Power poles treated with fire resistant paint survived the Sheep Fire

Sheep Fire INL smoke fire
A smoke column over the Sheep Fire in Eastern Idaho, July, 2019. BLM photo.

(From the Bureau of Land Management)

Mitigation efforts reduce impacts of 112,000 acre Sheep Fire

The lightning caused Sheep Fire started on the evening of July 22 on the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) site in eastern Idaho. The area has a history of large, wind-driven wildfires that burn quickly through the grass and sagebrush desert. The Sheep Fire was no exception. It quickly became INL’s largest fire in history consuming over 112,000 acres.

power poles damaged fire wildfire
Power pole damaged during the T 17 Fire at the INL in 2011. BLM photo.

Firefighters worked hard—and successfully—to save facilities from the wind-driven fire, but infrastructure losses were incurred.  Transmission lines providing electricity to multiple counties across eastern Idaho are prevalent in the area, and their wooden power poles were particularly at risk. Approximately 61 rights of way for transmission lines cross BLM lands near INL. The INL itself has 4,000 power poles situated in brush and grass fuels.

During the active fire seasons of 2010 and 2011, which burned over 160,000 acres of both BLM and INL lands, power poles often burned, resulting in power outages, public safety issues and unplanned replacement costs. After the 2011 fire season, BLM fire mitigation specialists from the Idaho Falls District met with local power company officials, county officials and the INL. They discussed solutions to the considerable loss of power poles incurred from wildfires. The BLM proposed using a latex-based fire retardant paint on power poles to help protect them from burning.

fire retardant paint damaged wildfire fire
Fire retardant paint applied to power poles. BLM photo.

The INL decided to implement this proposal—having lost almost 60 power poles just in 2011. Although the treatment cost $100 per pole, the INL staff was willing to make that investment due to the high replacement cost of $1,200 to $2,500 per pole. Over the next two years, INL painted 3,000 of its power poles 5 feet up from the ground with the fire retardant paint. INL prioritized power poles receiving the paint based on service area, damage risk and vegetation density.Every pole painted in the latex-based fire retardant paint survived the Sheep Fire. Even poles that had not been repainted since their initial coat in 2012 and 2013 survived.

INL’s mitigation efforts successfully kept power to its grid during the Sheep Fire. While wildfires will continue to threaten infrastructure, Idaho Falls District BLM will continue finding innovative and cost effective partnerships in eastern Idaho to mitigate wildland fire impacts.


UPDATE: The product used by the INL is Osmos Fire-Guard Wood Pole Protection.

Washington’s Commissioner of Public Lands dances with Smokey Bear

Smokey Bear Hilary Franz
Smokey Bear and Hilary Franz, Washington State’s Commissioner of Public Lands, in a screengrab from the video below.

Smokey Bear and Hilary Franz, Washington State’s Commissioner of Public Lands, filmed a fire prevention public service announcement with Smokey Bear.

Fire prevention mascot in Chile

ForestinThe United States has Smokey Bear for wildfire prevention and Woodsy Owl to promote caring for the environment. Chile has one mascot, Forestín, for both of these activities, and more.

According to Wikipedia:

Forestín is the official mascot of the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF) of Chile. It is a coypu (nutria) which can serve as fire brigade (yellow fire resistant jacket and helmet), park ranger (green shirt and quepi) or forester (yellow shirt and green planter), which was designed to educate the public about the dangers of forest fires.

Forestín was introduced to the public in 1976 and since then has evolved.

Forestin

Here are a couple of videos showing Forestín in action.

World’s fastest woman makes PSA for fire prevention

Above: Tori Bowie. Screenshot from the PSA.

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.

Tori Bowie fire prevention wildfire
Tori Bowie. Screenshot from the PSA.

New Smokey Bear song corrects the icon’s name

Smokey Bear's debut
Smokey Bear’s debut in 1944.

When the Smokey Bear fire prevention campaign began in 1944 he was known as just that, “Smokey Bear” without “the” in the name.

But in 1952 Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins wrote what became a successful song named “Smokey the Bear”. They said adding “the” enhanced the song’s rhythm. A Little Golden Book published about the bear in 1955 followed the songwriters lead and also used the incorrect “the” version of the name.

All this created confusion, but the name of the fire prevention icon is and always has been Smokey Bear.

A few years ago the U.S. Forest Service gave a grant to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources who teamed up with students from the Columbus College of Art and Design and 2Tall Animation Studio to research, design, and create a new Smokey Bear animated video and song.

Notice his name…

A teacher’s kit is available that has wildfire prevention activities, lyrics to the song, a Smokey Bear comic book, and coloring pages.