Sara’s research focuses on the fundamental physics of wildland fire.
Continue readingInterview with Myron Lee
Myron Lee was a very well-respected Type 1 Incident Commander and Fire Management Officer of the Cleveland National Forest in Southern California. We were saddened to learn he has passed away.
Continue readingDierks Bentley talks about song he wrote for movie about Granite Mountain Hotshots
The country music star co-wrote “Hold the Light” which is featured in the movie “Only the Brave”
Continue readingInterview with Josh Brolin about his role in “Only the Brave”
Bill Gabbert of Wildfire Today sat down with Josh Brolin in Phoenix about a week before the opening of the movie about the Granite Mountain Hotshots, “Only the Brave”. He explained that he and the other actors felt that the subject of the film was very meaningful.
If you are having trouble watching the video above, you can see it on YouTube.
You might notice that he wore a Granite Mountain Hotshots shirt during the interview.
The film opens nationwide October 20, 2017.
Interview with a Crew Chief on a C-130 MAFFS air tanker
On April 21, 2017 we interviewed Zach Havel an engine mechanic and former Crew Chief on C-130 Modular Airborne FireFighting System aircraft. The MAFFS converts the aircraft into a 3,000-gallon air tanker. We talked with him at Boise during the annual MAFFS training and recertification.
C-130 MAFFS air tanker Loadmaster Interview
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Sgt. Poulsen, a MAFFS Loadmaster, was interviewed April 21 in Boise during training and recertification for MAFFS personnel.
Continue readingVideo interview with the Colonel in charge of MAFFS annual training
Colonel Bryan Allen was interviewed during the annual training and recertification for the Modular Airborne FireFighting System crews at Boise, Idaho on April 21, 2017. The MAFFS converts a military C-130 into an air tanker for battling wildfires.
Col. Allen discussed:
- How playing the recording of the C-130J audible cockpit warning “LANDING GEAR, LANDING GEAR, LANDING GEAR” over the public address system at Lockheed, helped to develop a software modification that enabled the pilots to turn off that voice while they were on final approach to drop retardant on a wildfire.
- The number of sorties and description of the training the MAFFS personnel received during the annual session.
- How the crash of MAFFS 7 in 2012 affected the training.
- The origin of the MAFFS equipment.
Interview with Dan Buckley, NPS Fire Director
In this interview with Dan Buckley, the National Fire Director for the National Park Service, he talked about Unmanned Aerial Systems, 75 drone pilots in the BLM, extending the terms of seasonal firefighters, prescribed fire, air tankers, tracking the fire and firefighters, and the work environment in the National Park Service.
It was recorded April 20, 2017 at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise.
Shawna Legarza: There’s no task book for National Fire Director
An interview with the U.S. Forest Service’s National Fire Director.
Continue readingInterview with lead plane pilot Jamie Tackman about the 747 air tanker
On January 24, 2017 the 747 SuperTanker left its base in Colorado Springs, Colorado for an assignment in Chile. It returned on February 13 after dropping on many wildfires in the South American country, making as many as seven sorties in a day each with 19,200 gallons of water enhanced with an additive to help make the water more effective, since long-term retardant was not available.
After 17 years as a ground based wildland firefighter, with much as it as a smokejumper, Jamie Tackman transitioned to the air, becoming a lead plane pilot. He has worked off and on with the 747 air tankers since Evergreen converted the first one. Now retired from the U.S. Forest Service, he traveled to Chile to provide lead plane services for the huge aircraft operated by Global SuperTankers. This time he had a different role, or at least a different platform, flying ahead of the air tanker as usual but in an aircraft flown by military pilots.
Bill Gabbert interviewed Jamie, who began by describing the situation. Chile has no infrastructure for supervising, using, or refilling large or very large air tankers and they were unfamiliar with the concept of lead planes. In spite of these challenges the personnel working with the 747 and the other aircraft developed procedures to fight the fires from the air, while the local firefighters improvised a system on the ground for refilling the 747 and the IL-76 with water.
If you don’t have time to see the entire video, start at 15:30 where Jamie describes the benefits of having a lead plane work with an air tanker.