(Originally posted at 2:00 p.m. MT, Feb. 12, 2013; updated at 5:44 p.m. MT.)
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a citation related to the fatality of Anne Veseth, a 20-year-old U.S. Forest Service firefighter from Moscow, Idaho who was killed August 12, 2012 while working on the Steep Corner Fire near Orofino, Idaho. The citation was issued to the organization managing the fire, the Clearwater-Potlatch Timber Protective Association (CPTPA). The citation comes with a “Notification of Penalty”, fines totaling $14,000.
Ms. Veseth was killed by a falling tree, when one tree fell and crashed into another tree, causing it to fall in a domino effect. The day before she was killed, the Flathead Hotshots arrived at the fire, and after scouting it and assessing the situation, they concluded it was not safe to work under the conditions that were present. Then they left the fire after talking with the incident commander. Three days later they filed a SAFENET report, documenting the unsafe conditions at the fire.
The Citation for the CPTPA and the Notice for the USFS were both dated February 7, 2013.
The CPTPA citation was for the following:
Serious violation: For not providing a safe working environment; 8 of the 10 Standard Firefighting Orders were violated, and they did not mitigate 11 of the 18 Watch Out Situations. Proposed penalty: $4,900.
Serious violation: employees engaged in wildland firefighting were exposed to being struck by hazard trees while constructing fire line. Proposed penalty: $4,900.
Serious violation: Firefighters constructing direct fire line did not have fire shelters readily available. Firefighters constructing fire line were wearing denim and work pants not rated as fire resistant. Proposed penalty: $4,200.
The U.S. Forest Service Notice of Unsafe or Unhealthful Working Conditions was for the following:
Serious Violation: 7 of the 10 Standard Firefighting Orders were violated, and they did not mitigate 9 of the 18 Watch Out Situations.
Repeat Violation: employees engaged in wildland firefighting were exposed to being struck by hazard trees while constructing fire line.
If the violations are not contested they must be abated by various dates in March, 2013, and the fine must be paid within 15 working days.
The National Interagency Fire Center announced an award today.
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BLM firefighters Ben Oakleaf and Chris Swisher have much in common.
They’re both BLM smokejumpers. They both worked on the Midnight Suns Interagency Hotshot Crew in Alaska. They’re both highly respected in smokejumping circles. They’re both described by their supervisors as having a great work ethic and outstanding attitudes. They’ve been good friends for about a dozen years, starting when they met while working as hotshots.
And they were both surprised when they were named winners of the “Al Dunton Award,” which honors the late BLM pioneer in fire and aviation management.
“It was a surprise,” says Swisher, who jumps out of Fort Wainwright, Alaska. “I didn’t know anything about it until I was told that I won.”
“I didn’t even know I was nominated until the jumper manager called me into his office and told me. I was very surprised,” says Oakleaf, who is part of the Great Basin smokejumpers, based in Boise, Idaho.
Part of the reason Swisher and Oakleaf were nominated is due to their work in combining the first-year smokejumper training. For a dozen years, the Alaska and Great Basin rookie jumpers trained separately. That didn’t seem the best way to teach the ropes to the new jumpers, Swisher and Oakleaf thought.
“Combined rookie training was done in the past. There’s been talk about it through the years, about doing the training that way again,” Oakleaf says. “We both have great respect for the two BLM smokejumper bases. We thought combining the training would be a good thing to do.”
Smokejumper management agreed and Swisher and Oakleaf were given the challenging assignment to make it happen.
The combined rookie training took place in April of 2012 in Alaska. By all accounts, it was a huge success. Combined training is again scheduled for April of this year, in Idaho.
“They were analytical, deliberate, mutually respectful of one another’s opinions, and ultimately convincing that the timing was right to give this combined effort another shot,” says Hector Madrid, manager of the Great Basin smokejumpers. “They developed guidelines, the training syllabus, a logistics plan and selected a cadre that shared the same viewpoints about rookie training.”
The effort proved worthwhile, according to Bill Cramer, Alaska smokejumper manager.
“The end result was that we had a strong group of first-year jumpers who came ready to contribute. The training could not have been done any better,” he says.
Great Basin jumpers often help Alaska jumpers in the spring, the peak of the northern fire season. In turn, Alaska jumpers often “boost” firefighting efforts in the Lower 48 during July and August, when the fire season is busiest in the West.
Having the same training and familiarity with one another is a big advantage.
“The more we know each other and about each other, the more seamless it is when we integrate the crews,” says Oakleaf.
But it was more than the combined rookie training that distinguishes Swisher and Oakleaf. Their supervisors say the two excel in every aspect of the smokejumping program.
“He seeks challenges, he accepts responsibility, he always looks for ways to improve,” says Cramer of his colleague Swisher. “That’s what resonates with me. It’s not just what he did in 2012, but the way he continually performs his job.
“He’s humble, without reason to be,” Cramer adds. “From his perspective, he just shows up and tries to do his job the best way he can. He doesn’t think he’s anyone special.”
Madrid is equal in his praise of Oakleaf.
“Ben’s strength is that he leads by example. No matter his experience, he’s never been above or beyond doing a task. He has great firefighting and jumping skills. He’s the full package,” says Madrid. “His attitude is second to none. He’s never in a bad mood, never had a bad moment, no matter the situation.”
The “Al Dunton Award” was established last year. Dunton was a rookie smokejumper in Fairbanks in 1967. He managed the smokejumper base there from 1972 through 1984 and remained active in fire management throughout his career. Much of BLM’s success in fire management can be traced back to Dunton’s work and innovations. The award was established by the interagency smokejumper base managers and the National Smokejumper Association, with the support of Al Dunton’s wife, Mary, and other family members.
Last year’s BLM winner was Gary Baumgartner.
The respect level is high between the award recipients.
“On a personal note, (organizing) the combined rookie training was fun to do with Chris. We’ve been good friends now for a long time,” Oakleaf says.
“I think there are more worthy people than me,” says Swisher, “but I’m glad that Ben was chosen.”
Says Cramer of the two, “I wish we could put them in a copy machine and duplicate them. Of course, if we did, the rest of us might be out of a job.”
BAe-146 air tanker makes a drop on the Karney Fire. Inciweb photo.
Another volunteer firefighter has been identified as an arsonist. According to the Idaho Statesman, 19-year old Nathaniel Bartholomew pleaded guilty on Thursday to starting the 440-acre Karney Fire Sept. 17 in Boise County, Idaho.
Mr. Bartholomew was arrested the next day.
The charge he pleaded guilty to Thursday was one count of felony third-degree arson which could result in 10 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for March and could include restitution for some of the $2.3 million costs of the fire.
The fire destroyed one residence and caused the evacuation of 80 homes. A Type 2 Incident Management Team and 350 firefighters were able to keep the fire out of a subdivision with 275 homes.
“A careless match destroys”. Sign in the Myrtle fire in South Dakota, July 23, 2012. Photo by Bill Gabbert
On a day that we published articles on Wildfire Today about numerous fires in South Dakota, several fires in Nebraska that burned a total of 58,000 acres Wednesday, and towns in North Dakota and Idaho that were virtually wiped out by fires this week, the National Interagency Fire Center posted an audio recording by Public Affairs Specialist Ken Frederick wrapping up the 2012 fire season. You can check it out HERE.
In addition to the town of Bucyrus, North Dakota that was virtually wiped out by a wildfire on Wednesday, another very small town was devastated by a fire on Tuesday. Sixty mph winds pushed a fire through Howe, Idaho (map) burning six buildings, which was most of the town. It is believed that the fire started inside a cafe that had been vacant, along with all of the other businesses in the town, for months. It then spread through the town consuming structures while locals fought the fire with buckets of water.
Howe, ID, Photo from Google Street View before the fire.
The closest fire department was 15 minutes away, leaving the residents to fight the fire themselves until firefighters from other communities could arrive.
Howe has only two full-time residents, but approximately 175 people live just outside the town.
Lou Jones who lives nearby said, “The wind was blowing so hard the tumbleweeds would catch fire and take it everywhere. As you can see the whole town caught fire, except me.”
In addition to Mr. Jones’ house, the school and a church survived the fire.
Ridge Top Fire entrapment site. BLM photo. (Click to enlarge)
The Bureau of Land Management has released the investigation report about a firefighter being entrapped and suffering first and second degree burns while working on the Ridge Top Fire on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation near Blackfoot, Idaho on July 28, 2012.
You can read the entire report, but here is a summary. The firefighter was referred to as a “Dozer Swamper” (DZSW1) who was was utilizing an All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) to scout fireline and coordinate dozer activities. The DZSW1 was on the ATV going down a dozer line to tie in with another dozer when the fire activity increased adjacent to some unburned vegetation. The DZSW1 was heard on the radio saying “I need to get out of the smoke”. The DZSW1 attempted to turn around on the ATV and escape back up the dozer line but is unable to make the turn due to thick smoke and dozer berms, and then tried to escape down the dozer line on the ATV. The ATV then “became inoperable due to undetermined reasons”.
From the report:
DZSW1 recognizes imminent entrapment, takes a deep breath, curls up on the ATV and is hit by the first blast of radiant heat. DZSW1 recognizes the first blast has passed and drags the ATV uphill away from the dozer berm. DZSW1 considers deploying fire shelter but is concerned about exposure by standing up. DZSW1 crouches low and under the ATV and prepares for another heat blast. DZSW1 is able to start the ATV and proceeds down the dozer line to East Cemetery Road and turns north towards the safety zone.
DZSW1 ties in with an engine crew. His injuries are assessed and a paramedic is sent from the helibase who assumes care of the patient. DZSW1 is transported by ground ambulance to Bingham Memorial Hospital in Blackfoot, Idaho and about three hours later begins a ground ambulance trip to the University of Utah Burn Center in Salt Lake City, approximately 190 miles away. DZSW1 was released from the Burn Center the next day.
Below is a photo showing some melted plastic on the All Terrain Vehicle that the firefighter was using at the time of the entrapment. Continue reading
A screen grab from a video endorsed by Cabela’s demonstrating a Star Exploding Target. We added the arrow and the “Flames” text to point out that flames are visible following the explosion.
Originally published October 11, 2012, updated February 6, 2013
Targets that are designed to explode when shot with a rifle have become more popular in recent years, emerging as an increasing threat to our wildlands. The problem is, they sometimes start fires in spite of claims by the manufacturers saying they are safe.
The military has been using them for at least 20 years when training marksmen to hit targets hundreds of yards away, since it can be difficult to see if a target was hit at that distance. When struck with the bullet from a rifle, the explosion and smoke are easily seen and indicate that the shooter hit the target
They are sometimes called “binary exploding targets”, since they are completely inert until two powders are mixed at the site by the target shooter. After they are combined, the compound is illegal to transport. The manufacturers claim that the only way they can be detonated is by striking them with a high-velocity bullet fired from a high-powered center-fire rifle. At least one company has recently started offering targets that will explode when hit with a much less powerful .22 caliber rim-fire rifle.
While the manufacturers claim they can’t start a fire, the screen grab (above) from a video shows flames in the grass just after a target advertised by Cabela’s and manufactured by Star Exploding Targets, explodes. The video is below, however we expect that eventually Cabela’s and Star will remove it from YouTube. The flames are visible three seconds into the video at the bottom left.
In a quick search, we found numerous reports of wildfires having been caused by exploding targets in a 5-month period. The dates below indicate when the information was published.
June 17, 2012, Colorado. The Springer Fire in Park County on the Pike National Forest burned 1,045 acres. It was caused by exploding targets.
June 13, 2012, Idaho. Four wildfires were caused by shooters using exploding targets up to that date in 2012.
June 15, 2012, Washington. A small fire near the mouth of the Grande Ronde River was apparently started by someone shooting at exploding targets.
June 16, 2012, Utah. The 300-acre Little Cove fire was caused by shooters using exploding targets.
June 29, 2012, Utah. A fire investigator said eight wildfires in the previous three weeks were caused by shooters using exploding targets.
July 2, 2012, Nevada. A five-acre fire in Elko was caused by shooters using exploding targets.
August 19, 2012, Oregon. Five shooters were cited for starting a 35-acre fire using Tannerite exploding targets.
September 6, 2012, Washington. The Goat Fire burned 7,378 acres 3 miles southwest of Pateros, WA. It was started by exploding targets. Forest Service officials previously said two smaller fires — a 120-acre blaze in Mud Creek Entiat and one on Deadman Hill near Cashmere — may also have been ignited by exploding targets.
October 7, 2012, Pennsylvania. Two state Game Commission workers suffered injuries including burns, temporary blindness and hearing damage when an illegal exploding target blew up while the men attempted to put out a fire at a gun range in Pike County.
October 11, 2012, California. A 364-acre fire was started by shooters using exploding targets. A news report (see video below) shows two pounds of the explosive being used to blow up a car.
October 19, 2012, Utah. Two men have been charged with starting the Dump fire near Saratoga Springs, Utah that burned more than 5,500 acres and cost $2.1 million to put out. About 2,500 people were forced to evacuate. Investigators say the men were shooting June 21 when they hit an explosive target that started the fire in vegetation.
October 23, 2012, Nebraska. Three men have been charged with starting a fire by using exploding targets in Nebraska, and starting the Spotted Tail fire that burned 83 acres south of Chadron October 23.
This is a total of 24 fires that were either confirmed or suspected to be caused by exploding targets since the first of June, 2012. And these are just the ones that we were able to find using Google.
In most areas in the western United States exploding targets are illegal to use if there is a law or temporary ban on open fires.
One of the primary manufacturers of the targets is Tannerite. The company has a patent on the devices and has said the fires are caused by other companies infringing on their patent and adding an additional incendiary component in order to produce a more spectacular explosion.
At an online forum for firearms enthusiasts, The Firing Line, some of the posters decry the lack of wisdom of target shooters who start fires with exploding targets. A person using the moniker “g.willikers” wrote:
It seems that we gun owners have two enemies. Those who would deprive us of our gun rights. And those who throw those rights away.
Others on the forum suggested some alternative targets that can produce an impressive display when hit with a bullet, such as:
A milk jug filled with water
Potatoes
Pop can filled with water
Fresh cow pie
UPDATE October 12, 2012:
Ken told us about this news report that appeared on television in southern California October 11, 2012, explaining and demonstrating the hazards of these explosive targets. They use two pounds of the explosive to blow up a car, and Chief John Hawkins of CAL FIRE provides his point of view on the problem.
Bumper sticker distributed by the Idaho Forest Products Commission
The Idaho Forest Products Commission has started a bumper sticker campaign to encourage the U. S. Forest Service to accelerate the pace of thinning the national forests in their state. The Commission, a state organization comprised of members appointed by the Governor, has distributed information stating that “part of the reason for wildfires burning in Idaho this year is because the state’s national forests are overstocked with dead and dying trees, and timber harvest levels are nearly at an all-time low.”
The bumper sticker, as you can see above, says “Thin The Threat!” over a background of what appears to be a forest fire behind some trees.
The bumper stickers are available at no charge from the Idaho Forest Products Commission. They can be ordered by email, ifpc@idahoforests.org or phone at 208-334-3292.
Idaho Governor has recommendations on how to reduce damage from wildfires
The Governor of Idaho, C.L. “Butch” Otter, in an opinion article published under his name, has some recommendations about how to reduce the adverse impacts from wildfires. They include more roads, grazing, and logging.
Smoke from Idaho’s Mustang Fire had elevated levels of radiation
The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality tested the air quality near the Mustang Fire and said that even though they found “definitely elevated” levels of radiation, it did not pose a risk to human health. The air samples were obtained in the nearby town of North Fork. As Wildfire Today told you on September 21, the fire burned through four former mining sites that had traces of radioactive uranium and thorium.
…Paul Ritter, health physicist with the state environmental agency, said in the area of the mining sites, smoke from the fire showed amounts of radiation roughly equivalent to emissions from a fire in 2000 that charred parts of Los Alamos National Laboratory, the nuclear weapons design facility in New Mexico.
“The readings are definitely elevated but not out of line with what has been measured in fires before. It is not a risk,” he said.
Americans are exposed to an estimated 310 millirems of radiation a year from natural sources, including some rocks and soils, according to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
An analysis of air samples in North Fork showed residents would have been exposed to 0.5 millirems of radiation in a 30-day period. That compares to a dose of 5 millirems delivered by a round-trip transcontinental flight, Ritter said.
Utah students influence legislation about wildfires
Some high school students in Utah who were interested in the effects of climate change talked to state Representative Kraig Powell, who, according to a report in Power Engineering:
…has opened a bill file for legislation that would examine how climate change is expected to drive more and bigger wildfires and to begin planning for future wildfire fighting and suppression costs.
In early meetings with Powell, [the students] shared some of what they had learned about wildfire in Utah. For instance, they told how the state already has seen 400,000 acres burned this year with suppression costs of $47.1 million — part of a trend prompted by record hot and dry periods.
They also told how rehabilitating burned areas often costs more than fighting the wildfire itself. Their example? The 2007 Milford Flat fire which racked up a $5 million bill for suppression, while rehabilitating the scarred forest and range cost $17 million.
That’s what led to the concept for the bill, which is currently being drafted by the Legislature’s lawyers.
“I’ve been learning a lot,” Powell said. “It’s not a simple science.”
