Wildfire Today

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Wildfire Today

NIFC moves up to Preparedness Level 5, nationally

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , 1 Comment on NIFC moves up to Preparedness Level 5, nationally

preparedness level 5Today at 2 p.m. MDT the National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group (NMAC) raised the preparedness level to the maximum of 5, due to large fire and initial attack activity, increasing mobilization, and competition for resources. Significant wildland fire potential is above normal in all or large portions of California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, and northwest Montana.

Large destructive fires are currently burning in Southern California, Northern California, Southwest Oregon, and Utah.

Nationally 527 hand crews and a total of 0ver 20,000 personnel are assigned to fires. These are very large numbers that are not reached every year.

“A significant amount of initial and extended attack and large fire activity has occurred over the past several days as a result of lightning storms that have intensified local and geographic response,” said Dan Smith, chair of NMAC. “Given the continuing hot and dry weather and the increase in fire activity in the western U.S., the decision to move to Preparedness Level 5 depicts the complexity that fire managers are encountering to assure that adequate firefighting resources are available for protection of life, property and our nation’s natural resources.”

To date over 4,151,098 million acres of federal, tribal, state, and private land in the United States has burned this year, compared to the ten-year to date average 3,645,013 acres.

Preparedness Level Poll
July 23 Preparedness Level Poll. Wildfire Today.

Earlier this week we conducted a poll, asking our readers which week they thought the Preparedness Level would be raised to 5. The week of July 22 was the sixth most popular answer with 8 percent of the votes.

military firefighters mopup
At least 90 Oregon Army National Guard Soldiers participated in a firefighting training exercise at the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training in Salem, Oregon, August 28, 2017. Photo distributed by USFS.

During PL-5, further assistance from the military, beyond what is already in use, and international resources may be considered and requested, and agency personnel in other positions may be activated for fire duty, but no decisions have been made concerning those steps. In 2017, 200 soldiers from bases in Washington were assigned to the Umpqua North Complex fires in Oregon for 30 days.

The last time the National Preparedness Level was raised to 5 was August 10, 2017. It remained at PL-5 for 40 days until it was dropped to 4 on September 18, 2017. This is the fourth time that PL-5 has been reached in the last ten years.

Smoke degrades air quality in California, Nevada, and Oregon

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags ,

forecast for wildfire smoke at 5 p.m. PDT Friday July 27This is the forecast for wildfire smoke at 5 p.m. PDT Friday July 27. Wildfires in Oregon and California are producing large quantities of smoke that will impact southwest Oregon and much of California and Nevada. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Map by NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory.

Carr Fire burns into Redding

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , 12 Comments on Carr Fire burns into Redding

Two firefighters have been killed while fighting the fire

(UPDATED at 6:16 p.m. PDT July 27, 2018)

perimeter Carr Fire
Map showing the perimeter of the Carr Fire (the red line) based on an infrared mapping flight at 12:34 a.m. PDT July 27, 2018. The red dots represent heat detected by a satellite at 1:36 p.m. PDT July 27, 2018. Click to enlarge.

To see all articles about the Carr Fire on Wildfire today including the most current, click here.

Some people think this rotating column fit the definition of a “fire tornado”:

(UPDATED at 4:25 p.m. PDT July 27, 2018)

An Associated Press reporter has counted at least 125 homes destroyed by the Carr Fire at Redding, California. The official count from CAL FIRE is 65 structures destroyed.

To see all articles about the Carr Fire on Wildfire today including the most current, click here.

Over 800 California National Guard personnel are assisting statewide in a variety of ways. The National Guard is also operating a Reaper Unmanned Aerial System, or drone, that provides real time imagery to help firefighters on the ground to make better decisions.

At least two California National Guard C-130 aircraft have been activated and outfitted with Modular Airborne FireFighting Systems (MAFFS), able to drop up to 3,000 gallons of retardant.

Many areas around Redding are under mandatory evacuation orders.

(UPDATED at 10:09 a.m. PDT July 27, 2018)

CAL FIRE, the National Park Service, and the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office announced at 7:15 a.m. Friday July 27 that a second firefighter has died on the Carr Fire near Redding California. Pending notification of next of kin, they have not released the person’s name, only that the firefighter worked for the Redding Fire Department.

Earlier Friday morning CAL FIRE reported that a contractor operating a dozer had been killed.

An update at 8:10 a.m Friday from CAL FIRE included the information that the Carr Fire has destroyed 65 structures, but did not indicate whether any of them were residences. The agency is now calling it 44,450 acres, up from the 28,000 figure released Thursday night.

The weather forecast for the northwest side of Redding for Friday calls for 102 degrees, heat index of 108, single-digit relative humidity, and variable winds 3 to 13 mph. Similar conditions are expected through Monday. The lack of strong winds and zero chance of thunderstorms is good news for firefighters, but the heat and low relative humidity will continue to be a problem. A Red Flag Warning is in effect Friday for the fire area.

Continue reading “Carr Fire burns into Redding”

New fire starts 10 miles away from the Cranston Fire

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , 1 Comment on New fire starts 10 miles away from the Cranston Fire

The two fires are burning southeast of Hemet, California

(UPDATED at 5:20 a.m. PDT July 27, 2018)

Below is an updated map of the Cranston Fire, showing data collected at 10:49 PDT July 26. Click on the image to see a larger version.

map Cranston Fire
Map of the Cranston Fire, showing data collected at 10:49 PDT July 26. Click on the image to see a larger version. Product of the Incident Management Team.

(UPDATED at 4:03 p.m. PDT July 26, 2018)

Cranston and Ribbon Fires
The view of the Cranston and Ribbon Fires, from High Point at 3:29 p.m. PDT July 26, 2018.

Now instead of one huge convection column of smoke on the San Bernardino National Forest southeast of Hemet, California there are two.  The second fire, named Ribbon, was discovered around mid-day Thursday.  Air tankers were sent to the new fire to hopefully knock it down and keep it from becoming a second major fire. Firefighters on the ground and in the air did slow it down, but priorities on the Cranston Fire and a shortage of lead planes and air tankers resulted some aircraft moving to the Cranston Fire. The Ribbon Fire later picked up in intensity and developed a large smoke column 10 miles southeast of the Cranston Fire. The Ribbon Fire is northwest of the small community of Ribbonwood off Highway 74.

Late Thursday afternoon a spokesperson for the San Bernardino National Forest said the Cranston Fire has burned approximately 7,500 acres.

Cranston and Ribbon Fires
Map showing the location of the Cranston and Ribbon Fires. The dots represent heat detected by a satellite as late as 3:51 p.m. PDT July 26, 2018. Click to enlarge.

Firefighters on the Cranston Fire Thursday afternoon were very concerned about the convection column collapsing, which would create a powerful downdraft, possibly resulting in a dramatic and sudden change of wind direction — a very dangerous situation, pushing the fire in new directions. Supervisors were warned to maintain close accountability of their personnel and to be prepared to withdraw on very short notice. Firefighters 10 miles away on the Ribbon Fire might even be affected by the collapse of the large column.
Continue reading “New fire starts 10 miles away from the Cranston Fire”

Cranston Fire causes evacuations east of Hemet, California

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , 1 Comment on Cranston Fire causes evacuations east of Hemet, California

The fire is threatening the community of Idyllwild

Above: 3-D map view of the Cranston Fire. The red dots represent heat detected by a satellite at 2:10 p.m. PDT July 25, 2018.

(Originally published at 7 p.m. PDT July 25, 2018)

Within of about two hours of the Cranston Fire starting at noon today 8 miles east of Hemet, California, it had already burned two thousand acres and had developed a huge smoke column topped by a pyrocumulus cloud.

The fire is burning close to the mountain community of Idyllwild, which has been ordered to evacuate along with Pine Grove, Fern Valley, and portions of Mountain Center.

Highway 74 is closed from the city of Hemet to Lake Hemet.

At 6:30 PDT fire officials estimated it had burned approximately 3,000 acres, but getting a good estimate is difficult with the rapid spread of the fire and the enormous amount of smoke being generated.

map Cranston Fire
Map of the Cranston Fire. The red dots represent heat detected by a satellite at 2:10 p.m. PDT July 25, 2018.

There are reports that multiple fires were set today in this general area. One arson suspect was apprehended in Hemet.

map Cranston Fire satellite
Satellite photo of Southern California, showing the Cranston Fire, July 25, 2018.

Armed Forces in Sweden attempt to stop wildfire with a bomb

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , 5 Comments on Armed Forces in Sweden attempt to stop wildfire with a bomb
Sweden stop fire with bomb
Soldiers attaching the bomb to the aircraft. Photo: Jerry Lindbergh/Swedish Armed Forces

One of the numerous wildfires in Sweden happens to be in a military practice range that contains unexploded shells. Firefighters can’t enter the area so the Armed Forces decided that the best way to stop the fire was to drop bombs on it.

Below is an excerpt from an article at www.thelocal.se:

At noon on Wednesday the Armed Forces dispatched two Jas 39 Gripen fighter jets to drop a bomb on the flames as a last resort, with the hope that the pressure from the blast would help contain the blaze.

“The oxygen from the fire can be removed with the help of a bomb and in this case it was possible to try it, because the fire is at a firing range,” said fire and rescue team leader Johan Szymanski in a statement.

“Our preliminary assessment right now is that this had a good effect.”

The bomb, model GBU-49 according to Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet, was dropped from 3,000 metres reaching speeds of 550 km/h before hitting its target with metre precision.

It managed to extinguish fires up to 100 metres from the target, according to initial reports.

If you look carefully at the video below you will see the bomb leaving the fighter jet. And then in the distance as the bomb hits the ground, a growing plume of dust or smoke.

The Swedes are not the first to come up with the idea of using bombs to stop a fire. In 2010 we wrote about Bazalt, a Russian manufacturer of  aircraft bombs, that designed one intended to put out a forest fire. It can detonate either on the ground or above it, dispensing a liquid over 1,000 square meters, about 1/4 acre. Bazalt says one aircraft could carry up to 100 of these fire extinguisher bombs.

And in 2014 an Australian researcher experimented with explosives in New Mexico, hoping the result would be a directional blast that could put out a forest fire, or at least a portion of one.