Lightning, precipitation, and Red Flag Warnings, July 8, 2021

The Lolo National Forest in Montana reported two new fires Wednesday night exhibiting crowning and spotting fire behavior

9:42 a.m. MDT July 8, 2021

Lighting, 24 hours previous to 759 a.m. MDT July 8 2021
Lighting, 24 hours previous to 7:59 a.m. MDT July 8, 2021.

Wednesday’s lightning that battered parts of Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota came with little or no precipitation.

Wednesday night the Lolo National Forest west of Missoula, MT reported that they were working on three new fires, including two that were each 30 to 50 acres and exhibiting crowning and spotting fire behavior.

Thursday afternoon there could be more thunderstorms in Western Montana, some of which could become severe with powerful wind and large hail. Gusty winds across the state will elevate the fire danger. The forecast for Helena calls for 13 to 16 mph winds gusting out of the northwest at 20 to 28 mph with relative humidity in the teens.

Precipitation, 24 hours previous to 840 a.m. MDT, July 8, 2021
Precipitation, 24 hours previous to 8:40 a.m. MDT, July 8, 2021.
Red Flag Warnings, July 8, 2021
Red Flag Warnings, July 8, 2021

From the Idaho Panhandle National Forests, Wednesday evening, July 7:

Widespread lightning, accompanied by very little precipitation, moved through overnight impacting the Idaho Panhandle National Forests and the greater region. Numerous fires have been reported and confirmed. The fires are all currently in the initial attack phase with an all-hands-on-deck interagency response. In addition to engines, water tenders, hand crews, and helicopters, large air tankers are also supporting fire managers with 3,000 gallon loads of retardant loading from the Coeur d Alene Tanker Base.
More information will be available as management shifts from initial attack into extended attack, if needed.

Air tankers at Pappy Boyington Field fire
Air tankers at Pappy Boyington Field in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, July 7, 2021. USFS photo.

Continue reading “Lightning, precipitation, and Red Flag Warnings, July 8, 2021”

Firefighters take advantage of sand dunes

The Black Knoll Fire in Eastern Idaho

 Black Knoll Fire Idaho
Aerial photo of the Black Knoll Fire, June 21, 2021. BLM.

It is not every day that firefighters can take advantage of sand dunes to help contain a rapidly spreading wildfire. That’s what happened Monday when firefighters attacked the Black Knoll Fire burning in sage, grass, and juniper in Eastern Idaho five miles north of St. Anthony.

It turns out, much to my surprise, there are extensive sand dunes in that area stretching 18 miles to the southwest from Sand Creek Road.

The Bureau of Land Management reported that much of the perimeter outside of the sand dunes was contained by dozer line. Tuesday morning it was 433 acres and they expected containment by evening.

 Black Knoll Fire Idaho
Aerial photo of the Black Knoll Fire, June 21, 2021. BLM.
map Black Knoll Fire
Map showing the location, in red, of the Black Knoll Fire, June 22, 2021.

 

Success story — fire prevention along Interstate 84 in Idaho

Average fire size decreased by 95 percent

I-84 Fire prevention wildfire Idaho

In order to deal with an increasing number of wildfires that were starting along Interstate 84 southeast of Boise, Idaho the Bureau of Land Management worked with local cooperators to establish a fuel modification program along the highway.

Their first action, from 2007 to 2012, was to reduce the existing vegetation by mowing, constructing fuel breaks, and establishing perennial grasses to reduce invasive annuals in the right of way adjacent to the interstate. It is a small sample size but during this period there was little significant change in the annual acres burned, average fire size, or the number of fires.

During the next seven years, from 2013 to 2019, the treatment strategy also included reestablishment of the gravel apron along the edge of the pavement surface to a minimum of 12 feet. The implementation required years of adaptive management and hard work, but the effort is producing results: average fire size for the last seven years has been reduced 95 percent even though traffic flow increased by more than 30 percent.

I-84 Fire prevention wildfire Idaho

I-84 Fire prevention wildfire Idaho

Images and graphics: BLM

Pilot identified in crash of air tanker in Idaho

Schill Fire
Schill Fire. BLM photo.

Updated September 23, 2020  |  3:40 p.m. MDT

The Bureau of Land Management has provided more information about the crash of a single engine air tanker:

“On Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020, at approximately 7 p.m. MDT, a Single Engine Air Tanker with one pilot on board was involved in a fatal accident during initial attack operations on the Schill Fire, located approximately 2 miles southeast of Emmett.

“The pilot, Ricky Fulton, perished. The aircraft, T-857, was owned by Aero S.E.A.T. Incorporated and was on an on-call contract with BLM Fire and Aviation at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise. Firefighters on the scene rendered medical aid to the pilot and called for Life Flight, but the pilot did not survive his injuries.

“The 30-acre Schill Fire started at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 22 in grass and brush in steep terrain. It was contained at approximately 10 p.m. on Tuesday. The cause of the Schill Fire is under investigation.”


Originally published September 23, 2020  |  8:58 a.m. MDT

The Bureau of Land Management announced that the pilot of a single engine air tanker (SEAT) was killed Tuesday evening September 22 while working on a wildfire near Emmett, Idaho. The agency said more information will be released following family notifications.

KTVB reported the accident occurred near Pearl Road about two miles southeast of Emmett. The fire started around 4:30 p.m. and grew to 25 acres as two SEATs and one helicopter assisted firefighters on the ground. According to the Gem County Sheriff’s Office, the air tanker was dropping retardant when it went down.

This is the sixth firefighting pilot and the third SEAT pilot to be killed in the United States this year. In addition, three members of the crew of a C-130 from the U.S. died when their air tanker crashed January 23, 2020 while fighting a bushfire in New South Wales, Australia.

Our sincere condolences go out to the pilot’s family, friends, and co-workers.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Steve, and Tom.

Firefighter’s family killed in structure fire

And unrelated, a firefighter died in a vehicle accident while commuting home

Four members of firefighter’s family killed in structure fire

The wife and three children of a wildland firefighter were killed in Washington while he was deployed on a wildfire.

Marcaria Garcia-Martinez, 32, her daughters Luz Garcia-Martinez, 17, and Michelle Garcia-Martinez, 6, and son Luis Garcia-Martinez, 15, died in the early morning  blaze on August 27.  They had just moved and were spending their first night in the single-wide trailer in Benton City, Washington. When sheriff deputies and firefighters arrived the home was almost completely consumed. The radiant heat from the fire was so intense that a nearby trailer also ignited, but deputies were able to rescue the residents of that home. Firefighters put out the fire and found the family members’ bodies while searching the trailer.

Raul Garcia-Santos, Garcia-Martinez’s husband and the children’s father, was assigned to the Palmer Fire in north-central Washington which has burned about 18,000 acres four miles south of the Canadian border. The fire has not been updated on InciWeb since September 30.

Firefighter dies in vehicle accident while commuting home

Sara Madsen. USFS photo.

A firefighter on the Helena Hotshot crew was killed in a vehicle accident in Idaho while commuting home after a fire assignment.

From the U. S. Forest Service, Caribou-Targhee National Forest September 3, 2020:

“Sara Madsen was an incredible person with a vivacious personality and a love for the outdoors. She began working in natural resources in our very own Teton Valley as a Youth Conservation Corp member, later moving into the fire program where she served as a crewmember on the Caribou-Targhee National Forest’s Centennial Type 2 Initial Attack Hand Crew from 2017 to 2019. 2020 was her first year as part of the Helena Hot Shot crew with the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. Our firefighting community is heartbroken over this tragic loss and our condolences go out to Sara’s family, friends and coworkers.”

The Idaho State Police released the following information:

  • “On September 2, 2020, at approximately 12:21 a.m., Idaho State Police investigated a single-vehicle crash on SH32 near milepost 25 south of Ashton, in Fremont County.
  • Sara Madsen, 24, of Tetonia, was driving eastbound on SH32 in a 1999 Ford Ranger when her vehicle went off the right shoulder of the roadway and overturned.
  • Madsen was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle. She succumbed to her injuries at the scene. Next of kin has been notified.”

Rest in peace, Sara Madsen, and the family of Raul Garcia-Santos.

Eight years ago today — Anne Veseth

Ms. Veseth was killed by a falling tree while working on a fire in Idaho

Anne Veseth 2012 firefighter killed falling tree
Anne Veseth. USFS photo.

Eight years ago today, in 2012, Anne Veseth was killed while working on the Steep Corner Fire 56 miles northeast of Orofino, Idaho. The fire was on private property and was being managed by the Clearwater‐Potlatch Timber Protective Association (CPTPA). Ms. Veseth, in her second season working as a firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service, was killed when she was struck by a falling 150-foot fire-weakened green cedar tree. The tree fell on its own and was 13 inches in diameter where it struck her.

Anne Veseth 2012 firefighter killed falling tree
Anne Veseth. USFS photo.

The report on the incident was released February 13, 2013.

May she rest in peace.