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The View from Here
The View from Here Figure 1 -- The iconic image of the South Canyon Fire blow-up that will claim the lives of 14 wildland firefighters. Acknowledging our current culture and its shortcomings while using its strengths to lead change. December 2018 The View from Here 1 This collection represents collective insight into how we operate and why we must alter some of our most ingrained practices and perspectives. Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 3 I Risk ................................................................................................................................................ 4 1. The Illusion of Control ............................................................................................................. 5 2. It’s Going to Happen Again ................................................................................................... 14 3. The Big Lie – Honor the Fallen .............................................................................................. 19 4. The Problem with Zero ......................................................................................................... 26 5. RISK, GAIN, and LOSS – What are We Willing to Accept? .................................................... 29 6. How Do We Know This Job is Dangerous? ............................................................................ 39 II Culture ....................................................................................................................................... -
15-15-08 Rough Fire Closure
Forest Sierra National Forest 1600 Tollhouse Rd m Service Clovis, CA 93611 File Code: 2670 Date: August 13, 2015 Route To: File Subject: Forest Order No. 15-15-08 - Rough Fire Closure From: Dean Gould, Forest supervisor~ This document explains my rationale and the regulatory basis for implementing a closure order for the Rough Fire on the Sierra National Forest. On the afternoon of July 31, 2015 a lightning fire began in the Rough Creek drainage, near the Middle Fork of the Kings River, on the High Sierra Ranger District. By August 13, 2015, the Rough Fire had grown from its original size to over 9,948 acres. As of August 13,2015 the Rough Fire is 0% contained and has grown to approximately 10,000 acres. The purpose of this closure is to provide for public safety and facilitate fire suppression efforts. This restriction is necessary for the purposes of ensuring public safety until the wildfire can be managed to protect the public. Closure of the fire area is necessary to help ensure that no one is injured within or near the fire perimeter. All National Forest System roads, within the burned area will be closed due to fire suppression activities that create a hazard to the public which includes the falling of hazard trees that were weakened by the fire and fuel breaks being constructed and maintained along those roads. This closure will remain in effect until the fire is fully suppressed. I have concluded that this decision may be categorically excluded from documentation in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or Environmental Assessment (EA) under the National Environmental Policy Act. -
Immediate Post-Fire Effects of the Rough Fire on Giant Sequoia and the Surrounding Forest
Immediate post-fire effects of the Rough Fire on giant sequoia and the surrounding forest March 2016 Prepared by: Fire Behavior Assessment Team (FBAT) USDA Forest Service, Adaptive Management Services Enterprise Team (AMSET) Alicia Reiner, USFS AMSET, [email protected], Carol Ewell, USFS AMSET Acknowledgements: We thank the Sequoia National Forest Fire and Aviation Management (FAM) and their staff. We thank Brent Skaggs for supporting FBAT work on the Rough Fire and for helping connect science monitoring results to fire management. We sincerely thank the Stanislaus Summit Wildland Fire Module for their help in completing monitoring efforts. We also appreciate the input from Marc Meyer, Region 5 Ecology Program, on the sampling regime and Craig Baker (RSAC) for severity map data. United States Forest Department of Agriculture Service Page 1 Contents Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 3 Background and Purpose .............................................................................................................................. 3 Methods ........................................................................................................................................................ 6 Results and Discussion .................................................................................................................................. 9 Overall Results ......................................................................................................................................... -
Computational Modeling of Extreme Wildland Fire Events
Computational modeling of extreme wildland fire events: a synthesis of scientific understanding with applications to forecasting, land management, and firefighter safety Janice L. Coena,b W. Schroederc S Conwayd L Tarnaye a National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado b Corresponding author. [email protected] c NOAA/NESDIS/OSPO/SPSD, College Park, MD d Conway Conservation Group, Incline Village, NV e USDA Forest Service, Region 5 Remote Sensing Laboratory, McClellan, CA ACCEPTED Journal of Computational Science Formal publication location: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocs.2020.101152 1 Abstract The understanding and prediction of large wildland fire events around the world is a growing interdisciplinary research area advanced rapidly by development and use of computational models. Recent models bidirectionally couple computational fluid dynamics models including weather prediction models with modules containing algorithms representing fire spread and heat release, simulating fire-atmosphere interactions across scales spanning three orders of magnitude. Integrated with weather data and airborne and satellite remote sensing data on wildland fuels and active fire detection, modern coupled weather-fire modeling systems are being used to solve current science problems. Compared to legacy tools, these dynamic computational modeling systems increase cost and complexity but have produced breakthrough insights notably into the mechanisms underlying extreme wildfire events such as fine-scale extreme winds associated with interruptions of the electricity grid and have been configured to forecast a fire's growth, expanding our ability to anticipate how they will unfold. We synthesize case studies of recent extreme events, expanding applications, and the challenges and limitations in our remote sensing systems, fire prediction tools, and meteorological models that add to wildfires' mystery and apparent unpredictability. -
DATE: November 19, 2015 TO: SJVUAPCD Governing Board
GOVERNING BOARD Tom Wheeler, Chair Supervisor, Madera County Oliver L. Baines III, Vice Chair Councilmember, City of Fresno DATE: November 19, 2015 Sally J. Bomprezzi Councilmember, City of Madera TO: SJVUAPCD Governing Board Dennis Brazil Mayor, City of FROM: Seyed Sadredin, Executive Director/APCO Project Coordinator: Sheraz Gill John Capitman, Ph.D. Appointed by Governor RE: ITEM NUMBER 9: DEVASTATING HEALTH David Couch IMPACTS ASSOCIATED WITH AIR POLLUTION Supervisor, Kern County FROM WILDFIRES AND POTENTIAL ACTIONS BY Bob Elliott Supervisor, San Joaquin County THE DISTRICT AIMED AT REDUCING THE NUMBER AND INTENSITY OF WILDFIRES IN THE Virginia R. Gurrola Councilmember, City of Porterville FUTURE Harold Hanson Councilmember, City of Bakersfield RECOMMENDATIONS: Buddy Mendes Supervisor, Fresno County William O’Brien 1. Review the enormous damage to public health from wildfires. Supervisor, Stanislaus County Craig Pedersen 2. Develop potential changes to District’s rules, policies, and Supervisor, Kings County procedures to facilitate more effective use of prescribed burning as Alexander C. Sherriffs, M.D. a means to reduce the number and severity of future wildfires. Appointed by Governor Hub Walsh 3. Work with local, state, and federal land managers and fire Supervisor, Merced County suppression agencies in an ongoing effort to identify gaps in land J. Steven Worthley management and fire suppression policies and practices and Supervisor, Tulare County develop solutions. Seyed Sadredin 4. Support S. 235 (Wildfire Disaster Funding Act of 2015) and similar Executive Director federal and state legislation to enhance and preserve funding for Air Pollution Control Officer land and forest management. Northern Region Office 4800 Enterprise Way 5. -
Rationales for Plant Species Considered for Species of Conservation Concern
Rationales for Plant Species Considered for Species of Conservation Concern Sierra National Forest Prepared by: Botanists and Natural Resources Specialists Pacific Southwest Regional Office and Sierra National Forest For: Sierra National Forest June 2019 In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. -
October 2015 FIRESCOPE Bod Minutes
FIRESCOPE CAL OES FIRE AND RESCUE ADVISORY COMMITTEE FIRESCOPE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Cal OES HQ 3650 Schriever Ave. Mather, CA 95655 October 14, 2015 @ 0900 Members Present Daryl Osby – Chairperson, FIRESCOPE Board of Directors, Los Angeles County Fire Department William Metcalf – Vice-Chairperson FIRESCOPE Board of Directors, Fire Districts, South Mark Ghilarducci – California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), Director Dan Kleinman – (representing Shawna Legarza)U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Mike Esparza – California State Firefighters Association (CSFA) Lou Paulson – California Professional Firefighters (CPF) Eric Peterson – Santa Barbara County Fire Department Ken Kehmna – County Fire Departments, North Mike Richwine - (representing Tonya Hoover) State Fire Marshall (SFM) Thom Porter – (representing Ken Pimlott) CAL FIRE Kim Zagaris – Cal OES Fire and Rescue Division Brian Marshall – Kern County Fire Authority Jeff Bowman – Orange County Fire Authority Jeff Meston – City Fire Departments, North Mark Lorenzen – Ventura County Fire Department Richard Webb – Linda Fire Protection District Mario Rueda –(representing Ralph Terrazas) Los Angeles City Fire Department Sam Marouk – U.S. Dept. of Interior (DOI), Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Steve Kovacs – Volunteer Fire Departments Guests Present Steve Winter – Ventura County Fire Andy Ortega – Ventura County Fire Shawn Fraley – Kern County Fire Mark Hartwig – San Bernardino County Fire Ron Phillips – City of Folsom Fire Department Mike Hebrard – Region III Coordinator, CAL FIRE Ralph Domanski – Cal OES Fire and Rescue Division Mike Lococo – Cal OES Fire and Rescue Division Scott Vail, Cal OES Fire and Rescue Division Chad Stokes – Cal OES Fire and Rescue Division 1. Welcome, Introductions, Logistics - Meeting Begins @ 0930 (Osby) Chairperson Chief Osby calls meeting to order @ 0930. -
2015 California Forest Health Highlights
2015 California Forest Health Highlights A publication of the California Forest Pest Council TABLE OF CONTENTS Environmental Conditions 2 Aerial Detection Survey 3 Bark Beetles and Wood Borers 3 Defoliators 4 Diseases 4 Insect Conditions 5 Native Insects 5 Defoliators 8 Other Species 8 Invasive Insects 10 Forest Diseases and Abiotic Conditions 12 Abiotic Diseases and Complexes 12 Native Diseases 14 Exotic Diseases 15 Invasive Plants 18 New Pest Management Practices Available Soon 18 New or Newly Naturalized Invasive Plant Species in California 18 California Forest Pest Council 19 Contributors 20 VISIT US ON THE WEB: HTTP://CAFORESTPESTCOUNCIL.ORG/ Environmental Conditions Page 2 California experienced a fourth consecutive year of below-average precipitation in 2015. Most rainfall occurred from October 2014 to February 2015 (water years are from October 1 – September 30), with only 6.1 in. of the total 36.8 in. of precipitation falling in northern California the last 8 months of the year. The statewide snowpack was also well below normal, at 5 percent of average. Mean monthly temperatures reachedU.S. record Drought or near record Monitor highs in January, February, March, and June,April making 29,2015 2014the hottest year on record for the state. In northern California (in the central and eastern portion), June temperatures(Released Thursday,were 5 to May.7 degrees 1, 2014) warmer than historical averages, with Californiaareas such as Redding experiencing 17 days over 100 °F. High temperaturesValid 8 a.m. EDT continued through July and into late summer. The prolonged drought, over-stocked forests, and higher than average temperatures were the most significant factors affecting California forest health in 2015, with nearly 28 million dead trees mapped during US Forest Service forest health aerial surveys. -
Twenty-First Century California, USA, Wildfires: Fuel-Dominated Vs. Wind- Dominated Fires Jon E
Keeley and Syphard Fire Ecology (2019) 15:24 Fire Ecology https://doi.org/10.1186/s42408-019-0041-0 FORUM Open Access Twenty-first century California, USA, wildfires: fuel-dominated vs. wind- dominated fires Jon E. Keeley1,2* and Alexandra D. Syphard3 Abstract Since the beginning of the twenty-first century California, USA, has experienced a substantial increase in the frequency of large wildfires, often with extreme impacts on people and property. Due to the size of the state, it is not surprising that the factors driving these changes differ across this region. Although there are always multiple factors driving wildfire behavior, we believe a helpful model for understanding fires in the state is to frame the discussion in terms of bottom-up vs. top-down controls on fire behavior; that is, fires that are clearly dominated by anomalously high fuel loads from those dominated by extreme wind events. Of course, this distinction is somewhat artificial in that all fires are controlled by multiple factors involving fuels, winds, and topography. However, we believe that fires clearly recognizable as fuel-dominated vs. wind-dominated provide interesting case studies of factors behind these two extremes. These two types of fires differ greatly in their (1) geographical distribution in the state, (2) past fire history, (3) prominent sources of ignition, (4) seasonal timing, (5) resources most at risk, and (6) requirement for different management responses. Keywords: fire prevention, fire suppression, fuel loads, house protection, land planning, North Winds, population growth, Santa Ana Winds, silvicultural practices Resumen Desde comienzos del siglo veinte, California, EEUU, ha experimentado un incremento substancial en la frecuencia de grandes incendios, frecuentemente con grandes impactos en la gente y en las propiedades. -
Recent Bark Beetle Outbreaks Influence Wildfire Severity in Mixed-Conifer Forests of the Sierra Nevada, California, USA
Ecological Applications, 0(0), 2021, e02287 © 2021 by the Ecological Society of America Recent bark beetle outbreaks influence wildfire severity in mixed-conifer forests of the Sierra Nevada, California, USA 1,3 1,2 REBECCA B. WAYMAN , AND HUGH D. SAFFORD 1Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis 95616 USA 2Pacific Southwest Region, USDA Forest Service, Vallejo, California 94592 USA Citation: Wayman, R. B., and H. D. Safford. 2021. Recent bark beetle outbreaks influence wildfire severity in mixed-conifer forests of the Sierra Nevada, California, USA. Ecological Applications 00(00):e02287. 10. 1002/eap.2287 Abstract. In temperate forests, elevated frequency of drought related disturbances will likely increase the incidence of interactions between disturbances such as bark beetle epidemics and wildfires. Our understanding of the influence of recent drought and insect-induced tree mortality on wildfire severity has largely lacked information from forests adapted to frequent fire. A recent unprecedented tree mortality event in California’s Sierra Nevada provides an opportunity to examine this disturbance interaction in historically frequent-fire forests. Using field data collected within areas of recent tree mortality that subsequently burned in wildfire, we examined whether and under what conditions wildfire severity relates to severity of prefire tree mortality in Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer forests. We collected data on 180 plots within the 2015 Rough Fire and 2016 Cedar Fire footprints (California, USA). Our analyses identi- fied prefire tree mortality as influential on all measures of wildfire severity (basal area killed by fire, RdNBR, and canopy torch) on the Cedar Fire, although it was less influential than fire weather (relative humidity). -
National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend October 8-9, 2016
Remembering ver in Our Hea Fore rts ® National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend Weekend Memorial Firefighters Fallen National 2016 ® National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Post Office Drawer 498 National Fallen Firefighters Emmitsburg, Maryland 21727 Memorial Weekend 301.447.1365 • 301.447.1645 fax www.firehero.org • [email protected] October 8-9, 2016 Raymond G. Araujo Jr. • Richard D. Arazosa • Sheldon Barocas • Dwight “BB” Bazile • Raymond G. Araujo Jr. • Richard D. Arazosa • Sheldon Barocas • Dwight “BB” Bazile • Michael G. Behette • Séan M. Benson Sr. • Christopher M. Blankenship • Jeffrey Scott Michael G. Behette • Séan M. Benson Sr. • Christopher M. Blankenship • Jeffrey Scott Buck Jr. • Steven R. Burroughs • Richard J. Cano • Daniel V. Capuano • Scott D. Carroll Buck Jr. • Steven R. Burroughs • Richard J. Cano • Daniel V. Capuano • Scott D. Carroll • John J. Cassidy • Jerry “Bear” Celecki • Roy W. Chelsen • Zachary Chase Clevenger • • John J. Cassidy • Jerry “Bear” Celecki • Roy W. Chelsen • Zachary Chase Clevenger • Shane Michael Clifton • Steven W. Cobb • Floyd E. Coon • Michael “Coop” Cooper • Shane Michael Clifton • Steven W. Cobb • Floyd E. Coon • Michael “Coop” Cooper • John K. Corcoran • Michael B. Corn • Stacy A. Crawford • Richard L. Crosby Sr. • Terry John K. Corcoran • Michael B. Corn • Stacy A. Crawford • Richard L. Crosby Sr. • Terry Culver • Christopher J. Daniels • Kevin M. Delano Sr. • John J. Doster • Jason Eric Farley Culver • Christopher J. Daniels • Kevin M. Delano Sr. • John J. Doster • Jason Eric Farley • Leslie W. “Les” Fryman • Martin T. Fullam • John T. Gallagher • Daryl Eugene Gordon • Leslie W. “Les” Fryman • Martin T. Fullam • John T. Gallagher • Daryl Eugene Gordon • Dwight “Hed” Greer • Timothy T. -
Some Requirements for Simulating Wildland Fire Behavior Using Insight from Coupled Weather—Wildland Fire Models
fire Review Some Requirements for Simulating Wildland Fire Behavior Using Insight from Coupled Weather—Wildland Fire Models Janice Coen ID National Center for Atmospheric Research, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80301, USA; [email protected]; Tel.: +1-303-497-8986 Received: 29 December 2017; Accepted: 6 February 2018; Published: 9 February 2018 Abstract: A newer generation of models that interactively couple the atmosphere with fire behavior have shown an increased potential to understand and predict complex, rapidly changing fire behavior. This is possible if they capture intricate, time-varying microscale airflows in mountainous terrain and fire-atmosphere feedbacks. However, this benefit is counterbalanced by additional limitations and requirements, many arising from the atmospheric model upon which they are built. The degree to which their potential is realized depends on how coupled models are built, configured, and applied. Because these are freely available to users with widely ranging backgrounds, I present some limitations and requirements that must be understood and addressed to achieve meaningful fire behavior simulation results. These include how numerical weather prediction models are formulated for specific scales, their solution methods and numerical approximations, optimal model configurations for common scenarios, and how these factors impact reproduction of fire events and phenomena. I discuss methods used to adjust inadequate outcomes and advise on critical interpretation of fire modeling results, such as where errors from model limitations may be misinterpreted as natural unpredictability. I discuss impacts on other weather model-based applications that affect understanding of fire behavior and effects. Keywords: community models; coupled atmosphere-fire model; numerical weather prediction; fire model; CAWFE; WRF 1.