A 6,000 gallon fuel tanker obtained from military surplus arrives at the Burns, Oregon. Photo by Burns Municipal Airport.
Below is an excerpt from an article in the Capital Press:
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“During fire season last summer in southeast Oregon, the Burns Municipal Airport ran out of fuel for firefighting airplanes nine times.
With drought expected to bring an even worse wildfire danger this year, airport Manager Jeff Cotton, community members and the Bureau of Land Management, which manages much of range and forestland in the region, began looking for ways to avoid similar shortages and response delays. Having to halt flights until fuel was delivered interrupted the firefighting effort.
Cotton and the others learned a military surplus tanker truck was available at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, and federal General Services Administration approved the airport’s request. The tanker was free, and the BLM paid for two drivers and a low-boy hauling rig to go get it.
The tanker, a 1995 Volvo with only 300 miles on it, holds 6,000 gallons of fuel. Cotton said the rolling cache gives the airport about three days worth of fuel for the air tankers. He’d like more, but he’s glad to have it.
Cotton said he hopes to obtain another tanker truck next fall or spring.
3-D map of the perimeter of the Corner Creek Fire at 1 a.m. PT July 5 (in red) compared to the perimeter about 48 hours earlier (in white). Looking north. (click to enlarge)
Over the last two days the Corner Creek Fire in central Oregon has continued to spread on the south and west sides and has blackened approximately 27,000 acres.
Here is an excerpt from the incident management team’s description of the activity on Saturday:
On Saturday, winds on the Corner Creek Fire pushed the blaze against firelines being built along its south and west flanks, prompting swift action from helicopters and air tankers. Cooling water and retardant dropped from the aircraft helped firefighters to keep fire growth to a minimum.
A video posted by Oregon Department of Forestry (@oregondeptforestry) on
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The Corner Creek Fire continues to burn under an inversion, July 3, 2015. Photo: Oregon Department of Forestry.
The Corner Creek Fire 9 air miles miles south of Dayville, Oregon continued to grow Friday to the south and northwest. Extremely hot and dry weather conditions are causing the fire to run, spot, and torch into timber and rangeland. Firefighters continue to work to protect structures near the fire and prevent it from crossing onto the east side of the South Fork John Day River. The area is under a Red Flag Warning on Saturday for gusty winds and low relative humidities. A weather forecast for the fire area on Saturday calls for a high temperature in the high 90s, relative humidity around 10 percent, and 5 to 10 mph winds out of the northwest. The weather on Sunday should be about the same. **** (UPDATE at 9:45 a.m. PT, July 3, 2015)
Corner Creek Fire. Oregon Dept of Forestry photo.
The Corner Creek Fire in Central Oregon grew by more than 6,000 acres on Thursday to 19,232 acres. It was most active on the south
Map showing the perimeter of the Corner Creek Fire at 10 p.m. PT, July 2, 2015 (in red). The perimeter from 24 hours before is in white.
and west sides and progressed an additional three miles to the southwest. On the west side it is near the Turnpike and Upper Bronco Reservoirs. The fire still has not crossed the South Fork John Day River on the east side. Firefighters are protecting structures and looking for opportunities to control the fire spread, including clearing fuels near forest roads to the south and west which may be used as fire lines for burnout operations. The area will be under a Red Flag Warning from noon Saturday until 8 p.m. Saturday. The Corner Creek Fire is 9 air miles miles south of Dayville, 29 miles southwest of John Day, and 85 miles northeast of Bend. **** (UPDATED at 11:05 a.m. PT, July 2, 2015)
Map of the Corner Creek Fire, showing (in red) the perimeter at 11 p.m. PT, July 1, 2015. The perimeter from 24 hours before is in yellow. (click to enlarge)
The Corner Creek Fire in central Oregon more than doubled in size in 24 hours. Late Wednesday night it was mapped at about 12,700 acres. The fire moved east to the South Fork of the John Day River but did not cross it, yet, and it spread about five miles to the southwest. Very little information about the fire has been made public by Buckman’s Oregon Department of Forestry Team 1. But, the term “extreme fire behavior” was used in a very brief description released by the Northwest Coordination Center.
High temps, wind and low humidity means fire behavior is picking up on Corner Creek (photo by Wolf Mountain Lookout). pic.twitter.com/bSCoHnbW1A
— Central OR Fire Info (@CentralORFire) July 2, 2015
Crew wading the South Fork of the John Day River on Corner Creek Fire. Black Canyon Wilderness. pic.twitter.com/iGikkPmk34 — Prineville IHC (@PrinevilleIHC) July 2, 2015
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(Originally published at 7:23 a.m. PT, July 1, 2015)
Corner Creek Fire, June 30, 2015. Durgan Ranch photo.
Firefighters have been busy in central Oregon for the last week after the area got hammered by lightning.
The spread of the Sugarloaf Fire, 7 miles north of Dayville, is slowing and some of the resources are being sent to the Corner Creek Fire 16 miles to the south. A satellite still detected some heat on the northeast side of the fire late Tuesday night on the 5,016-acre blaze. The Oregon Department of Forestry’s Incident Management Team 1 is managing this fire plus the 300-acre Blue Basin Fire just to the west along Highway 19.
Another fire, the 6,300-acre Corner Creek Fire, was added to the Team’s workload Wednesday morning. Located on the west side of the South Fork John Day River, it was reported on June 29, a lightning-caused fire that held over from last week’s storms. High temperatures and low relative humidity yesterday contributed to the growth of the fire. Numerous aviation resources were used Tuesday for structure protection of cabins and outbuildings along Wind Creek, including three large tankers, one very large air tanker (DC-10), four single engine air tankers, and three helicopters.
The Corner Creek Fire is 9 air miles miles south of Dayville, 29 miles southwest of John Day, and 85 miles northeast of Bend.
Sugar Loaf, Blue Basin, and Corner Creek Fires, 10 p.m. PT, June 30, 2015.
Forecasts for high temperatures and lightning with little or no rain on Saturday have resulted in Red Flag Warnings for areas in Oregon, Washington, California, and Nevada.
As shown in the map below, central Oregon received numerous lightning strikes during the 24-hour period ending at 6 a.m. MT, today June 27, 2015.
Lightning, 24-hour period ending at 6 a.m. June 27, 2015. NIFC.
As of about 9 a.m. on Saturday, Central Oregon Fire reported 17 lightning fires had been discovered. The largest two were near Brothers, OR in grass or shrub; one was 200 acres and the other was 50 acres. The rest are small.
Buckskin Fire on June 14, 2015. Photo by Kris Sherman.
The Buckskin Fire 10 miles southwest of Cave Junction, Oregon spread east Sunday across Baldface Creek and grew to 1,400 acres. Firefighters are improving existing trails on the west side of the fire for a potential contingency containment line. Ten helitack and four rappellers were flown to the spot fires southwest of the main fire and constructed direct fireline, assisted by water drops from helicopters.
Firefighters are staying in remote spike camps close to the fire in order to reduce travel time and increase productivity.
The Buckskin Fire is burning in an area scorched by the Biscuit Fire that burned half a million acres in 2002.
Map showing the location of heat detected by a satellite on the Buckskin Fire, 12:32 a.m. June 15, 2015. The red squares are the most recent. (click to enlarge)
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(UPDATE at 9:31 p.m. PT, June 13, 2015)
Buckskin Fire, afternoon of June 13, 2015. MODIS.
The Buckskin Fire southwest of Cave Junction, Oregon was pushed by winds Saturday that varied from the northwest to the northeast causing the fire to spread on the southeast and southwest sides. As you can see in the satellite image above, the transport wind was consistently from the northeast.
The Crazy Peak weather station 13 miles southeast of the fire recorded winds Saturday afternoon of 2 to 3 mph with the highest gust being 9. The RH was in the 20s and the temperature was in the 70s. This is not, at least at that weather station, extreme fire weather, but apparently the Buckskin Fire spread easily through the footprint of the 2002 Biscuit Fire.
The Quail Prairie weather station 14 miles northeast of the fire recorded stronger winds on Saturday, 8 to 12 mph gusting up to 18 mph, with a low RH of 18% and temperatures in the mid-80s. It showed consistent north-northeast winds Saturday afternoon which jives with the satellite image above showing the smoke plume drifting to the southwest.
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(Originally published at 12:59 p.m. PT, June 13, 2015)
The Buckskin Fire, shortly after the Siskiyou Rappel Crew arrived the day the was reported on June 11. Photo by Michael Bobic.
A wildfire in southwest Oregon is bringing back memories of a huge fire that burned the same area 13 years ago. The Biscuit Fire burned half a million acres in 2002 leaving a forest of snags — dead trees that are now burning in a new fire, the Buckskin Fire.
Firefighters are loath to fight fire in a snag forest because the tree skeletons burn through readily and frequently — crashing to the ground creating a very hazardous situation for anyone in the wrong place at the wrong time. Snags kill firefighters.
Map showing the location of the Buckskin Fire in southwest Oregon at 5 a.m. on June 13, 2015. The red, brown, and yellow squares represent heat detected by a satellite. The fire is in the center of the brown footprint of the 2002 Biscuit Fire.
The fire has burned about 1,200 acres 10 miles southwest of Cave Junction, Oregon, and five miles north of the California border. From the satellite photo above, it appears to be in the center of the old Biscuit Fire.
Firefighters are assessing the situation, contemplating strategies for the fire on steep slopes with an abundance of snags. Conventional direct tactics, constructing firelines on the edge of the burning area, may not be feasible because of the hazards of falling trees. Adding to the already complex situation is the weather — a Red Flag Warning for the area is in effect for Saturday and Sunday. A local 10-person fire crew is monitoring the fire growth and scouting options for placement of containment lines. The plan is for full suppression of the fire.
Doug Johnson’s Type 2 Incident Management Team assumed command Saturday morning.
Buckskin Fire, unknown date. Photo by Brandon Colville.
Tanker 44, a P2V, at Medford Air Tanker Base in Oregon, June 9, 2015. Photo by Harry Kelley, ODF.
The Air Tanker Base at Medford Oregon pumped their first loads of retardant in 2015, Tuesday, June 9.
Tankers 44 and 131 dropped on a fire across the state border on the Six Rivers National Forest in northwest California, while T-101 dropped water instead of retardant in the Soda Mountain Wilderness in southwest Oregon. Apparently the land managers did not want retardant in the wilderness area, or perhaps it was near a lake or a stream where they didn’t want the red stuff.
During the course of the last couple of days, Tankers 45 and 131 spent some time at Redding, California, T-105 worked a fire in Oregon, and CAL FIRE’s S-2Ts were busy in northern California.
Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Harry and Jerry.
Fire south of Cascade, SD, July 16, 2012. Photo by Bill Gabbert
(UPDATED April 20, 2015)
The state of Oregon decided to buy the wildfire insurance from Lloyd’s of London. The policy was purchased through the Oregon Department of Forestry, and provides $25 million in coverage. The coverage will kick in when firefighting costs exceed $50 million, with the policy providing as much as $25 million to cover these costs. Premiums for this coverage are being split between state and private timberland owners, whom have agreed to pay $3.75 million into the policy.
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(Originally published April 4, 2015)
For decades the state of Oregon has purchased insurance from Lloyd’s of London to help defray the costs of suppressing wildfires, the only state that does so according to OregonLive. This year the company has almost doubled the annual premium from $2 million to $3.75 million while increasing the deductible from $20 million to $50 million.
If the state decides to accept Lloyd’s offer, up to $25 million of their costs of suppressing wildfires will be reimbursed.
The U.S. Forest Service is offering a $5,000 reward for help in finding the thieves who stole an engine, two ATV’s, 10 chainsaws and other equipment late Thursday night from a USFS facility in Cave Junction, Oregon. The engine, damaged, was found, but the value of the stolen and damaged machinery is more than $122,000.
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(Originally published at 12:05 a.m., March 25, 2015)
A U.S. Forest Service engine and two ATVs were stolen recently from a USFS facility in Cave Junction, Oregon. The engine was found Friday morning, stuck, and missing much of its compliment of firefighting and medical equipment.
The ATVs are still missing.
Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Perry and Ken.
A large explosion occurred at about 6:30 a.m. that left a crater 10 feet from U.S. Highway 26 that was more than 10 feet wide and 2 feet deep. The name of the person killed has not been released yet, but Dr. Karen Gunson, Oregon State medical examiner, confirmed the victim died of “blast injuries and body fragmentation.” Investigators have yet to determine if the blast was a homicide, suicide, or accident.
At this point, a spokesperson said, there is no reason to suspect it was a terrorist act.
Exploding targets, sometimes called “binary exploding targets”, are completely inert until two powders are mixed by the shooter. After the ingredients are combined, the compound is illegal to transport and is classified as an explosive by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and is subject to the regulatory requirements in 27 CFR, Part 555.
The is the second fatality that we are aware of that was apparently caused by an exploding target. Not only have they started numerous vegetation fires, but the devices have previously caused death and injuries. In 2013 a man in Minnesota was killed when shrapnel from the device struck 47-year-old Jeffery Taylor in the abdomen causing him to collapse. He was declared dead before he could be transported to a hospital in a helicopter.
About three years ago Jennifer Plank Greer was struck by shrapnel while she was taking cell phone video of someone who shot at the explosive which was inside a refrigerator. Her hand was blown almost completely off, left hanging only by a portion of skin. Through 16 surgical procedures doctors reattached the hand, but she no longer has the use of her fingers, except for being able to wiggle her thumb.
On October 7, 2012 in 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.
In October Larry Chambers, National Press Officer for the U.S. Forest Service, told us there was no nationwide USFS policy regulating the use of exploding targets on National Forest Systems (NFS) lands.
There is no national exploding target prohibition by the Forest Service, and the agency fully recognizes hunting and safe target shooting as a valid use of National Forest System lands. The prohibition of exploding targets on some National Forest System lands is not intended to adversely affect the sport of target shooting.
Mr. Chambers said exploding targets are prohibited on NFS lands in USFS regions 1, 2, 4, and 6 (see the map below). California is not included, he said, because they are banned statewide by state law. Some National Forests in Regions 8, 9, and 10 may have local special orders that prohibit the used of exploding targets, Mr. Chamber said.
Some of the regional bans are only temporary, and expire in 2015.
The state of Oregon has had an insurance policy with Lloyd’s of London since 1973 that helps to cover the cost of suppressing wildfires during busy fire seasons. The premium for that policy has been about $1-2 million. But before the state receives any payout from Lloyd’s they have to spend $20-25 million to cover the deductible, after which the insurance company will cover the additional costs up to $25 million. Two consecutive bad fire seasons has state officials thinking that they may have to pay more for that policy this year.
For the last two months the state has been negotiating with Lloyd’s over the terms of a new policy.
Below is an update from an article in the Bend Bulletin:
…The state sent its top forester, Doug Decker, across the Atlantic to meet face to face with brokers from Lloyd’s of London early this month. Even now, Decker says, the future is uncertain.
“They’ll be asking themselves the question what can they afford to provide, and we’ll be asking the question what can we afford to pay,” Decker said.
Lloyd’s officials said they don’t comment on individual policies, but Decker said about a dozen brokers are crunching numbers and other factors to see whether the company still finds Oregon worth insuring. They’re likely to take into account what the state says is its ability to extinguish about 95 percent of fires before they grow larger than 10 acres . They’ll consider the cameras Oregon places in remote areas to scout for fires.
But there’s another factor Lloyd’s may consider that is working against the state: snowpack. Right now, there isn’t much…
Light snowpack could mean busy fire season in Arizona
Two Northern Arizona University researchers are learning more about how bats are faring in the post-wildfire Ponderosa pine forests, of which 3.2 million acres have been scorched during the past decade. Because bats help pollenate plants, aid in reforestation and maintain ecosystem balance by eating large quantities of insects, scientists believe it is imperative to understand the effects of wildfire on bat habitats.
“In the short term, it doesn’t appear that wildfire will have substantial impacts on maternity roost habitat,” graduate student Erin Saunders said. “However, as large high severity wildfires continue, paired with the added stress of climate change, we will likely see a decrease in available snags for habitat and possibly a shift in the forest composition.” Saunders added that their relatively short-term research should be continued in order to make stronger land management recommendations.
Firefighters unroll burning hay bale
The Muskogee Phoenix has an interesting photo of firefighters in Oklahoma unrolling a burning hay bale, explaining that they “spent the afternoon [on a 50-acre grass fire] unrolling burning hay bales before winds picked up. According to the Warner fire chief, a hay bale will burn for days unless it is unrolled.”
