and clearance prices (excludes appliances and floor care). The sale this Saturday will be nationwide except for a handful of select cities, (Boston, MA; Seattle, WA, Miami, FL; Raleigh-Durham, NC; Dallas, TX; and Cincinnati, OH) where the sale will take place on June 19th. The details and deal points all remain the same though for the cities holding the sale on the 19th.

More information
PDF flyer

Don’t forget to bring ID to prove your local hero status