The fire is 15 miles east of Coulee Dam, Washington
Continue readingWilliams Flats Fire burns thousands of acres along Columbia River
The fire is 15 miles east of Coulee Dam, Washington
Continue readingCold Creek Fire burns over 40,000 acres in Washington
It is 31 miles east of Yakima
Continue readingFire train assists firefighters in Washington
On Thursday a fire train that probably carried nearly 30,000 gallons of water assisted firefighters battling a wildfire along railroad tracks south of Finely, Washington.
Here is a video from KEPR in which a reporter interviews firefighters to get their reaction to this train.
(If the embedded video above does not load, you can view it at the KEPR website.)
Burlington Northern Santa Fe railway has built a number of these firefighting trains.
Below is an excerpt from an article at Railway Age about the BNSF fire trains:
…The Spokane fire train utilizes bulkhead flatcars that have been converted to carry three to four modular tanks, each carrying roughly 3,250 gallons of water. Swiveling water/foam cannons are mounted on elevated platforms at both ends of the train’s center car, which also carries a 500-gallon tank of aqueous firefighting foam. BNSF says, “We can reach about 300 feet up an embankment.” The train also includes a caboose that serves as a shelter and command center and houses a generator to power lights for nighttime firefighting.
BNSF built a second fire train in 2008 in Vancouver, Wash., with a different design approach. Stationed along the Columbia River at Wishram, Wash., it uses highly modified tank cars with generators and pump systems housed underneath and swivel cannons mounted on top, plus a command center caboose that’s outfitted with a spray bar that can soak wooden ties or bridges while the train is in motion. Since fire train crews often work jointly with local responders, hoses and couplings on the BNSF railcars are made compatible with fire trucks and other equipment. The cars also have siphons, which allow them to be refilled from storage tanks or natural water sources near the right-of-way…
We have written about fire trains several times before on Wildfire Today.
Communities in Oregon and Washington most threatened by wildfire identified
After assessing the exposure to wildfire of communities across the Pacific Northwest Region, Oregon and Washington, the 50 most-threatened communities in each state were identified.
In the broadest sense, wildfire exposure encompasses the likelihood of wildfire burning a given location on the landscape, and the potential intensity of a wildfire if one were to occur. For this assessment the researchers focused only on wildfire likelihood because the effect of fire intensity on home loss rate is not well studied, and because the inclusion of intensity for this and similar assessments did not influence the conclusions. Wildfire likelihood is measured by annual burn probability, a measure generated by comprehensive simulation of wildfire occurrence and spread (see section below on Wildfire hazard simulations).
“mean of exposed housing units” rank indicates the mean (typical) burn probability of housing units within each community.
The research was commissioned by the U.S. Forest Service’s Northwest Region.
More details, including lists of the 50 most threatened communities in both Oregon and Washington, can be found here.
Washington’s Commissioner of Public Lands dances with Smokey Bear
Smokey Bear and Hilary Franz, Washington State’s Commissioner of Public Lands, filmed a fire prevention public service announcement with Smokey Bear.
⚠️High #WaWILDFIRE risk in Western Washington. ⚠️ People cause more than 90% of wildfires, so we ALL need to do our part to prevent them.
I’m doing whatever it takes to share the message, even if that means dancing it out with @smokey_bear. #OnlyYou pic.twitter.com/0Xi5gZVOnf
— Hilary Franz (@Hilary_FranzCPL) April 4, 2019
Albuquerque firefighters suppress wildfire on island
They accessed the fire via airboat
Continue readingWarm, dry weather increases wildfire activity in western Washington and Oregon
A fire southeast of Salem prompted evacuat.ion orders Tuesday
Continue readingForest Service plans 75,000-acre fuel treatment project northwest of Wenatchee, Washington
The U.S. Forest Service is planning a 75,000-acre project in central Washington intended to restore forest health, reduce wildfire risk, improve wildlife habitat, and improve watershed function on a landscape scale.
The area is northwest of Wenatchee and north of Leavenworth.
The work may include both terrestrial and aquatic components such as prescribed fire, stream improvement, road system work, as well as commercial and non-commercial thinning.
Much of the area within the perimeter of the project does not have a fire history recorded within the last several decades.
“With collaboration and sound science, it is possible to move towards a sustainable landscape that is better for the forest and communities alike” said Wenatchee River District Ranger Jeff Rivera. “We want to hear from you early on about wildlife, fish, fire, roads, and other important considerations for this landscape and the people who use it and live by it.”
Forest Service staff will be on hand to answer questions and share an interactive map at an open house Tuesday March 12, 2019 from 6-7:30 pm at the Lake Wenatchee Recreation Club at 14400 Chiwawa Loop Road Leavenworth, WA. This meeting will also be available via Facebook Live. The 30-day formal scoping comment period began February 25, 2019. A draft Environmental Analysis is expected in the fall of 2019.
Report released for rescue and extraction of water tender rollover victim
It happened on the Cougar Creek fire in Washington
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