Southern states near peak fire resource allocations as ‘Wildfire Awareness Month’ kicks off

May has historically been the start of wildfire season across the United States, but the signifier rings hollow for numerous communities in southern states facing already strained fire resources.

Friday marked the first day of Wildfire Awareness Month, when federal, state, and local agencies focus on fire prevention, preparedness, and protecting what matters, the National Interagency Fire Center said in a press release on Friday. Saturday was “Wildfire Community Preparedness Day,” when the National Fire Protection Association offered resources to prepare and become “firewise” for the months ahead.

That preparedness came early for communities in the Center’s Southern Area, which runs from Texas as far east as Virginia. Ongoing wildfires in Florida and Georgia have already put the area’s fire resources at Preparedness Level 4 out of 5, meaning national resources are heavily committed and have caused significant resource demand in inactive or low activity geographic areas, according to the Center’s scale.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said during a recent press conference that the state is experiencing its worst drought in over 20 years, meaning fire resources will continue being needed for “quite a while.”

“Our wildfires are already above a five-year average … and we’re under a temporary burn ban statewide,” Kemp said. “It’s a matter of resources … We’ve got equipment coming from Texas, Mississippi, Colorado, and Idaho.”

The fires are likely an omen of what’s to come as the nation moves towards what forecasters expect to be a very active fire season, due to ongoing fire risk in the South and historic snow drought in the West. In the near term, a stalled cold front in the southeast is forecast to bring hot, dry, and breezy conditions across central and southern Florida, raising the ongoing risk of fires in the already resource-strained state.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: ‘Unprecedented’ snow drought sets up extreme wildfires for Western US in 2026

Georgia buys two single engine air tankers

510G, Thrush,SEAT,air tanker,

Above: File photo of two Thrush 510G aircraft, a standard model and one with a dual cockpit. Thrush photo.

(Originally published at 6 p.m. MDT December 27, 2017)

The state of Georgia’s Forestry Commission has purchased two Thrush 510G Switchback single engine air tankers (SEATs).

The 510G model was introduced by Thrush in 2012 featuring a redesign of everything forward of the firewall including a different engine, the 800 shp GE H80 turbine.

The version acquired by Georgia has a dual cockpit and control systems, unusual in a SEAT, but it enables the aircraft to serve in a training role for Georgia Forestry Commission pilots.

The “Switchback” part of the name is an option which means in addition to delivering 500 gallons of water or fire retardant, it has the ability to switch from agricultural spray duties to firefighting capabilities in a matter of minutes thanks to its unique fire gate delivery system. These were the first Switchbacks delivered by Thrush, even though they have sold more than 100 510G’s.

“We’re extremely proud to be adding the Switchback to our aerial firefighting fleet,” said Georgia Forestry Commission’s director, Chuck Williams. “It boasts many advantages for our firefighting efforts and heralds an exciting new chapter in our commitment to protect and conserve the more than 24 million acres of timber land across our state. You’ll see these aircraft deployed not just for rapid fire suppression – but also in the very important role of rapid fire detection, which can sometimes make all the difference in being able to contain a wildfire, versus having it become uncontrollable.”

Specifications of the 510G:

  • Working speed: 90-150
  • Stall speed as usually landed: 55 mph
  • Take-off distance at 10,500 pounds: 1,500 feet
  • Landing Distance as Usually Landed w/Reverse: 350 feet
  • Cruising speed at 55% power: 159 mph

Photo gallery for the three-day, three-fire road trip

Earlier today we wrote about the three-day, three-fire, three-state road trip where a group of us boarded a very comfortable bus, or coach, and toured the sites of three large fires that occurred last fall in North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee.

Here are some photos, taken by Bill Gabbert. If you click on a photo, you’ll see larger versions.  The captions are in the top-left.

[envira-gallery slug=”three-day-road-trip”]

Scoopers on Lake Chatuge

Aero Flite tanker 262

Mark Carr sent us these photos he took November 18, 2016 of CL-415 water-scooping air tankers refilling at Lake Chatuge in Hiawassee, Georgia. That was a busy time for firefighters in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and other areas in the southeast United States.

Aero Flite tanker 262

Video: DC-10 makes drop on West Mims Fire

As firefighters on the ground continue efforts to get a handle on the West Mims Fire on the Georgia-Florida border, the attack from the air has intensified.

The Very Large Air Tanker (VLAT), a DC-10 fitted with a retardant delivery system, arrived Tuesday afternoon but was only able to make one fire retardant drop before low visibility due to settling smoke made subsequent air operations unsafe, officials said.

The aircraft made two 12,000-gallon retardant drops on Wednesday. Extreme conditions are expected to continue through the rest of the week, with temperatures approaching 100 degrees and winds gusting to 20 mph forecast — Red Flag Warnings are also expected to be issued in the area.

The blaze remains the largest and most active currently burning in the U.S., having already charred about 144,000 acres. It remains just 12 percent contained.

DC-10 tanker joins West Mims Fire efforts

A helicopter makes a water drop next to the road in Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge on the West Mims Fire. Photo via InciWeb.

Above: A helicopter makes a water drop next to the road in Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge on the West Mims Fire. Photo via InciWeb.

Additional air resources arrived on Tuesday to join crews battling the 140,000-acre West Mims Fire on the Georgia-Florida border.

The Very Large Air Tanker (VLAT), a DC-10 fitted with a retardant delivery system, arrived Tuesday afternoon but was only able to make one fire retardant drop before low visibility due to settling smoke made subsequent air operations unsafe, officials said. The aircraft is capable of dumping 11,600 gallons (44,000 liters) of chemical fire retardant in a single run, and it joins more than 700 firefighters and support personnel working to contain the blaze with bulldozers, helicopters and smaller planes.

The DC-10 is stationed in Chattanooga, Tenn., hundreds of miles away from the fire. Though clear across the entire state of Georgia, that location is the closest airport rated to handle the needs of a place its size, officials said.

Crews caught a break on Tuesday — the fire wasn’t as active as it had been of late, though temperatures still hit 96 degrees with relative humidity hovering about 19 percent.

“For the first time in 3 days, the fire was not as aggressive as was anticipated,” incident commanders wrote in the Tuesday evening update, posted to InciWeb. 

Hotter conditions and gusty winds are forecast for Wednesday.

Eight heavy helicopters and six heavy air tankers will be supporting ground operations Wednesday, as conditions allow.

The lightning-sparked fire started April 6 has burned 140,400 acres and remains just 12 percent contained.

DC-10 air tanker Utah
A DC-10 on a fire in Utah. Posted on Twitter by the Alpine Hotshots September 4, 2016.

Firefighter rescues fawn from West Mims Fire; extreme conditions persist

With Georgia’s West Mims Fire now making continual headlines, photos of smoke plumes and falling ash are seemingly everywhere. That means this photo from a couple weeks ago is sure to make the rounds, too.

Published April 28 on InciWeb, the shot of a firefighter carrying a fawn to safety quickly got buried in a tide of photos showing the fire’s massive smoke plumes and stories about the front jumping containment lines. Ash fell on parts of downtown Jacksonville, Florida, over the weekend.

The West Mims Fire burns along Highway 94, near St. George, in this photo posted Monday on InciWeb.
The West Mims Fire burns along Highway 94, near St. George, in this photo posted Monday on InciWeb.

According to the latest updates, the West Mims Fire has burned more than 140,000 acres. Another 7,000 acres has burned by Monday afternoon, and flame lengths up to 150 feet were reported.

Tuesday’s outlook was anything but promising.

“The fire will be fuel-driven and plume-dominated, meaning that when tall columns develop, they could abruptly collapse, sending downburst winds in all directions. Two columns could also develop at the same time,” officials said. “All this extreme fire behavior will create very dangerous conditions for firefighters.”

Satellite time-lapse of West Mims Fire smoke

The new Goes-16 satellite that is still not fully operational captured stunning imagery of the smoke plume from the West Mims Fire blowing over Florida and the Atlantic Ocean.

And the view from the ground:

West Mims Fire in Georgia sends ash to Jacksonville, Florida

The sprawling West Mims Fire that has been burning since April, largely in a south Georgia swamp, broke containment lines on Saturday and sent ash falling as far away as downtown Jacksonville, Florida. 

The lightning-caused fire was reported on April 6 in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and has burned more than 135,000 acres. Crews on Saturday dealt with gusty winds and relative humidity levels around 18 percent, which drove the blaze past containment lines and fanned it farther east.

“The fire moved aggressively to the east and southeast against an enhanced air and ground attack today,” officials wrote in a Saturday night InciWeb update. 

The fire and a blanket of falling ash on Saturday unnerved some residents near downtown Jacksonville, the Florida Times-Union reported. 

Similar conditions were forecast for Sunday, and evacuation orders remained in place. Additional heavy air tankers were expected to arrive on Sunday from California and Montana to assist the approximately 535 personnel assigned to the incident.

The West Mims Fire remains just 12 percent contained. No injuries have been reported. Full containment isn’t expected until Nov. 1.