This is hard to understand. The Florida Highway Patrol had closed the road earlier in the evening because of a combination of fog and smoke from a wildfire that had been burning for days. The smallish fire had burned a total of 65 acres by Sunday morning. According to numerous news accounts motorists piled one by one into the blinding mix of fog and smoke directly into other trucks and cars.
Why was the Interstate open? Where were the escorts or pilot vehicles? In 2008 a similar crash with numerous fatalities occurred on Interstate 4, just south of the Sunday crash site due to smoke from a wildfire.
I’m baffled how this wildfire was allowed to burn for days or weeks. Even allowing this may be bog material there is no reason a roadside fire with associated smoke drift should be allowed to burn unabated. I know for fact in California the fire would have been cold as soon as possible, no question. Additionally in California there is close communication between state fire officials and California Highway Patrol officials. Fire and CHP will never open a roadway until conditions are considered safe.
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AP via CBS News RENO, Nev. – Wind gusts of up to 82 mph pushed a fast-moving brush fire south of Reno out of control Thursday as it burned several homes, threatened dozens more and forced about 10,000 people to evacuate their neighborhoods.
Reno Fire Chief Michael Hernandez said more than 230 firefighters were battling the blaze, which had grown to nearly 5 square miles within hours.
Updated reports indicate 26 occupied dwellings have been destroyed. Reno, like much of the west has not seen precipitation for almost six weeks. In my area of central California the foothills are bone dry and dusty. It’s surprising Reno is the only area in the west stricken by fire.
Here is an image of the advancing storm system. Full containment should be expected in the next 24 hours if this system delivers expected precipitation totals.
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Inmate Firefighter Crisanto Leo Lionell’s death Wednesday has been determined to be a Line of Duty Death by the U.S. Fire Administration. USFA’s narrative reads as follows;
Inmate Firefighter Lionell was participating in a training exercise at Camp San Luis when he lost consciousness from a cause still to be determined. Emergency crews treated and then transported Lionell to a local hospital where he passed away. Incident Location: California National Guard’s Camp San Luis.
This designation was entirely appropriate. Firefighter Lionell made a commitment to train and be a part of the State of California’s wildland firefighting force. As such he understood the dangers and accepted the potential consequences of his decision. He geared up with good intentions and paid the ultimate price. Condolences to the Lionell family.
Update: Firefighter inmate identified. According to SanLuisObispo.com his name is Crisanto Leo Lionell, age 54.
San Luis Obispo.com An inmate firefighter assigned to Cuesta Fire Camp, located at the California Men’s Colony, died while taking part in a County/Cal Fire training program at Camp San Luis Obispo.Cal Fire Capt. Jane Schmitz said the inmate collapsed while hiking on the military base shortly after 3:30 Wednesday afternoon.
According to Schmitz, the inmate was transported to a local hospital, were he was pronounced dead at 4:42p.m.The California Department of Corrections is reviewing the incident.
Condolences to the family of the inmate. Cal Fire maintains 44 adult inmate fire camps and two juvenile justice camps utilizing the the skills of trained Department of Corrections inmates and California Juvenile Justice System wards of the state. The program is comprised of over 3,500 inmate firefighters fielding nearly 200 fire crews manning fire lines throughout the state putting life and limb in danger fighting wildland fires. Some go on to become professional firefighters after they serve their time.
South Fulton firefighters did it again. A home in Obion County Tennessee burned to the ground as responding units watched from their fire engines. Readers will recall this same fire department just last year watched as a home burned to the ground as the homeowners pleaded for help. Inside that home were family pets and generations of family heirlooms, all was lost.
This week they did it again reports the Wall Street Journal.
Firefighters responded when the home in Obion County, Tenn., caught fire, but didn’t extinguish it because the fee that the nearby town of South Fulton collects hadn’t been paid. Last year, another home — which also contained three dogs and a cat — in Obion County also burned to the ground for the same reason.
The South Fulton mayor, David Crocker, said the city makes no exceptions. “There’s no way to go to every fire and be able to keep up the manpower, the equipment, and just the funding for the fire department,” he said, according to MSNBC.
Crocker also noted that firefighters will help people in danger, whether they have paid or not.
Nearby Blount County, Tenn., also has a subscription service, but the fire chief says the same situation wouldn’t happen there, according to The Daily Times. Blount County charges a $100 annual fee, but nonsubscribers can pay $2,200 for the first two hours firefighters respond to a scene, and $1,100 for each additional hour.
After last year’s fire, the Obion County commission voted to expand subscription-based service in the county, over the objections of people like fire chief Bob Reavis, who said, “Subscriptions should be left to newspapers and magazines,” Time reported.
My previous post on this subject elicited 84 comments, by far the biggest response in the 8 years I’ve been blogging. I was late to this news but my inbox has been flooded with Tennessee locals beyond furious at this latest news.
If you are so inclined fire away, Firefighter Blog wants all opinions.
(Generic image, not South Fulton)
I received a note from one of the producers of the video below inviting me to post the video and link to story. Here is one of the better “day in a life” videos of life as a firefighter.
Well done CharlotteMagazine.com and well done Charlotte Station 15!
Fact: Flashovers Are Occurring More Frequently. Know How To Be Prepared!
By Captain Craig Nielsen, Los Angeles Fire Department
Flashovers kill more firefighters than anything else and what’s worse than that shocking piece of information is that flashovers are happening more frequently than ever before. As a 28-year veteran of the fire service, I’ve been involved in flashover survival trainings since 1998. It’s important to ask the right questions – questions that once answered have the ability to save lives. For example, what is a flashover and why are so many more occurring these days as opposed to in the past? How can firefighters identify them, and what steps can they take to ensure they are safely managing them?
I’ll address the answers to these questions and more in a free “Understanding Flashovers” webinar sponsored by Draeger Safety, on November 10, 2011 at 8 PM EST. Firefighters and chiefs interested in participating in this educational session can register at http://draegerfiresafety.com. We’ll also have a live Q&A so your specific questions can be addressed. For now, I’d like to touch on some of the biggest questions the webinar will explore in more depth.
What is a Flashover?
Walton and Thomas define it as “the transition from a growing fire to a fully developed fire in which all combustible items in the compartment are involved in fire” although a more simple definition is “the stage when contents and gases are heated to their ignition temperatures and flames break out almost all at once.” This is the most dangerous stage of fire development and poses the most risk for firefighters – so knowing what it is and how to spot it is critical to safety.
What Can I Look Out For?
While flashovers have typical signs and symptoms, some of them are difficult to spot. Just knowing what they are can help you act appropriately and safely. Things to watch out the most for are:
Heat build-up. When the fire is low in intensity and spreading slowly, combustibles and flammable gases are heated to the point of ignition.
Look up. You can go into a structure and see from one end to the other, unaware accumulated gas in the ceiling space above may be ready to ignite.
Rollovers. These are often the preemptive sign that a flashover is going to occur and they’re identified when you see flames “rolling” across the ceiling; where heated gas tends to rise. If you witness rollovers, cool down those gases effectively and get out of the building.
Pressurized smoke. If you are observing smoke exiting the exterior of a structure, look for what kind of pressure buildup is associated with that smoke.
Why Are So Many Flashovers Occurring?
The increasing occurrence of flashovers has been covered at great length in print, online and broadcast media and it certainly deserves the attention. Here are some reasons for the uptick of flashovers:
Better turnout gear. Firefighters are putting themselves in harm’s way unknowingly because firefighters are often reliant on the protective capabilities of their gear.
Better insulation: Homes are better insulated which is great for the heating bill, but not so great for firefighters. Thermal feedback is occurring more rapidly.
Combustible items: Plastics and synthetics create a lot more BTUs. Know what you’re going into and look for signs outside of the building that can offer clues for what you’ll encounter inside.
With flashover occurrences increasing, knowing more about this phenomenon is crucial for all chiefs and firefighters, to avoid injury or death. Don’t forget to join me on November 10 for more information.
About the Author
Craig Nielsen, a 28-year veteran of the fire services, is a Captain with the Los Angeles Fire Dept. He has served as a Live Fire Training Officer, Driver Training Instructor, Career Guidance Counselor & Instructor of Record. Nielsen has been assigned to the most active fire station in the country for over two years, with 20+ responses per day. He is a California state-certified Fire Instructor and Fire Officer, and Emergency Medical Technician. He has been a Dräger Swede Survival instructor since 1998.
While firefighters were inside getting flu shots — Are you kidding me? Pittsburgh’s Mayor Ravenstahl is not happy about it.
Firefighters tell KDKA’s Marty Griffin that City Council President Darlene Harris asked one truck to move and the police officer followed with her ticket book. The council president says she had nothing to do with it.
“It’s really silly,” Ravenstahl said. “And when I was first briefed on it, I didn’t believe that it happened. I couldn’t believe that somebody would actually ticket a fire truck especially when we’re encouraging them to get a flu shot and stay healthy.”
Darlene ‘darlin’, you will not be reelected next time around. And the female meter maid, parking cop, traffic cop wannabe. You need to reasses your priorities. Some things are just wrong and you crossed the line here lady!
Code Blood, A Good vs Evil Novel by Kurt Kamm
Comments OffCode Blood by Kurt Kamm took me by surprise. I intended to speed read the book to catch the high points but once I got a couple of chapters in I slowed down and enjoyed every new chapter of this true thriller. The book is built around two main characters, Colt, a firefighter/paramedic from Wyoming and a psychopathic albino blood fetishist goth freak named Markus. This is a classic good vs evil plot but you have to read the story to see who prevails.
Kamm sets the theme with the introduction of Colt responding to a vehicle accident. The complex relationship between Colt and the accident victim drive the story. Kamm takes us into the seedy underworld of Los Angeles but the story is centered around the serene campus of the University of California Los Angeles which Kamm calls “CU”. Ultimately the story plays out on the “CU” campus in the middle of the night. Other characters of note we meet along the way include a crooked Russian mortician, a female Chinese researcher and the girlfriend of Markus. All are woven expertly into the story. Kamm brings all the pieces together nicely at the end.
I recommend Code Blood to adult readers. Not for children.
NFFF Memorial Weekend Video
Comments OffHighlight video of NFFF Memorial weekend.
More videos and links at STATer911.
I am sorry I live so far away from the Memorial.
One of the greatest benefits of running this blog is the occasional opportunity to review novels based on the fire service or characters working in the field. Two books in the queue are Cemetery Bird by Bridget Bufford and Code Blood by Kurt Kamm. Kamm’s Code Blood follows up on his critically acclaimed books Red Flag Warning and One Foot In The Black. Kurt Kamm is becoming the Joseph Wambaugh of fire service novels.
Cemetery Bird is the story of a USFS firefighter who suffers an injury on the job and returns to civilian life to care for an autistic nephew.
I look forward to digging into these books and will offer my reviews ASAP.
Sheared Fire Hydrant Geyser Image On Google Maps
Comments OffI was searching Google Maps yesterday and saw this sheared hydrant on the satellite view. Note the engine crew securing the scene. In the wider view you can see a civilian taking a picture and also what looks like the service truck that sheared the hydrant parked nearby. Not as interesting as a naked woman caught on her porch but interesting never the less.
Google Maps Hydrant Blow In Clovis Ca
Lightning Strikes Spark Fires in Sierras
Comments OffEarly morning air to ground lighting has ignited 40 new fires in the Southern Sierra Nevada’s and Tehachapi’s in Kern County.
The screen cap below is from the Breckenridge-facing-Tehachapis webcam.
If you click the “movie” tab you can follow the fire from the start near sunrise. Note there are three fire starts in this webcam view. There are no clear estimates of acreage involved however Kern County and Cal Fire are responding with full dispatches and are setting up for structure protection within the county.
13:40 hours
The following is an accounting of the events at Ground Zero by now retired FDNY Firefighter Tom Dunn. Each year on this anniversary I am honored to re-post Firefighter Dunn’s amazing story. On November 12, two months after the terror attack Firefighter Dunn responded to the crash of American Airlines Flight 587 in Brooklyn NY. Read Tom’s account here.
With permission.
– by Tom Dunn, FDNY Firefighter
“September 11, 2001, 0000 hrs. FF Dunn relieves FF Jacobs on house watch dept., personal quarters, in good order.”
That’s the entry I made in the company journal when I took over house watch at midnight.
The night tour was pretty slow, we had a couple runs–nothing worth talking about. At about 8 AM we received an EMS run for a cardiac. To tell you the truth, I don’t even remember this run, but I know we had it because I made the entry in the book. When we returned to quarters the day tour was already in. I was working a 24 that day, so I would be staying on duty. It was probably about 8:30. I remained at the housewatch and monitored the radio. The other guys were in the kitchen reading papers and drinking coffee.
At approximately 8:50 everything got very crazy. Someone yelled from the kitchen “Tommy, turn on the TV!” I did and saw that one of the towers was on fire. I had no idea what happened, just that it was on fire. The red phone went off announcing that a second alarm had been transmitted for box 8087 The World Trade Center. About a minute past and again the phone went off stating now that a third alarm had been transmitted. Almost immediately the computer went off “Battalion!” followed by the two tone noise that means we have received an alarm. I scanned the job to see if we were going, we weren’t, just the chief. I acknowledged the alarm read the job over the loud speaker and rang the four bells that signaled just the Chief was going. I ripped the ticket off the printer, opened the door and got the Chief and aides radios that I had placed on the charger. The Chief on duty that day was Battalion Chief Joseph Grislazk and his aide was Firefighter Michael Bocchino. I gave the Chief the ticket and said “go get em boys, wish we were going.” They grabbed their gear got in the car and drove off.
That was the last time anyone from our company would see them.
It was approximately 8:55. The chief had left. I went back to housewatch and was looking at the TV. I started to get excited because I started to think we might get a chance to go. I got my bunker gear close by and then realized, “Damn, I have control.” This meant I was the last one on the hose line if we went to a working fire. I knew that it was tour change and I hinted to the LT on duty, Lt. Auciello. I said “Hey, Lou, are we gonna keep the same riding positions or switch ‘em up for the day tour?” I was hoping to get the knob because I knew my groups were working and that means you usually get the knob. “OK,” he replied, “Dunn, you got the knob, Jacobs, you back him up, Murray control, Winkler, you’re driving.”
I was happy mission accomplished. I went back to the TV to see what was going on and I now heard that the second tower had been hit by another plane, this was the first point I had heard that this may be some sort of terrorist attack. The phone rang and I answered it. It was my brother, he was saying he was on the west side highway and that the World Trade Center was on fire. I said I know and that I thought we might be going.
I was still on the phone with him when the computer went off “ENGINE!” Followed by the two tones.”Jimmy I gotta go. We are going. I love ya, bro,” I said and hung up. I did the same routine, acknowledged the alarm read the ticket over the loud speaker, rang the bell once which meant the engine was going, ripped the ticket and opened the door. I gave the ticket to the LT got my gear and got on the rig. It was 9:10. We exited the firehouse and headed down Prospect Ave. to the Prospect Expressway. The Expressway had some light traffic that we were able to get through with the use of the lights and sirens. I continued to suit up getting the bunker gear on, hood, checking for my gloves, flashlight and helmet. We hit the merge of the Prospect Expressway and the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. There was heavy traffic almost at a stand still. Winkler weaved in and out of the traffic and got to the HOV lane, which was a little easier to get through.
This was the first glance we got of the actual towers. I stuck my head out of the window and I could see that the towers were really going, a lot of smoke showing. I took a couple pictures. We were all getting psyched up and yelling and trying to get ourselves pumped up for the job. Brooklyn called us over the department radio and instructed us that we were not to go directly to the Trade Center but to help set up a staging area on the Brooklyn side of the Battery Tunnel. I was pretty upset at the time, because, to tell you the truth, I thought that doing this might have taken us out of the picture and we wouldn’t get a chance to go to work. Looking back now this saved our lives.
We made it to the tunnel and parked right down the block from L101 quarters. We were to stay there and wait for the Battalion Chief for further orders. It was approximately 9:20. We were the first ones to reach the staging area and units started to show up and we all got out of the rigs and began talking and looking at the Towers. L102 was there and my friend Pat O’Brien was working so I spent most of the time with him. I don’t remember exactly what we talked about but it was probably how we couldn’t believe this was happening and if we thought they would send us.
I don’t remember being scared, just really anxious to get to work and get started. I took another couple pictures and rechecked my gear. John Winkler, our driver, yelled over 240 “let’s start getting ready, they are going to send us.” We went back to the rig and another ticket came over the computer telling us to respond along with engine 201 to the command post at West Street and Albany Street. It was 9:45.
We started to pull out and I waved to Pat and we headed into the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel. There was no traffic because the tunnel had been closed to emergency traffic only for some time now. I would say it probably took us 3 minutes to make our way through the tunnel and out on to West Street. We proceeded down West Street and past Albany Street (there was nobody there but we could see a Chief the next block up) to Liberty. L113 was parked maybe a 100 feet from the south foot bridge and we were going to pull right up behind them when a cop motioned for us to stop where we were. We did and got out of the rig.
At my feet when I exited the rig was what looked like a piece of one of the air planes. We proceeded to get our hose rollups, put our masks on and walked to the front of the rig. At this point I could see why the cop had stopped us, there was a body directly in front of our rig. It was one of the jumpers from the upper floors and the best way I can describe it is that it looked like a dead animal that you might see on the side of the highway that had been hit by a couple of cars or trucks.
At this point I began to get my bearings. OK, we were on West Street (West Side Highway) between Liberty Street and the southernmost foot bridge. I could see the Marriott and both of the towers and they were both going. There were fires in the street and I could see other units in the area. There were several more bodies that were in the same shape as the one near our rig that were further down West Street.
We proceeded to the Chief’s car, which was about 100 feet from our rig. There were three people there, two Chiefs and an aide. I did not know them. I think they were Manhattan Chiefs. We announced to the Chief who we were and he told us to stand by while he radioed to find out where we were needed. We listened to the radio traffic and he patiently attempted to reach a Chief that was in the south tower to see where he needed us.
While we waited I kept looking up and at this point I started to get a little nervous because it was then that I realized the magnitude of this fire and that we were about to enter these buildings that looked more like war zones than any fire ground I had ever seen. My attention turned back to the radio and I heard the Chief from inside saying that we were to start walking up because it was going to take us about an hour to even get to the point he was at. The Chief said “10-4″ and proceeded to brief us.
“OK, 240 your going up, you don’t need the roll ups, just your air, keep your heads up on the way in because a firefighter was already killed by a jumper. Prepare yourself–this is going to be very gruesome. God be with you!” At this point I began to get really nervous. I mean, here was a Chief with probably 30 years on the job saying stuff like that, and I began to wonder what he knew that I didn’t, I would have much rather if he said “Go get ‘em, boys!” or something like that. But the choice of words made me feel like we were going somewhere that we weren’t coming back from. My heart was going a million miles an hour and I remember thinking, “Let’s just go get this over with.”
I haven’t been to tons of fires in my life, but I do know that at the ones I have been to it was better to get right to work and stay busy than to sit around thinking about what lies ahead.
We began walking toward the Tower. As we were crossing West Street toward the Tower, I heard a loud noise. I don’t know how to describe it, but the best thing I could think of to compare it to was a freight train. All of our heads quickly looked up in the direction of the noise. I could very clearly see that the top of the Tower had begun to fall and it was coming right down on us. People began yelling “Run!” and pushing each other to get everyone moving. I would say that we probably had 8-10 seconds of full sprint time before I began seeing debris and metal fall in my periphery.
I ran across West Street toward the World Financial Center. As I ran I saw fellow firefighters and police and civilians diving under cars that lined the street. I remember very clearly making the decision that the cover of a car would not be enough and that I would try to make it to the building if possible. As I ran and approached the corner of West and Liberty I saw that there was a garage up ahead on the right and made that my goal. As I decided that, the sound of the collapse changed from that of a freight train to that of rushing air.
The air instantly went pitch black and I fell to the floor at the point where the wall of the building met the sidewalk. I don’t remember ever stopping. I continued to crawl as fast as I could to the point where I had remembered seeing the garage door. I felt my way and got to the point where the garage was, but the roll down gate was down and there was no way to get in, but I later found out that I was between the gate and what was a guard post.
Visibility was zero, and as I breathed I was gagging, choking on the air that was filled with debris. I stayed where I was and could feel other people huddled up along side me. Some were crying. Some were choking. All I remember doing for those couple seconds was cursing. I just said over and over (excuse the language) F***! F***! F***!
In between gagging and coughing, I waited to die. I was waiting to be hit by some steel at any moment. At some point I turned on my flashlight and that gave me visibility for maybe 1 foot. I grabbed my mask, turned it on and put the face piece on. The face piece was completely filled with debris and when I inhaled I almost threw up in the mask. I removed the face piece and took off my glove to clear out what I could from the mask. All the while I could still hear debris falling and hitting nearby.
I cleared out what I could from the mask and held the face piece to my face and took like two or three good breaths. I had probably four or five people right near me all of whom did not have masks, I think they were either police officers or fire marshals. I gave the face piece to them one at a time to let them get some air, but I guess they didn’t know how to use it because after they took their breath they didn’t hit the shut off, and the air would bleed freely. I pulled the face piece back and said that they would have to let me hold it while they took breaths so I could control it and not lose the air.
At this point I was assuming we were trapped. Visibility was almost completely zero and debris was piled on top of us and against us and the building. The sound of debris subsided to what sounded like just smaller pieces and we continued to share my mask. I began to hear people in the area and it sounded like they were talking in our direction and they were saying, “You’re not trapped, come this way.” We followed the direction of the voice. I crawled, trying to feel my way and I ended up feeling a car door, so I knew that I was in the street and away from the building.
I yelled for any other FD units and a guy came over to me. I think he was a truck officer. He asked if I knew where my other guys were and I said we were on West Street when it came down and that we all just ran. He said that West Street was gone and that I was to follow him. We were going to go around the rear of the Financial Center and try to get to another command post that he knew was north of the foot bridges. We began to walk down Liberty street and I was quickly separated from him because of all the people looking for hits off of our masks.
The next 10 minutes or so were spent wandering around blindly trying to find out from any Fire Dept. personnel that I found if there was any type of roll call or meeting area that we should go to. Everyone I met was just as lost as I was. I had no radio because I had the nozzle that day, so I did my best to listen in on others’ radios, but traffic was broken up and all I heard were Maydays and broken transmissions. I found a boss who attempted to contact my unit over the radio several times but couldn’t get through because everyone was stepping all over each other. At this point I had completely lost my bearings due to wandering around and the poor visibility. I ended up hooking up with a guy from L122 and a guy from E58. The guy from 58 was bleeding from the head but it wasn’t bad.
We wandered around trying to figure out where to go and then I heard the same sound I had heard earlier. I later found out that this was the second tower. Again visibility became zero and the process began again: coughing, gagging. Again people came to me for air. I remember wandering around and helping who ever I could, all the while trying to figure out just where we were and if there was a roll call being conducted anywhere. I ended up hearing of guys attempting to stretch hose line from the Hudson River and I joined in that.
I think John Winkler was the first one I saw from Engine 240. He was getting onto a fire boat that we were stretching the line from and he was helping turn some wheel. We stretched 3-inch line for blocks and every couple blocks there was a pumper that we were relaying to. At this point I had found Winkler and Murray from my company. Lt. Auciello may have been there, too, but I don’t remember.
We worked stretching these lines for what seemed like forever but was probably maybe an hour. I had already ditched my mask because it became too heavy and it was out of air anyway. We got the lines charged and I told Winkler that I was going off to try to find some water for the men. There was a cafe-type place that two women were in and they filled the buckets that the bus boys carry with bottles of water, soda, and juice. I made my way back to the guys and gave them all out. While I was doing this I ran into my roommate George. I was so thankful that he was alive.
We rested for a couple minutes and then Jacobs, Winkler, and me went to operate hose lines that were on West Street. We started to put out cars and vans that were burning along with rubbish in the streets. Each man in the area had their own hand line. We did this for awhile and Winkler said “Let’s go, guys are starting to search the rubble.” We made our way up to what I now know was the Vista Hotel. We grabbed tools along the way. I had a 6-foot hook and a rope.
Visibility had improved greatly but there was still heavy smoke and the rubble was a little hard to maneuver around. We made our way fairly deep into the rubble and there were other FDNY members around searching as well. A Chief came by and was yelling “Everyone off the rubble–imminent collapse!”
We began running as fast as we could down the rubble, trying to get back out to West Street near the south foot bridge, and as I was running I stepped in a hole and twisted my ankle. I continued to hop as fast as I could, but I knew I was hurt. I believed the foot was broken. We evacuated to an area that the Chief told us to go and I rested my ankle. We were now reunited with everyone except Sullivan. I heard he was evacuated due to his eyes getting debris in them.
We waited for awhile for orders from a Chief but the LT said that I was to go get my foot looked at. I was removed by police to an area that EMS had set up to treat people and there was an EMS Chief there who said I was to be evacuated. I said I was not going and that they should just wrap the ankle up so I could go back. We argued and I said, “Chief, with all due respect, I’m not getting on that f***ing boat.” He said OK, that he would have the EMT wrap it for me and that I could go back if I stayed for a little while and drank a lot of water. I agreed. I drank some water and said I was going back and the chief turned to me and said ” Go with God!” This was the second time someone had said that to me that day.
I hobbled the whole way back to where I last saw my guys. Nobody was there and guys that were in the area had said that they were evacuated by EMS. I wandered around for awhile looking for anyone that I knew. I found no one and attempted to find the EMS place I was at before to see if the guys were there. I couldn’t find where I had been and I ran into some police that said they would take me to the main evacuation point to see if they were there. One of them gave me a cell phone and told me to call someone at home to let them know that I was alive.
I looked at the phone and for the life of me I couldn’t remember my own phone number. I was like a zombie. I made it to the evacuation point, which turned out to be the ferry terminal, and ran into this firefighter named Dog who was from Staten Island. He tried to help me find my guys but the EMS people we talked to said they were already evacuated and they didn’t know where they went. Dog was great, he stayed with me and convinced me to go to the hospital and that there was nothing I was going to be able to do at the Trade Center in this condition.
I was evacuated by EMS to Lutheran Hospital. It was approximately 6 pm.
All rights reserved Tom Dunn. Please do not preprint without his permission.
Austin Texas Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr chose to remain on her golf vacation in Colorado as deadly wildfires burned near her city. Statesman.com reports “As fires tore through hundreds of Central Texas homes, Austin officials dispatched nearly 200 of their firefighters to help across the region and issued an urgent request Sunday for 25 off-duty firefighters to report to work.
But Austin Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr stayed in Colorado for a Labor Day weekend golfing trip, leaving subordinates largely in charge of her department’s response while keeping in touch by cellphone and email.”
This is an outrage. At the same time thousands of Texans were repeating the call for help from retired and off duty firefighters on Twitter and Facebook the fire chief of the largest city in the region teed it up. If morale in Austin was not low before it is now. As a former firefighter I cannot understand this line of thinking. Obviously fighting fire is not her top priority.
Texas Fires Situation Report
Comments OffTEXAS FOREST SERVICE INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SITUATION REPORT for Sept 6, 2012
Current Situation
Yesterday Texas Forest Service responded to 22 new fires for 7,544 acres, including 10 new large fires. In the past seven days Texas Forest Service has responded to 181 fires for 118,413 acres. It appears that in the past 48 hours, more than 700 homes have been destroyed. As better assessments come in, we will continue to update the situation report.
Forecast Fire Danger Map
Weather Satellite (water vapor animated loop)
Weather today for Texas.
DC-10 (10 Tanker) on scene.
Inciweb
Houston Chron
10 Tanker, the converted commercial DC-10 air tanker has been called to assist the state of Texas in suppressing the devastating wildfires plaguing the state. 10 Tanker delivers a 12,000 gallon payload of retardant, gel or water and can deliver the load in one drop or a continuous line, whichever best compliments ground units.
The typical air tanker carries a load of 2,000 gallons and most helicopters can deliver loads in the hundreds of gallons. The airship was contracted by the state of California in the last decade until budget considerations ended the relationship. 10 Tanker is still called to fires in California on an on-call basis where it is called Tanker 910. The air tanker has seen action in Australia and Canada. If Texas residents see this airship overhead they can know the state has called in the premiere firefighting tool in the nation.
Here is how she looks in action!
The Bastrop County Complex Fire has consumed more than 25,000 acres and destroyed an estimated 476 homes or structures since yesterday, Reuters reports.
The Geomac imagery below shows how tenuous the situation is in and around Bastrop. The red circles in the image represent actively burning fire. Orange represents fire burned over the past 12 hours. You can see active burning up to Lake Bastrop. The fire is burning on all fronts with no obvious anchor point. It is easy to see from the Geomac imagery that the Bastrop Fire has no containment.
Bastrop has a population of over 5,000. Fox News has reported 250 firefighters are working the fire as crews are stretched around the state. Simple math tells us there are not enough fire crews to protect all the structures in Bastrop. This fire will burn as long as there is wind to push it.
Civilians need to heed evacuation orders.
Note too the fire burning West of Bastrop threatening the town of Wyldwood.
Bastrop County Complex Fire
Here is a dramatic video of the fire burning over Highway 21 east of Bastrop. This is the definition of a monster fire.
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Update: 16:15 hours 9/5 Via Wildlandfire.com A dozen homes, 15 outbuildings and several vehicles have been destroyed by the Canyon Fire. Fire estimated at around 9,000 acres. Aircraft being diverted to a new fire in L.A. County.
Update: 07:00 9/5 Canyon Fire is at 3,500 acres with 0% containment. Heading to ridgetops among the local wind farms on the south flank. Structure protection is key today as aircraft support these efforts and drop on flanks. This is a traditionally high wind environment but the wind direction favors burning towards the desert. For more.
Update: 18:45 hours good news and bad news. The good news is this is a Cal Fire/Kern County incident which means they will throw their entire force of resources at it. The bad, “aircraft are going defensive“, not direct and are dropping loads in and around structures.
TehachapiNews.com reports “One death (updated to two deaths) related to the crash of a small plane in the mountains southeast of the City of Tehachapi has been confirmed.”
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Two Sheriff’s Deputies Rescued From Rocky Beach After DUI Suspect Plows Into Patrol Car
Comments OffThe officers were parked on the side of Highway 1 in Malibu when a drunk hit their vehicle vaulting it over the small cliff and into the rocks above the surf. Both officers suffered non life threatening injuries. Good video with a glimpse of the techniques employed by fire and rescue personnel including one of the officers being airlifted off the beach.
‘Motor Fire’ Hitting on all Cylinders
Comments OffThere could not be a less hospitable spot for a major wildfire than the Merced River Canyon near Yosemite National Park. In July and August of 2008 the Telegraph Fire burned over 50,000 acres and claimed dozens of homes in and around Mariposa just down canyon from where the Motor Fire is raging.
The Motor Fire has burned 3,000 acres in two days and firefighters are still in the early stages of formulating a plan of attack. Initial reports had the fire burning on both sides of Highway 140 and the Merced River which would give the fire two distinct heads and directions. Maps are showing the fire burning mostly on the north side of the river and highway. The Telegraph Fire burned on both sides of the canyon as it raced upstream towards Yosemite which complicated suppression activity. Firefighters could not use the massive Merced River as an anchor.
Motor Fire and Proximity to Yosemite Nat Park
The GeoMac image above highlights the perimeters of recent fire activity including the Telegraph to the west and the Grouse and Big Meadow fires to the east. The Big Meadow and Grouse burns will act as a pair of defensive tackles blunting (somewhat) the eastern progression of the Motor Fire. There is no recent fire history north of the Motor so a run to Highway 120 is entirely possible.
A look at the area of responsibility shows this will be a Forest Service show with Cal Fire responsible for only a couple of strips of land and property along the river and highway. Cal Fire was responsible for suppressing the Telegraph Fire and at one point had 4,500 firefighters, 30 or more fixed wing aircraft and helicopters, 61 fire crews and 101 fire engines on scene. It will be interesting to see how many resources the Forest Service puts in use.
Cal Fire, California’s elite wildland firefighting force is set to charge homeowners within Cal Fire’s area of responsibility $145 per inhabitable structure. It’s being called a “fire prevention fee” and the bill will create a Responsibility Area Fire Prevention Fund.
The crux of the issue is hardly arguable.
(c) The costs of fire prevention activities aimed at reducing the effects
of structures in state responsibility areas should be borne by the owners of
these structures.
(d) Individual owners of structures within state responsibility areas receive
a disproportionately larger benefit from fire prevention activities than that
realized by the state’s citizens generally.
(e) It is the intent of the Legislature that the economic burden of fire
prevention activities that are associated with structures in state responsibility
areas shall be equitably distributed among the citizens of the state who
generally benefit from those activities and those owners of structures in the
state responsibility areas who receive a specific benefit other than that
general benefit.
Assembly Bill No. 29 dictates the fund will feed the following:
Moneys in the fund shall be used only for the following fire prevention
activities, which shall benefit owners of structures within the state
responsibility areas who are required to pay the annual fire prevention fee
pursuant to this chapter:
– Local assistance grants.
– Grants to Fire Safe Councils, the California Conservation Corps, or
certified local conservation corps for fire prevention projects and activities
in the state responsibility areas.
– Grants to a qualified nonprofit organization with a demonstrated
ability to satisfactorily plan, implement, and complete a fire prevention
project applicable to the state responsibility areas.
– Inspections by the department for compliance with defensible space
requirements around structures in state responsibility areas
– Public education to reduce fire risk in the state responsibility areas.
– Fire severity and fire hazard mapping by the department in the state
responsibility areas.
– Other fire prevention projects in the state responsibility areas,
authorized by the board.
– The board shall establish a local assistance grant program for fire
prevention activities designed to benefit structures within state responsibility
areas, including public education, that are provided by counties and other
local agencies, including special districts, with state responsibility areas
within their jurisdictions.
Cal Fire SRA Map
Kate in Big Sur offers a nice Q and A on the subject for her readers here.
When fire swept down canyon and into the grounds of their monastery a group of five Buddhist Monks were waiting. None of them had direct fire ground experience but what they possessed was a lifetime of physical and mental training in their discipline that helped prepare them for what they faced.
Author Colleen Morton Busch spent two years preparing this comprehensive documentation of their story. She accurately describes the events leading to the five being left alone to save their monastery through personal interviews and U.S. Forest Service fire reports. In addition Colleen utilized the Freedom Of Information Act to secure notes by fire commanders.
The story of Tassajara Zen Center and the plight of the monks within during the Basin Complex Fire in 2008 was a story I personally followed and wrote about here in real time as events unfolded. I made my opinions known in 2008 and those opinions are reflected in ‘Fire Monks’.
I recommend Fire Monks because it is a story like no other. When else have you read a story where resident guardians of an historic cultural learning center were abandoned to fend for themselves as fire commanders withheld the aid of 16 available helicopters, numerous fixed wing aircraft, dozens of structure protection fire engines, dozens of fire crews and hundreds of firefighters?
Buy Fire Monks and read the story.
Fire Monks by Colleen Morton Busch
Firefighter Blog archive of the Basin Fire. (54 posts)
Firefighter Blog archive Tassajara tagged posts. (7 posts)
