Wisconsin activates Black Hawks

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the National Weather Service have issued a Red Flag Warning for Thursday, April 13 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for most counties in the southern two-thirds of the state — prompted by high temperatures, low humidity, gusty winds, and exceptionally dry fuels.

A Wisconsin Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from the Madison-based Army Aviation Support Facility #2 in the process of filling a Bambi bucket to support fire suppression efforts near Necedah in Juneau County the afternoon of April 12. Wisconsin DNR photo
A Wisconsin Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from the Madison-based Army Aviation Support Facility #2 in the process of filling a Bambi bucket to support fire suppression efforts near Necedah in Juneau County the afternoon of April 12. Wisconsin DNR photo

The Wausau Pilot and Review reported that Thursday was the second day in a row Wisconsin was faced with these conditions. Counties in the area will remain at Extreme fire danger and the DNR will prohibit burning.

The DNR just yesterday responded to 21 wildfires burning over 2,500 acres. Several fires burned in Juneau and Jackson counties, resulting in the mobilization of a DNR incident management team. The Jack Pine Fire burned an estimated 100 acres but has been contained. The DNR, under unified command with Fort McCoy, is also managing the 2,800-acre Arcadia Fire, which is nearly 50 percent contained.
FOX 6 News reported that crews fought the fire overnight and operations were ongoing today. State patrol is monitoring smoke on the interstate and will shut it down again if visibility or fire conditions warrant it.

Wisconsin smoke. DNR photo

The Arcadia Fire, which started at the north end of Fort McCoy, resulted in some voluntary evacuations. Three structures were damaged; the cause of the wildfire is still under investigation. The fire is burning in oak and jack pine.

Nearly 80 wildfires have occurred in the last week.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers yesterday declared a State of Emergency in response to elevated wildfire conditions; his executive order triggers wildfire suppression support from the Wisconsin National Guard, which will assist with Black Hawk helicopters in areas of the state in need of aerial fire suppression. Executive Order #191 also directs all Wisconsin state agencies to assist in wildfire prevention, response, and recovery efforts.

Martin Mars damaged at Wisconsin airshow

 

(Note to our readers: the above video was shot several days ago during a successful demonstration flight of the Martin Mars.)

The Martin Mars struck shallow rocks in Lake Winnebago on Friday while doing a demonstration during Wisconsin’s EAA AirVenture Oshkosh airshow, according to a Canadian news report.

Pilots were scooping water out of the lake when an engine warning light came on, and they were forced to abandon take off. The plane struck shallow rocks, which punched a few repairable holes in the plane’s belly, according to the news report.

Sky lantern starts 15-acre fire in Wisconsin

A sky lantern started a wildfire Saturday in the town of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin that burned 15 acres before firefighters could contain it.

Below is an excerpt from an article in the Wisconsin State Journal:

…The fire was between a half-mile and a mile from the road, so access was difficult, Fire Chief Christopher Garrison said in a release.

Strong winds caused the fire to spread quickly, and it eventually burned more than 15 acres of parkland, Garrison said.

The fire was caused by a sky lantern being released during an organized candlelight ski, hike, and snowshoe event. No injuries were reported, Garrison said.

Due to the difficult access, fire crews requested brush trucks and ATVs from other departments to help put out the fire.

Sky lanterns are small plastic or paper covered hot air balloons powered by an open flame. They can travel uncontrolled for more than a mile, sometimes landing while the fire is still burning.

Twintynine states ban sky lanterns, with Massachusetts and Nebraska being the most recent. They are not banned state-wide in Wisconsin.

sky lanterns banned

 

UPDATE February 29, 2016: Neal Mulconrey, after reading this post, contacted to let us know that last year a sky lantern started a fire that burned within 50 feet of a residence in Beverly Shores, Indiana. Mr. Mulconrey, who works for the fire management organization in Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, said that since the fire started at night it spread slowly and their firefighters were able to stop the spread before it grew large.

Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Jim.

Smokey Bear sign stolen in Wisconsin

Smokey sign stolen

Sunday morning between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. a thief with a chain saw made several cuts with the saw to remove the six feet tall image of Smokey Bear, weighing between 35 and 40 pounds, from a fire prevention sign in Vernon, Wisconsin.

And speaking of Smokey, here’s a throwback image of President Dwight D. Eisenhower holding a Smokey doll. It appears that Smokey is wearing a shirt — usually he is naked from the waist up. Either that or he has a badge pinned directly to his chest.

Ike and SmokeyIke Photo via U.S. Forest Service.

 

Wisconsin DNR prescribed fire escapes

Escaped prescribed fire Wisconsin
Escaped prescribed fire Wisconsin
Escaped prescribed fire north of Grantsburg, WI. Photo by Wisconsin DNR.

A prescribed fire conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources escaped control on Tuesday north of Grantsburg in the northwest part of the state. The project, planned at 500 acres, burned an additional 600 acres before it was contained Tuesday afternoon with the help of two air tankers and a helicopter.

A spokesperson for the DNR said no structures were damaged. The fire burned grass, marsh and some upland forest, including jack pine.

Escaped prescribed fire Wisconsin
Escaped prescribed fire north of Grantsburg, WI. Photo by Wisconsin DNR.

Wisconsin logging company to be billed $600,000 for fire

Germann Road Fire
Germann Road Fire, May 14, 2013. Wisc. DNR photo by Phil Miller (click to enlarge)

A Wisconsin logging company will be billed $600,000 for starting the Germann Road Fire that burned 7,442 acres and 17 homes in Douglas County in May. The Department of Natural Resources said Ray Duerr Logging of Rib Lake was negligent in starting the fire with the cutting head on the harvesting equipment and allowing it to spread into adjacent vegetation.

When the DNR and insurance company investigators tested the company’s firefighting equipment water just dribbled out because it had not been maintained.

Our original article about the fire has even more excellent photos taken by the DNR.

Wisconsin: Germann Road Fire destroys 17 homes

Germann Road Fire
Germann Road Fire, May 14, 2013. Wisc. DNR photo by Phil Miller (click to enlarge)

(UPDATE at 3:44 p.m. CT, May 16, 2013; updated acreage and evacuation information)

The Wisconsin DNR reported Thursday morning the fire was declared 100 percent contained at 9 p.m. on May 15 and all public roads are open. The size of the burned area was adjusted downward to 8,495 acres (and was reduced again to 8,131 acres). All fire lines have been secured and crews are moving into mop-up phase.

Officials have lifted the evacuation order. The public is allowed to return to their residences.

Law enforcement officials confirmed this morning that the fire was caused by logging equipment in use on industrial lands.

****

(Originally published at 11:09 a.m. CT, May 15, 2013) 

The Germann Road Fire in northern Wisconsin 60 miles southeast of Duluth, Minnesota raced across 9,026 acres of pine and mixed hardwoods Tuesday. The Wisconsin DNR reports 42 homes have been saved but 17 were destroyed in the fire in Douglas and Bayfield counties. At least 19 fire departments — local, state, and federal — worked the fire overnight. No firefighters were released until 3 a.m. Wednesday. (The DNR posted a map HERE.)

Between the time the fire started at 4 p.m. Tuesday and midnight, the wind blew from the south and then west at 7 to 14 mph with gusts up to 31. The relative humidity at the nearby St. Croix weather station reached a low of 11 percent at 7:15 p.m — very low for Wisconsin. At 5:15 p.m. the temperature was 92 degrees. By early Wednesday morning the weather moderated, with the relative humidity reaching 87 percent and much calmer winds.

At 7 a.m. Incident Commander Larry Gladowski said the fire was 90 percent contained, with full control expected soon. He met with evacuees Wednesday morning, telling them it was not possible to check their properties today due to the fire conditions.

More aviation resources will be available Wednesday, including two air tankers from Ontario and two Wisconsin National Guard Blackhawk helicopters with water buckets.

We believe all of these incredible photos, including the three below, were taken by Wisconsin DNR pilot Phil Miller on Tuesday. Click on them to see larger versions.
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University of Wisconsin to offer wildland fire science degree

University of Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin(UPDATED at 10:25 a.m. MT, March 15, 2013)

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point will offer a wildland fire science program beginning in the fall of 2013. It will be one of a handful of universities in the United States offering similar 4-year Bachelor of Science degrees. The others we are aware of:

  • The University Of Idaho College Of Natural Resources created the nation’s first Bachelor of Science in Fire Ecology and Management.
  • The University of Montana offers two undergraduate degree options in Wildland Fire: a minor in Fire Sciences and Management or a Bachelor of Science in Resource Conservation with an emphasis in Fire Management. Graduate students can specialize in fire in their MS or PhD program.
  • Oregon State University has a Rangeland Ecology and Management program with an option or emphasis area for fire ecology and management. They also have a Forest Management degree with one of the options being Wildland Fire Management.
  • Northern Michigan University will be offering a minor in wildland firefighting beginning in the fall of 2013.
  • At Colorado State University you can get a Forestry degree with a “concentration” in Forest Fire Science.
  • Humboldt State University in California has a Forestry degree with an option for a BS in Wildland Fire Management.
  • Chadron State College in Nebraska offers a strange package deal for students that began at Casper College. It is a “BS with a comprehensive major in rangeland management”, and within that program is an option for “Rangeland Fire Management”.

If you are aware of other universities that offer four-year BS degrees in wildland fire, let us know.

From the Portage County Gazette, here is an excerpt from an article with more information about the University of Wisconsin program:

“It’s a little bit of forestry, a little bit of wildlife, a little bit human dimensions of resource management, a little bit natural resources, a little bit policy and a little bit meteorology,” said Paul Doruska, CNR associated dean of academic affairs. “We’re the perfect spot to put that together.”

[…]

In addition to a strong natural resources curriculum, UWSP is also home to the Fire Crew, a 25-year-old officially sanctioned student organization dedicated to “wildland fire suppression, prescribed fire operations, and ‘all-risk’ emergency response while providing for the protection and preservation of life, property and natural resources.”

“It’s a nationally-known organization,” said Ron Masters, a UWSP associate professor of wildland fire science who will teach many of the program’s courses. “They’re an incredible group of students.”