Wildfire Today

News and opinion about wildland fire

Wildfire Today

Forest Service Battalion Chief resigns in open letter to the Secretary of Agriculture

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories Uncategorized7 Comments on Forest Service Battalion Chief resigns in open letter to the Secretary of Agriculture
Abby Bolt
Abby Bolt

A wildland firefighter resigned last week after serving for 22 years in the U.S. Forest Service. Abby Bolt sent a letter to Sonny Perdue, Secretary of Agriculture, and Vicki Christiansen, Chief of the Forest Service, saying the resignation was effective immediately. She had risen through the ranks to the Battalion Chief level, becoming a District Assistant Fire Management Officer on the Kern River Ranger District of the Sequoia National Forest in California.

In a version of the letter that was posted on the Up in Flames website, Ms. Bolt said Forest Service leaders “failed to demonstrate moral courage by adhering to high ethical standards, and choosing the difficult right over the easy wrong helped me in determining my decision to resign.”

Below is an excerpt from the letter, used with permission:

I had high hopes to continue my fire career as a strong leader, proving to my son that I could be an exceptional mother, while managing a fire program and working on emergency incidents of all complexities. Little did I know, I would encounter a toxic dynamic of leadership that made my job, which was my life, a complete misery. The repeated statement by my management, “if you don’t like it you can leave” is what motivated me to hang on for so long, tolerating a manipulative style of management while continually looking for angles to successfully turn this toxic work environment around.

My parents, worked far too hard for such an amazing piece of land for me to simply be pushed away to another agency location because of a few people in managerial positions, who care more about maintaining and consolidating their power than they do about their employees. Sadly even my parents worry about retaliation. They are afraid someone may find a way to harm them as a way to hurt me. When they shared that with me it broke my heart, but proved to me how detrimental my situation has been.

But is that what you want? Quality individuals to leave dangerous work environments because they know that option is safer than speaking up? So far, the loud and clear answer I have seen and heard is YES. I simply can’t see how the USFS and USDA will ever improve with that mentality.

Ms. Bolt told us that the version of the letter sent to Mr. Perdue and Ms. Christiansen was more detailed. “I named names and listed some of the disgusting behavior occurring by my supervisors and supported by employee relations. My attorney thought it best [to hold] some of that back from the public version.”

She said she created the “Her Brotherhood” podcast and the Up in Flames website, “So that hard truths could be told and people could safely share and comment anonymously without being retaliated on. I hope it inspires others so that when they feel they are going down in flames, they instead fly up.”

Forest Service Chief Christiansen is expected to testify today, April 9, from 10 until 12 a.m. EDT before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee “to examine the President’s budget request for the Forest Service for Fiscal Year 2020.”  These hearings are usually live-streamed at the link above.

While U.S. administration wants to defund fire science, Canada ramps it up

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags 2 Comments on While U.S. administration wants to defund fire science, Canada ramps it up

Canada wildfire research blueprint

While the Joint Fire Science Program in the United States is slated to be defunded by the Administration in the current budget proposal for FY 2020, Canada intends to ramp up their program.

The Government of Canada has released the Blueprint for Wildland Fire Science in Canada (2019—2029).  Led by the Canadian Forest Service, the Blueprint provides a national consensus view of Canada’s key wildland fire research priorities over the next 10 years. It also makes 15 recommendations intended to guide science investments, attract new collaboration, and align national research efforts.  These recommendations are broadly focused on:

  • Increasing national capacity for wildland fire research through new investments into academic programs, public sector science, and postsecondary networks;
  • Recognizing Indigenous knowledge as an equal and complementary way of knowing wildland fire,  to inform future fire management policies and practices;
  • Creating new knowledge exchange mechanisms to improve the way science and technology is shared, understood, and implemented;
  • Creating new multidisciplinary, multi-partner, collaborative research opportunities; and
  • Improving national governance and coordination of science activities through development of a national research agenda and the creation of a national coordinating committee.

You can download the Canadian Forest Service blueprint document here (8 mb).

April 8 is the last day to sign on to a letter of support for the Joint Fire Science Program in the United States.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to LM. Typos or errors, report them HERE.

Part of Lame Deer, Montana evacuated as wildfire burns into the town

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags 1 Comment on Part of Lame Deer, Montana evacuated as wildfire burns into the town

The west side of Lame Deer, Montana was evacuated Sunday as a wildfire burned into the town. Residents said it originated from a structure fire that spread into nearby vegetation, and pushed by strong winds it spread quickly.  Rosebud County Sheriff Allen Fulton estimated the fire grew to approximately 1,700 acres before firefighters contained it. There were no reports of any additional structures burning.

The fire jumped across Highway 212 but firefighters were able to stop it at Highway 39, the main road that runs north and south through the town.

Sunday afternoon a weather station on Badger Peak east of Lame Deer recorded a high of 63 degrees, 23 percent relative humidity, and winds out of the west and southwest at 10 to 22 mph with gusts up to 42 mph.

Several residents posted videos and photos on social media.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Al. Typos or errors, report them HERE.

President suggests California politicians complain too much about wildfires

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , 13 Comments on President suggests California politicians complain too much about wildfires

Last year 104 people, including 6 firefighters, were killed on wildfires in California.

Fire tornado Carr Fire
Fire tornado filmed by the Helicopter Coordinator on the Carr Fire July 26, 2018 near Redding, California.

During a visit to the US/Mexico border in California on Friday President Trump was asked if he had a comment about recent lawsuits filed by California about his proposed declaration of a national emergency at the border. According to a report from CNN he replied:

California’s always the first one to complain. And I don’t mean the people of California. They’re fantastic. I’m talking about the politicians in California. They complain.

When their forests go up, they complain. They gotta take care of their forests a lot better. But when the wall – they want the wall in San Diego and they’re always the first one. They were the first one to pull the National Guard. And they need the National Guard.

Wildfires in California in 2018 killed 104 people. Six of those were firefighters.

May they all rest in peace.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Rick. Typos or errors, report them HERE.

Wildfire in South Korea forces thousands to evacuate

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags 1 Comment on Wildfire in South Korea forces thousands to evacuate

The fire burned approximately 135 homes

Fire near Goseong South Korea
Fire near Goseong in South Korea. Screengrab from MBC video.

A wildfire described as the worst to hit South Korea in years was pushed by a strong wind from city to city Thursday, prompting President Moon Jae-in to declare a national emergency.

At least one person was killed by the fire while another died after being struck by falling object pushed over by the wind. Eleven people were treated for injuries.

The fire started Thursday night near Goseong, a city on the east coast about 15 miles south of the border with North Korea.

Below is an excerpt from an article published Friday at NPR:

The main fire is now nearly under control according to President Moon Jae-in, who visited the area Friday. Taking note of the hundreds of homes and buildings that have reportedly been destroyed, Moon urged government officials to “take extra care of displaced victims who — after having lost their homes in an instant — may now find time to catch their breath.”

“Moon’s office said he would cooperate with North Korea on fighting the fire if it spread northward,” NPR’s Anthony Kuhn reports from Seoul. “But as it happened, the winds were blowing to the south.”

South Korea’s Unification Ministry said Friday approximately 135 homes and 525 hectares (1,297 acres) burned. About 60 helicopters, 300 vehicles and 17,700 firefighting personnel were being deployed, the ministry said.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Rick. Typos or errors, report them HERE.

Trucks destroyed in blaze at CAL FIRE facility in St. Helena, California

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags 1 Comment on Trucks destroyed in blaze at CAL FIRE facility in St. Helena, California
fire CAL FIRE Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit in St. Helena, California
Fire at the headquarters of the CAL FIRE Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit in St. Helena, California April 4, 2019. Photo by Angwin VFD. Click to enlarge.

A fire at the headquarters of the CAL FIRE Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit in St. Helena, California destroyed at least one vehicle maintenance building and four trucks Thursday night.

The Angwin Volunteer Fire Department wrote on their Facebook page that both of their water tenders that were undergoing maintenance in the structure are a total loss. There was a report that a CAL FIRE engine and a Utility vehicle also burned.

The structure that was destroyed, which is located at the unit’s headquarters at 1199 Big Tree Road in St. Helena, serviced all CAL FIRE and Napa County Fire equipment in the unit.

fire CAL FIRE Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit in St. Helena, California
This is an image from Google Street view that appears to be the back side of the main structure that was destroyed April 4, 2019.