Lightning strikes during 24-hour period ending at 6 a.m. Aug. 24, 2022. Lightning strike data from Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center.
During the 24-hour period ending at 6 a.m. Wednesday 39,421 lightning strikes were detected in parts of Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota, and Nebraska. In many areas there was not a great deal of rain accompanying the lightning.
Precipitation during 24-hour period ending at noon Aug. 24, 2022.
The weather forecast for Cheyenne, Wyoming on Wednesday is for 84 degrees, 12 mph winds out of the southeast, 30 percent cloud cover, and 22 percent relative humidity.
The satellite photo taken at 11:56 a.m. MDT on Wednesday shows partly cloudy skies over the general region.
Anheuser-Busch has come up with a unique way to promote one of their brands while also, perhaps, reducing the chances of an illegal campfire starting what could become a devastating wildfire.
The company is giving away in certain areas of Colorado solar powered flameless cookers which supposedly can be used by campers to prepare a warm meal in a remote area.
“On average, 85% of forest fires are caused by humans and many of those man-made disasters are attributed to poorly attended campfires,” they wrote on their website. “That’s why Busch Light is distributing Busch Light Solar Cookers at the peak of Colorado camping season, offering a flame-free way to enjoy a warm meal and ice-cold beers with fire safety in mind.”
Website visitors can sign upfor a chance to get a free cooker at local Colorado fire departments in Red Feather Lakes (August 19th), Nederland (August 26th), or Estes Park (September 2nd) through Labor Day weekend.
The cooker appears to be very similar to an item sold on Amazon for $41.
A single engine air tanker drops on the Moyie Fire August 21, 2022 near Moyie Springs, Idaho. Photo by Idaho Department of Lands.
Firefighters on the ground battling the Moyie Fire had to wait on aircraft support because a civilian drone was being flown in the area August 21 near Moyie Springs.
Aircraft ordered for the fire could not immediately fly because of the drone.
“The residents of approximately 50 homes in Moyie Springs were notified of the fire and the potential need for evacuation,” said Josh Harvey, Idaho Department of Lands Fire Bureau Chief. “Clearly, we needed to get air support for the firefighting effort as soon as possible and the drone put that on hold. Unfortunately this type of situation is not uncommon. We are reminding the public that drones can put firefighters, homes, and resources at risk.”
After the drone was gone, multiple firefighting aircraft went to work attacking the fire repeatedly while ground crews constructed a fire control line using hand tools. The fire was kept to three acres.
It is very dangerous to fly a civilian drone near a fire at which helicopters or fixed wing aircraft are operating. A collision could impact the windscreen or damage the engine, props, rotors, or flight control surfaces, causing a crash. If a drone is seen near a fire the standard operating procedure is to remove all aircraft from the fire area until it is confirmed that the drone has left the scene. In other words, it interferes with firefighting efforts.
It’s a federal crime punishable by up to 12 months in prison to interfere with firefighting efforts on public lands. Additionally, Congress has authorized the FAA to impose a civil penalty of up to $20,000 against any drone pilot who interferes with wildfire suppression, law enforcement, or emergency response operations. The FAA treats these violations seriously, and will immediately consider swift enforcement action for these offenses.
Person suspected of stealing solar panel and battery from Oregon DOF fire camera system August 14, 2022. Image from surveillance footage.
An anonymous tip led to the arrest of a thief who broke into an Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) lookout tower in the Prospect area last week [and stole batteries and solar panels used to power the lookout tower’s fire detection camera]. The suspect, Chad Allen McPherson, 30, of Prospect, was indicted today, August 23, by a Grand Jury and charged with second-degree burglary, first-degree theft, first-degree criminal mischief, possession of burglary tools, and felon in possession of a restricted weapon. McPherson is lodged in the Jackson County Jail and due to a parole violation for felon in possession of a firearm is not eligible for pre-trial release.
McPherson and another suspect were captured on surveillance footage breaking into the tower around 12:45 on Sunday, August 14. The additional suspect shown in the surveillance footage has not been identified. Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) detectives have identified a person of interest and are actively working to identify the additional suspect by analyzing latent prints and submitting DNA.
JCSO detectives arrested McPherson during a traffic stop Friday after receiving the tip and matching his photos to the surveillance footage. After searching his vehicle, detectives discovered burglary tools. During a search warrant of his property on the 2000 block of Shelly Lane in Prospect, detectives found a restricted weapon he was prohibited from possessing as a convicted felon. Investigators also discovered a black-market marijuana grow on the property. Illegal Marijuana Enforcement Team (IMET) detectives served a search warrant and destroyed 256 cannabis plants and 300 lbs. of processed black-market marijuana on the property. There was no licensing for any type of cannabis growing, handling, or processing at this location.
Later Friday, Dispatch received a call about a duffel bag at the intersection of 1st Street and Highway 62 with a note which read “call the cops.” JCSO deputies retrieved the bag and it contained items matching that of the stolen ODF equipment. The solar panels and batteries are still missing. The theft disabled ODF’s early fire detection capability for the northeastern portion of Jackson County near Prospect. ODF is currently working to get the camera system back up and running.
This case is ongoing with detectives working additional leads. If you have any information on the additional suspect or the whereabouts of the missing equipment, call the JCSO Tip Line at (541) 774-8333 and reference case 22-4725.
From the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon.
After the arrest the Oregon Department of Forestry said, “Some of the equipment has been retrieved, however we’re still moving forward in ordering the parts and pieces we need to get our camera back up and running; early fire detection is one of our top priorities.”
Firefighter on the Cerro Paledo Fire in New Mexico, May, 2022 by Blake McHugh.
Last week President Biden signed H.R. 6943, the Public Safety Officer Support Act, into law. The legislation expands death and disability benefits under the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) program to include first responders who die by suicide or are disabled by traumatic experiences.
The new law will:
Allow public safety officers to seek disability benefits for PTSD linked to severe trauma by directing the PSOB to designate work-related PTSD and acute stress disorders as a line of duty injury for eligible officers as well as those who are permanently disabled as a result of attempted suicide; and
Allow families of public safety officers who die by trauma-linked suicide to apply for death benefits by directing the PSOB to presume that suicides are a result of job duties in certain traumatic circumstances where there is evidence that PTSD or acute stress disorder would be the cause of the injury.
The bill states that first responders or their survivors may qualify for benefits if their suicide or post-traumatic stress disorder was related to being exposed to “a harrowing circumstance posing an extraordinary and significant danger or threat to the life of or of serious bodily harm to any individual.” There are other requirements and details which are in the copy of the five-page bill below:
Firefighters have stopped the spread of the Valley Fire north of Pine Valley, California. It was not active overnight and is being held at 188 acres. Pine Creek Road is still closed and there never were any evacuations.
On Tuesday crews are working on constructing fire line along the perimeter.
The cause is under investigation.
Updated at 5:45 p.m. PDT August 22 2022
The cameras are showing very little smoke at the Valley Fire north of Pine Valley, CA. The latest size estimate is 127 acres. All air tankers have returned to their bases but a couple of helicopters and Air Attack are still on scene.
There is very little radio traffic, which reminds me of the old saying, “When the radio traffic stops, the fire goes out.”
UPDATED at 3:21 p.m. PDT August 22, 2022
Valley Fire map, 1:33 p.m. PDT Aug. 22, 2022.
The Valley Fire north of Pine Valley, California was mapped by an aircraft at 1:33 p.m. August 22 at 120 acres. About an hour later the size was estimated at 175 to 200 acres.
It is burning on both sides of Pine Creek Road at the intersection of Deer Park Road near Noble Canyon two air miles north of Old Highway 80.
UPDATE at 2:53 p.m. PDT August 22, 2022
At 2:29 p.m. the Incident Commander on the Valley Fire reported that it had grown to 175 to 200 acres, with a moderate to rapid rate of spread.
Valley Fire looking NNE from Los Pinos at 2:43 p.m.Valley Fire north of Pine Valley, CA, August 22, 2022. CAL FIRE photo.
No evacuations are in effect and it is spreading away from structures in the Pine Valley area.
UPDATE at 1:10 p.m. PDT August 22, 2022
Valley Fire, 1:10 p.m. PDT Aug. 22, 2022. ABC10.
Firefighters from the Cleveland National Forest and CAL FIRE are attacking the Valley Fire which was reported Monday at about 11:37 a.m. a few miles north of Pine Valley, California near Pine Creek Road and Noble Canyon.
At 1:36 p.m. the size was estimated at 120 acres with a moderate rate of spread.
Aircraft over the Valley Fire at 1:27 p.m. PDT Aug. 22, 2022.
In addition to numerous engines, aircraft dispatched include several helicopters plus approximately nine air tankers, one of which is a DC-10.
Valley Fire looking NNE from Los Pinos at 1:19 p.m.
At 2:02 p.m. the weather at Cuyamaca Peak northwest of the fire was wind out of the west at 12 mph, 70 degrees, with 44 percent relative humidity. The fire is in the large valley that runs north from the community of Pine Valley, so until the fire spreads up onto higher slopes it may be partially sheltered from the 12 mph wind measured at the top of Cuyamaca Peak. Brush fires rarely spread rapidly when the humidity is above 40 percent, but the fuel moisture, depending on what it is during this drought, may also be a major factor.
The Valley Fire is about 36 air miles east of San Diego, north of Interstate 8.
