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USFS MOVES TANKER OPS TO SANTA MARIAFEBRUARY 05 -- SANTA MARIA, CA: Officials are finalizing plans to move operations from the Santa Barbara Airport to Santa Maria; the move is expected to improve response times and save money.
The Forest Service hopes to have operations moved by the start of the 2007 fire season. Kathy Good with the Los Padres National Forest said the air attack base would include offices for two year-round employees, but that as many as seven could staff the base during a busy season. An air attack ship will be based there year-round.
The Santa Maria Times reported that heavy airtankers may also be based temporarily at the airport. General Manager Gary Rice said it will cost about $500,000 to reinforce the pavement to the necessary weight-bearing capacity. The current pavement is the original World War II military work; it couldn't support the weight of B-25 bombers, which nixed Santa Maria as a B-25 base. It was later home to P-38 Lightnings.
USFS rent has been $50,000 annually in Santa Barbara, and that will drop to $18,000 annually in Santa Maria. Good said lighter traffic at Santa Maria, along with more favorable wind and weather conditions, will make it a better base than Santa Barbara.
Eleven airtankers used Santa Maria last fall to refuel while flying the Day Fire. The Lompoc Record reported that the Santa Maria airport had an advantage over its sister airport at Santa Barbara: no congestion.
�They're right here as soon as we pull in,� said tanker pilot Jan Reifenberg of Los Alamos. �It's far more efficient.�
�They tried us out and it worked and they started sending more to us,� said Jim Kunkle, owner of the Jet Center, which usually serves private jets. Kunkle said he's recently finished a lease agreement with the Forest Service for office space at his facility for the tanker base manager and air attack manager, along with a pilot lounge.
GOOD NEWS FOR ESPERANZA FAMILIESFEBRUARY 03 -- SACRAMENTO, CA: KESQ-TV reported today that the California State Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee unanimously approved legislation that will make an exception to state tax law, allowing the Central County United Way in Hemet to distribute more than $1 million in donations to the families of the firefighters killed on October's Esperanza Fire. The bill still must be passed by another committee, the assembly floor, and the senate before it can be sent to the governor.
It's expected to reach the governor by early next week.
VICTORIA BATTLES NEW BRUSHFIRESFEBRUARY 02 -- COBUNGRA, VICTORIA, AU: Fire crews are building control lines around a huge bushfire in Victoria's east today, and temperatures are predicted to soar this weekend. The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) said fire crews were again busy with the Great Divide South Fire, which started back in December.
The fire has burned almost 1.7 million acres of state forest and private land. The fire is still active in the Mount Birregun area southwest of Cobungra near the Dargo River, according to reports from the Australian.
Crews have been building control lines and are expecting higher temperatures this weekend. About 135 DSE, Country Fire Authority, Canadian, and U.S. firefighters are working the northern edge of the fire. Crews worked today on finding and suppressing hotspots before the weekend's anticipated weather shift.
Meanwhile, ABC News reported that there's a push under way for better communications among emergency agencies. After a debrief of a bushfire in a pine forest near Tumut in December (a fire that burned about $55 million worth of state-owned timber), Councillor Graham Smith, the head of the bushfire management committee in the Riverina highlands zone, said the radio network needs to be integrated.
Smith said the Rural Fire Service must be able to talk to New South Wales Fire Brigades, and to ambulance units and air support -- statewide. "I think we've got to look at and make sure it's upgraded and corrected and systems put in place so we can do these things," he said. "It's something we've learnt and it won't happen again."
FIREFIGHTER PROTECTION BILL INTRODUCEDFEBRUARY 01 -- PORTALES, NM: A state bill that would protect wildland firefighters from criminal prosecution has been introduced in the New Mexico Legislature. Rep. Keith Gardner of Roswell, who introduced the bill, said it's in response to concerns raised last fall by volunteer firefighters in eastern New Mexico about standards contained in new agreements with the New Mexico Forestry Division.
According to a report by the Portales News-Tribune, the state agreements won't authorize suppression reimbursement for departments using uncertified firefighters. Gardner says the Forestry Division is concerned about its liability after criminal charges were brought against supervisors in other states following the deaths of firefighters under their supervision.
Gardner�s bill would remove that criminal liability from the state statutes.
Fire departments from several eastern New Mexico counties had a heated meeting with the Forestry Division in Portales back in the fall, but were unable to come to a resolution.
Rural fire departments are increasingly concerned about losing state reimbursements for wildland firefighting due to red-card certification requirements outlined in new agreements proposed by the New Mexico Forestry Division. Gardner and other legislators, though, worry that initial attack responses could be delayed if the legislation is not passed.
NEW BASE PROPOSED FOR HEMETJANUARY 31 -- HEMET, CA: A $25 million request is in the works for building a new tanker base at Hemet-Ryan Airport; the proposal includes demolishing the 1950s-era base at the Hemet airport and replacing it with state-of-the-art buildings and facilities. Robin Zimpfer with Riverside County said the county's economic development agency, which owns the airport, helped CDF submit a budget package for state funding to upgrade the tanker base.
According to a report by the Press-Enterprise, CDF is committed to maintaining operations at Hemet-Ryan Airport, and Fire Capt. Patrick Tomlinson said this reconfirms that commitment.
"It's been a good place for us for fifty years," said Tomlinson, "and from the way it's looking, it's going to be a good place for us for another fifty years."
CDF had in the past proposed moving firefighting operations to March Air Reserve Base in Moreno Valley, but those plans were abandoned last year. After extended discussion (and more than a little controversy), it was decided that maintaining operations at Hemet would be safer for pilots and provide far better initial attack response.
And locals are pleased with the proposal. "We're very happy to hear about the upgrades," said Mike Esnard, president of the Idyllwild-based Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council (MCFSC), one of a number of those -- including the county supervisors -- who advocated keeping firefighting operations at Hemet.
The budget package submitted to the state will probably be included in the state's 2008/2009 budget. Construction could begin in 2009 and the new base could be completed in two years; plans include setting up a temporary base at the airport to provide fire protection while the new facility is under construction. The construction plans include larger administrative offices, barracks for firefighters, retardant loading areas, hangars, and repair and maintenance facilities.
 Hemet's currently home for two S-2T's, an air traffic control plane, and one helicopter, according to Tomlinson, who said the improvements should result in better fire protection, the capacity for larger operations, better coordination, and improved pilot safety.
Ryan Air Attack Base was named after the late Claude T. Ryan, who designed the Spirit of St. Louis and started the Ryan School of Aeronautics in Hemet during World War II. The facility eventually became a public airport owned and operated by Riverside County. In 1957 the U.S. Forest Service began airtanker loading operations, and in 1959 CDF started operations. Ryan is one of 19 tanker bases in California and provides initial attack on more than 17,000 square miles of private, state, and federal lands.
For some background on this story, check our news archives for 05/06/2005 (scroll down to the April 06 Hemet story).
CHANGES PROPOSED IN FIRE MANAGEMENTJANUARY 31 -- WASHINGTON, DC: Increasing costs for wildfire prevention and suppression can't be reduced till state and local governments and the insurance industry get involved with reducing development in the wildland/urban interface, according to both lawmakers and agency officials who spoke at a Senate hearing yesterday. At the Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing, agency representatives outlined new cost-containment plans for the upcoming season, including putting fire crews and helicopters under less regional and more federal control.
The Billings Gazette reported that the federal agencies spent $1.9 billion on fire suppression in 2006 -- the worst wildfire year on record, with nearly 10 million acres burned. One factor that increases the wildfire threat is the growing number of new homes in the wildland/urban interface; about 8.4 million new homes, or 60 percent of new homes, were built in the interface during the 1990s.
Several reports and officials have suggested that state and local agencies should share more of the cost of fighting fires in or adjacent to the interface, because the federal government has no authority over zoning or development in such areas. USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong said costs won't go down until interface development is reduced.
"We have to somehow incentivize state and local governments to regulate development," she said.
Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey said the federal government could also provide incentives to the insurance industry to examine fire-prone areas as they do flood-prone areas. He also discussed new proposals for cost containment on firefighting resources. He said smokejumpers, hotshot crews, and helicopters will be used as national assets and subject to more centralized management.
Jim Caswell with the Wildland Fire Leadership Council (WFLC) said that federal managers want to ensure that initial responses are always aggressive and use the closest appropriate resources -- including those of local and tribal governments. He recommended forming local Type 3 Incident Management Teams to manage initial and extended attack operations locally -- rather than relying on mobilization of Type 1 and Type 2 teams.
"Increasing the skills and availability of locally based Type 3 teams will lead to effective extended attack," he said. "When successful, the need for mobilization of higher cost Type 1 or 2 teams is negated." He said Type 3 teams that use local firefighters and support will reduce costs; the teams could coordinate extended attack and provide for safety through increased supervision, command, and control.
"Most importantly," he said, "these teams will have knowledge of the local conditions and landscapes that will help them make good informed decisions. Within the first few hours of a fire start, they can be very effective in controlling the fire quickly by establishing a competent management organization."
DANIELS PLEADS NOT GUILTYJANUARY 30 -- SPOKANE, WA: A trial was set today for March 26 for the federal charges against Ellreese Daniels, incident commander on the Thirtymile Fire. He's charged with four felony counts of involuntary manslaughter and seven counts of lying to federal investigators in the deaths of four firefighters on the 2001 fire that killed four firefighters and injured several others.
His attorney entered pleas of not guilty on his behalf today in U.S. District Court in Spokane.
Despite a recent groundswell of support for Daniels among wildland firefighters, there was no crowd at the courthouse. A witness said he "had a couple of friends there."
The 46-year-old Leavenworth man was the incident commander on the fatal fire in the Chewuch River Canyon in eastern Washington. His federal defense attorney, Tina Hunt, says that Daniels welcomes the trial to clear his name.
An AP report tonight said that Daniels had earlier rejected a plea deal in which he could have pleaded guilty to the lying charges -- but that he had agreed to an extension after the statute of limitations on the charges expired last July. Earlier reports have indicated that this resulted from his attorney's request to further study the charges against Daniels.
"I think other people could be held accountable," Hunt said today. She said her client is a "scapegoat," and added that about 15 current and former USFS employees attended today's hearing in support of Daniels.
According to KXLY-TV, Hunt said others in the U.S. Forest Service could be held accountable in the deaths on the Thirtymile Fire, but that no one else will face charges.
Magistrate Judge Cynthia Imbrogno released Daniels on his own recognizance today. Those conditions were added by federal probation officers after Daniels was cited on January 4 for possession of alcohol, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia -- just hours after his federal court appearance that day. He's now required to take drug tests and to remain inside the state until his felony trial.
If convicted of involuntary manslaughter, Daniels could be sentenced to six years on each count -- and a $250,000 fine. The charges of making false statements to investigators each carry a maximum five-year prison term and $250,000 fine.
SENATE PANEL HEARS ABOUT FIRE COSTSJANUARY 30 -- WASHINGTON, DC: The U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee heard testimony today on issues of cost-sharing among local, state, and federal agencies, and comparisons of suppression and prevention methods.
Jim Caswell with the Wildland Fire Leadership Council (WFLC) spoke to the panel about the benefits of officially developing more Type 3 teams.
The proceedings and transcripts of the hearing are available online at energy.senate.gov and the webcast is online HERE.
BUSHFIRE SEASON MAY BE EXTENDEDJANUARY 30 -- MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AU: The Rural Fire Service of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) says the bushfire season will probably be extended again this year. Last year, Canberra's bushfire season was extended until mid-May because of dry conditions, according to ABC News, and hot and windy conditions have resulted in total fire bans.
RFS chief officer Michael Ross says the current conditions are just as dangerous as last year's. "Here we are again with another total fire ban," he said, "and it just indicates how dry and how unseasonal the weather is at the moment."
The timber industry is concerned that bushfire damage in Victoria's East Gippsland area will have a long-term impact on mills and contractors, according to ABC in Gippsland; about 173,000 acres of mature forest available for logging have burned.
The total area burned in Victoria is over 2.9 million acres, and another 20,000 acres have burned recently in Western Australia.
The Country Fire Authority (CFA) and Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) crews, with the assistance of overseas firefighters, plan to strengthen containment lines, extinguish burning fuels, and patrol fire areas for the rest of the week.
CREWS CONTAIN 2,000-ACRE HAWAIIAN FIREJANUARY 30 -- KULA FOREST RESERVE, MAUI, HAWAII: Heavy rains helped firefighters contain a brushfire on the island of Maui -- a fire that's burned more than 2,000 acres since last Wednesday. According to the County of Maui, the fire's been burning in dense forest at an elevation of between 6,000 and 7,600 feet.
Firefighters say it will likely take several more weeks before the fire's completely controlled. Fire behavior was exacerbated by low relative humidity, high temperatures, and 30 mph winds. At one point, smoke from the fire prompted officials to close one of the visitor centers at Haleakala National Park.
Lance DeSilva, incident commander, gave credit to recent work that the State DLNR, county agencies, and community members had done with a Firewise plan.
SENATE PANEL TO CONSIDER FIRE COSTSJANUARY 29 -- WASHINGTON, DC: The U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hear testimony tomorrow on issues of cost-sharing among local, state, and federal agencies, and comparisons of suppression and prevention methods.
There is a growing debate about increased federal costs of firefighting; since 2000, the federal government has carried more than $1 billion of the cost of suppression, and several studies have suggested the U.S. Forest Service is carrying too much of the burden.
The USDA Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a report saying that states and local governments should pick up more of the tab.
The increasing costs to the USFS, according to a report by Helicopter Association International, are largely a result of protecting private property in the wildland/urban interface. The OIG report also found that states and local governments should assume more of the costs because they have authority in zoning and planning -- and the federal government does not.
Insurance companies have been coming on board in the issue. Since 2003, State Farm Insurance has examined at-risk homes under its coverage in four Western states, and in some cases has recommended that homeowners clear defensible space around their homes. Witnesses at tomorrow�s hearing are also expected to discuss the system that allows the USFS and BLM to borrow from other program accounts when firefighting costs exceed the amount appropriated.
The hearing schedule lists seven scheduled witnesses, including Mark Rey and Phyllis Fong with the USDA, Nina Hatfield with the Department of the Interior, Jim Caswell with the Wildland Fire Leadership Council, and Kirk Rowdabaugh, Arizona's State Forester. The hearing begins at 10 a.m. and may be aired via webcast (see hearing schedule link above).
FIREFIGHTERS SAY LIABILITY MAY
KEEP THEM OFF THE FIRELINESJANUARY 28 -- YAKIMA, WA: After federal manslaughter charges were filed against a wildfire crew boss shortly before Christmas, firefighters began questioning whether they'd fight fires this summer, or even maintain their qualifications, with the possibility of criminal charges for liability when things go horribly wrong on a fire. Several firefighters' groups have expressed concern that the government's decision to charge Ellreese Daniels, the incident commander on the fatal Thirtymile Fire in 2001, will result in a corps of less-qualified wildland firefighters.
Daniels was charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter and numerous counts of lying to investigators after four firefighters were killed and several others were injured on the fire he supervised in the Chewuch River Canyon in eastern Washington. A grand jury earlier this month determined that there was enough evidence to indict him. His preliminary examination on probable cause is scheduled for U.S. District Court in Spokane at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.
Federal prosecutors said that Daniels should have known that the four firefighters who were killed -- Devin Weaver, 21, Jessica Johnson, 19, Karen FitzPatrick, 18, and Tom Craven, 30 -- were in danger. The complaint says he supervised those under his charge "in a manner that was grossly negligent, meaning in a manner that was in wanton and reckless disregard for human life," and that Daniels should have foreseen that his conduct might place their lives in danger.
Both the International Association of Wildland Fire (IAWF) and the Federal Wildland Fire Service Association (FWFSA) have stated their opposition to the government's decision to file charges.
"People like me may decide they are not going to be on the active firelines now," said Dick Mangan with the IAWF. "A lot of people will say, 'I'm going to take my 30-plus years of experience and stay home this summer.'"
But at the National Interagency Fire Center, Rose Davis with the U.S. Forest Service's public affairs office disagrees with that. She says there's no data to back up the contention. "I don't have any evidence either way," she said. "There is no data that says this is happening and no crystal ball that says it will."
Ken Snell, a regional director of Fire & Aviation for the USFS, says the liability issues are already hindering safety investigations. "Threats of criminal prosecution are making employees less willing to participate in Safety Investigations and After-Action Reviews for fear of incrimination and prosecution," he said. "This is threatening our ability to maintain a learning environment." He recommends that employees consider legal or union representation when they're facing administrative discipline after a fire.
Snell explained that when a lawsuit is brought against an employee or the agency, employees are covered under the Federal Employees Liability Reform and Tort Compensation Act (the Westfall Act), which provides immunity for common negligence, i.e., a failure to exercise due care under the circumstances.
A number of posts have been made online, purportedly from firefighters stating that they'll not fight fire this summer, or that they've decided to quit or retire early, or that they'll take fire assignments but let their quals drop for supervisory positions. Though the posts are made anonymously, the situation is one of obvious concern for fire managers -- and should be a matter of concern for the public. The IAWF and FWFSA, for example, have said that the issue could result in fewer highly qualified firefighters taking leadership roles on fires, and could cause firefighters to take a more conservative and less aggressive approach to fighting wildfires.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? If you are a wildland firefighter, you can take this poll. It's totally unofficial and non-binding (and no margin of error is even estimated).
AUSSIE CONTROVERSY ON PAY
FOR IMPORTED RESOURCESJANUARY 27 -- SYDNEY, NSW, AU: Thousands of volunteer firefighters in Australia, who have for years fought bushfires as volunteers, are angry that firefighters from the U.S. are being paid $600 a day (in AU funds) to fight fires in Australia. That works out at US$38.75 per hour for a 12-hour shift.
The Times-Online reported that hundreds of professional city firefighters in Australia, who have not yet been called out to help to fight bushfires burning for more than eight weeks in Victoria, are apparently ticked off and then some.
The Australian reported that United Firefighters Union Chief Peter Marshall made headlines with a leaked memo revealing the pay rates for foreign firefighters working on Victoria's bushfires.
It's an issue that's been simmering for years in Australia: how to reward and retain bushfire-fighting volunteers. Declining membership among volunteer firefighters in Victoria's Country Fire Authority (CFA), for example, has become an issue; CFA annual reports indicate that it's lost nearly 3,000 volunteers -- about 5 percent of its force -- over the last five years. Other experts in bushfire say that the fireys are "deterred from volunteering because of the strain it puts on family budgets ... We need to strip away the myth that volunteers have to be selfless heroes acting out of a sense of virtue."
The Border Mail reported that firefighters brought in from out of the country are paid high rates, but the overworked volunteer crews are paying their own way.
United Firefighters Union state secretary Peter Marshall said he was �gobsmacked� to receive a leaked document showing the pay rates that government firefighting agencies were paying international crews to backfill local needs. Dozens of firefighters from the U.S., Canada and New Zealand have backed up the Victoria firefight recently.
GRAND JURY INDICTS DANIELSJANUARY 25 -- SPOKANE, WA: A federal grand jury today indicted Ellreese Daniels, the incident commander on the fatal Thirtymile Fire in 2001, a fire that killed four federal firefighters, on numerous federal charges. The fatal burnover fire has become a hot issue with fire managers and firefighters around the country.
The 11-count indictment, issued today, formally charges 46-year-old Ellreese Daniels with four counts of involuntary manslaughter and seven counts of lying to federal investigators. Daniels will be arraigned Tuesday, according to KNDO-TV, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cynthia Imbrogno. Daniels faces up to six years of prison for each manslaughter count, and five years each for the false statement charges.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?The poll regarding the Ellreese Daniels charges on the Thirtymile Fire is closed.
See results HERE.
PRECIP DROWNS BUSHFIRE THREAT -
AT LEAST FOR NOWJANUARY 20 -- MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AU: Heavy rainfall has given fire crews a temporary break with the bushfire crisis in Victoria, according to a report tonight from The Age, but three major bushfires are still burning -- the Great Divide Complex South in Gippsland, the Tatong Fire in the northeast, and the Hermit Mountain Fire near the border with New South Wales.
The Bureau of Meteorology said substantial rainfall was recorded in pockets across Victoria.
The northeast Alpine area received a good drenching, with nearly 2 inches of rain at Mt. Hotham, and an inch or more at both Falls Creek and Mt. Bulla.
Fire crews are expecting cooler conditions over the next few days, and several fires in the state have been contained. Meanwhile, the State Emergency Service (SES) crews have been busy with flooding responses across Victoria; a big dump of rain across much of the state has helped ease the bushfire threat -- but officials warn that it could be months before the bushfire crisis passes. A thewest.com.au report today said that the recent rains have made it more difficult to get vehicles into areas of steep terrain.
Stuart Ord with the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) said the recent rainfall -- and what's expected over the next couple days -- won't be enough to substantially reduce fire danger. "While the rain was welcome," he said, "it also meant there was little chance of further backburning operations. It really is a double-edged sword."
Victoria's emergency services commissioner Bruce Esplin said it will be months before the bushfire crisis is over. "Most of Victoria will be prone to fire," he said. "There's no part that's immune. Nobody can be complacent ... there is still a couple of months at least to go."
CANADIAN RAPPELLERS DOWN UNDERJANUARY 18 -- MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AU: Nine Canadian rappellers (or rapattack staff) will be helping out in Gippsland with fires there that have now burned over 2 million acres. They completed training drills last week at Point Cook RAAF airfield, according to a report by Star News; British Columbia rappel crew manager Mark Dahlie said they'll be in Victoria for about 40 days.
Nearly 200 firefighters from interstate and overseas, including the Canadians, are now working on Victoria�s fires. �This is the first time that we have deployed such a large number of our forest fire specialists outside North America,� said British Columbia's Forests and Range Minister Rich Coleman.
The majority of staff deployed are planning and operations specialists, including fire behavior analysts, supervisors, and incident commanders. A number of information officers were also requested by Australian officials. The costs of the deployment are being paid by Australia, under the terms of a cooperation agreement recently signed by B.C. and the Australian wildland firefighting agencies. B.C. has been sharing its knowledge and expertise with Australia for over 10 years as part of its global co-operation efforts.
Two heavy helicopters were also sent to Victoria this week from interstate -- an Erickson Aircrane from the Australian Capital Territory and a Kaman K-Max from New South Wales. The Herald-Sun reported that the Aircrane bombarded the town of Tolmie yesterday, helping ground crews contain numerous fire fronts when a wind-driven bushfire swept into the town about 4 p.m.
Crews fought the fire for over two hours, and managed to save the town and most outlying buildings. An unoccupied bungalow and several sheds were lost, and Karingal Park Secondary College's Camp Mahaikah was almost completely surrounded by flames.
ESPERANZA BILL PASSEDJANUARY 18 -- SACRAMENTO, CA: The California State Assembly has unanimously passed a bill to free up funds donated for the families of five firefighters killed in October on the Esperanza Fire. The California Fallen Firefighters Assistance Tax Clarification Act (H.R. 6429) passed by a vote of 76-0.
�These firefighters were true heroes, selflessly giving their lives to protect others, and we owe their families our gratitude, our prayers and our full support,� said Assemblyman John Benoit, who introduced the bill. "Their battalion is based in my district, and I am proud to be able to carry this important legislation.�
The Desert Sun reported that more than 5,000 people contributed more than $1 million for the families of the firefighters. The funds were planned for distribution to the families by the Central County United Way and the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, but the effort stalled when officials learned that it could violate state and federal tax regulations and threaten the agencies' nonprofit status.
The bill now moves to the state Senate, where Sen. Jim Battin of La Quinta has introduced a similar measure.
GIPPSLAND TOWNS UNDER EMBER ATTACKJANUARY 16 -- MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AU: Gusty winds and hot temperatures have pushed bushfires to threaten several small communities in southeast Victoria; the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) said the towns had come under ember attack, with reports of embers from the Boulder Creek Fire being carried by the wind to Lakes Entrance, more than 18 miles to the south.
Stuart Ord with the DSE said the winds had shifted from the northwest to the south; the fire had burned about 9,900 acres of forest and scrub, according to a news.com.au report, and traveled about 6 miles to within 4 miles of the township of Tambo Crossing.
"It really cranked up overnight, said Ord. "The strong northwesterly winds drove it, warm conditions and warm air."
The gusty winds caused erratic fire behavior, with embers landing well outside control lines. Researchers have found that some species of gum tree can send embers aloft more than 15 miles ahead of the main fire. Peter Ellis with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Canberra has studied the hazards of flying embers, particularly eucalypt bark firebrands. He employed a specially designed wind tunnel to study the behavior of pieces of burning bark from messmate stringybark (Eucalyptus obliqua). "This species, widely distributed through hilly country in southeastern Australia, has a reputation for extensive spotting up to five kilometres out," he said. "The manna gum (E. viminalis) can send sparks five times this distance."
Bushfires this season across Victoria's Gippsland and alpine regions have burned over 2.2 million acres. Reinforcements from British Columbia, including nine rappellers, arrived this week to help out for a month.
The Australian reported that Victoria's fire crisis spread interstate yesterday; authorities evacuated nearly 1,000 people from the Thredbo ski resort in alpine New South Wales when a fire burned to within range of the village. Victorian Premier Steve Bracks said the fires are the worst the state has seen, and are likely to become more severe in the next month or so. "It is the worst we have faced," he said, "but I think it's the best prepared we have been."
Crews yesterday were battling a new fire in Melbourne's water catchment area that had grown to 50 acres after a lightning strike, and a third skycrane helicopter was sent from South Australia to Victoria.
ENVIROS APPEAL FUELS DECISIONJANUARY 15 -- MISSOULA, MT: A court decision supporting a fuels reduction project in Montana is being appealed by two environmental groups; the WildWest Institute and Friends of the Bitterroot on Friday appealed to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, challenging U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy's decision to allow the Middle East Fork Hazardous Fuels Reduction project to move forward.
The MEF project plans include removal of trees and brush on about 5,000 acres in a 25,000-acre area in the southern Bitterroot Valley. Bitterroot National Forest officials say the project will reduce wildfire risk and help areas affected by an outbreak of Douglas-fir bark beetles.
The AP reported that WildWest and Friends of the Bitterroot claim the Forest Service violated federal law by committing resources to the project before a final decision was made on its status. They also say the agency censored scientific findings unfavorable to the project.
The appeal to the 9th Circuit Court challenges Molloy's rejection of those claims.
The Forest Service had previously classified part of the proposed project area as old-growth forest. That classification was removed in the wake of the beetle infestation when the agency determined that the timber no longer met the criteria for old-growth designation.
The two groups sued last April over the agency's proposal, and Molloy said he didn't think they had a �fair chance� of succeeding on the merits of the case. Because a wildfire in the area could block the only road into the area, Molloy said in June that he had to balance the risk to human life with the potential loss of recreational opportunities. According to Molloy, the risk of severe wildfire and its consequences constituted a measurable injury to both the community and the Forest Service.
The Missoulian reported in December that the 9th Circuit Court ruled that Molloy did not abuse his discretion in turning down the groups' request for an injunction on the project.
One of the issues under contention is the bug-killed timber and the old-growth designation. The environmental groups' attorney, Thomas Woodbury, says the USFS used a subjective technique to decide which trees were alive and which had been killed by bark beetles. He said the agency "guessed" which of the infected trees would survive, skewing the decision on which areas were considered old-growth habitat.
AUSSIE CREWS AWAIT WEATHER CHANGEJANUARY 14 -- MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AU: A cool change that's expected to move across western Victoria will provide little relief for firefighters battling bushfires in the state's east. John Lloyd, a Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) duty officer, said no precipitation is expected, and lightning is possible.
Victoria's got four major fires currently burning, with a total of about 2.5 million acres reported. Fire crews are racing to complete backburning operations ahead of predicted hot weather tomorrow, Lloyd said, and forecasts include temperatures nearing 100º and
winds of 16-19 mph.
A news.com.au report said crews were trying to finish an 18-mile backburn along the western and southern edges of a 39,000-acre fire near Benalla, in the state's northeast. Backburning is also under way around the Mount Buller Alpine Resort and the Thomson Dam, Melbourne's largest water supply.
Nearly 2.7 million acres have burned across Victoria this season, beginning with lightning storms early in December. Resources are stretched, and government agencies have requested assistance from the U.S. and Canada. The Daily Telegraph reported that fire authorities are hoping for at least 100 American firefighters to help. Kevin Monk with the DSE said the fire season is at its halfway mark, and fire crews are fighting fatigue. "We've already had twice the average number of fires we have in a season," he said.
Fires across Victoria have destroyed 33 homes, 62 outbuildings, 153 other buildings, 1200km of fencing, 1,600 acres of crops and vineyards, and about 1,000 head of livestock.
KIMBALL TAKES HELM OF FOREST SERVICEJANUARY 13 -- WASHINGTON, DC: Gail Kimbell, regional supervisor for the Northern Rockies area of the U.S. Forest Service, has been named to replace retiring USFS Chief Dale Bosworth, who announced his pending retirement yesterday. Kimbell will be the first woman to head the 101-year-old agency.
 She faces challenges including increasingly costly forest fires, an aging network of roads, buildings, and other infrastructure, and user conflicts on everything from hiking trails to logging projects. The Seattle Times reported that the agency is the focus of battles in the Northwest between environmentalists and timber and mining industries.
Bosworth will retire next month after 41 years with the Forest Service. His focus during his six-year tenure as chief was what he identified as the four main threats the agency faced: invasive species, fire-prone forests, pressures from outdoor recreation, and loss of open space.
Kimbell was a contributor to the "Healthy Forests Initiative" promoted by President Bush. As associate deputy chief for national forest systems, she helped craft the plan, which has been supported by those who favor fuels reduction and forest health improvement, and criticized by groups who insisted that it eliminated environmental oversight.
A New England native, Kimbell earned forestry degrees from universities in Vermont and Oregon, then began her career in 1974 in Oregon, where she held positions as ranger, forest engineer, and district planner. She supervised national forests in Alaska, Colorado, and Wyoming.
A Forest Service veteran who started out as a seasonal employee, she's well regarded by many environmentalists -- and by those in the timber industry. Chris West with the American Forest Resource Council said Kimbell's willing to listen to all sides of a debate. "She's well-prepared to be the first woman chief of the Forest Service," said West.
As the agency's 16th chief, Kimbell will oversee 155 national forests, about 30,000 employees, and a budget of nearly $5 billion.
PLASTICS AN ISSUE FOR OREGON SLASH BURNERSJANUARY 13 -- SALEM, OR: Oregon forestry officials and state environmental officials are reviewing how timber companies burn woody debris left over after logging on private lands, and plastic's become an issue.
In the past, crews piled stumps, branches, and treetops into slash piles and covered them with plastic tarps to keep them dry. Months later, when fire danger is low, they torch the slash piles. But the state Department of Environmental Quality started asking what happened with the plastic tarps.
Charlie Stone with the Oregon Department of Forestry told the Register-Guard that tens of thousands of plastic sheets are burned with the slash piles each year. But the DEQ says that violates state rules; burning plastic can put cancer-causing chemicals into the air. Oregon Administrative Rules ban burning plastics.
Why not just pull the tarps before torching the slash piles? ODF personnel say it's not that simple -- crews pile branches on top of the plastic to keep it in place until burn season comes around. The plastic becomes brittle in the sun and breaks down. And as Mike Dykzeul with the Oregon Forestry Industries Council points out, the alternatives aren't exactly environmentally sound. "Would you rather see them take it off and see it in a landfill somewhere?" he asks. "Those are your choices."
CRIMINAL CHARGES WORRY FIREFIGHTERSJANUARY 11 -- SPOKANE, WA: After criminal charges were filed against an incident commander late in December, wildland firefighters and other groups began voicing concerns that the government's decision to bring charges will result in less-qualified firefighters and fire managers on the lines during fire season.
Ellreese Daniels, charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter and with lying to investigators after the fire -- was the IC on the 2001 Thirtymile Fire, on which four firefighters were fatally burned.
Representatives of the International Association of Wildland Fire (IAWF) and the Federal Wildland Fire Service Association (FWFSA) oppose the government's decision to bring charges against Daniels. IAWF Past President Dick Mangan believes the charges will cause experienced fire managers to decide not to take on management positions.
"A lot of people will say, 'I'm going to take my 30-plus years of experience and stay home this summer,'" said Mangan.
Since the fatal fire, the families of the firefighters killed on the fire have pushed Congress to change the investigation process after a fatal fire. Public Law 107-203 requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture to open an independent investigation when a Forest Service employee is killed on a fire. The 2002 law has little or no support among the wildland firefighting community.
"Our biggest push right now is getting Congressional hearings on it to get an idea of what the exact intention for wildland firefighting was," said FWSA Business Manager Casey Judd.
A report by firehouse.com said this is the first time criminal charges have been filed against a crew boss, and Judd said the criminal charges have caused firefighters to decide against fire assignments.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?Vote in this poll about the Ellreese Daniels charges on the Thirtymile Fire. Totally unofficial and non-binding (and no margin of error even estimated), but interesting nonetheless.
ELLREESE DANIELS HIT WITH
DRUG AND ALCOHOL CHARGESJANUARY 09 -- MOSES LAKE, WA: The incident commander on the fatal Thirtymile Fire was cited Thursday with possession of marijuana and an open container in a vehicle -- just hours after his appearance in federal court in Spokane. State Trooper Richard Magnussen said Ellreese Daniels was a passenger in a car stopped on I-90 near Moses Lake. The car, driven by 41-year-old Marci Muth of Peshastin, was pulled over for failing to move to the left of a trooper making a traffic stop on another vehicle on the roadside.
Muth was arrested on DUI charges, according to KING5 News; marijuana was found on the floor of the right front passenger seat where Daniels was sitting, and two pipes were found in the glove box.
Daniels was cited and released. A federal prosecutor said it's unclear whether the drug and alcohol charges constitute violation of the conditions of Daniels' pretrial release; Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Rice said federal probation officers will review the allegation. Daniels is charged with manslaughter and lying to investigators in the wake of the fatal Thirtymile Fire in 2001 in north-central Washington.
INCIDENT COMMANDER CHARGED WITH MANSLAUGHTERDECEMBER 23 -- SPOKANE, WA: In what's probably the first case of its kind, federal prosecutors on Tuesday charged Forest Service employee Ellreese Daniels with manslaughter and lying to investigators in the wake of the fatal Thirtymile Fire in 2001 in north-central Washington.
Daniels, 46, was the incident commander on the fire on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, and the 11-count criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Spokane says Daniels was "grossly negligent" in supervising firefighters on the fire. Four of them died and several others were injured.
If convicted, Daniels could spend six years in prison, but Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Hopkins said that's unlikely because Daniels has no criminal record. According to a Seattle Times story, his attorney, Tina Hunt, said the charges are without merit.
The 70-page complaint was filed by John Parker, a special agent of the USDA Office of Inspector General. In it, Parker states that Daniels supervised firefighters under his command "in a manner that was grossly negligent ... in wanton and reckless disregard for human life." He charges that the circumstances of the fire should have caused Daniels to foresee that his conduct might place the lives of firefighters in danger, and that that was the proximate cause of their deaths.
In numerous other counts of the complaint, Parker states that Daniels knowingly and intentionally made false and fictitious statements and representations concerning his conduct while supervising firefighters on the fire.
After the fire, an OSHA investigation determined that Forest Service supervisors had violated all ten of the Standard Fire Orders and cited the Forest Service for several willful violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The Forest Service Safety & Accident Investigation Team concluded that the fatalities were preventable and that a combination of human errors and conditions in the Chewuch River canyon that day caused the loss of life. The agency said the primary errors were the failure to withdraw the crew from the canyon when initial attack failed, which resulted in their entrapment, and the failure to ensure that the crew properly deployed shelters on the best available site.
"The consensus of experts is that all four deceased firefighters would have survived if they deployed on the road near the other crew members," says the complaint.
After the investigations, the Forest Service proposed administrative discipline and removed Daniels from the fire program. He now works at a supply cache in East Wenatchee.
The case has been referred to a grand jury, which will meet next month to decide whether to issue an indictment against Daniels.
MONTANA RESIDENTS GRILL FIRE MANAGERSDECEMBER 22 -- COLUMBUS, MT: A packed crowd on Tuesday demanded answers about how agency personnel handled the 199,500-acre Derby Mountain Fire in August, which burned south of Big Timber. The fire was ignited by lightning on August 22 and wasn't contained till October 15.
Why was a private helicopter called off the fire, residents asked, and why were some homes protected and others seemingly written off? With severe red-flag conditions forecast, why were resources sitting idle elsewhere?
County, state and federal representatives answered some of those questions and provided insight into others, according to the Billings Gazette, at the meeting organized by local residents with the help of Rep. Denny Rehberg.
Steve Fry with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation explained that when the Derby Fire took off, there were 64 large fires burning in the nation -- seven of them in the Northern Rockies Region.
Local rancher Keith Martin asked about the use of a private helicopter that had been working in the area for a mine exploration company. The pilot told Martin that he had been dropping 100 gallons of water on the fire every four minutes when the Forest Service called him off.
The Forest Service, though, says the plane carrying smokejumpers to the fire was unable to communicate with the helicopter, and when the helicopter landed to refuel, the plane took off and the helcopter didn't return to the fire. "We never, ever intended to run that guy out," said Jeff Stockwell of the Custer National Forest. "We were only trying to establish communications with that private helicopter."
Fry said all aircraft and pilots must be evaluated before they fight fires. "We can't assume the responsibility for aircraft and pilots we aren't certain can meet the standards of performance," he said.
Fire contractor Dave Russell of Bozeman said carded helicopters aren't always easily available. He said it was five days before a helicopter was sent from Lewistown and questioned why it wasn't released earlier.
In response to questions about protection of homes, Mike Gagen, forest fire management officer for the Gallatin National Forest, said the agency is not prepared to fight structural fires, which are handled by local fire departments. Rich Cowger, Columbus fire chief, said the county's 50 engines were stretched among the 150 homes they were trying to protect.
Sweet Grass County Commissioner Phil Hathaway said forests should be logged to prevent wildfires. "We have to have local control of our forests, instead of environmental groups and activist judges in San Francisco," he said. "If we are going to continue to let fires do their thing, we must be ready to spend as much (as it takes) to keep fires from leaving the Forest Service boundaries."
NASA DATA HELPS PREDICT WILDFIRESDECEMBER 22 -- SANTA BARBARA, CA: Data from NASA satellites may help scientists to predict when and where wildfires occur; according to a UPI story released today, researchers at the University of California in Santa Barbara said the satellite data could improve current methods of calculating fire potential across the U.S.
Numerous programs already exist for using satellite data to track and map fires, smoke, and fire-related weather. NOAA's Operational Significant Event Imagery (OSEI), for example, tracks wildfires and smoke patterns around the world -- and their online images include recent bushfires in Australia and Indonesia.
NASA's Earth Observatory program also tracks fires around the world, and their site includes recent images of the Shekell Fire in southern California and December fires in Victoria.
In studying southern California shrublands prone to wildfires, scientists have found that NASA satellite data accurately detected and mapped two important factors: fuel moistures and fuel loading. Dar Roberts of UC Santa Barbara said improving the role of satellite data in wildfire prediction and monitoring is crucial because field sampling is limited by costs and frequency of site samplings.
BUSH SIGNS BILL RELEASING ESPERANZA DONATIONSDECEMBER 22 -- WASHINGTON, DC: The families of five firefighters killed on the Esperanza Fire in October won't have to pay taxes on the more than $1 million in donations they receive, and the local United Way chapter is off the hook for its previous liability potential.
President Bush yesterday signed a House bill put forth by several California legislators that provides an exemption to IRS tax laws that would have threatened the United Way chapter's tax-exempt status. Donations began pouring in shortly after the members of Engine 57 were burned over, and Riverside County Supervisors asked the local United Way chapter to handle the fund. But they found out when the fund reached a half million dollars that tax-exempt charitable organizations can't raise money for specific individuals -- in this case the families of the five firefighters. So the funds were held up.
Sponsored by Rep. Mary Bono and Sen. Barbara Boxer, along with Reps. Jerry Lewis and Ken Calvert, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the Fallen Firefighters Assistance Tax Clarification Act grants tax relief on the donations for the families of the Esperanza firefighters.
DC-10 SEEKING CUSTOMERSDECEMBER 19 -- VICTORVILLE, CA: Fire chiefs from Los Angeles County were in Victorville last Friday to watch demo drops by the tanked DC-10 owned by 10 Tanker Air Carrier, and they may consider a contract for the airtanker next year.
"I think we're going to try to get it on contract ourselves where the crew is here all the time," said Anthony Marrone, chief of air operations for L.A. County Fire -- referring to the delay in dispatching when the DC-10 was ordered for the Esperanza Fire, when pilots were not available in Victorville.
The Daily Press reported that the cost for contracting the tanker may run as high as $5 million. "Look at the Day Fire -- it cost $72 million," said Marrone.
Though the DC-10 has not yet been approved by the U.S. Forest Service for use on federal fires, it was on a call-when-needed (CWN) contract this season with CDF. But CDF officials say the agency can't afford a full-season contract. They're willing to issue another CWN contract next year, but Chief Mike Padilla says the cost to operate CDF's entire fleet of 23 S-2 airtankers is not much more than the estimated $5 million it would cost for a full season contract with the DC-10.
The DC-10, which carries 12,000 gallons, made 26 flights on 14 days this season,
according to a report by the Press-Enterprise.
LEGISLATION WOULD RELEASE FIREFIGHTER DONATIONSDECEMBER 15 -- RIVERSIDE, CA: Scrambling to organize a fund for families of the five firefighters killed on the Esperanza Fire in October, county officials and the Central County United Way in Hemet missed a small but important detail of the IRS tax laws.
Donations began pouring in shortly after the members of Engine 57 were burned over, and Riverside County Supervisors asked the local United Way chapter to handle the funds.
But as the L.A. Times reported, no one checked with a tax attorney. The United Way chapter found out when the fund reached a half million dollars that tax-exempt charitable organizations can't raise money for specific individuals -- in this case the families of the five firefighters. So the funds were held up, and now the United Way chapter risks losing its tax-exempt status if the funds are released.
The Wildland Firefighter Foundation in Boise, Idaho, which also received hundreds of thousands of dollars for the firefighters' families, didn't solicit any funds specifically for the families, and the Foundation has already released about $80,000 to them. Executive Director Vicki Minor said the money just poured in. "This is the largest amount we have had come in for a fire," she said. "We didn't solicit it, but it has come in earmarked for that, and I just want to make sure that this money gets right where it's supposed to go."
When California Senators and Representatives got wind of the snafu, they introduced corrective legislation -- S. 4112 in the Senate and H.R. 6429 in the House. These bills were drafted to treat the Esperanza fire victims in the same way as 9/11 victims -- Congress passed a special law exempting the families of the September 11 terrorist attacks from most of those IRS regulations. Last week, H.R. 6429 passed both the House and the Senate by unanimous consent before adjournment. Final passage in the Senate was at 4:30 a.m. Saturday, December 09.
The Fallen Firefighters Assistance Tax Clarification Act specifies:
For purposes of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, payments made on behalf of any firefighter who died as the result of the October 2006 Esperanza Incident fire in southern California to any family member of such firefighter by an organization described in paragraph (1) or (2) of section 509(a) of such Code shall be treated as related to the purpose or function constituting the basis for such organization's exemption under section 501 of such Code if such payments are made in good faith using a reasonable and objective formula which is consistently applied.
The bill also limits the exemption to payments that are made prior to June 1, 2007.
Senators and Representatives from California yesterday sent a letter to President Bush urging him to move quickly in signing the bill into law. Firefighters and families across the country, spurred into action by the hosts of the TheySaid firefighter website, have mounted a campaign to email [email protected] asking the President to sign the bill.
Introduced by Rep. Mary Bono, the bill is in the House Clerk's office. It's expected to be released to the President's desk sometime this week, and Bush then has ten days to sign the bill.
OYLER'S LAWYER SAYS PROSECUTORS
HAVE NO DNA MATCHDECEMBER 15 -- RIVERSIDE, CA: No preliminary hearing date was set today for Raymond Oyler, the 36-year-old Beaumont man charged with murder and arson in connection with the Esperanza Fire that killed five firefighters.
Mark McDonald, Oyler's defense attorney, said there was no collectible DNA from the suspected starting device on the Esperanza Fire. He said he was increasingly confident in his case. "The tragedy cannot be overstated. The thing is, they have the wrong guy."
The Press-Enterprise reported that Oyler's preliminary hearing will not be held until at least January 26, to allow for more discovery.
McDonald said he is conducting polls for a possible change of venue request, because he is wary of the "sympathetic attachment" Riverside County jurors may have.
The AP reported that court documents indicated that investigators found Oyler's DNA on incendiary devices left at arson fires started in June. But McDonald said he's reviewed 1,500 pages of discovery from prosecutors, including a lab report on the incendiary device found at the ignition point of the Esperanza Fire. He said that report indicated no DNA was found on the device.
Oyler was charged November 2 with five counts of first-degree murder, 11 counts of arson, and 10 counts of use of an incendiary device.
VIRGINIA FIRE LIKELY ARSONDECEMBER 15 -- BIG ISLAND, VA: A fire that burned nearly 3,000 acres on the George Washington National Forest was purposely set, investigators concluded yesterday.
"We are investigating the fire as a criminal act," said Woody Lipps, a law enforcement officer with the U.S. Forest Service. He said an investigation determined that no natural events nor campfires were to blame.
The Peavine Complex was contained yesterday at 2,871 acres. It started last Sunday and burned through hardwood litter and pine and laurel patches. Extremely steep and rocky topography challenged crews, who fought the fire in unseasonably warm weather with low humidities.
The AP reported that the fire began as ten small fires in the Peavine Mountain area of Amherst County. The fires threatened the Blue Ridge Parkway, a gas line, and private and federal timberlands.
GUILTY PLEA IN MONTANA FIRESDECEMBER 14 -- MISSOULA, MT: Jonah Micah Warr, who was arrested in September in connection with a number of fires in western Montana, pleaded guilty yesterday to nine counts of arson.
 The 19-year-old Warr appeared with his attorney in U.S. District Court in Missoula, where he could receive penalties of 45 years in a federal penitentiary, a fine of $2.25 million, and three years of supervised release.
"I find there exists clear and convincing evidence the defendant presents a serious danger to the community," wrote Judge Jeremiah Lynch.
The Missoulian reported that Warr has been in custody since September. He was seen in a car along U.S. Highway 12 shortly after a fire started nearby, and a resident reported the sighting.
Investigators matched the car's tire tread to tracks at the site of another fire.
Warr had a criminal history including arson and became the prime suspect for investigators. He admitted setting at least 19 fires in the Bitterroot Valley, along Lolo Creek, and in the Blue Mountain Recreation Area, including the Gash Creek Fire southwest of Victor, which burned 8,250 acres in August and ran up $8 million in suppression costs.
SANTA ANA FIRE Wx
MEANS PRE-POSITIONINGDECEMBER 11 -- RIVERSIDE, CA: When the Shekell Fire near Moorpark, California, took off last week, CDF Fire Capt. Mike Mathiesen and his 17-person strike team showed up in less than 30 minutes. Pretty impressive, considering the crew is based 250 miles away in northern California.
Mathiesen's team was dispatched in advance of the fire when state officials were warned that major Santa Ana winds would hit the region. Such early deployments are an essential tool, according to an AP report in the San Bernardino Sun, and recent advancements in high-tech weather-mapping have made the fire behavior forecasts more detailed and accurate.
"A lot of times, we can catch fires early," Mathiesen said.
Crews couldn't catch the Shekell Fire, but the early deployments helped.
"It is impossible to quantify what would have happened should they not have been here," said Chief Candace Gregory, who oversees the state's southern region.
There are two Geographic Area Coordination Centers (GACCs) in California. Referred to as North Ops and South Ops, they're located in Redding and Riverside; staffing at both centers includes fire behavior specialists who monitor and map weather conditions and predict fire weather. Using records and data including past fire behavior, relative humidity, precipitation, and fuel moistures, the forecast offices issue products including fire weather outlooks, reports on the potential for large fires, spot forecasts, and smoke dispersion forecasts.
"It's a fantastic piece of mathematics that takes an incredible amount of computer power," said CDF Fire Capt. Tim Chavez, a 22-year veteran trained in fire behavior.
He said data were indicating major Santa Ana winds throughout southern California the week before the Shekell Fire started. Five days before the Shekell Fire, resources from northern California were mobilized. Six state inmate strike teams, about 480 firefighters, were moved to a staging area in Riverside County along with three engine strike teams. Four airtankers and two helicopters were activated and sent to Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties.
For more information, check the fire weather websites for North Ops and South Ops.
FOR YOU FIRE PILOT FANS:DECEMBER 10 -- SAN BERNARDINO, CA: New wonderful website alert:
 firepirates.com
This FIRE PIRATE used to have a website online with dozens of wonderful aerial firefighting photos. Then he quit it. Someone finally shamed him into putting it back online. Check the photo section; pushing 400 photos on there now.
'Bout danged time, too.
WESTSIDE 80% CONTAINEDDECEMBER 09 -- LEBEC, CA: Crews reported 80 percent containment this morning on the Westside Fire burning near the freeway pass known as the Grapevine.
Kern County Fire Captain Chuck Dickson told KESQ yesterday that firefighters made good progress on the fire despite winds gusting to 30 mph that pushed the fire across 2,500 acres.
The fire was at 4,025 acres this morning. It started Thursday evening and is burning west of I-5 about 4 miles west of Lebec. The fire was human-caused.
About 450 firefighters are assigned, and full containment is expected this evening.
SHEKELL 80% CONTAINEDDECEMBER 05 -- MOORPARK, CA: The Shekell Fire in Ventura County is 80 percent contained at 13,600 acres this morning, with just five homes and two commercial properties destroyed. Another five homes and six other buildings were damaged.
The fireline along the western perimeter is holding, but fire managers say the potential still exists for spotting across the line. Pungent smoke caused by smoldering commercial mulch piles is a problem in the Highway 118 corridor, and about 500 acres of thick mulch is still burning.
The fire's threatened agricultural areas, oil production sites, high-tension powerlines, a high-pressure natural gas line, and archaeological sites.
Winds were light this morning, with temperatures in the high 50s and RH of about 3 percent. Red Flag Warning conditions are expected to continue until this evening. All road closures and evacuation orders were lifted last night, and the evacuation centers were closed. Firefighters said significant progress was made through the night with line improvement and mop-up.
More than 1,700 firefighters have worked the fire, and demobilization begins today.
SHEKELL FIRE PUSHES 10,000 ACRESDECEMBER 04 -- MOORPARK, CA: Fire managers said this morning that they're hoping to contain the Shekell Fire by tomorrow night. The fire was at 9,686 acres early this morning, with zero containment.
Five homes were confirmed destroyed, with numerous outbuildings and three homes damaged.
Crews have been fighting high winds, and northeast winds of 20 to 30 mph are predicted for today, with gusts to 50 mph or more.
The L.A. Times reported that recommended evacuations cover about 200 homes, while the precautionary level includes 125 homes. Most of the homes are in the areas of Happy Canyon, Grimes Canyon, Walnut Canyon, and the northern border of the city of Moorpark. The city of 36,000 is about 50 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, and has grown rapidly since it was incorporated in 1983.
Numerous road closures are expected today. The Ventura County Fire Protection District and CDF have established a unified command.
SANTA ANAS PUSH VENTURA COUNTY FIREDECEMBER 03 -- MOORPARK, CA: A fire threatening hundreds of homes has burned about 1,500 acres in the canyons and hillsides in the northwest section of Moorpark. The Shekell Fire is threatening 3,000 homes and has damaged or destroyed numerous others.
Firefighters reported that high winds and loss of aircraft are making control difficult. Extreme fire behavior was reported, with spotting a half mile ahead and flamelengths of 50-75 feet. Several outbuildings have been lost and an unknown number of structures have been damaged or lost.
The AP reported that the fire started about 2:30 a.m. and burned through heavy brush, eucalyptus groves, and orchards. Voluntary evacuations are in effect. Winds reaching 70 mph are predicted through evening.
A CDF engine tipped over during initial attack, but the three firefighters on board were not injured.
Another fire started nearby about 7 a.m. and both have been included in the same incident response.
CDF FIREFIGHTER'S TRIAL SCHEDULEDDECEMBER 02 -- BANNING, CA: A firefighter charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter after one of his partners was killed in a wreck will stand trial beginning February 7 in Banning. Michael Lawrence Arizaga, 47, of Hemet, is charged in the August 2005 death of firefighter Chris Kanton.
The Press-Enterprise reported that Moreno Valley Engine 58 was responding to a storm-related call in Beaumont when the truck hydroplaned off an embankment into a grove of trees near the Interstate 10 and Highway 60 interchange. Arizaga, the engine operator, was charged almost a year after the accident when the California Highway Patrol's Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team completed its investigation and sent its findings to the Riverside County District Attorney.
Kanton, 23, was killed in the accident when he was ejected from the engine. He was not wearing a seatbelt. Findings that led to Arizaga's being charged included the fact that the engine brake was not turned off while driving in wet and rainy conditions, and because Arizaga as engine operator should have required that Kanton wear a seatbelt.
Officials say it's probably the first time a firefighter has been charged with manslaughter after an on-the-job accident in the 101-year history of the California Department of Forestry.
A CDF firefighters union attorney will represent Arizaga because he was on duty at the time.
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