Map showing the location of the Double Diamond Fire in the panhandle of Texas.
(Updated at 11:10 a.m. CDT, May 13, 2014)
Firefighters have stopped the spread of the Double Diamond Fire near Fritch, Texas and are mopping up the remaining hot spots. A more accurate assessment of the damage revealed that the fire destroyed 156 structures, at least 89 of which were homes, Texas Forest Service spokesman Troy Duchneaux said late Monday.
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(Originally published at 11:04 a.m. CDT, May 12, 2014)
The Double Diamond wildfire in the Texas panhandle has destroyed about 75 homes 30 miles northeast of Amarillo, but as of Monday morning the fire is 75 percent contained, according to Fritch chief of police Monte Leggett. The fire, approximately 1,200 acres in size, forced hundreds of the town’s residents to evacuate.
At the time the fire was reported at 5 p.m. Sunday, a weather station four miles northeast of the fire recorded winds of 20 mph gusting up to 39 mph, a temperature of 96 degrees, and a relative humidity of 7 percent, conditions very conducive to rapid fire spread. Today at 10:35 a.m. CDT, weather conditions have moderated significantly in favor of the firefighters — 51 degrees, wind of 16 mph gusting to 25, and a relative humidity of 52 percent.
A Lieutenant with Tulare County in California suffered minor burns to his hands when his patrol unit became stuck in a ditch as a vegetation fire approached. Working by himself, he attempted to knock down the fire using the pump and hose on the truck but was unsuccessful. He was transported to a hospital complaining of difficulty breathing in addition to the burn injuries.
Texas legislature considers bills to promote prescribed fire
The Texas legislature is considering two bills that would make it easier in some cases for landowners to use prescribed fire as a tool. SB 702 would establish standards for prescribed burners, as well as education and insurance for those conducting the prescribed fires. A second bill, SB 764, would limit prescribed burning liability on government-owned agricultural lands, making it easier for government agencies to use prescribed fire, even under a burn ban. Both bills passed unanimously in Senate committees.
Colorado’s risk assessment tool for residents
The Colorado State Forest Service has an online tool available for residents which allows them to explore wildfire risk levels within a 1/2-mile radius of a home, or any other point of interest on the map.
Steam engine starts fires in England
North Yorkshire Moors Railway photo
A steam-powered train started three vegetation fires in North Yorkshire County on Sunday in the United Kingdom. The fires burned about 19 acres in a remote area that was difficult for firefighters to access. Some of them hitched a ride on a train from Goathland that was packed with tourists. On Tuesday the train started another fire in Beck Hole. Weather has prevented the North Yorkshire Moors Railway from conducting their usual prescribed fires along the railway.
MAFFS annual training
A C-130 Hercules from the 302nd Airlift Wing drops a load of water April 22, 2013 near Fairplay, Colo during training. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Nathan Federico) Click to enlarge.
Two of the four military units that provide military C-130 aircraft configured to serve as air tankers are conducting their annual training, certification, and recertification. Peterson Air Force base in Colorado Springs had their’s April 19-23 and Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne has chosen the week of May 5. The military Modular Airborne FireFighting System (MAFFS) can help fill a need for a surge capacity when all of the privately owned contract air tankers are committed.
As you probably know, many people were injured and killed in the small town of West, Texas Wednesday as a result of a very large explosion at the West Fertilizer Company. The investigation into the cause of the incident began on Friday, but the suspected culprit at this early stage is a highly-explosive fertilizer, ammonium nitrate, which was being stored in large quantities on site.
Our sincere condolences go out to all of the families and departments affected by this tragedy. Facts about the exact number of fatalities and injuries have been slow to emerge, but it appears that approximately 200 were injured and about 14 were killed. Today FirefighterCloseCalls put together a summary of the firefighter and EMS line of duty deaths that occurred:
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“As of now, it appears that there were 12 deaths related to the fire & EMS operations on the scene.
5 Firefighters with West FD.
2 Firefighters with Abbott FD/West EMS.
1 Firefighter with Merknel FD/West EMS.
1 Firefighter with Bruceville Eddy FD/West EMS.
1 Dallas FD Captain who lived in West went to the scene to assist.
2 Civilians who have ties to the West FD were helping on the scene.
(The 4 Firefighter/EMT’s were at the West EMS Station taking an EMT class, saw the fire and went to assist.)
NOTE: Preliminary plans indicate that there will be a memorial service on Thursday, April 25, at the Ferrell Center – Baylor University in Waco, Texas at 1400 hours.”
Portions of New Mexico, Texas, and Colorado are under Red Flag Warnings today.
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The map above was current as of 2:20 p.m. MT on Sunday. Red Flag Warnings can change throughout the day as the National Weather Service offices around the country update and revise their forecasts. For the most current data, visit this NWS site.
The Texas Forest Service has put together an excellent publication containing lessons learned during the wildfires in 2011 regarding the common denominators that led to homes igniting and burning during the fire siege. You can download the report here — it is a very large 39MB pdf file.
One of the best features of the report is the section illustrated with very good photos showing the common characteristics of homes that led to their destruction, such as the photo below.
Relatively fire-resistant homes can ignite during low-intensity wildfires if a path of combustible material, such as stairs or support beams, leads the fire up to the home. (from the report)
