Black Forest Fire

Credit: Peter McElvoy

Last year at this time we were talking about the worst wildfire in Colorado history.

The Waldo Canyon Fire burned for 17 days.  Here's what happened...

• 18,247 acres burned (29 sq mi)
• 32,000 residents were evacuated
• 346 homes were destroyed
• 2 people were killed
• $353 million in insurance claims were filed

This year its the Black Forest Fire, burning out of control.  In just 2 days...

• 15,000 acres have burned (23 sq mi)
• 38,000 residents are evacuated
• 360 homes have been destroyed

Black Forest 2013 will certainly pass Waldo Canyon 2012 to become the new "worst wildfire in Colorado history."

We are grateful to the Wildland Firefighters and Hot Shots battling this blaze.  We hope for full containment, soon!

Here are photos of the Black Forest Fire

Credit: Brennan Linsley/AP

Credit: CBS

Credit: Brennan Linsley/AP

Credit: Mark Reis/Colorado Springs Gazette/MCT via Getty

Credit: Helen Richardson/Denver Post via Getty 

Credit: Helen Richardson/Denver Post via Getty 

Credit: AP

Firefighter Invents a Water Misting Station for Heat Relief

Mike Robinson is a reserve firefighter in Knoxville, TN.

He was experiencing the heat of firefighting, and especially the heat of summer, when he designed a better (and less expensive) water misting station.

As we all know, the summer heat fuels very active wildfire seasons.  Even now, firefighters are battling wildfires in Washington, Northern California, Southern California, Oklahoma, Idaho, Oregon and more.

So Mike developed a water misting station which hooks up to any fire service apparatus with water and a pump.  It blows water through a stainless steel nozzle, which produces a mist cloud capable of lowering the ambient temperature by as much as 30 degrees.  Pretty cool!!

Protect yourself from the heat with Mike's idea, and others such as:

• Cooling vests
• Cooling bandanas
• Sunblock
• and Heat stress monitors

It's been a hot summer with active wildfires burning vigorously.  Year-to-date 6 million acres have burned, fueled by widespread drought conditions.

The heat is on!  Find a way to chill out!

Images from the Colorado Wildfires

This year was predicted to be an active wildfire season.  It is delivering early and often.  New Mexico saw its largest wildfire in state history.  Now the state of Colorado is under significant siege by wildfires of "epic proportions."  And much of the states of Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and Utah are under red flag warnings.

The numbers are stunning... 100s of thousands of acres burned... 10s of thousands of residents evacuated... 1000s of wildland firefighters deployed... 100s of structures destroyed.

But the images are staggering....

  

Another Sign Of An Active Wildfire Season?

In Southern California the hottest part of summer has not arrived (yet!), but over the weekend it was dry and windy enough for a brush fire to kick up.  In fact, I took the photo above from Santa Clarita - looking North.  You can see the fire burning in the background, with Six Flags Magic Mountain and College of the Canyons in the foreground.

This wildland fire is in Hungry Valley - near the Grapevine portion of the I-5 freeway just north of Los Angeles.  The fire quickly burned 1,500 acres and is currently 30% contained.

This is a fairly minor wildfire.  But given the likelihood of an active wildfire season and with the dangers of July 4th fireworks right around the corner, this could be another indication of significant wildland fire potential.

For the most up-to-date info on all current wildfires, check out the (free) Active Fire Map provided by the USDA Forest Service.  And check the (low cost) Smartphone Apps provided by Wildfire Pro.

And prepare now for this wildland fire season!  Stock up on your supplies of wildland fire gear and wildland fire equipment.

Current Wildfire Info - There's an App For That

Want the most up-to-date info about a current wildfire?  There's an iPhone/iPad app for that, called Wildfire Pro.

It provides detailed information about a wildfire, including:

• Incident data from FireWhat.com
• Active fire perimeter mapping
• Fire calculators with Weather and FDFM/PIG
• Quick reference guides for Safety, Weather, Operations and Size Up reports
• Fire maps with Custom overlays, Severe weather warnings and NEXRAD radar

Until now most of this data was not available until you arrived on scene.  But this app gives you vital information prior to arriving on scene.  That way you have more time to think through firefighting strategies and consider what wildland fire gear you'll need.

It has been (and is likely be) an active wildfire season.  Prepare now!

This app costs $4.99.

For Free, you can check out Wildfire Info

For $1.99, you can check out Wildfire Home.

All three pull data from FireWhat.com.

Quick Stats on the Largest Wildfire in New Mexico History

The current wildfire burning in New Mexico is the largest in state history.

Here are the quick stats so far:

• been burning for 2 weeks in the Gila National Forest
• burned 200,000+ acres
• destroyed 20+ structures
• being fought by 1,200 firefighters
• injured 6 people

But ... only 10% contained!

Some say this could be a preview of what's to come.  Given the dryness of this past winter in the Western US and several state's drought conditions, this could be an especially active wildfire season.

It is important to be sure the public is prepared to respond to local wildfires.  For example, look at the awareness campaign from CAL FIRE: Ready, Set, Go!

And remember, it is also important to be sure wildland firefighters stock up on wildland firefighting equipment, like turnout gear and other firefighting supplies.

New Fire Stations in Santa Clarita, California!!

Remember a series of huge wildfires burning across Southern California in October 2007?  If not, you can refresh your memory here!

Together these fires:

• destroyed 1,500+ homes
• burned 500,000+ acres
• injured 85 people (including 60+ firefighters)
• and killed 9 people

They were devastating to say the least.  Among these was the "Buckweed Fire" in northern LA County.  The Buckweed Fire alone burned 38,000 acres and destroyed 63 structures - all in our hometown of Santa Clarita.

Well, a little hometown news ... two new Fire Stations opened in Santa Clarita this week.  One of the fire stations is just a few hundred feet from the burn area of the Buckweed Fire.  And another new station is set to open in Santa Clarita later this year.

These stations are much needed in a dry part of Southern California with a long history of wildfires.

Keep in mind, this year is expected to be a very active wildfire season.  Choose your turnout gear carefully.  And stock up now with the proper wildland firefighting equipment.

2 Keys to Turnout Gear

#1 - COMFORT vs PROTECTION

While its vitally important to prioritize heat protection when choosing turnout gear, its also important to remember added layers of protection can make turnouts much less comfortable and less breathable.  Too much protection can come at the cost of your ability to move and perform optimally.

Its a constant battle to find the right balance of Comfort and Protection when producing turnout gear for firefighters.  In fact, the TPACC (Textile Protection and Comfort Center) at NC State specializes in researching how these competing attributes can be balanced.  Take a look at their site for more in-depth research.

#2 - STRUCTURAL FIREFIGHTING vs WILDLAND FIREFIGHTING

Structural Firefighting often incurs direct flame contact in bursts of 3 - 10 seconds.  Whereas Wildland Firefighting often incurs indirect radiant heat exposure over several minutes.  So the thermal protective performance of flame-resistant fabrics and fibers in turnout gear needs to be evaluated differently.

Keep this in mind when you go to choose your own turnout gear.  Consider the uniqueness of the fire conditions you'll be facing.  Find out how other firefighters have managed these factors when choosing their turnout gear.

Ask your turnout gear supplier for information about how their turnouts will perform in different conditions.  Its likely to be an active wildfire season, be informed when choosing your turnout gear!

Go!

Its Wildfire Awareness Week!  And CAL FIRE has a 3-step strategy for people to prepare for the dangers of a wildfire: Ready, Set, Go!

Get Ready - protect your home with defensible space and fire-resistant materials.

Get Set - protect your family by preparing for a potential evacuation.

Now Go - actually evacuate.  Your home and your family have prepared for this, now its time to Go!  Properly close up your house.  Leave as soon as fire personnel tell you to.  Activate your Wildfire Action Plan.  And keep your Emergency Supply Kit handy.

Wildfires are dangerous and firefighters are working hard to contain the fire itself.  Homeowners should be the least of their worries.  So get Ready, Set and Go!

Get Set!

When it comes to wildfire preparedness CAL FIRE says step 1 is Being Ready!  Step 2 is Getting Set!

Getting Set means preparing for the potential of evacuation.  We all hope it doesn't happen, but living in denial is never a good idea.  So Get Set!

Every family should have a Wildfire Action Plan put in place - well before a wildfire happens.  This should be complete, yet simple.  It should tell everyone in the family where to meet in the event of an evacuation.  And its a process the family should practice from time to time.

A Wildfire Action Plan should also name a friend or family member (who lives out of the area) to be the main point of contact if the family gets separated.  CAL FIRE even offers a form you can fill out to keep track of this info.

The family should know where to find its fire extinguisher and how to use it.  The family should know where the main shut-off is for water, gas and electric mains.  And the family should have an Emergency Supply Kit on-hand, if not two kits - one in the house and one in the car.

Protect your home by Being Ready!  Protect your family by Getting Set!

Ready, Set, Go!

Its Wildfire Awareness Week in California and CAL FIRE offers this as step 1 in wildfire preparedness - Being Ready!

Being Ready means homeowners should surround their homes with "defensible space."  In fact, at least 100 feet of space between the home and the surrounding wildland area must remain cleared.

Wildfires can spread by flying embers landing on homes up to a mile away.  Being Ready also means homeowners should cover their homes with fire-resistant materials.  The roof is most vulnerable to wildfire dangers, so roofs should be made of materials such as composition, metal or tile.

This is expected to be a very active wildfire season, prepare now to Be Ready!

Get Ready! Its Wildfire Awareness Week!

The state of California has designated this week (May 6-12, 2012) as Wildfire Awareness Week.  Four of the last seven years have been the most destructive wildfire seasons in US record-keeping history:

• 2011 - 8.7 million acres burned
• 2007 - 9.3 million acres burned
• 2006 - 9.8 million acres burned
• 2005 - 8.6 million acres burned

And this past winter has been especially dry in California.  As of May 1 the statewide snowpack was only 40% of its normal level.  And from January to April 2012 CAL FIRE has responded to 2.5 times as many wildfires (800) as in the same period 2011 (when there were just 300).  So this is expected to be a very active wildfire season in California.

CAL FIRE is continuing its theme of "Ready, Set, Go!" in which residents are asked to take fire safety measures such as Defensible Space, Family Communication Plans and Evacuation Steps.  We'll look at these in more detail this week!

Wildfire Season

Did you know 2011 was among the most destructive wildfire seasons on record?

According to the USA's National Interagency Fire Center, more than 8.7 million acres burned in 2011.  This is third most in 50+ years.  And the two worse years occurred recently - over 9 million acres burned in both 2006 and 2007.

So how many acres will burn due to wildfires in 2012?  And how will firefighters prepare?

We don't know how many acres will burn this year, but we certainly know a wildfire season is coming.

So preparation is important, especially in wildland firefighting.  It includes continuing education, skills training and acquisition of wildland firefighting equipment.

Continuing education should occur in the classroom and in the field.  Principles learned formally should also be tested in real-life scenarios.  Skills training bring firefighters both the physical and mental instincts to make increasingly better decisions.

And strategic acquisition of wildland firefighting equipment is part of how firefighters prepare to do their job safely.  We know a wildfire season is coming.  Start preparing now!