NASA satellite measures height of smoke column on Tinder Fire

Posted on Categories UncategorizedTags ,

Above, image credit:NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL-Caltech, MISR Team

I found out today that NASA has been measuring wildfire smoke plumes for at least a decade. The nine cameras on the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) have been capturing imagery of the Tinder Fire as it passes overhead on NASA’s Terra satellite. With a little trigonometry it can determine the height of smoke columns. The image above shows what it came up with after analyzing the fire on April 30, the day after it made its biggest run. Strong winds on both days probably kept the smoke from rising as high as it would have under calmer conditions.

(To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Tinder Fire, click here.)

The two photos below were taken the day before the NASA analysis described here.

Tinder Fire
Tinder Fire, April 29, 2018. InciWeb photo, uncredited and undated.
Satellite photo Tinder Fire
Satellite photo of the Tinder Fire, April 29, 2018. NASA.

Below is how NASA described the April 30 analysis:


“On April 30 at 11:15 a.m. local time, the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) captured imagery of the Tinder Fire as it passed overhead on NASA’s Terra satellite. The MISR instrument has nine cameras that view Earth at different angles. This image shows the view from MISR’s nadir (downward-pointing) camera. The angular information from MISR’s images is used to calculate the height of the smoke plume, results of which are superimposed on the right-hand image (Figure 1). This shows that the plume top near the active fire was at approximately 13,000 feet altitude (4,000 meters). In general, higher-altitude plumes transport smoke greater distances from the source, impacting communities downwind. A stereo anaglyph (Figure 2) providing a three-dimensional view of the plume is also shown. Red-blue glasses with the red lens placed over your left eye are required to observe the 3D effect.

“These data were acquired during Terra orbit 97691. The smoke plume height calculation was performed using the MISR INteractive eXplorer (MINX) software tool, which is publicly available at https://github.com/nasa/MINX. The MISR Plume Height Project maintains a database of global smoke plume heights, accessible at https://www-misr.jpl.nasa.gov/getData/accessData/MisrMinxPlumes2/.

“MISR was built and is managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The Terra spacecraft is managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The MISR data were obtained from the NASA Langley Research Center Atmospheric Science Data Center in Hampton, Virginia. JPL is a division of Caltech in Pasadena.”

Officials confirm 33 homes destroyed at the Tinder Fire

At least 54 outbuildings also burned, for a total of 87 structures

Above: Snow at the Tinder Fire Incident Command Post, May 2, 2018. IMT photo.

(Originally published at 1:55 p.m. MDT May 4, 2018)

The Incident Management Team reported Friday morning that 33 residences and 54 outbuildings burned in the Tinder Fire, which started a week ago 22 air miles northeast of Payson, Arizona.

(To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Tinder Fire, click here.)

By sunset today, May 4, all evacuation orders will be lifted on the 12,628-acre blaze. Displaced residents are being allowed into the communities during a staged re-entry process beginning with those whose homes burned. Highway 87 will reopen at 7 p.m. today.

Firefighters are conducting burnout operations today on the northeast and east sides as conditions allow to further secure unburned interior islands within the fire perimeter.

map Tinder Fire MAY 3, 2018
Incident Management Team map of the Tinder Fire May 3, 2018. The black lines represent areas where the fire is held by a road, dozer line, or hand-constructed fireline. The red lines are open fireline. Click here to see the original map with a legend.

Light rain and snow on the Tinder Fire in Arizona

Personnel are mopping up in some areas, but Southwest Incident Management Team #1 reports “zero percent” of the fireline is contained.

The Tinder Fire between Payson and Winslow Arizona received light rain and snow over the last 24 hours. This raised the humidity and a satellite overflight early Wednesday morning detected no large heat sources. However, cloud cover may have blocked the sensors on the satellite. A fixed wing mapping flight scheduled overnight had to be cancelled due to weather.

(To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Tinder Fire, click here.)

On Tuesday fire crews burned off seven miles of existing Forest Service roads to create continuous containment lines from along the west flank. Wednesday’s objective is to carry this new containment line north to Mogollon Ranchettes.

Fire crews working with the support of Type 1 heavy helicopters built containment line entirely around the spot fire near Leonard Canyon Tuesday. They were able to hold the spot at approximately 5 acres. As conditions allow, helicopters will continue with water drops to suppress remaining heat.

Coconino County will be notifying property owners about structures that have been damaged or destroyed.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office evacuation for all Blue Ridge Tinder Fire affected communities north, east and west of Hwy 87 remains in effect. The evacuation will remain in effect until firefighters are able to contain the west and north flanks of the fire and are confident there is no longer a threat to communities.

FEMA Region 9 and other sources are reporting that the fire was caused by an abandoned illegal campfire.

After the precipitation, personnel are mopping up further into the burn area in some areas rather than having to concentrate on building fireline. But Bea Day’s Incident Management Team (IMT) on Wednesday reported “zero percent containment” on the fire. According to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group’s Glossary, 100 percent containment would be when “a control line has been completed around the fire, and any associated spot fires, which can reasonably be expected to stop the fire’s spread”. If, for example, 10 percent of the fire perimeter has fireline (where fuel has been removed) and that section of the perimeter is not likely to spread, some IMTs will call it 10 percent contained. Other teams release to the public a containment figure using very different criteria. This is why Wildfire Today rarely includes containment percentages, since they can be meaningless.

Tinder Fire continues to grow northeast of Payson, AZ

Above: Tinder Fire, April 30, 2018. InciWeb photo.

(Originally published at 8:32 a.m. MDT May 1, 2018)

The Tinder Fire 22 air miles northeast of Payson, Arizona continued to expand on the north and east sides Monday, adding another 2,797 acres to bring the total burned area up to 11,420 acres.

(To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Tinder Fire, click here.)

The Incident Management Team has acknowledged that structures have burned but said Coconino County officials will be assessing the damage and releasing information when it becomes available. CBS This Morning is reporting that 20 to 30 structures have been destroyed.

map Tinder Fire Arizona
Vicinity map of the Tinder Fire.
map Tinder Fire Arizona
Map of the Tinder Fire showing the perimeter at 1 a.m. MST May 1, 2018. Perimeter by USFS.

The area is not under a Red Flag Warning Tuesday for extreme fire weather, but the forecast calls for 20 mph southwest winds gusting above 30 mph with a high temperature of 56 and a relative humidity of 28 percent. Beginning at 5 p.m. Tuesday there is a 50 percent chance of rain, and by sunrise on Wednesday the humidity will reach 80 percent. The elevation at the fire is about 6,700 feet.

KMAX Tinder Fire Arizona
A KMAX helicopter works the Tinder Fire April 30, 2018. InciWeb photo.

Moderating weather conditions after today could give the 510 personnel assigned to the fire a chance to make significant progress.

The video below was recorded at a public meeting Monday evening April 30.

Chinook Tinder Fire Arizona
A Chinook helicopter with an internal tank works the Tinder Fire April 30, 2018. InciWeb photo.

Tinder Fire forces evacuations, burns structures in central Arizona

Above: 3D map of the Tinder Fire showing the perimeter at 1 a.m. MST April 30, 2018. Looking South. Perimeter by USFS.

(Originally published at 10:29 a.m. MDT April 30, 2018)

Structures have burned and evacuations are taking place at the Tinder Fire in Arizona. A mapping flight at 1 a.m. MT on Monday showed that it had burned 8,623 acres east of Highway 87 between Payson and Winslow, Arizona.

(To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Tinder Fire, click here.)

Firefighters were actively engaged in structural protection Sunday night. The Incident Management Team (IMT) led by Bea Day reports that structures have burned but no details are available. The fire remains active in the communities affected by the fire and the priority is providing for emergency responder and public safety. Coconino County will be assessing damages and providing updates as they are able.

Tinder Fire
Tinder Fire, April 29, 2018. InciWeb photo, uncredited and undated.

The fire started April 27 during Red Flag Warning conditions. A map released Sunday morning showed that it had burned about 500 acres. A strong southwest wind pushed it to the northeast away from its origin near Highway 95 east of Blue Ridge Reservoir. A new map from 1 a.m. Monday  showed that it spread near a community on the east side of Highway 87/282.

Map of the Tinder Fire
Map of the Tinder Fire showing the perimeter at 1 a.m. MST April 30, 2018. Perimeter by USFS.

The resources assigned to the fire include 13 crews, 5 helicopters, 23 engines, 3 dozers, 2 water tenders, and overhead, for a total of 510 personnel.

On Monday the fire is just outside a Red Flag Warning area, but strong southwest winds will continue to be a challenge for firefighters through Tuesday.  The IMT reports that there is a potential for very active to extreme fire behavior with rapid rates of spread and moderate to long range spotting. The weather forecast indicates that the fire will continue to move to the northeast.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office has ordered evacuations for communities affected by the fire that are north, east, and west of Hwy 87. Visit https://www.facebook.com/CoconinoCounty for details. Blue Ridge area residents can call the County’s Call Center, 928-679-8393, with questions about evacuations and structures.

Satellite photo Tinder Fire
Satellite photo of the Tinder Fire, April 29, 2018. NASA.
Tinder Fire
Tinder Fire, April 29, 2018. InciWeb photo, uncredited and undated.

Below is video of the fire recorded over the fire Monday morning.