2011 Fire Season

[Ron Scott]

National Fire News

According to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), the week of April 11, seven new large fires were reported: three in Texas, two in Oklahoma, and one each in Florida and Colorado.

For the latest wildland fire statistics, visit the NIFC website.

The E-Forester

[Texas Ranger]

Over 500,000 acres in Texas, and growing daily.  Hope to see some of the other states boys here pretty quick. It is getting out of hand.  First fire fighting fatality was a volunteer killed in a wreck on the line.  Homes and lives destroyed on a wholesale basis. 

[sawguy21]

We have had at least one fire here. The snow line is higher than I thought.

[PAFaller]

Us PA guys are waiting on go!!! I just did my pack test and refresher last weekend. Didn't put up a hotshot time but got it done with 6 minutes to spare so I was happy with that. Had to turn down a trip last year because it conflicted with being the best man in my friends wedding, not much I could do about that. Hoping to get out west on assignment this year. We are in a monsoon pattern here, doubtful there will be much of a spring fire season here this year.

[Texas Ranger]

Fire fighters from 28 states here now, gonna be a long summer.

[Ron Scott]

We're usually in a high fire season at this time of year and our firefighters are on deck for the usual high fire danger situation here, but we're getting a snow storm right now. Had one swamp fire along the Little Manistee river this past weekend on the Huron-Manistee. N.F.

Is Texas burning any timber land fuels?

[Texas Ranger]

All but two counties in Texas have fires, we have had 2 in the thousand acre class around us, one in the county south, one in the county north of us.  All timber land, one in the south is cut over replant.

The west Texas stuff is high plains, grass land and brush, but the homes destroyed are over the place.  So far, only one fire fighter fatality, hit by a piece of equipment in a brown out.

[woodtroll]

Wyoming snow is still at 120% for the state. NW part is still getting snow every day.
We will be ready to go where ever whenever...
After we get done with the sand bags.

[woodtroll]

All comments about snow aside.
Lets keep these firefighters in our thoughts and prayers.

http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Injured-Volunteer-Rescues-Fellow-Firefighter-120140164.html

And if you are on these fires keep your head up, and eyes peeled. Be safe.

[Texas Ranger]

·         Yesterday (Tuesday, April 19), Texas Forest Service responded to 10 new fires burning 2,184 acres.

·         Since Jan. 1, TFS has responded to 810 fires that have burned 1.4 million acres. More than 5,570 structures have been saved; 370 structures have been lost this year. 

·         The McPherson Fire in Sutton County has been contained at 2,300 acres.

·         The state now has four Incident Management Teams engaged in managing wildfire response; the Lone Star State IMT (Merkel), the Southern Area Blue Team (Midland), the Southern Area Red Team (Mineral Wells) and the Florida Red Team (Lufkin).

·         TFS has every heavy airtanker that is available nationally committed to Texas wildfires.

·         202 of the 254 Texas counties are reporting burn bans.

 

New large fires from Wednesday:

MOSSY ROCK RANCH, Stephens County. 800 acres, 30 percent contained. Located 8.5 miles southwest of Caddo.

SOUTHWEST ROYALTY FIRE, Garza County. 2,000 acres, 40 percent contained. 10 homes are threatened. Heavy airtankers and single-engine airtankers assisted on this fire. This fire is 5 miles east of Wilson.

 

Uncontained fires from previous days:

PK COMPLEX, Stephens and Palo Pinto Counties. 147,065 acres total. PK West Fire is 89,715 acres, unknown containment. PK East Fire is 10,996 acres, 35 percent contained. Hohertz Fire is 40,575 acres, unknown containment. Jackson Ranch Fire is 6,687 acres, 50 percent contained. These fires are burning near Possum Kingdom Lake, Caddo, Strawn, and Bunger which all have had evacuations. 600-plus homes are threatened.

PK subdivisions: Sportsman World 56 homes destroyed, Gaines Bend 37 homes destroyed, Hog Bend 24 homes destroyed; additional assessments of Hell’s Gate, Peninsula and Cliff area continue. TFS task forces and Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) strike teams are actively fighting these fires. National Guard Blackhawk helicopters from Austin are assisting and heavy airtankers.

WILDCAT, Coke County.  150,000 acres, 30 percent contained. This fire is burning north of San Angelo. More than 400 homes have been saved.  The communities of Grape Creek, Quail Valley, Bronte, Robert Lee, Tennyson and Orient are threatened. Evacuations have been in effect for multiple communities. The C-130s w/ MAFFS, heavy airtankers and helicopters have continued to assist, and yesterday the DC-10 Super Tanker made five drops.

COOPER MOUNTAIN RANCH, Kent, Stonewall, Scurry and Fisher counties. 162,625 acres, 85 percent contained.  Four homes have been destroyed.  TFS task forces and TIFMAS strike teams have been actively fighting this fire.

ROCKHOUSE, Presidio and Jeff Davis counties.  191,066 acres, 75 percent contained.  23 homes and two businesses were destroyed in the Ft. Davis area. Burnout operations continued on the west side of the fire.  Ten 20-person hand crews continue to work the fire.  Eight TIFMAS Type 1 engines and four water haulers are assisting with the fire, as well as numerous airtankers and helicopters.  A base camp for hundreds of firefighters has been set up at the Fort Davis State Park.

SWENSON, Stonewall, King, and Knox counties.  122,500 acres, 90 percent contained.  The fire is burning near Swenson. A large slopover occurred yesterday on the southeast side of the fire. 

BRYSON COMPLEX, Jack County.  7,500 acres, 60 percent contained.  More than 150 homes were threatened and saved in the town of Bryson.  70 people have been evacuated. The complex is made up of the 5,300-acre 1191/Rockcreek Fire and the 2,200-acre Shanafelt Fire.

PIPELINE, Tyler County.  7,000 acres, 75 percent contained.  Forty homes are threatened on the fire burning in pine plantation 10 miles northeast of Kountze.  Two National Guard Blackhawks from San Antonio are assisting.

CR 4600 (Woodville 285), Tyler Co. 130 acres, 25 percent contained. Ground resources and helicopters responded.

SMITH, Young County.  2,000 acres, 85 percent contained.  The fire is burning 6 miles northeast of Graham. No other information was received.

CR 104, Eastland County.  2,000 acres, 85 percent contained.  The fire is burning two miles north of Cisco.  1,850 homes were threatened in the city of Cisco, as well as a church camp. Five homes and one vehicle destroyed.

WICHITA COUNTY COMPLEX, Wichita County.  11,785 acres, 90 percent contained.  The complex is made up of three fires – Iowa West, Holiday, Missile – burning around Wichita Falls.  Shepard Air Force Base was threatened, as were hundreds of homes and apartment complexes around the area.  Seven homes are destroyed. 

FRYING PAN RANCH, Andrews County.  80,907 acres, 80 percent contained. This fire is located 25 miles WNW of Andrews.  Numerous homes were threatened, but none have been lost. One excavator and one vehicle lost.

CANNON FIRE COMPLEX, Pecos County.  The complex of three fires is burning 50 miles east of Fort Stockton.  The Cannon Fire is 9,248 acres and 80 percent contained.  The DRH Fire is 26,284 acres and 80 percent contained. The Little Smokey Fire is 27,895 acres and 80 percent contained.

EAST SIDWYNICKS, Eastland County. 3,000 acres, 95 percent contained.  The fire is burning near Carbon City.  1,200 homes were threatened.   

SUTTON, Crockett County.  31,120 acres, 60 percent contained.  The fire is burning 20 miles southwest of Ozona. 

YATES FIELD (formerly Iraan), Pecos County.  300 acres, 80 percent contained.  The fire is burning 10 miles southwest of Iraan.

ENCINO, Tom Green County.  12,659 acres, 90 percent contained.  This fire is 13 miles west of San Angelo.  Ten homes threatened and saved. Two homes were threatened and received damaged.

HICKMAN, Midland County.  16,500 acres, 98 percent contained.  34 homes were destroyed, 62 homes were damaged on this fire south of Midland.

MIDDLE PEASE, Motley County. 400 acres, 90 percent contained. Single-engine air tankers responded. Located two miles northwest of Matador.

DAD’S CORNER, Archer County. 6,100 acres, 70 percent contained. Located 15 miles south southwest of Wichita Falls. Fifteen homes are threatened.

 

[Ron Scott]

Not good!

[woodtroll]

The burned fire fighter passed away.
Our sympathies and prayers are with the family and the other fire fighters.
Take your refreshers seriously this year, seriously.
 Fight safely.

[Texas Ranger]

A little rain, higher humidity, lower temperatures, higher fine fuel moisture in west Texas have really helped the efforts.

Woodtroll, we haven't lost a fire fighter in a while, this year is the worse in over 75 years, our losses are not over, but hopefully, the fatalities are, with help now from over 30 state and federal agencies.

[woodtroll]

Texas Ranger, I hope this is a false story.
http://www.firefighterclosecalls.com/news/fullstory/newsid/134741

Do you all typically get spring rains? Is this what your summer is looking like?

[Texas Ranger]

Woodtroll, true, we now have two fatalities, one burns and one hit by equipment.  But the whole thing is slowing down a bit.

[Texas Ranger]

Fires a little better in Texas, winds are still running high, one fire next county over was 2000 acres last week, 7000 as of today.  Not contained.  Remote plantations and cut over areas.

Rain, we need rain.

[timerover51]

Texas Ranger,  looks like you got some rain tonight by you?  Will that help much?

[Ron Scott]

National Fire News

According to the National Interagency Fire Center, as of June 15, nine states-Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas-are reporting large fires and 1,206,589 acres have been burned by active fires.

For the latest national fire information, visit the NIFC website.

To read news articles about some of the nation's recent fires, see the following:

Arizona

Arizona Wallow Fire Largest in State History
Washington Post (June 14)

Colorado

Fire Crews Battling Wind, Wildfire in Southern Colorado
Denver Post (June 15)

Florida/Georgia

West Miami-Dade Wildfire 85 Percent Contained
United Press International (June 13)

Four Fires Burning in Big Cypress National Preserve
WINK.com (June 15)

Wildfires Destroy Home, Close Roads in South GA
Miami Herald (June 15)

New Mexico

Wildfire near Raton Burns at Least 1,500 Acres
Sante Fe New Mexican.com (June 13)

[Magicman]

We don't have any major fires, but are under a local burn band.  We are experiencing a 9" water shortage for the year.

[Ron Scott]

From CNN this morning, in part-----Firefighters across the southwestern United States on Sunday could face some of the worst weather conditions of the season for battling blazes currently raging across the region. The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for most of Arizona, all of New Mexico, much of north Texas and portions of Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas and Utah for Sunday. A red flag warning means weather conditions -- mainly high heat, low humidity and strong winds -- pose an extreme fire risk.

"The winds certainly will be very gusty and strong," said Ken Daniel, NWS meteorologist in Flagstaff, Arizona. "Any new fire starts would have the potential to have explosive growth."

The forecast calls for winds of 30 mph or more in some areas, with gusts of up to 50 mph, Daniel said.  There are currently dozens of active wildfires burning in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

"The conditions that we're dealing with here are as bad as we can get," said Tom Tidwell, head of the U.S. Forest Service, of the combination of high temperatures, low humidity, ample "fuel" and strong winds. "It just can't get any worse."