by Jenn Burgess (Special Contributor to Fireground)
I have a confession to make.
I work in espionage…
…and I’m a double-agent.
I would like to say you can find me disappearing into the twilight wearing a stylish trench coat, heels clicking down the sidewalk as I chase my leads, peering out from under the brim of a smart hat to survey the scene. But, that would be incredibly impractical for Phoenix. Especially during the summer months.
Nope. I actually don’t own a stylish trench coat. I have run in heels and it’s not a pleasant experience. The only hats I own are baseball caps and a few beanies for snowboarding or skiing. Yet, even with that plain persona of mine, people still willingly share information with me and I do what I can to pass it on to the other side.
I’m on a big case right now. In fact, it could be a game-changer. I hope it is. So do a lot of other folks. However, this case was a bit too much for me… so I had to call in someone who could help sniff out where to go. I know Bloodhounds are usually used in a situation of this nature. But, I needed a Bulldog.
Winston Churchill said, “Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.”
The case: a quiet feud building among the broadcast media and public information officers (PIO’s).
The criticism: it appears there is a major disconnect between how each side communicates and how each side works.
The good news: war has not broken out yet. In fact, with a few diplomatic discussion points, we may be able to reach a victory for both parties. And I will use Winston’s wisdom to get us there.
“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”
With the Cave Creek Complex burning adjacent to the Phoenix metro area, the media had a large presence at the incident. The fire threatened a number of very expensive homes briefly, causing the evacuation of some 250 residents.
Read that again. I remember a few times as a reporter, when I dashed to a story (I was probably running in heels, too, come to think of it) and I really had no idea what the story was. I’m deeply ashamed to admit that. It happens. Not just to me. (Don’t worry, reporter friends… I won’t out you.) But, there are times when we charge ahead, assigned to tell someone’s story… and we have no idea. what this. is. all. about.
Winston’s right. It takes courage to sit down and listen. Or, to put it in reporter terms: we’re all so scared of not making our deadline, we may fear sitting down to do some preliminary research because time is precious and usually in short supply. Or, maybe we feel so confident in our skills, we assume we can figure it out when we get there. Take heart, and take time. Knowing the basic foundation of a story will save you not only time in the field, but also allow you to save face among experts who are on scene. I’m talking about the PIO’s. A few of them leaked this precious information to me. They’re getting irked by reporters showing up unprepared. They want to -believe it or not- help you do your job better. So, do ‘em a favor: learn some basic material before you show up and speak, pretending you know… when you really have no idea. Which leads me to the other area where to have courage: if you really don’t know, speak up. I’ll give you this info as a former insider. Repeat after me. Or type it in your BlackBerry notes: “I appreciate your time to meet me. I have to be honest: I have no clue what this is all about. Can we talk off-camera before we start the actual interview?” Be courageous. Be honest.
That said, PIO’s, listen up. Reporters are a dying breed. In this race to get information out to the public, a new figure is emerging: the multi-media journalist (MMJ). You can ID them by 1) they’re alone 2) their arsenal. Camera? Check. Tripod? Maybe – if it wasn’t the heavy one that no one wants to use and usually gets left in the car. Nice suit? Perhaps… depends on if they’re more reporter-turned-mmj or photojournalist-turned-mmj. The latter of which will always be identifiable by comfortable footwear, ample ease in setting up the gear and getting the white-balance to work properly.
Photographer Lynn French from Channel 12 in Phoenix shooting the Brins Fire outside of Sedona, AZ as the fire crests the ridge into Oak Creek Canyon.
PIO’s: the MMJ is a super-hero. Someone upon which the honor of great responsibility has been bestowed. Handle this hero with care. Theirs is a large burden: find the story, make the contacts, drive to the scene, find interviewees and set up equipment. Conduct interview. Log tape. Write story. Write blog. Update Facebook. Update twitter. Send cell phone pictures back to the base (aka: station) with brief updates that are meant to entice the web users to watch the broadcast. Tweet more. GO LIVE! Drive back to the station. Update story with fresh content for the next newscast. And… done! *Whew* I got tired just writing that. I hope you gained some empathy from reading it. So does the MMJ.
PIO’s, I know you want to help this fascinating news machine. Here’s how (straight from my close connections, in fact, this is a direct quote from an email): “When it comes to Public Information Officers, being AVAILABLE is key. Once a newsroom knows you’re dependable, flexible, and willing to help out in a crunch… the relationship is solid. Your phone will be ringing off the hook because you’ll be the first one someone thinks of for great comment. That, of course, means you’ll want to take an aggressive approach: send TIMELY story ideas, regular updates, even reminders to as many email addresses as possible. As they say in the news biz, the newsroom never sleeps… so chances are, you’ll catch the attention of someone…” To which I would add, have things set as best as possible for your MMJ so upon her arrival to the scene, you both get the message of the story communicated correctly, efficiently, and effectively.
“Difficulties mastered are opportunities won.”
Getting through these challenges together will win the race to get timely and important information out to the public. Here are just a few short items of note, to supplement the information above. Warning: the eloquence is gone. The gloves are off. This double-agent is not necessarily tired from hearing it from both sides, but – enough is enough.
“If you have an important point to make, don’t try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time – a tremendous whack.”
Thanks, Mr. Churchill. Let’s just jump right in, shall we?
Reporter Chris Sign and photographer Ray Telles from Phoenix based ABC-15 covering the Promontory Fire on the Mogollon Rim in N Central AZ. (Smartphone Photo)
-You know that saying, “Less is More” – news flash: less is not more. Less sucks. Television news needs pictures to go with the story. PIO’s keep this in mind: plan for some compelling images, and you will have just made a fast friend out of the press members who cover your event. In addition, more information can be used in other mediums, like a station’s website for a side-bar story. More. Give them more. The news beast is a hungry one. Feed it.
-Another one of my favorites: “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” Reporters: if you don’t have a pertinent question, don’t ask a stupid one. Here’s another favorite saying of mine: “Google it.” Enough said.
-Everyone: remember, this is not a glamorous business. There may be times you have to cover a plane crash, a forest fire, a murder out in the rain standing on an unpaved road that is now turning into mud caking onto the Michael Kors wedges you got on sale at Nordstrom Rack. (Yes, I would know.) Reporters: keep a good change of clothes at work. Shoes, boots, a jacket. You never know where the day will take you. Besides, isn’t that one of the reasons you got into this business in the first place? On the flip side: PIO’s. You can help by alerting the press that there may be certain requirements on certain scenes. For example: one day, I was heading out to cover a forest fire. I had heels on. My boots were in the news car. (Good thing I thought that far ahead, at least. I just didn’t think to put them on. I’m tough. I can hike in heels.) A PIO who was heading up the media walked over. Looked at my shoes. ”You know, I can take you into some really great areas on this fire, you could get some great shots!! But, I can’t take you in those.” He winked – knowing he just baited a sucker for a good b-roll opportunity.
I changed my shoes. I love good fire video… and I’m a sucker for a wink.
Jenn Burgess comes from an extensive background in television news. She anchored and reported news for nearly 10 years in Flagstaff and Phoenix, AZ. Burgess is now a media relations strategist in the Phoenix area.
I’ve never done this before, but figured there’s no time like the present to act and “get it done.”
Reader, here’s the deal: Haiti needs help. Now.
My brother’s company Duron Energy makes small solar units – you can check them out here.
An all-in-one, off-the-shelf solar system designed for rural India. DURON™ allows ample light for cooking, for children to study at night, and for shop owners to stay open later to earn more money.
I’ve seen how these units work in rural villages in India, and they would really help in Haiti – especially right now! I’ve been in contact with the company’s president, and he’s working the logistics from India as I type.
The thing is, because they’re a start-up, they aren’t able to donate much more than 5 units. However, he did tell me they could work with an NGO (non-government organization) to sell between 500-1000 units at a discounted rate (to be worked out between the parties involved) and shipped to Haiti along with ground support for technical/set up. Basically, as soon as I find an NGO willing to look into this, I will put you in touch with John Howard, the president of Duron Energy asap.
I want to help facilitate this process… so please, if you have any idea at all, will you please leave a comment with what I can do to help get these solar units from India to Haiti…
I just know if my mom, dad, brother or best friend was stuck in the mess there, I’d want someone on the outside working to do whatever they could to help. So, please, if you have experience in this area or know what more I can do – please let me know!!
Every individual (government and contracted employees) have the right and obligation to report safety problems affecting his or her safety and has the right to contribute ideas to correct the hazard. In return, supervisors are expected to give these concerns and ideas serious consideration.
When an individual feels an assignment is unsafe, he or she also has the obligation to identify, to the degree possible, safe alternatives for completing that assignment. Turning down an assignment is one possible outcome of managing risk.
A “turn down” is a situation where an individual has determined he or she cannot undertake an assignment as given and is unable to negotiate an alternative solution. The turn down of an assignment must be based on assessment of risks and the ability of the individual or organization to control or mitigate those risks. Individuals may turn down an assignment because of safety reasons when:
1. There is a violation of regulated safe aviation practices.
2. Environmental conditions make the work unsafe.
3. They lack the necessary qualifications or experience.
Individuals will directly inform their supervisor that they are turning down the assignment as given. The most appropriate means of documented turn down criteria is using the Aviation Watch Out Situations (page 46 IRPG).
Supervisor will notify the Air Operations Branch Director (AOBD) immediately upon being informed of a turn down. If there is no AOBD, notification shall go to the appropriate Section Chief, the Incident Commander or local aviation staff. Proper handling of turn downs provides accountability for decisions and initiates communication of safety concerns within the incident organization.
If the assignment has been turned down previously and the supervisor asks another resource to perform the assignment, he or she is responsible to inform the new resource that the assignment had been turned down and the reasons why. Furthermore, personnel need to realize that a “turn down” does not stop the completion of the assigned operation. The “turn down” protocol is an integral element that improves the effective management of risk, for it provides timely identification of hazards within the chain of command, raises risk awareness for both leaders and subordinates, and promotes accountability.
If an unresolved safety hazard exists the individual needs to communicate the issue/event/concern immediately to his or her supervisor and document as appropriate.
California, which emphasizes the importance of evacuating homeowners from a fire zone, stands in sharp contrast to Australia, where more emphasis is placed on advance preparation and staying in place to protect one's home. But the recent catastrophic fires Down Under have raised questions about that policy, which some experts say could be adopted here. (AP/L.A. Daily News, Hans Gutknecht)
By Sarah Yang, Cal Berkley
BERKELEY — Even as debate rages over the safety of Australia’s longstanding “prepare, stay and defend, or leave early” policy of wildfire defense, fire researchers there and at Berkeley say that the strategy is worth consideration in California and other regions in the United States.
Questions about the policy, which encourages able residents to stay home and actively defend their property from wildfires, are being renewed in the wake of Australia’s devastating fires, which began on Feb. 7 and killed 210 people, burned down 1,800 homes, and scorched 1,500 square miles of land.
“The key element of Australia’s policy is to train willing home-owners to protect their homes in an active wildfire,” says Scott Stephens, associate professor of fire science and co-director of Berkeley’s Center for Fire Research and Outreach. “What the Australian strategy does is actively engage and help home-owners to become part of the solution rather than just needing to be evacuated. However, it should be noted that some California communities are so vulnerable that a ‘prepare and leave early’ strategy may be the only option.”
The Australian approach also includes a more strategic land-use-management policy whereby decisions about new housing in areas vulnerable to wildfires are overseen at the state level, ensuring a more consistent standard for fire-resistant building codes specifically and in urban development generally, the researchers say.
In contrast to Australia, they add, fire agencies in California focus primarily on mandatory evacuations followed by fire suppression. Not only has this approach not reduced property loss, it could increase the risk for people if evacuations are carried out at the last minute, the researchers argue.
Over the past several years, scientists from Berkeley’s Center for Fire Research and Outreach have been collaborating with colleagues from Australia to study best practices in an effort to reduce the loss of life and property from wildfires. Their report on what lessons U.S. wildfire-management officials can learn from Australia was published Feb. 26 in the open-access journal Environmental Research Letters.
Did the policy help or hurt?
In the event of a wildfire, homeowners in Australia are taught, they need to prepare their homes for the wildfire front and to patrol their properties vigilantly for spot fires that may have started from flying embers. If the front of the wildfire reaches the home, residents are instructed to shelter inside as the flames burn past.
This is a smart strategy even for those who may intend to evacuate early but can’t because of the speed of the fire’s advance, the researchers says. “Chances of survival are significantly greater inside the home than outside in a car when the fire’s front is upon you,” says Stephens.
Today, nearly a month after the southern Australia wildfires, the looming question is whether the “prepare, stay and defend, or leave early” policy helped or hurt in that disaster — an issue that is sure to be addressed in the official inquiry established to investigate the country’s deadliest-ever wildfire.
With the verdict from the latest fire pending, scientists are looking at a recent review of the Australian policy, which was based upon 60 years of historical evidence. That review concluded that the policy is fundamentally sound.
The authors of the Environmental Research Letters paper also point to the beneficial culture of preparation inherent in the policy. For instance, long before fire season begins, residents are involved in reducing the vulnerability of their homes through such activities as clearing dangerous vegetation around their property or installing ember-blocking screens for their attic vents.
The researchers also emphasize that homeowners in Australia not only go through an annual training program run by local fire agencies but are provided with appropriate supplies, such as hoses, radios, and protective clothing.
“The Australian approach is different from what many call ‘shelter-in-place,’ an American concept stemming from other environmental hazards and connoting more-passive action by residents,” says co-author Max Moritz, cooperative extension specialist in wildland fire and co-director with Stephens of the Center for Fire Research and Outreach. “There is active participation from the homeowners before and possibly during a fire. In the process, they become more aware of the risks of living in an urban-wildland interface, and both homes and people are better prepared to handle fires when they inevitably occur.”
The Australian wildfire-management strategy was adopted after the country’s devastating 1983 “Ash Wednesday” brushfires, in which 75 people died and many more were injured, most while outside their homes trying to escape.
“The clearest evidence was that late evacuation is dangerous,” says the paper’s co-author, John Handmer, director of the Centre for Risk and Community Safety at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University in Melbourne. “While deaths did occur inside houses, twice as many deaths occurred in vehicles or out in the open. This evidence has led to the Australasian Fire Authorities Council catch-phrase, ‘houses protect people, and people protect houses.’”
No piecemeal approach
A number of communities in the United States, including counties in Southern California and in rural Montana, have already begun emulating aspects of the Australian approach, but the researchers says implementing the policy piecemeal could be a mistake.
“The state of California should take the lead on this to ensure that communities that adopt this policy receive the proper training and that the policy is implemented properly,” says Stephens. “Giving homeowners the option of staying home during a wildfire can be deadly if done incorrectly and without adequate preparation. It would take just one terrible instance of a family getting killed because they were trying to save their homes for the policy to be abandoned.”
The researchers point out that it takes a significant amount of mental preparation by home-owners to not panic and flee when flames are licking at their doors. “The noise alone of a wildfire front is phenomenal,” says Stephens. “Then the sun goes away, and the sky goes dark. It’s haunting, and people need to understand that before they sign up for this.”
An important part of the policy is awareness of one’s limitations and the potential for panic, the researchers say, as is knowing that the safest option may be to prepare a home as much as possible but then leave early in the event of a wildfire. Enter ‘the surprise factor’
“The Australian model is partly based on homeowners having some time to prepare for an oncoming fire,” says Moritz. “But what if there is no warning and homeowners suddenly find a wall of flame racing toward them, a scenario that may have been at play in the recent Australian fires? It is this surprise factor that may end up playing a key role in determining whether people who would otherwise leave early have the chance to do so. In these ‘sudden onset’ fire situations, even the success of our own policy in California for evacuating everyone early would be challenged.”
The researchers acknowledge that the Australian policy may not be appropriate in many areas of California and the United States. For instance, it probably would not work in areas dominated by a high percentage of vacation homes, where owners are absent much of the year.
Before adopting the policy in any part of California, it would be necessary to determine which areas in the state might be candidates for the Australian approach, says Moritz. “Such a map would take into account what we know about fire patterns, weather, age of structures, and the ability to evacuate,” he says. “We need the equivalent of a flood-zone map for fire to better understand our own landscape and risk.”
Sixty-five years ago Smokey Bear was introduced to the American public as the symbol of fire prevention. As one of the most successful public campaigns in history, Smokey’s message, “Only YOU can prevent forest fires,” has reached millions of people via song, posters, storybooks, memorabilia, public service announcements, websites, and even personal appearances. Through his message, Smokey has taught us that we are responsible for preventing the occurrence of fire in our beloved forests.
Today, the message of Smokey Bear is still as relevant to us as it ever was; however, it has changed slightly. No longer does Smokey tell us to prevent “forest fires” but instead, “wildfires.” The change may seem simple enough—as many may think there is little difference between the two words—but it is significant because it illustrates a change in our understanding of fire and how it is used. While “forest fire” can relate to any fire burning in the woods, “wildfire” indicates an unmanaged fire. Thus, not all fires need to be extinguished. Fires that will benefit the forest should be allowed, and fires that will burn uncontrollably and cause extensive damage should be suppressed.
Fire as a tool
Fire is a tool. Of course, this is not a new concept for us humans. We use fire to heat our homes, to cook our food, and even to propel our cars down the road. In all of these settings, fire is knowingly used so as to provide us with the things we need—warmth, nourishment, and transportation. Likewise, fire helps provide the land with the things it needs by removing excess fuels and thinning trees, returning nutrients to the soil, and encouraging the growth of foraging plants necessary to wildlife. Because of the risk to people and their communities we do not allow fires to burn unchecked; however, we do actively manage fire—or use it as a tool—so it can still provide all of these necessary things to the land.
There are two ways fire managers use fire as a tool to improve the land: 1) prescribed burns and 2) resource benefit fires. Simply stated, prescribed burns are planned fires because fire managers intentionally ignite them, and resource benefit fires are unplanned in the sense that nature, not people, performs the ignition. Prescribed burns include both the burning of piled woody matter (pile burns) and the widespread burning of a defined area (broadcast burns). Resource benefit fires are typically started by lightning and they are allowed to burn within a defined area. Both prescribed burns and resource benefit fires are used by fire managers to achieve certain desirable results for the land.
Fire Management 101
Pile burns reduce the build-up of excess fuels in the forests.
When fire management activities are taking place on the forest, many of us see the smoke but rarely see the fire. So, what do these fires look like on the ground? Here’s a glimpse:
Pile Burns—These are formed through either mechanical (with the help of heavy equipment) or hand thinning work in which certain, designated trees are cut, broken down into smaller pieces, and then gathered into piles ranging from 4-8 feet high and 5-10 feet in diameter. Depending Your browser may not support display of this image. on the size of the pile and the thickness of the materials within, it can take anywhere from 24 hours to a few days to burn these completely. In places where piles have been scattered over a large area—such as a few hundred acres, it may take up to a week just to light all of them. When this happens, fire managers may allow a break every few days to limit the smoke.
Fire managers use drip torches to create a line of fire for a broadcast burn. Afterwards, the wind carries the flames to the remaining designated areas of the burn.
Broadcast Burns—These take place in both open (where there is mostly grass and/or brush) and wooded areas. To start, fire managers use a drip torch to ignite the desired places within the boundaries of the burn, and sometimes, helicopters are used to ignite large areas. For more open areas, windy conditions are needed to carry the flames; while wooded areas need less wind. Broadcast burns can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, and they typically take place in late spring and early fall when the weather is cooler and grasses have cured (or dried).
Resource Benefit Fires— These are naturally ignited fires which are only allowed to burn if the conditions are right and the necessary resources are available to manage their activity. Resource benefit fires may burn close to the ground or up into the trees’ crowns, depending on the vegetation type and land management objectives for the area. Typically, however, these fires are intended to be “low intensity” and burn excess fuels on the forest floor. As for duration, they can last anywhere from a few days up to a couple of months.
Resource Benefit Fires
When fire managers light a pile of wood or let the drip torch ignite a field of dry grass, their actions are not done on the spur of the moment. Instead, there is much planning and preparation that must take place before hand. For prescribed burns, fire managers must first conduct environmental analysis for these activities according to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Then, they must develop and get approval from the designated official for a Burn Plan which outlines: 1) the conditions necessary to implement the burn (i.e. wind speeds and moisture levels), 2) how the burn will take place (pile or broadcast), and 3) the resources needed to safely conduct the burn. For resource benefit fires, fire managers refer to the Forest Plan—the document which provides direction for forest management decisions—to determine where these fires can take place. In addition, for both prescribed burns and resource fires, fire managers continually monitor the fire as it takes place to make sure it burns where, when, and how it is intended to.
Smoke, Wind, and Risk
Using fire is not without its drawbacks; it produces smoke, and there is a chance it may escape and burn uncontrollably. Fire managers understand this, and that is why they develop such extensive plans before and during a fire. One of the biggest factors fire managers must plan for is wind. Too much wind can blow a fire out of control, yet, too little wind can leave the air laden with smoke. Consequently, finding the right conditions for using fire is a difficult task. One way fire managers have tackled this dilemma is by burning in the morning when the wind is typically calmer, and then stopping in the afternoon when the wind becomes stronger. In this way, the fire burns when the risk of it escaping is the least, and then the afternoon winds can disperse the smoke.
And yet, with all of the planning that goes into carrying out successful fires, there are still occasions where things do not go as planned—sometimes, the fire escapes. In this regard, however, it is important to look at the big picture and remember that fire is a natural process and it has a role in keeping the land in check. If we try to suppress all fires, we will end up with a landscape that is unhealthy and prone to even larger, more unpredictable fires. So, there isn’t a way to have the best of both worlds—we can’t keep the forests healthy without fire, and we can’t use fire without having some risk. Instead, what we can do is learn from experience, both good and bad, so as to continually improve our fire management practices.
Choosing the right tool for the job
Every job requires the right tool. Gardeners use shovels, not hammers to dig a garden. Likewise, fire managers use specific “tools” to carry-out specific tasks—e.g. using fire suppression practices to protect a community from a nearby wildfire. Does this mean there is only one tool to get the job done? Of course not, most jobs require a variety of tools. To construct a raised-bed garden, gardeners need a shovel to dig the soil and a hammer to construct the beds. Fire managers operate in a similar manner. To protect a community from the threat of wildfire, they may use suppression practices to extinguish an approaching wildfire and prescribed burns to prevent future wildfires. Thus, successful fire management is about using a combination of fire management practices—or tools—and matching the best tool for the situation.
Looking Ahead…
This year, in particular, has been a busy year for fire managers on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests. There have been several fires—including prescribed burns and resource benefit fires. Join us next month as we review some of these activities and discuss what we have learned for the future.
Written by Adriane Ragan
Apache Sitgreaves National Forest
928-333-4301
November 2, 2009 – Washington, DC,: President Obama this weekend signed legislation that will bring a degree of relief to the nation’s forests by helping federal agencies solve several of the top problems caused by the skyrocketing costs of wildfire suppression. The measure establishes a new approach to budgeting for costly wildfires, which continually drain the budgets of the Forest Service and Department of the Interior and lead to the transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars from other agency forest and land management priorities.
Incorporating the concept of the Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement (FLAME Act) that the House passed and Senate adopted into its Interior appropriations bill earlier this year, the legislation passed the House and Senate on October 29 as part of the annual funding bill for the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service. The bill sets up a pair of “FLAME” funds that will act as reserve accounts for the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior to cover the costs of large or complex wildfires when the annual budgets for suppression are exhausted, reducing the need for the agencies to transfer funds from vital programs and services to pay for wildfire suppression.
“President Obama and Congress have demonstrated that the status quo was no longer working and a new budget scenario was needed,” said Steven W. Koehn, Maryland State Forester and president of the National Association of State Foresters (NASF). “This legislation says loud and clear that funding for emergency fire events should not come at the expense of all other Forest Service and Interior activities.”
The legislation also gives the agencies another powerful tool that will help them prepare for fire costs each year: rather than using the 10-year average of fire suppression costs to calculate yearly suppression costs – the mandate agencies had previously followed – the agencies are now directed to develop new methods for estimating future suppression funding needs by using data on actual prior-year fire suppression expenditures, predictive modeling and other criteria.
“We have been especially concerned over the past decade about the Forest Service’s apparent transition from a land management agency to a fire service agency,” said Deborah Gangloff, executive director of American Forests. “The FLAME Act will help the Forest Service and Department of Interior respond to the increasing number of wildland fires without compromising other critical programs.”
The action was backed by the Partner Caucus on Fire Suppression Solutions—a coalition of environmental, industry, outdoor recreation, and forestry organizations led by NASF, The Wilderness Society and American Forests. The group worked with congressional and federal agency leaders in Washington, D.C., over the past year to find a solution to the burdens caused by the rapidly escalating costs of fighting emergency wildfires, which account for more than 95 percent of all acres burned and consume 85 percent of all suppression costs.
“The FLAME Funds bring common sense budgeting to wildfire suppression,” said William H. Meadows, president of The Wilderness Society. “No American family would make its budget for the next year based on what its expenses were a decade ago. Congress shouldn’t do that, either.”
Almost 20 years to the day since the Loma Prieta Earthquake shook California’s Bay Area, a wildfire was burning through Santa Cruz County (approximately 75 miles south of San Francisco) just miles from the epicenter of the quake that delayed the 1989 World Series. Just as Amateur Radio operators responded to calls for assistance for the earthquake, 20 years later on October 25, they responded when needed for a 485 acre wildfire.
According to Santa Cruz County ARES® Public Information Officer Bil Conklin, AF6OH, the Santa Cruz County Emergency Operations Center activated Santa Cruz County ARES® to assist with communications support. From 9 AM-2 PM, ARES® team members were in the EOC. They also activated a Loma Prieta ARES® Resource and Information Net on the AE6KE 146.835 repeater.
Just days before the fire began, the area had received more than 10 inches of rain, but it wasn’t enough to keep the fire at bay. Early in the morning on October 25, fire crews were dispatched to the summit area of the Santa Cruz Mountains to respond to a wildfire of unknown origin. Lasting for two days, the Loma Fire burned in the same region as the devastating 2008 Summit Fire that charred 4200 acres and destroyed 63 homes and 69 outbuildings. The Summit Fire burned for five days and caused $14.85 million in damage. Cal Fire estimates the cost of battling this fire to be in the neighborhood of $2.5 million.
Conklin told the ARRL that high winds prevented firefighters from using an aerial attack to combat the blaze that began at 3 AM. “Air fire crews had to stand down while they waiting for lower winds,” he said. “Firefighters were forced to use hand crews to battle the blaze with lateral hose lays and water tankers supplying water.”
Now completely contained, the Loma Fire destroyed one trailer and two outbuildings; four people were injured, including two firefighters. The cause is under investigation, but Battalion Chief Jim Crawford of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) told The Santa Cruz Sentinel that investigators will focus on the activity of inmate crews from the Ben Lomond Conservation Camp who had been working in the fire area as recently as October 23.
Crawford told the newspaper that the heavy rains did not soak trees and brush to the core, but rather drenched the leaves. During the 10 sunny days between the rains and the fire, the foliage dried and strong winds and low humidity made conditions more fire-prone. While the wind died down in mid-afternoon, it kicked up again in late afternoon. “They may have gotten rained on, but the inside part didn’t get real moist,” he said. “It will take a sustained winter season of rain for large trees and bushes to fully absorb moisture.”
El Niño in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean is expected to be a dominant climate factor that will influence the December through February winter weather in the United States, according to the 2009 Winter Outlook released today by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. Such seasonal outlooks are part of NOAA’s suite of climate services.
“We expect El Niño to strengthen and persist through the winter months, providing clues as to what the weather will be like during the period,” says Mike Halpert, deputy director of the Climate Prediction Center – a division of the National Weather Service. “Warmer ocean water in the equatorial Pacific shifts the patterns of tropical rainfall that in turn change the strength and position of the jetstream and storms over the Pacific Ocean and the U.S.”
“Other climate factors are also likely to play a role in the winter weather at times across the country,” added Halpert. “Some of these factors, such as the North Atlantic Oscillation are difficult to predict more than one to two weeks in advance. The NAO adds uncertainty to the forecast in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic portions of the country.”
Highlights of the U.S. Winter Outlook (December through February) include:
Warmer-than-average temperatures are favored across much of the western and central U.S., especially in the north-central states from Montana to Wisconsin. Though temperatures may average warmer than usual, periodic outbreaks of cold air are still possible.
Below-average temperatures are expected across the Southeast and mid-Atlantic from southern and eastern Texas to southern Pennsylvania and south through Florida.
Above-average precipitation is expected in the southern border states, especially Texas and Florida. Recent rainfall and the prospects of more should improve current drought conditions in central and southern Texas. However, tornado records suggest that there will also be an increased chance of organized tornado activity for the Gulf Coast region this winter.
Drier-than-average conditions are expected in the Pacific Northwest and the Ohio and Tennessee River Valleys.
Northeast: Equal chances for above-, near-, or below-normal temperatures and precipitation. Winter weather in this region is often driven not by El Niño but by weather patterns over the northern Atlantic Ocean and Arctic, such as the North Atlantic Oscillation. These patterns are often more short-term, and are generally predictable only a week or so in advance.
California: A slight tilt in the odds toward wetter-than-average conditions over the entire state.
Alaska: Milder-than-average temperatures except along the western coast. Equal chances for above-, near-, or below-median precipitation for most areas except above median for the northwest.
Hawaii: Below-average temperatures and precipitation are favored for the entire state..
This seasonal outlook does not predict where and when snowstorms may hit or total seasonal snowfall accumulations. Snow forecasts are dependent upon winter storms, which are generally not predictable more than several days in advance.
NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources.
USFS recently experienced a recent questionable exposure to a Southwest Type 2 crew on the Station Fire. This was was never confirmed but did leave much concern that this could be a potential hazard in the future.
Hydrogen cyanide is a linear molecule, with a triple bond between carbon and nitrogen. It is a weak acid with a pKa of 9.2. A minor tautomer of HCN is HNC, hydrogen isocyanide.
Discussion: Cyanide is a fast-acting, potentially deadly chemical that prevents the cells of the body from using oxygen properly. When this happens, the cells die. Cyanide is released from natural substances found in some foods, such as apple seeds and peach pits, and in certain plants. Cyanide is in cigarette smoke and the substances released when materials, such as plastic, burn. Cyanide is used to make paper, textiles and plastics. It is in the chemicals used to develop photographs. Cyanide can exist in different forms. One form is hydrogen cyanide, which is a colorless gas. It has a “bitter almond” smell – an odor that may not be easily recognized.
Safety Concerns to Employees: Someone could come into contact with cyanide by breathing air, drinking water, eating food or touching soil that contains the chemical. Cyanide enters water, soil or air as a result of both natural processes and industrial activities. In air, cyanide is present mainly as the gas hydrogen cyanide. Smoking cigarettes is one of the major sources of cyanide exposure for people who do not work in industries in which cyanide is used. Cyanide also can be manufactured by mixing certain chemicals together to create cyanide gas. (Coming upon a Dump / Meth Lab in the Forest) Please note: Just because you come into contact with hydrogen cyanide does not mean you will get sick from it.
Mitigation Measures: How can someone protect themselves from hydrogen cyanide poisoning? The main way people may be poisoned by hydrogen cyanide is by breathing in air contaminated with the gas. Leave the area where the cyanide gas was released and move to fresh air. If you cannot get out of the area where the cyanide gas was released, stay a s low to the ground as possible because cyanide gas rises. If the release of cyanide gas was indoors, get out of the building. If you are near an area where cyanide gas was released, emergency personnel may tell you to either leave the area or “shelter in place” (stay put and take cover) inside a building to avoid coming into contact with the chemical.
What happens if someone gets sick from hydrogen cyanide? The seriousness of poisoning caused by cyanide depends on the amount of cyanide a person comes in to contact with, the way a person comes into contact with it and the length of time that a person is exposed. Breathing in cyanide gas causes the most harm, but swallowing cyanide can be a danger as well. People who come into contact with a small amount of cyanide by breathing it, absorbing it through their skin or eating foods that contain it may have some or all of the following symptoms within minutes: Rapid breathing, restlessness, dizziness, weakness, headache, nausea and vomiting, rapid heart rate.
A large amount of cyanide by any route/method may cause these other health effects as well: Convulsions, low blood pressure, slow heart rate, loss of consciousness, lung injury, respiratory failure leading to death, Survivors of serious cyanide poisoning may develop heart and brain damage.
How likely is someone to die from contact with hydrogen cyanide? The effects of hydrogen cyanide will depend on the concentration of exposure, length of time and way the person is exposed. A highly concentrated solution or large amount of the gas is more likely to cause severe effects, including death.
What is the treatment for hydrogen cyanide poisoning? Prevention of illness after contact: First, leave the area where the hydrogen cyanide was released and move to fresh air.
Remove clothing. Then, quickly take off clothing that may have cyanide on it. If possible, any clothing that has to be pulled over the head should be cut off the body instead so the chemical does not get near the eyes, mouth or nose. If helping other people remove their clothing, try to avoid touching any contaminated areas.
Wash affected areas.
As quickly as possible, wash any cyanide from the skin with lots of soap and water.
If the eyes are burning or vision is blurred, rinse your eyes with plain water for 10 to 15 minutes.
If contact lenses are worn, remove them and put them with the contaminated clothing. Do not put the contacts back in. If eyeglasses are worn, wash them with soap and water. Eyeglasses can be put back on after they are washed.
If you are wearing jewelry that you can wash with soap and water, wash it and put it back on. If it cannot be washed, put it with the contaminated clothing.
Discard contaminated items.
Place the clothing and any other contaminated items inside a plastic bag. Avoid touching contaminated areas of the clothing. If you can’t avoid touching contaminated areas, or you aren’t sure where the contaminated areas are, wear rubber gloves or use tongs, sticks or similar objects. Anything that touches the contaminated clothing should also be placed in the bag.
Seal the bag, and then seal that bag inside another plastic bag.
Call the local county health department right away. When the local or state health department or emergency personnel
arrive, tell them what you did with your clothes. The health department or emergency personnel will arrange for further disposal. Do not handle the plastic bags yourself.
Treatment of illness: Cyanide poisoning is treated with specific antidotes and supportive medical care (intravenous fluids, medicine to control pain) in a hospital setting. The most important thing is for injured, ill or stricken victims to seek medical treatment as soon as possible.
Is there a vaccine for hydrogen cyanide poisoning? No, there is no vaccine for hydrogen cyanide poisoning.
What should be done if someone comes into contact with hydrogen cyanide? If you believe you have been exposed to Cyanide, seek medical attention immediately.
If you or someone you know is showing symptoms of hydrogen cyanide poisoning, notify your supervisor right away.
Where can one get more information about hydrogen cyanide?
The Santa Ana’s of southern California also develop with a High in the Great Basin. The low-pressure trough is located along the southern California coast, and a strong pressure gradient is found across the southern California mountains.
The Santa Anas are dry, sometimes hot winds in Southern Califironia
In the coastal mountains, and the valleys, slopes, and basins on the ocean side, the Santa Ana varies widely. It is strongly channeled by the major passes, and, at times, bands of clear air can be seen cutting through a region of limited visibility. The flow coming over the tops of the ranges may remain aloft on the lee side or drop down to the surface, depending upon whether the Santa Ana is “strong” or “weak” and upon its mountain-wave characteristics. If the foehn flow is weak and remains aloft, only the higher elevations in the mountains are affected by the strong, dry winds. Local circulations, such as the sea breeze and slope winds, are predominant at lower elevations, particularly in areas away from the major passes.
Typically in southern California during the Santa Ana season, there is a daytime onshore breeze along the coast and gentle to weak upslope and upcanyon winds in the adjacent mountain areas. With nighttime cooling, these winds reverse in direction to produce downcanyon and offshore winds, usually of lesser magnitude than the daytime breeze. A strong Santa Ana wind wipes out these patterns. It flows over the ridges and down along the surface of leeward slopes and valleys and on to the sea. The strong winds, along with warm temperatures and humidities sometimes lower than 5 percent, produce very serious fire weather in a region of flashy fuels. The strong flow crossing the mountains creates mechanical turbulence, and many eddies of various sizes are produced by topographic features.
A strong Santa Ana, sweeping out the air ahead of it, often shows little or no difference in day and night behavior in its initial stages. But, after its initial surge, the Santa Ana begins to show a diurnal behavior. During the daytime, a light sea breeze may be observed along the coast and light upvalley winds in the coastal valleys. The Santa Ana flow is held aloft, and the mountain waves are not of proper dimensions to reach the surface. The air in the sea breeze may be returning Santa Ana air, which has had only a short trajectory over the water and is not as moist as marine air. After sunset, the surface winds reverse and become offshore and downslope. Increasing air stability may allow the shape of the mountain waves to change so that the lower portions of waves can strike the surface and produce very strong winds down the lee slopes. As the Santa Ana continues to weaken, the local circulations become relatively stronger and finally the normal daily cycle is resumed.
