A firefighter with the New London Fire Department in Texas died after the water tender they were using to respond to a vegetation fire rolled over near Overton, Texas. The U. S. Fire Administration released the following information:
Firefighter M.V. Hudson was injured in a fire tender (tanker) crash on the evening of February 28th. Hudson and two other firefighters were responding to a grass fire when the apparatus left the right side of the roadway and rolled over, badly damaging the cab and injuring all three occupants. The three firefighters had to be extracted from the vehicle and were rushed to the hospital. Two firefighters were subsequently released, but Firefighter Hudson died while in the hospital on March 10, 2018.
Mr. Hudson had 45 years of firefighting service and was 86 years old.
Our sincere condolences go out to his family, friends, and co-workers.
The fire is burning in the area where Colorado, New Mexico, and Oklahoma converge
Above: satellite image showing the Stateline Fire. Red indicates heat, and the burned area appears black.
(UPDATED at 9:15 p.m. MDT March 12, 2018)
Here is an update from fire officials at 9 p.m. MDT March 12:
“The Stateline Fire burning in Union County, north of Clayton, New Mexico is now 50% contained. An estimated 27,658 acres has burned, of which 16,898 acres is on state and private land in New Mexico, 10,750 in Colorado and 10 acres in Oklahoma.”
****
(Originally published at 7:20 p.m. MST March 10, 2018)
The Stateline Fire burning in Union County, north of Clayton, New Mexico, is currently estimated at 21,253 acres, of which 7,160 acres has crossed over into Colorado. The fire started Thursday morning March 8 on private property in New Mexico. There is no immediate threat to structures at this time. Fuels include piñon, juniper, oak, and grass. Currently there are more than 80 personnel from multiple agencies fighting the fire. The cause is under investigation.
The has also crossed from New Mexico into Cimarron County in Oklahoma, making it one of the few fires that have burned in three states.
Stateline Fire. Photo credit: Albuquerque Fire Department.
Wildfires could spread more rapidly with more resistance to control
A confluence of weather and vegetation conditions in the Southern Great Plains has led to a situation where large rapidly spreading wildfires are possible, and are already occurring in some areas.
The information below is derived from the “Fuels and Fire Behavior Advisory for Eastern New Mexico, Western Texas, Western Oklahoma, Southeastern Colorado, and Western Kansas” that was effective March 7, 2018:
Drought: Developing drought in recent months has led to very dry fuels.
Delayed green-up: Current green-up conditions across the south-central and southeast US are delayed up to 20 days due to persistent cold and dry conditions. Fires would normally be slowed during this period by new, green grass.
Fuel loading: Above normal rainfall during the 2017 growing season produced an abundance of fine fuel loading across the grass-dominant southern Plains. This exceptional crop of grass is supporting above normal significant fire occurrence and fires that are highly resistant to control.
Weather: These grass fuel beds will support rate of spread from 2-4 mph with critical fire weather present. Extreme fire weather will produce rate of spread up to 6-7 mph. This extreme rate of spread was observed March 6, 2017 in a similar fire environment on fires in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
The OIG recommended that only contractor investigators or investigators from other Federal agencies be used for these complaints
The Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General has issued a report on how the Forest Service has handled investigations into complaints of sexual misconduct and harassment within the agency. The document was released about the same time the Chief of the FS resigned while facing allegations of sexual misconduct disclosed on the PBS NewsHour program.
The objective of the report was to evaluate the effectiveness of the investigations. The FS is part of the Department of Agriculture, so this process was basically an internal investigation.
The OIG found through interviews with 69 current and former FS employees in Region 5 (California) that 33 of them expressed some level of mistrust in FS’ process for handling sexual harassment and sexual misconduct complaints.
The OIG recommended that for a year the FS try using only contract investigators or investigators from other Federal agencies. The FS agreed with this recommendation and stated they could implement it by March 30, 2019.
She replaces Tony Tooke who suddenly resigned March 7.
Above: Vicki Christiansen testifies before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee August 3, 2017.
(Originally published at 10:25 a.m. MST March 9, 2018)
Amid reports of widespread sexual harassment and misconduct within the Forest Service, and especially among firefighters, a woman will now lead the agency. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has selected Victoria (Vicki) Christiansen to be the interim Chief of the Forest Service. She replaces Tony Tooke who suddenly resigned March 7 after allegations of sexual misconduct were aired on the PBS program NewsHour.
Below is an excerpt from a message Mr. Perdue sent to employees Thursday afternoon:
With seven years at the Forest Service and 30 with the states of Arizona and Washington, Vicki knows what is needed to restore our forests and put them back to work for the taxpayers. As a former wildland firefighter and fire manager, she knows first-hand that failure to properly maintain forests leads to longer and more severe fire seasons. And as a former State Forester, she knows the benefits of Good Neighbor Authority and how best to partner with our state and local colleagues. Vicki’s professional experience will complement these efforts and help us achieve those objectives.
As we promote and maintain healthy, productive forests and preserve our natural resources, we will work to ensure a place where people can work with respect and dignity.
Ms. Christiansen has experience in wildland fire suppression. After obtaining a degree in forestry at the University of Washington in 1983 she accrued firefighting experience with the Washington Department of Natural Resources. There is one report that she was qualified to use fireline explosives. Thirteen years after graduating she was the Washington State Forester. Between 2006 and 2012 she served in five different positions with the Washington DNR, Arizona Division of Forestry, and the U.S. Forest Service. Her last job before becoming interim USFS Chief was Deputy Chief, State and Private Forestry with the USFS.
In a Senate committee hearing August 3, 2017 Ms. Christiansen talked about budget issues and logging. She was also asked about water scooping air tankers by Senator Maria Cantwell. Here is the official transcript at 52:50, which was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.
MISS CHRISTIANSEN, WHAT DO YOU MAKE ABOUT THE WATER USING THE SCOOPING TECHNOLOGY? WHY ARE WE CONCLUDING THAT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA?
>> THANK YOU, SENATOR CANTWELL. WATER SCOOPERS ARE CERTAINLY A TOOL IN OUR AVIATION STRATEGY. WE HAVE NOT CONCLUDED THEY ARE INEFFECTIVE. BUT AS YOU KNOW, IN OUR PROPOSED FY18 BUDGET WE HAD TO MAKE SOME CRITICAL CHOICES. TO BE STEWARDS OF THE TAXPAYER DOLLARS. TO THAT MAKING, WE ARE NOT PLANNING TO HOLD AN EXCLUSIVE USE CONTRACT BUT CAN ACCESS THESE THROUGH CALL [WHEN] NEEDED MECHANISMS. WE HAVE TWO UNDER EXCLUSIVE USE CONTRACT.
Forest Service National Director of Fire and Aviation Management Shawna Legarza (on the right) briefs Sonny Perdue and Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID), Steve Daines (R-MT), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Jim Risch (R-ID), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) at the Forest Service for a 2017 fire briefing, in the USDA Forest Service Headquarters, Yates Building Fire Desk, on Sept. 26, 2017. Victoria Christiansen is on Ms. Legarza’s right. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
We first wrote about Ms. Christiansen May 14, 2009:
A screenshot from a Wildfire Today article published May 14, 2009.
A public service announcement for wildfire prevention featuring Tori Bowie has won an ADDY advertising award. Funded by the U.S. Forest Service, the Mississippi Forestry Commission produced the 30-second video starring the sprinter who in 2017 was the world’s fastest woman at 100 meters during the IAAF World Championships in London.
After growing up in Mississippi Bowie competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics to win a Gold medal in the 4x100m relay, Silver medal in the 100m dash, and Bronze in the 200m.
