InciNotes

Balloons Over Boise Fires, It's Not UFOs. More Arson Fires In CA. A Small Lull, But Fire Weather Moving In.
Also, how to get hired on a Hotshot Crew.

Balloons Over Boise Fires, It's Not UFOs. More Arson Fires In CA. A Small Lull, But Fire Weather Moving In. Also, how to get hired on a Hotshot Crew.

Parts of Oregon and Washington

RED FLAG WARNING - WASHINGTON STATE: a Red Flag Warning has been issued for areas of Washington State including the Kittitas Valley and lower Columbia Basin for strong to severe thunderstorms with abundant lightning and gusty winds to 50 mph. Details below:
A potent weather system will bring a myriad of impacts to the forecast area today. For the Cascade Mountains and east slopes, strong to severe thunderstorms will trek across primarily the spine of the Cascades starting in the afternoon down around
central Oregon, advancing northward into the Washington Cascades
by the evening. While storms along the Cascades are expected to be accompanied by a significant wetting rain, isolated to scattered storms extending into the east slopes and portions of the Columbia
Basin will be much drier, leading to critical fire weather
conditions due to abundant lightning with a lack of wetting rain.

For southeastern Oregon, this same weather system will usher in hot and dry desert air, leading to breezy winds combined with low RHs and locally unstable conditions. Showers and storms are not
anticipated to track as far east as southeastern Oregon.

Users should note that OR641 and WA691 are under partial Red Flag Warnings. The Warned zones include only the western half of each zone, and not the entirety of the zone.

The National Weather Service in Pendleton has issued a Red Flag Warning for abundant lightning, which is in effect from 8 PM this evening to 5 AM PDT Sunday. The Fire Weather Watch is no longer
in effect.

* AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zone 690 Kittitas Valley.

* IMPACTS...Thunderstorms will be capable of producing frequent cloud-to-ground lightning and erratic, gusty outflow winds. This combination will promote conditions conducive to new fire starts and rapid fire spread for new and existing fires.

*THUNDERSTORMS...Abundant lightning with frequent cloud-to-
ground lightning strikes.

* OUTFLOW WINDS...Gusty winds up to 50 mph.

RED FLAG WARNING
Today, Saturday, 8/17/24, 11am-11pm.
All sources of open flame are prohibited.

Arizona

Idaho Calls The Military, Oregon Imports Australians And New Zealanders, And Washington Calls In Yukon Crews.
And the U.S. is cutting positions?

Idaho Calls The Military, Oregon Imports Australians And New Zealanders, And Washington Calls In Yukon Crews. And the U.S. is cutting positions?

Wyoming

On Friday afternoon at approximately 12:30 pm, a wildfire was reported in Shell Canyon on the Bighorn National Forest. The cause is unknown and is being investigated, as it was located just off the highway edge between the highway and Shell Creek. Anybody having information please contact Cody Dispatch at 307-578-5740.

A rapid response of several engines, two squads of firefighters, and aerial resources including an Air Attack that coordinated 2 single engine air tankers and two helicopters largely caught the fire at approximately 10 acres. This was an interagency response from Big Horn County, US Forest Service, and BLM fire and law enforcement resources, with the major hazard being highway traffic and steep slopes with dry fuels. The attached picture was taken from over 10,000’ above the fire from Air Attack “OSG”.

One of the important activities that occurs when a fire is winding down is called backhaul. Backhaul is the process of removing all the equipment placed around the fire including hose, pumps, supplies and hardware. It can be transported by foot, by truck and even helicopters back to the command post, where it is cleaned and repacked for future fire use.
In the picture below, this gear was the actual equipment that helped prevent the fire from getting into Bodfish.

Pre-fire planning, a critical phase that takes place just prior to a prescribed burn, is essential to a well-informed, organized approach to intentional fire. To ensure the safety and effectiveness of any prescribed burn, this phase often features a variety of steps, including but not limited to:

- Monitoring fuels to determine potential intensity and spread of fire
- Checking local weather conditions to evaluate wind speed, humidity, temperature, and other factors that influence fire behavior
- Checking moisture levels to gauge dampness or dryness of vegetation
- Capturing baseline imagery of the environment pre- and post-burn to evaluate effectiveness
- Developing a burn plan which clearly outlines the objectives, boundaries, and safety measures of the burn

In a recent conversation with the Worlds Apart: An Alliance of Outcasts to Tame Wildfires Podcast, our Interim Executive Director Bethany Hannah describes the collaborative pre-fire planning process behind CWI’s Teakettle Prescribed Burn project. Referencing satellites, automated weather stations, BurnBot remote masticators, and other wildfire innovations, she has observed increasing opportunities to leverage the latest in data and technology solutions to support pre-fire scenarios.

“We’re all capable of bringing value to the table,” explains Hannah, “So my advice… would be to recognize your own voice in this conversation.”

Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pre-fire-planning-good-fires/id1688606481?i=1000662399674

Funding for the Teakettle Prescribed Burn project was provided by the CAL FIRE’s Forest Health Program as part of the California Climate Investments Program. Visit our website for more details: https://climateandwildfire.org/cwi-projects/teakettle-prescribed-burn/

in Kane Co. is reported at est. 22 acres and firefighters have made good progress today working the perimeter of the fire and will continue to secure the perimeter of the fire throughout the day. Will update as more information becomes available.

California

Montana

Firefighters from the Lolo National Forest are responding to a fire on the north aspect of University Mountain located a mile and a half south of East Missoula. Smoke may be visible from Interstate 90, Madison Bridge, and East Missoula. More information will be posted as it becomes available.

Never Forgotten

Hezekiel Henshaw, 08-16-2021

You will never be forgotten.

After three weeks of dedicated management, CAL FIRE Incident Management Team (IMT) 4 is transitioning out of the operation as IMT 6 steps in to continue the crucial work of increasing containment, completing fire suppression repair, and ensuring the safety and well-being of the affected communities.

This transition is part of a scheduled relief activation, aimed at ensuring the health, wellness, and adequate rest for our dedicated team members. We extend our sincere thanks to IMT 4 for their efforts and welcome IMT 6 as they take over the operation.

Never Forgotten

Hunter R Roberson, 08-15-2021
Erick Kallestewa, 08-15-2017
Michael Bradsher, 08-15-2014
Nathan Ellis, 08-15-2013
Wayne Mickle, 08-15-2003
Edwin Marty, 08-15-1979
Stephen Manley, 08-15-1979
Ronald Lorant, 08-15-1979

You will never be forgotten.