Alabama Archives - Wildfire Today

Fire truck burns at wheat field fire in Alabama

Bill GabbertJune 18, 2022June 18, 2022WildfireAlabama1 Comment

Town Creek Volunteer Fire Department burned fire truck — A Town Creek Volunteer Fire Dept. truck was burned over and destroyed June 16, 2022 in Alabama. Photo via the department’s Facebook page.

A truck operated by the Town Creek Volunteer Fire Department was burned over and destroyed in Alabama, Thursday, June 16.

Donna F. Campbell wrote about it on the Department’s Facebook page:

We had a wheat field fire today and lost one of our trucks. I was out of the truck when the fire shifted and got back in to try to get the truck moved. The flames were coming up over the front and I jumped out. Another fire fighter was there from another department with me and he tried spraying water on it. This is what our truck 502 looks like now. None of my firefighters or any of the firefighters from the other 2 departments were injured.

Below is what the truck looked like in 2014.

Town Creek Volunteer Fire Dept truck 502 — Truck 502. From Town Creek Volunteer Fire Dept. Facebook page, June 14, 2014.

Alabama firefighter killed while responding to brush fire

Bill GabbertOctober 20, 2019December 7, 2019WildfireAlabama, lodd, rollover3 Comments

Michale Johnston was a member of the Equality Volunteer Fire Department

Michael Johnston Equality Volunteer Fire Department killed — Michael Johnston of the Equality Volunteer Fire Department was killed in a water tender rollover October 18 in Alabama.

Michale Johnston of the Equality Volunteer Fire Department was killed October 18 in a single vehicle rollover while responding to a brush fire. The Coosa County Sheriff’s Office said EMS and Deputies arrived at the scene within minutes and later reported that Mr. Johnson died after the accident.

Mr. Johnston, 45, was driving the 2004 GMC water tender when it overturned at 3:25 p.m. while en route to a fire in the Speed Community south of Rockford, Alabama. He was ejected from the truck in the single-vehicle crash on Coosa County Road 14.

Our sincere condolences go out to Mr. Johnston’s family, friends, and colleagues.

Red Flag Warnings, March 21, 2013

Bill GabbertMarch 21, 2013August 25, 2019UncategorizedAlabama, Georgia, New Mexico, Red Flag Warning, weather

Some portions of New Mexico, Texas, Alabama, and Georgia are under Red Flag Warnings for enhanced wildfire danger today. The National Weather Service site that usually serves up a dandy map showing the warnings is not working properly this morning, so we’re making do with the substitute above. If you need to interpret the colors other than red, which is for Red Flag Warnings, you can go to this NWS site where you’ll see a legend showing, for example, six different shades of brown, with three of them being almost identical light brown. Ridiculous.

***

The map above was current as of 9:35 a.m. MT on Thursday. Red Flag Warnings can change throughout the day as the National Weather Service offices around the country update and revise their forecasts. For the most current data, visit this NWS site, however today the graphics are not working correctly..

Forest discovered that will never burn

Bill GabbertMarch 12, 2013March 11, 2013UncategorizedAlabama, history, research

An ancient cypress forest has been discovered at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico 60 feet under water about 10 miles off the coast of Alabama. An examination of samples from the trees using radiocarbon dating estimated that they are over 50,000 years old. The wood is remarkably well preserved and has the distinct aroma of cypress when it is sawn, researchers said.

The fact that the trees are under water is due to changing sea levels caused by ice ages coming and going and the land mass in southern Alabama rising and subsiding over the last 50,000 to 80,000 years.

Scientists think massive waves during Hurricane Katrina rearranged the sand and silt on the ocean floor, uncovering the forest after it had been hidden for eons.

More information is at al.com.

Red Flag Warnings, Texas and Alabama

Bill GabbertFebruary 20, 2013August 25, 2019UncategorizedAlabama, Red Flag Warning, Texas, weather

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued Red Flag Warnings for some areas in Texas and Alabama, and Fire Weather Watches for other areas in these states. I had to manipulate the colors in the map above in order to make it easier to see the Watch areas. Light yellow on light green is difficult to see on their original map.

The map below is produced by the NWS’ Storm Prediction Center, but uses the term “Critical Fire Weather” instead of Red Flag Warning.

Fire Weather 1-day outlook 2-20-2013 — Fire Weather outlook for February 20, 2013. Click to enlarge.

It as has been 1 year, 2 months, and 20 days since the U.S. Forest Service issued a solicitation for next-generation large air tankers, but no contracts have been awarded.

***

The maps above were current as of 9:15 a.m. MT on Wednesday. Red Flag Warnings can change throughout the day as the National Weather Service offices around the country update and revise their forecasts. For the most current data, visit this NWS site.

Monday wildfire one-liners, March 26, 2012

Bill GabbertMarch 26, 2012August 25, 2019Uncategorizedair tanker, Alabama, Australia, Colorado, New Hampshire, weather

Screen grab from report about Colorado wildfire conditions — Screen grab from CBS Denver report about Colorado wildfire conditions

Excellent photos of a P2V and an Air Tractor 802A at Jeffco Air Tanker Base in Colorado.

Annual wildfire refresher available, online and by DVD. Warning: a lame, pointless video with audio will automatically play for about 15 seconds when you visit the NIFC web site.

Video report about wildfire conditions in Colorado.

U.S. Forest Service starts women’s firefighting boot camp.

Two boys ordered to pay $10,000 each for starting fire near Gardnerville, NV.

New Hampshire man uses gasoline to ignite brush pile, is treated at hospital for burns on hands and face.

Two Single Engine Air Tankers begin their 7-day journey from Australia to the United States.

Meteorologist gives early prediction of a normal fire season for the northern Rockies.

One home and two outbuildings burn in three-acre wildfire in Chimayo, NM.

During the past 10 years, the Alabama Forestry Commission’s staff has been reduced by more than 300 employees.