More fire crew videos, fire season summaries

UPDATED January 1, 2013: added a video from the Wind Cave National Park fire organization.

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Yesterday we posted two videos that hotshot crews produced which summarized their 2012 fire season. Today we have more.

The first one is the Entiat Hotshots (based on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in Washington):

Next is the Sawtooth Hotshots (Sawtooth National Forest in Idaho):

And finally, Lakeview Helitack: (near Lakeview, Oregon)

From the fire personnel at Wind Cave National Park:

Let us know if you are aware of any other good videos summarizing the 2012 fire season.

 

Thanks go out to Matt

NIFC wraps up the 2012 fire season

Careless Match Sign at Myrtle fire
“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.

Another small town devasted by wildfire

Howe, ID on fire
Howe, ID on fire, Photo from KTVB

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
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.

KTVB has some photos of the fire.

Investigation report – firefighter entrapment on Ridge Top Fire

Ridge Top Fire entrapment site
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 “Investigation report – firefighter entrapment on Ridge Top Fire”

Exploding targets, an increasing wildfire problem

Star Exploding Targets, flames
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 campaign: Thin the Threat

Thin The Threat bumper sticker
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.