Government can’t SOLVE problems, government IS the problem!
So it was very refreshing to read an excellent editorial in the Missoulian which supports a decision made by government officials. In this case, it was a decision not to attempt to aggressively suppress the Kootenai Creek fire in the Bitteroot National Forest in Montana.
From the Missoulian:
When a fire in Kootenai Creek blazed to life more than two months ago, Bitterroot National Forest officials warned it would likely burn through the summer.Kootenai Creek fire, Sept. 26, 2009
They explained, and news outlets including the Missoulian reported, that they would be keeping a close eye on the fire, and if it grew to threaten private property they would be ready to jump on it. They also explained that it was too dangerous – and ineffective – to send in firefighting crews or fire retardant-bombing aircraft so long as the flames clung to the side of a rough canyon.
So, while many Bitterroot Valley residents have had to live with the smoke and smolder since mid-July, they could do so knowing that the lives of firefighters were not being risked unnecessarily – and that forest managers were not throwing away massive amounts of taxpayer money to fight a fire that threatened no homes.
And once the Kootenai fire moved too close for comfort to private lands near Stevensville, they could see for themselves that firefighting crews moved quickly to box it in.
InciWeb photo.
Nevertheless, the front-row lesson in fire management has left some Bitterroot residents feeling burned. Some of these folks would have liked to see fire management officials order the fire out right away. They seem to think it should never have been allowed to burn so long, or to come so close to private property.A resident near the Kootenai Creek fire thanks firefighters
They should take care to remember that firefighters did jump on a number of small fires in the area – and extinguish them just as quickly as they sprang up. The Kootenai fire too was tackled as soon as it had reached more open terrain. It has been, and will likely continue to be, managed exactly according to plan, and the people managing this fire deserve praise for their handling of it. They are, after all, experienced experts in fire management and know best which fires to tackle and which to leave alone.
They also understand that it is not worth one firefighter’s life to save someone’s property.
Every summer serves as a reminder that we in western Montana are living in a fire-dependent ecosystem. If you choose to live in the forest, fire is a risk you run. In fact, this summer Gov. Brian Schweitzer has taken pains to let all Montanans know that those who reside in the urban-wildland interface must take steps to mitigate their risk of fire damage, and not just assume that government agencies will ride to the rescue.
Despite some wet weather earlier this summer, September is shaping up to be dry and windy enough to encourage additional fire activity. The cooler weather will help, but it alone won’t put out any fires.
Next time a fire flares up – and there always is a next time when you live in western Montana – and fire managers tell us what they are planning to do, we should all listen.
Thank you, editorial staff of the Missoulian.
It reminds me of an episode on The West Wing in 2001 called “Ways and Means“. Part of the plot involves a “fire use” fire in Yellowstone National Park that is not being aggressively suppressed. The Governor of Wyoming is incensed that the National Park Service is not putting out the fire and strongly argues with President Josiah Edward “Jed” Bartlet to put it out immediately. But Bartlet consults with personnel in the Department of Interior and decides that the National Park Service is right.
Here is an excerpt from the script of the show. “Leo McGarry” is President Bartlet’s Chief of Staff. He walks into an office and sees the President:
LEO
Good evening.
BARTLET
The governor of Wyoming was an inch and a half away from calling me a pyromaniac tonight.
LEO (sarcastically)
That’s surprising ’cause we really had respect from him before.
BARTLET
I’m saying somewhere out there is a registered voter who’s thinking, ‘You know, I thought I really liked this Bartlet fellow, but now that I see he’s in favor of fire…’
LEO
He thinks it’s gonna adversely affect tourism.
BARTLET
It’s the end of the season and the fire isn’t anywhere near tourists. Letting this fire burn is good for the environment. You know how I know?
Crews have worked to anchor the south end of the fire along Dog Creek. To stop the fire’s northern spread and protect structures firefighters have started a backfiring operation east of Interstate 5 from Pollard Flats to the western side of the Hirz Fire near Salt Creek Road. Many of the contingency firelines on the eastern side of the Hirz Fire may be used in the efforts to control the Delta Fire.
Evacuations are being managed by the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office.
The maps below show the perimeter of the Delta Fire. The red lines were the edge of the fire at 10 p.m. PDT on September 5 as mapped by a fixed wing aircraft. The white lines represent the APPROXIMATE location of additional growth between then and 2:04 p.m. PDT on September 6, based on heat detected by a satellite.
The red lines were the edge of the fire at 10 p.m. PDT on September 5 as mapped by a fixed wing aircraft. The white lines represent the APPROXIMATE location of additional growth between then and 2:04 p.m. PDT on September 6, based on heat detected by a satellite.3-D map. The red lines were the edge of the fire at 10 p.m. PDT on September 5 as mapped by a fixed wing aircraft. The white lines represent the APPROXIMATE location of additional growth between then and 2:04 p.m. PDT on September 6, based on heat detected by a satellite.
— Kempter’s Fire Wire (@KempterFireWire) September 7, 2018
(Originally published at 6:17 a.m. PDT September 6, 2018)
The Delta Fire has closed Interstate 5 and is causing evacuations 24 miles north of Redding, California. Nine hours after it was reported at 12:51 p.m. PDT on September 5 a mapping flight found that it had burned 15,294 acres. A heat-detecting satellite four hours later saw an additional 4,000 acres on the northwest and northeast sides of the fire.
The red lines on the map were the perimeters of the Delta Fire and the Hirz Fire at 10 p.m. PDT September 5, 2018. The red dots represent heat detected by a satellite at 2:42 a.m. PDT September 6. The red shaded area was intense heat. Click to enlarge.
Interstate 5, the primary north/south highway in Northern California, is closed from 10 miles north of Redding at Fawndale Road to 3 miles south of Mount Shasta at Mott Road. The fire is burning on both sides of the Interstate along a five-mile stretch.
The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office conducted evacuations on both sides of I-5 north of Lakehead to the Shasta/Siskiyou county line. An evacuation center is at the Mt. Shasta Community Center, 629 Alder St. in Mt. Shasta.
Vicinity map showing the location of the Delta, Hirz, and Carr fires. The red lines were the perimeters at 10 p.m. PDT September 5, 2018. The red dots represent heat detected by a satellite at 2:42 a.m. PDT September 6.
California Interagency Incident Management Team 5 (CIIMT5) is now managing the Delta Fire in addition to the nearby Hirz Fire which was winding down. On Wednesday 466 personnel were demobilized from the 46,000-acre Hirz Fire 2 miles east of the Delta Fire, leaving about 1,400 on the Hirz Fire. The heat detected by a satellite at 2:42 a.m. PDT on Thursday indicates that the two fires may have already merged.
Delta Fire, September 5, 2018. Photo by Mark Thibideau.
Initially reported as three fires, they merged into one, exhibiting extreme fire behavior with rapid rates of spread up to one mile per hour. Wednesday evening the fire front was more than three miles wide on the northern side with 300-foot flame lengths.
Above: A trailer loaded with a D-5 dozer rolled over on the Cougar Creek Fire in Idaho August 10, 2018. Incident Management Team photo.
(Updated at 8:55 a.m. PDT September 6, 2018)
A trailer loaded with a Caterpillar D-5H dozer rolled over while it was being relocated on the Cougar Creek Fire about 26 miles west of Chelan, Washington. A Peterbilt dump truck was pulling the triple-axle transport trailer as it travelled downhill on USFS Road 5700 near Pine Flats Campground.
About halfway down the grade the driver said the brakes failed on both the truck and the trailer. As the speed increased on the curvy one-lane road the driver attempted to slow down by driving off the edge of the road in soft dirt. After negotiating several curves the trailer climbed up a bank causing it to tip over onto its side. The truck and the trailer came to a stop on the road.
The report we saw did not indicate that the truck rolled over, but it had damage to the front end, bumper, headlights, and the rear trailer hitch. On the trailer the hitch was damaged and three tires were punctured. There was some damage to the dozer but the driver was not injured.
The preliminary report suggested to prevent similar accidents drivers should use lower gears and slower speeds when driving downhill to reduce overheating the brakes.
The accident occurred at 4:10 p.m. on August 10. We have an unconfirmed report that approximately 200 contractors and agency personnel were trapped due to the blocked road and had to remain without logistical support overnight at a drop point which did not qualify as a safety zone. When the Rapid Lesson Sharing team arrived the next day at least some of the personnel refused to speak to them about the incident.
(This article was revised to clarify that the incident occurred on the Cougar Creek Fire, rather than the Cougar Fire.)
The fire is burning between Eugene and Bend in Oregon.
Above: A K-MAX helicopter drops water on the Terwilliger Fire in Oregon, September 1, 2018. InciWeb photo.
A firefighter sustained critical injuries Monday September 3 in a hit-and-run accident while assigned to the Terwilliger Fire in Oregon. The incident occurred on Highway 126 near the Tokatee Golf Course.
Below is an excerpt from an article at KEZI:
…Police said John S. Houdeshell, 71, of Yreka, Calif., was crossing the highway when he was struck by a silver or metallic gray Chevy Astro Van or similar looking vehicle traveling westbound.
Officers say Houdeshell sustained critical injuries and was transported by air ambulance to Sacred Heart Medical Center at River Bend in Springfield.
Fire officials said he was a water tender driver who was off duty at the time…
The Terwilliger Fire has burned about 9,500 acres between Eugene and Bend in Oregon.
Below is an updated on September 5, 2018 from the Incident Management Team.
Yesterday’s [September 4] weather conditions optimized firing operations and crews were able to strengthen containment lines on the northwest and southwest flanks. To the northwest, crews completed containment line from Forest Service Road (FS) 1986 down to FS19, while helicopters provided bucket support to wet the exterior of the fire perimeter reducing spotting potential.
On the northeast side, the fire advanced toward the FS1993 as crews removed flammable materials and set up hose line. To the south, some group tree torching occurred and crews worked to close firelines from FS140 to FS100. A structure assessment plan has been completed for the Highway 126 corridor and Kings Road.
Landslide on USFS Road 19 at the Terwilliger Fire in Oregon. Undated InciWeb Photo.
Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Kelly. Typos or errors, report them HERE.
The operator was wearing a seat belt and was not injured. It happened August 12, 2018.
Dozer rollover, Holy Fire, 8-12-2018.
A dozer rolled over while constructing fireline on the Holy Fire in Southern California on August 12, 2018. Below is the text from the Rapid Lesson Sharing report:
Narrative
This day, August 12, was hot. I was part way through my shift as a dozer operator. My assignment for the day was putting in another blade of dozer line across the ridge and along the black in my Division. This was my second day working this piece of the line.
The terrain was rocky and steep. I was using the dozer to sidehill along the black. Due to dusty conditions working the dozer, visibility was marginal.
Around noon, I was working on a section of line that had a brush pile I was clearing out. The brush was pretty thick. I therefore didn’t realize that I was about to roll up onto a large boulder that was hidden under the brush pile.
Rolling up on this boulder made the dozer tip over on its side. It all seemed to happen in slow motion. There was no violent bounce. I was wearing my seatbelt which kept me in the cab during the rollover. I was able to remove myself from the cab. I realized that I had no injuries from this incident.
A Dozer Strike Team was able to upright my dozer back onto its track. Ground Support inspected the dozer and found no damage.
Lessons
Use a swamper to scout for possible hazards ahead of dozer line construction.
When operating a dozer, don’t feel pressured to stay directly against the black when a “safer line” may pull away from the black for a little ways.
When a fire in Kootenai Creek blazed to life more than two months ago, Bitterroot National Forest officials warned it would likely burn through the summer.Kootenai Creek fire, Sept. 26, 2009
When a fire in Kootenai Creek blazed to life more than two months ago, Bitterroot National Forest officials warned it would likely burn through the summer.
Part of the plot involves a “fire use” fire in Yellowstone National Park that is not being aggressively suppressed. The Governor of Wyoming is incensed that the National Park Service is not putting out the fire and strongly argues with President Josiah Edward “Jed” Bartlet to put it out immediately. But Bartlet consults with personnel in the Department of Interior and decides that the National Park Service is right.
