10,000 acre Nevada wildfire started as a prescribed burn

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

North Schell fire 15 percent contained

The North Schell Fire perimter map, courtesy U.S. Forest Service.

The North Schell Fire in Nevada. Photo courtesy BLM.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — One of the biggest new wildfires burning in the West started as a prescribed burn that escaped control during one of the driest seasons on record in the Great Basin.

The North Schell Fire in Nevada has burned across more than 10,000 acres and is estimated at 15 percent containment. It’s burning in the North Schell Range, not far from Ely, in eastern Nevada.

Fuels include white fir, mountain mahogany, piñon-pine, juniper, and sagebrush. The fire is making occasional runs, along with spotting and torching in extremely difficult terrain. More than 200 firefighters are on scene with more resources arriving.

Fire officials said there is extreme potential for the fire to grow, with temperatures in the high 70s and 80s and relative humidity in the single digits.

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Statewide fire ban enacted in Colorado

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Open fires, private fireworks now prohibited

Firefighters at the High Park Fire in Larimer County work to protect structures. PHOTO COURTESY INCIWEB.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY —Although the two biggest wildfires currently burning in Colorado were both started by lightning, state officials want to reduce the chance of human-caused blazes by implementing a statewide ban on open fires and the private use of fireworks.

A bone-dry late winter and spring, along with well-above average temperatures several months in a row, have created dangerous fire conditions throughout much of the state. Any small fires could quickly grow out of control.

By most measures, at least three-quarters of all wildfires are started by human activities, including carelessness, escaped agricultural fires, forestry operations, sparks from off-road vehicles and even discarded cigarettes. Those statistics hold true in most other countries, as well.

In Summit County, the two most recent significant wildfires were caused by downed powerlines, including the Montezuma Fire in March, and the June 2011 fire at the mouth of Keystone Gulch. (more…)

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Colorado to revamp wildfire response

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

The Lower North Fork Fire burning March 26 in Jefferson County. PHOTO COURTESY JEFFERSON COUNTY SHERIFF.

Gov. Hickenlooper proposes reshuffling agencies to unify command structure

By Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY —Scrambling to beef up the state’s response capability at the start of what could be a long, hot fire season, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said Monday he’ll ask the State Legislature to shake up the agencies charged with responding to public safety emergencies.

Based on the recommendations of a review panel, Hickenlooper said he’ll propose legislation that would put the Division of Emergency Management and wildfire resources at the Colorado State Forest Service under the authority of the Colorado Department of Public Safety. (more…)

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Colorado: Sen. Udall says Forest Service may not have enough air tankers to fight large or multiple wildfires

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

A P3 air tanker drops flame retardant on the Las Conchas fire in New Mexico, July 2011. PHOTO COURTESY USFS/KARI GREER.

Forest Service acknowledges need to upgrade air tanker fleet

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — The potential for a long and dangerous fire season this week prompted Sen. Mark Udall (D—Colo.) to express concerns about the U.S. Forest Service’s capability to fight fires from the air.

In a letter to Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell, Udall said he’s not sure the agency’s air tanker fleet is is capable of keeping Coloradans safe in a timely and effective manner. He stressed the importance of having a reliable fleet to adequately address wildfire threats across the state and country.

“Though air tankers are only one part of the wildfire-response effort, they play a critical role in the initial attack. With an aging fleet that has dwindled from 44 air tankers in 2002 to 11 this year, and will continue to decline in the years to come, I am unconvinced the USFS’s current air tanker fleet is prepared to adequately address an immense wildfire or even what is sure to be a long fire season,” Udall wrote.  ”Again, I appreciate the attention USFS has already paid to this critical issue, but it is essential that the USFS be prepared today for a fire season that is already looming large in Colorado.” (more…)

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Air tankers arrive to battle Colorado wildfire

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Latest update: Air Force C-130s arrive to battle June 2012 wildfires in Colorado

June 24 Update on new firefighting resources

June 24 Update on Waldo Canyon Fire

Lower North Fork Fire uncontained at 4,500 acres

The Lower North Fork Fire now has a 4.500-acre footprint in Colorado’s Jefferson County.

Lower North Fork Fire. PHOTO COURTESY JEFFCO SHERIFF.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — The Lower North Fork Fire has grown to 4,500 acres and claimed a second life, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff, which is posting its latest updates on an emergency blog and via Twitter.

At about 1:25 p.m. a pre-evacuation order was issued to about 6,500 homes based on a spot fire about 1 mile northwest of Waterton Canyon.

The sheriff’s office confirmed the second fatality at 11:15 a.m. and also said that 16 structures have burned. As of 9:20 a.m. containment was still reported as zero, but officials said they’ve fire fighting strategy has changed from point protection to active fire suppression.

More real-time fire information is streaming via Twitter at the #LowerNorthForkFire hashtag, though the JeffCo sheriff is urging people to be cautious when retweeting posts from unofficial sources.

The fire is burning in grass, shrubs and downed pine needles, along with standing ponderosa pine forest. Heavy tree canopies combined with high temperatures and a lack of humidity are all contributing to the volatile conditions.

Hot Shot fire crews are on the way from Utah, Arizona and South Dakota and air support is also being mustered, with two National Guard helicopters en route from Buckley Air Force Base to do water drops.

As of 12 p.m., a Single Engine Air Tanker (SEAT) and a heavy P2V airplane started dropping fire retardant over the Lower North Fork Fire Zone.

A specialized incident management team from the Great Basin Area of Montana is expected to arrive this evening to assist in the management of the incident, according to the JeffCo Sheriff.

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Researchers say frequency and size of fires in Mediterranean region linked to changing population patterns and land uses

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

A brushfire burning near Athens in 2009. PHOTO VIA LFL

Forest fuels change as people move from the countryside to cities

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — An increase forest fires in the Mediterranean region has been linked with shifting demographics and changes in land use, according to scientists with the  Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.

The study, recently published in the journal Climatic Change, constructed a complete database of historical fires in the province of Valencia in order to relate them to the evolution of the climate and societal and territorial transformations in the region. The research that was carried out provides the most complete series of data on the evolution of fires in the Mediterranean basin to date.

The data showed that fires grew more frequent and larger during the 1970s. The change is linked to a population exodus from rural areas and changes in land use during that era. (more…)

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Texas timber industry takes a $97 million hit from wildfires

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

An engine at the Nolan County Complex sprays water on mesquite pile earlier this summer. PHOTO COURTESY STEVE PAES. Click on the image to see more photos from the Texas wildfires at the Inciweb Gallery.

175 million cubic feet of timber up in smoke

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Along with causing several deaths and burning thousands of homes, the latest round of wildfires in east Texas has destroyed almost $100 million worth of timber, resulting in economic costs far beyond the immediate cost of fighting fires and the value of the destroyed homes, the Texas Forest Service reported this week.

“Along with the heavy toll on people and property, these fires have significantly damaged the forestland — and the forest sector as a whole — in East Texas,” said Chris Edgar, a forest resource analyst with Texas Forest Service. “It’s a tremendous loss for the East Texas timber industry.”

In 2007, forest industries funneled $427 million into the economy in Cass and Marion counties while employing 1,330 people with a payroll of $72 million. More information on the Texas wildfires is online at Inciweb. (more…)

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Bastrop Fire in Texas now 30 percent contained

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Texas fires claimed more than 1,000 homes in past three days

Bastrop Fire map, Texas wildfires

The Bastrop fire complex near Austin, Texas is now 30 percent contained.

SUMMIT COUNTY — The 33,000-acre Bastrop Fire, one of the most destructive of the recent Texas wildfires, is now 30 percent contained, according to the Texas Forest Service, but the fire is still threatening a powerplant, as well as historic cabins in Bastrop State Park.

The western flank of the fire is still a threat to eastern edge of Bastrop, where 5,000 residents have been evacuated. The Bastrop Fire burned 785 homes during Labor Day weekend, according to the Sept. 7 update from the Texas Forest Service. The agency also said that 238 homes were burned by other fires in the past three days. (more…)

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Colorado Gov. Hickenlooper warns of Labor Day fire danger

Posted on September 2, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Late July and August temps were well above-normal across large parts of Colorado.

Northwest Colorado, Front Range at risk from late-summer wildfires

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Record-high August temperatures and below-normal precipitation across much of Colorado have prompted  Gov. John Hickenlooper and State Forester Jeff Jahnke to urge the public to take extra precautions to prevent wildfires over the upcoming Labor Day weekend.

“Coloradans and visitors to our state should be concerned with fire danger right now and take extra steps to prevent human-caused wildfires,” Hickenlooper said, citing drying fuels and potential windy conditions over parts of Colorado for the next several days as warming signs.

Northwest Colorado is under the highest threat for large fire risk, especially over the next few days. National Predictive Services expects the risk for large fires to be highest on the Western Slope over the weekend, particularly today through Saturday. (more…)

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Researchers study role of wildfires in climate change

Posted on July 9, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Feedback loop could intensify impacts to carbon cycle

Massive fires have burned across more than 3 million acres in Texas. PHOTO COURTESY TEXAS FOREST SERVICE. Click on the image for a gallery of photos from this year's wildfires.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Scientists speaking at an international symposium in Australia this week said wildfires are likely play an increasingly important role in climate change, but that more study is needed to determine exactly what those effects will be.

Fires are one of nature’s primary carbon-cycling mechanisms, said Dr. Melita Keywood, a researcher with Australia’s national research agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.

A press release from CSIRO highlighted some of the questions Keywood raised in a recent presentation at a gathering of geophysicists. (more…)

Filed under: climate and weather, Environment, forest fires, Forest health, forests, global warming, world news | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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