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“Ill Equipped” Russia Battling Deadly Wildfires

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Summary from FT.com and En.rian.ru

*35 people have been killed

*More than 2,170 people fled their homes

*More than 1,000 homes destroyed

*Russian president, ordered the armed forces to help douse the fires on Friday, admitting that Russia was technically ill-equipped to combat the escalating crisis

*one-fifth of the country’s grain crop has been destroyed

*Compensation for each death $33,000

*Compensation for each home destroyed $100,000

*Acreage estimates are spotty, anywhere between 200,000 and 2,000,000,000

Finally in one of the weakest attempts at an excuse ever uttered by a head of state Medvedev blamed global warming for the crisis and called for “increased international efforts to prevent climate change”. Coincidently, shortly after that statement was made Putin took over implementation of the overall fire plan and response.

Sify.com confirms 35 dead including 2 firefighters.

Satellite Images from Rapidfire/NASA

Top image Western Russia, Bottom image Siberia

Posted by on July 30, 2010 • Filed under: International, wildfires, Wildland, wildland fire

Crown Fire Update

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According to KTLA (Live Feed) telecopter reporter Alex Calder the Ana Verde and Quartz Hill developments near Palmdale are areas of concern today as the Crown Fire pushes east.

The western edge has quieted significantly overnight.

Winds are light this morning but local temps should reach triple digits before noon. Structure protection units are in place and more resources are arriving by the hour. Tanker 910 is scheduled to be deployed as part of the overall air attack scheme after 7:00 am local time.

If winds remain calm today structure protection units will have an easy shift. The fire is chewing through scrub brush and range grass.
For local flavor including links and eyewitness views check Twitter Search.

UPDATE: 1700 hours PST. Wind came up!
Wildland Fire is reporting Tanker 979, the Evergreen converted 747 Supertanker has made an appearance on the fire near the California Aqueduct near Palmdale.
The Fire has consumed 13,000 acres with minimal containment. CBS2 has pretty decent local TV coverage.
MyFoxLA has a helicopter feed live as well.

UPDATE: AM 7/31 Crown Fire 13,000 acres, 62% contained. File this under -ran out of fuel-.

Posted by on July 30, 2010 • Filed under: 2010 California Fire Season, Crown Fire, wildfires, Wildland, wildland fire • Tagged:

SoCal Wildfire: Crown Fire Blows Up Near 2009 Station Fire Burn

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The Crown Fire started today in the Angeles National Forest abutting the northern perimeter of last years Station Fire near Acton and Agua Dulce.

CBS2 News is reporting 5,500 acres have burned which is remarkable considering the fire started around 2:30 this afternoon.

1,500 homes have been evacuated in Leona Valley. Chatter on Wildland Fire.com indicates resources of all types are being summoned to the scene for what could be an extended campaign. Fortunately winds are light. High winds are not in the forecast.

On a side note I was traveling home from Los Angeles today and was at the UCLA campus when the fire started. By the time I reached Pyramid Lake on I-5 the fire formed a pyrocumulus cloud, less than 90 minutes after the fire was reported. It was amazing to watch the header take form from the road.

Check L.A. County Fire for periodic updates.

Posted by on July 29, 2010 • Filed under: 2010 California Fire Season, Crown Fire, Wildland, wildland fire

Misplaced Priorities: City Lays Off Firefighters, Buys Expensive Art Work!

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The City of Ann Arbor Michigan has approved funding an elaborate water fountain art project costing over $800,000.00. An Arbor recently fired three full time firefighters due to budget constraints.

The new fountain will grace the entrance to the Ann Arbor police headquarters.

Posted by on July 22, 2010 • Filed under: Funding & Staffing

California Firefighters Chase Lightning Strikes

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Cal Fire’s FaceBook feed offers up some impressive stats from yesterday’s lightning storms in Southern California.

‎3,000 to 4,000 lightning strikes occurred this afternoon in Southern California that resulted in several fires within the following CAL FIRE Units:
*Riverside Unit – 22 fires, 19 are contained, 3 uncontained; 1 residence & 1 outbuilding destroyed.
*San Diego Unit – 11 fires, all are contained, 0 structures damaged/destroyed
*San Bernardino Unit – 15 fires, all are contained; 0 structures damagaed/destroyed

Well done!

Further north in Kern County another lightning start has consumed nearly 500 acres near Bodfish. This is rugged country with a fire history. I’m going to watch this one. Updates here.

Posted by on July 16, 2010 • Filed under: Cal Fire, California, wildfires, Wildland, wildland fire

“Get Your Smokey On”

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Team Smokey Bear wants everyone to know there is a new lineup of PSA’s designed to inform those living in the Wildland Urban Interface, or just visiting the wilds, to be careful and to look out for those less careful.

Have a look at the latest Smokey Bear PR here.

The video below is from 1964. The message today is the same one he has been sending since 1944!
Kids may want to check out Smokey’s awesome (interactive) cabin.

Smokey Bear is social too. Check him out;
SmokeyBear.com
Smokey Bear on FaceBook
Smokey Bear on Twitter
Smokey Bear YouTube Channel

Posted by on July 15, 2010 • Filed under: wildfires, Wildland, wildland fire

Mid July, No Major Wildfires, Thank El Nino?

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Mid July and nothing is burning in the West. The Schultz fire near Flagstaff Arizona grabbed some headlines in June burning 15,000 acres but that is it.

In California every fire is getting picked up. Initial attack with immediate air attack response and well coordinated air tanker drops is dousing everything quickly.

Take the case of the Beaver Fire that started yesterday in Shasta County near the Lassen County line in Northern California. Initial reports on  WildlandFire.com’s hotlist forum put the fire at 25 acres with potential for much more. Air Attack was dispatched followed by tankers out of nearby Chester. Ground resources to this remote area is an hour or more away according to posters on the Wildland Fire.

The area is no stranger to big fire events so it figured this one had legs. Not so. Because of precision drops and great air resources management this one was halted, stopped at 75 acres. Amazing.

Ground crews will babysit it for a day or two mopping up, it’s over.

So far the summer of 2010 is acting like previous El Nino years, slow, with fewer acres burned.

We still have the Southern California Santa Ana and Sundowner winds to contend with in the Fall but so far this year it looks like Northern and Central California and the Sierra’s caught a break.

Posted by on July 13, 2010 • Filed under: air attack, wildfires, Wildland, wildland fire

Los Bueyes Fire, Control Burn Escape in an Area With Large Fire History

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UPDATE: AM July 9. Looks like they caught this one. Admittedly I was jumpy. This is tough country with a history. Good firefighting and a quick coordinated response by air attack and air tankers.

The Boillos Fire is burning in the Los Padres National Forest. The fire is a control burn escape originally started on Fort Hunter Liggett. This is an eerie reminder of the beginning of the Indians Fire that started in the same general vicinity, in the same manner. The Indians Fire went on to scorch 81,000 acres. The Boillos incident has all the potential to mimic a similar path as the Indians Fire. This one bears watching.

Local fire blogger Big Sur Kate lives within a few miles of the  fire and offers images and local perspective.

Posted by on July 8, 2010 • Filed under: control burns, wildfires, Wildland

Schultz Fire Fully Contained

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Inciweb shows 15,000 + acres, 590 firefighters and support personnel assigned. Patrol and mop up.

Cause;  Abandoned campfire!

The image below is an early contender for wildland fire image of the year. The image was sent to me via email so I am posting it without proper attribution, something I don’t like to do. If someone knows its origin or the photographer please let me know.

Click to appreciate
Schultz Fire Flagstaff Arizona June 2010

This image is from InciWeb.org

More coverage on;
Twitter
WildlandFire.com

Posted by on July 1, 2010 • Filed under: Wildland