Posted on 03/17/2006 10:13:36 AM PST by Knitting A Conundrum
Fire activity was heavy throughout the nation with 330 new fires reported. Ten new large fires were reported: one in Arkansas, two in Kansas, one in Florida, one in Mississippi, two in Missouri, one in Oklahoma, and two in Texas. Four fires were contained: two in Kansas, and one each in Oklahoma and Texas.
Central and eastern areas of Florida's panhandle is predicted to have red flag warnings on Saturday for marginally low humidities.
A fire weather watch is also in effect for Saturday for marginally low humidities in northeastern and west-central Florida.
A cold front will move eastward across the central and southern Plains and into the Ohio Valley, which will bring showers and thunderstorms today. Winds will decrease behind the cold front over the southern Plains and southern Rockies. Fire potential remains high in this region due to winds and dry conditions. The East Coast states will also have dry conditions today.
Daily Statistics 3/17/06
|
Year-to-date Statistics 1/1/06 - 3/17/06
|
||||
Number of new large fires |
10
|
Year-to-date large fires contained |
285
|
||
Number of active large fires |
18
|
Fires contained on 3/16/06 |
4
|
||
Acres from active fires |
971,823
|
||||
Number of Wildland Fire Use (WFU) fires |
0
|
||||
Number of Wildland Fire Use (WFU) acres |
0
|
||||
States currently reporting active large fires (includes WFU): Arkansas (2) Kansas (1) Florida (1) Mississippi (1) Missouri (2) Oklahoma (6) Texas (5) |
Year-to-date Statistics
|
||||
2006 | (1/1/06 - 3/17/06) | Fires: 15,395 | Acres: 1,625,033 | ||
2005 | (1/1/05 - 3/17/05) | Fires: 7,700 | Acres: 100,027 | ||
2004 | (1/1/04 - 3/17/04) | Fires: 11,728 | Acres: 132,435 | ||
2003 | (1/1/03 - 3/17/03) | Fires: 5,449 | Acres: 66,893 | ||
2002 | (1/1/02 - 3/17/02) | Fires: 12,302 | Acres: 159,198 | ||
2001 | (1/1/01 - 3/17/01) | Fires: 11,557 | Acres: 225,134 | ||
2000 | (1/1/00 - 3/17/00) | Fires: 18,270 | Acres: 530,556 | ||
5-Year Average
|
|||||
2001 - 2006 | Fires: 10,739 | Acres: 205,722 |
Source: National Interagency Coordination Center
Arkansas | Number of fires: 2 | Acres: 2,400 | New fires: 1 | Fires contained: 0 |
NEW Ice Cream (Ouachita National Forest): 400 acres at 40 percent contained. The fire is located 15 miles east of Big Cedar. Low humidity and high winds caused extreme fire behavior. Structure protection is in place for residences and outbuildings. One road remains closed. |
||||
No Man's Land (Ouachita National Forest): 2,000 acres at 20 percent contained. The fire is seven miles west of Black Springs. Thick underbrush and steep, rocky terrain are hindering containment efforts. Structure protection is in place. |
||||
Kansas | Number of fires: 1 | Acres: 175 | New fires: 2 | Fires contained: 2 |
NEW Jacob Creek (Fallon National Wildlife Refuge): 175 acres at 95 percent contained. The fire is near Ottumwa. Active backing fire was reported. Firefighters improved containment lines and performed burnout operations. |
||||
Hodgeman East (Kansas Counties): The fire was contained at 4,480 acres. |
||||
NEW Hodgeman West (Kansas Counties): The fire was contained at 6,400 acres. |
||||
Florida | Number of fires: 1 | Acres: 425 | New fires: 1 | Fires contained: 0 |
NEW Mosaic (Florida Division of Forestry): 425 acres at 90 percent contained. The fire is burning 10 miles west of Fort Lauderdale. The fire spread rapidly. County Road 630 was temporarily closed due to limited visibility from smoke. Information: Visit the Florida Division of Forestry website. |
||||
Mississippi | Number of fires: 1 | Acres: 1,100 | New fires: 1 | Fires contained: 0 |
NEW Ladner (Mississippi Forestry Commission): 1,100 acres at 70 percent contained. The fire is three miles west of Bay St. Louis. Extreme fire behavior was reported. Firefighters are performing burn out operations. |
||||
Missouri | Number of fires: 2 | Acres: 681 | New fires: 2 | Fires contained: 0 |
NEW Cupola Pond (Mark Twain National Forest): 371 acres at 95 percent contained. The fire is burning 15 miles northwest of Doniphan. No further information was received. Information: Visit the Missouri/Iowa Coordination Center website. |
||||
NEW Hodo (Mark Twain National Forest): 310 acres at 95 percent contained. The fire is 12 miles northwest of Doniphan. Rapid rates of spread and some spotting were reported. Information: Visit the Missouri/Iowa Coordination Center website. |
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Oklahoma | Number of fires: 6 | Acres: 121,870 | New fires: 1 | Fires contained: 1 |
Oklahoma Fire Response (Oklahoma State): 116,300 acres at an unknown percent contained. An Oklahoma State Type 2 Incident Management Team (Roberts) is assisting local, federal, and state jurisdictions in managing fires and initial attack in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma National Guard is currently assisting with four helicopters. Seventeen new fires were reported. The Cedar Lake fire is burning within the response area. Information: Visit the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry website. |
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Cedar Lake (Oklahoma State): 2,950 acres at 90 percent contained. The fire is 12 miles southwest of El Reno. Fire crews made good progress constructing fireline. Information: Visit the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry website. |
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NEW Maverick Ranch (Oklahoma State): 107 acres at 80 percent contained. The fire is five miles south of Peggs. The fire burned actively with 50 foot flame lengths. Information: Visit the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry website. |
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Moore (Oklahoma State): 1,500 acres at 85 percent contained. The fire is five miles northeast of Moore. No further information was received. Information: Visit the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry website. |
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Slick 2 (Oklahoma State): 413 acres at 85 percent contained. The fire is nine miles southeast of Ryan. No information was received. Information: Visit the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry website. |
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Adams (Oklahoma State): The fire was contained at 1,600 acres. |
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Fleetwood (Oklahoma State): 600 acres at 95 percent contained. The fire is nine miles southeast of Ryan. No further information was received. Information: Visit the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry website. |
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Texas | Number of fires: 5 | Acres: 845,172 | New fires: 2 | Fires contained: 1 |
East Amarillo Complex (Texas Forest Service): 800,000 acres at 75 percent contained. This complex is located near Jerico and consists of the Borger and I-40 fires. Both fires continue to burn actively. All evacuation orders were lifted. Information: Visit the Texas Forest Service website. |
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West Texas IA (Texas Forest Service): 3,152 acres at an unknown percent contained. A Texas State Type 2 Incident Management Team (Stanford) is assisting local jurisdictions with managing fires and initial attack within the 220,000 square mile West Zone response area. Large fires burning within the management area include the Templin, East Amarillo Complex, Buckle L 2, Cement Mountain, Spring Creek, Old Glory, and Pleasant Valley fires. Information: Visit the Texas Forest Service website. |
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Buckle L 2 (Texas Forest Service): 40,000 acres at 95 percent contained. This fire is 10 miles south of Childress. Minimal fire activity was observed. Information: Visit the Texas Forest Service website. |
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Templin (Texas Forest Service): 1,120 acres at 80 percent contained. This fire is five miles west of Tennyson. Rough terrain is limiting access to the fire. The Texas Army National Guard is assisting suppression efforts with two dozers. Information: Visit the Texas Forest Service website. |
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NEW Cooper Lake (Texas Forest Service): 900 acres at 90 percent contained. This fire is 20 miles northeast of Commerce. The fire burned very actively during the night. The fire jumped the Sulphur River. Information: Visit the Texas Forest Service website. |
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NEW Pleasant Valley (Texas Forest Service): The fire was contained at 250 acres. |
Additional wildland fire-related information is available from the following sites: | |
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This site was created by the National Interagency Fire Center External Affairs Office 3833 S. Development Ave. Boise, Idaho 83705 208-387-5457 (phone) 208-387-5386 (fax) Please send us your comments.
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INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SITUATION REPORT
FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2006 0800 MST
NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL 2
CURRENT SITUATION:
Initial attack activity was heavy nationally with 330 new fires reported. Ten new large fires were reported, six in the Southern Area, and two each in the Eastern and the Rocky Mountain Areas. Four large fires were contained, two each in the Southern and Rocky Mountain Areas. Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Arizona, Kansas, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Illinois, Missouri, Texas and Virginia.
SOUTHERN AREA INCIDENTS/LARGE FIRES:
EAST AMARILLO COMPLEX, Texas Forest Service. A Texas State Type 2 Incident Management Team (Rogers) is in place. This complex is near Jerico, TX in grass, and is comprised of the Borger and I-40 fires. Both fires remain active. All evacuation orders have been lifted.
WEST TEXAS IA, Texas Forest Service. A Texas State Type 2 Incident Management Team (Stanford) is in place in Granbury, TX. The Team is assisting local jurisdictions with managing existing fires and initial attack within the 220,000 square mile West Zone fire management response area. Five new fires were reported. Significant fires within the management area include the Templin, East Amarillo Complex, Buckle L 2, Cement Mountain, Spring Creek, Old Glory and Pleasant Valley fires. Acres, structure losses and costs have been adjusted to represent cumulative fire activity for the response area.
OKLAHOMA FIRE RESPONSE, Oklahoma State. An Oklahoma State Type 2 Incident Management Team (Roberts) is assigned in Shawnee, OK. The Team is assisting local, state, and federal jurisdictions with managing existing fires and initial attack in Oklahoma. The Team is coordinating resource sharing with the East Amarillo Complex. The Oklahoma National Guard is assisting with four helicopters. Seventeen new fires were reported. Significant fires within the Response Area include the Cedar Lake fire. Acres, structure losses and costs have been adjusted to represent cumulative ABC Miscellaneous fire activity statewide since January 1.
BUCKLE L 2, Texas Forest Service. A Type 2 Incident Management Team (Hinds) will be assigned today. This fire is 10 miles south of Childress, TX in brush. Minimal fire activity was observed.
NO MANS LAND, Ouachita National Forest. This fire is seven miles west of Black Springs, AR in hardwood litter and brush. Spotting, upslope runs and running ground fire were observed. Thick underbrush and steep, rocky terrain are impeding containment progress. Structure protection is in place.
LADNER, Mississippi Forestry Commission. This fire is three miles west of Bay St. Louis, MS in logging slash and hurricane blow down. Extreme fire behavior was observed. Burn out operations are ongoing.
ICE CREAM, Ouachita National Forest. This fire is 15 miles east of Big Cedar, OK in hardwood litter. Low relative humidity and high winds produced extreme fire behavior with spotting, upslope runs and single tree torching. One road remains closed. Structure protection is in place for residences and outbuildings.
MAVERICK RANCH, Oklahoma Division of Forestry. This fire started on private land five miles south of Peggs, OK in timber and grass. Active fire behavior with 50 foot flame lengths and spotting in fine fuels was reported.
MOORE, Oklahoma Division of Forestry. This fire is five miles northeast of Moore, OK in grass. Reduction in acres is due to more accurate mapping. No further information was received.
CEDAR LAKE, Oklahoma Division of Forestry. This fire is 12 miles southwest of El Reno, OK in grass. Good progress was made with line construction.
TEMPLIN, Texas Forest Service. This fire is five miles west of Tennyson, TX in dormant brush and slash. Rough terrain is limiting access to the fire. The Texas Army National Guard is assisting suppression with two dozers.
COOPER LAKE, Texas Forest Service. This fire started on private land 20 miles northeast of Commerce, TX in timber and grass. Very active fire behavior at night was reported. The fire jumped the Sulphur River.
MOSAIC, Florida Division of Forestry. This fire started on private land 10 miles west of Fort Lauderdale, FL in grass. Rapid rates of spread were reported. County Road 630 was temporarily closed due to limited visibility from smoke.
SLICK 2, Oklahoma Division of Forestry. This fire, previously reported as Slick, is nine miles east of Mannford, OK. No further information was received.
FLEETWOOD, Oklahoma Division of Forestry. This fire is nine miles southeast of Ryan, OK. No further information was received.
INCIDENT NAME |
ST |
UNIT |
SIZE |
% CTN |
EST CTN |
TOTL PERS |
CRW |
ENG |
HELI |
STRC LOST |
$$$ CTD |
ORIGIN OWN |
EAST AMARILLO COMPLEX |
TX |
TXS |
800,000 |
75 |
UNK |
206 |
0 |
77 |
3 |
89 |
NR |
ST |
WEST TEXAS IA |
TX |
TXS |
3,152 |
NR |
UNK |
453 |
0 |
91 |
9 |
0 |
NR |
N/A |
OKLAHOMA FIRE RESPONSE |
OK |
OKS |
116,300 |
NR |
UNK |
168 |
0 |
22 |
4 |
0 |
8.3M |
ST |
BUCKLE L 2 |
TX |
TXS |
40,000 |
95 |
UNK |
39 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
0 |
NR |
ST |
NO MANS LAND |
AR |
OUF |
2,000 |
20 |
3/18 |
60 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
NR |
FS |
LADNER |
MS |
MSS |
1,100 |
70 |
UNK |
12 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
NR |
ST |
ICE CREAM |
AR |
OUF |
400 |
40 |
3/18 |
39 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
NR |
FS |
MAVERICK RANCH |
OK |
OKS |
107 |
80 |
3/19 |
30 |
0 |
9 |
0 |
0 |
NR |
PRI |
MOORE |
OK |
OKS |
1,500 |
85 |
3/19 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
NR |
ST |
CEDAR LAKE |
OK |
OKS |
2,950 |
90 |
3/19 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
NR |
ST |
TEMPLIN |
TX |
TXS |
1,120 |
80 |
UNK |
15 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
NR |
ST |
COOPER LAKE |
TX |
TXS |
900 |
90 |
UNK |
19 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
NR |
PRI |
MOSAIC |
FL |
FLS |
425 |
90 |
3/17 |
21 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1K |
PRI |
SLICK 2 |
OK |
OKS |
413 |
85 |
3/19 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
NR |
ST |
FLEETWOOD |
OK |
OKS |
600 |
95 |
3/18 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
NR |
ST |
ADAMS |
OK |
OKS |
1,600 |
100 |
--- |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
NR |
ST |
PLEASANT VALLEY |
TX |
TXS |
250 |
100 |
--- |
7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
NR |
ST |
EASTERN AREA INCIDENTS/LARGE FIRES:
CUPOLA POND, Mark Twain National Forest. This fire is 15 miles northwest of Doniphan, MO in hardwood litter. No further information was received.
HODO, Mark Twain National Forest. This fire is 12 miles northwest of Doniphan, MO in hardwood litter. Some spotting and rapid rates of spread were reported.
INCIDENT NAME |
ST |
UNIT |
SIZE |
% CTN |
EST CTN |
TOTL PERS |
CRW |
ENG |
HELI |
STRC LOST |
$$$ CTD |
ORIGIN OWN |
CUPOLA POND |
MO |
MTF |
371 |
95 |
3/17 |
13 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
7K |
FS |
HODO |
MO |
MTF |
310 |
95 |
3/17 |
12 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
7K |
FS |
ROCKY MOUNTAIN AREA INCIDENTS/LARGE FIRES:
JACOB CREEK, Fallon National Wildlife Refuge. This fire is near Ottumwa, KS in hardwood litter and grass. Active backing fire with small wind driven runs in leaf litter, and single tree torching were reported. Line improvement and burn out of fuel pockets is ongoing.
INCIDENT NAME |
ST |
UNIT |
SIZE |
% CTN |
EST CTN |
TOTL PERS |
CRW |
ENG |
HELI |
STRC LOST |
$$$ CTD |
ORIGIN OWN |
JACOB CREEK |
KS |
FLR |
175 |
95 |
UNK |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
NR |
FWS |
HODGEMAN EAST* |
KS |
KSX |
4,480 |
100 |
--- |
100 |
0 |
15 |
0 |
1 |
NR |
CNTY |
HODGEMAN WEST |
KS |
KSX |
6,400 |
100 |
--- |
100 |
0 |
15 |
0 |
0 |
NR |
CNTY |
* Previously reported as Hanston East. KSX - Kansas Counties
OUTLOOK:
Red Flag Warnings: On Saturday, Florida is expecting Red Flags across central and eastern areas of the panhandle for marginally low humidities (low 30%s) and durations.
Fire Weather Watches: In effect for Saturday for northeastern and portions of west-central Florida for marginally low humidities in the low 30%s.
Weather Discussion: A low pressure system and associated cold front will progress eastward across the central and southern Plains today, and into the Ohio Valley, bringing showers and thunderstorms. Behind the system, winds will decrease somewhat over the southern Plains and southern Rockies; winds combined with continued dry conditions over this region will keep fire potential high. Dry conditions will continue today over much of the East Coast states extending down to Florida.
Geographic Area Weather |
High Temperatures |
Minimum Relative Humidity |
Wind |
Southern Area Texas Panhandle/Far West Oklahoma: Mostly Cloudy |
40s to near 50. |
20%s to near 30%. |
Gusty southwest 10 to 35 mph. |
Southern California Mostly cloudy with showers over Central California and afternoon showers developing over Southern California. The snow level will be around 5,000 feet. |
30 to 50 mountains. 50 to 60 valleys. 50 to 60 upper deserts. 60 to 70 lower deserts. |
50 to 70%. |
Southeast to southwest 10 to 20 mph with higher gusts. |
Rocky Mountain Kansas and southeast Colorado: Partly sunny with isolated showers. |
Upper 40s and 50s. |
25% to 35% in southeast Colorado, and 40% to 50% in Kansas. |
Southeast 15 to 25 mph. |
Southwest Area No information was reported. |
|||
Eastern Area No information was reported. |
FIRES AND ACRES YESTERDAY:
AREA |
BIA |
BLM |
FWS |
NPS |
ST/OT |
USFS |
TOTAL |
|
Alaska |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
0 |
Northwest |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
0 |
Northern California |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
0 |
Southern California |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
0 |
Northern Rockies |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
1
25 |
|
1
25 |
Eastern Great Basin |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
0 |
Western Great Basin |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
0 |
Southwest |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
1
25 |
|
1
25 |
Rocky Mountain |
FIRES
ACRES |
1
0 |
|
|
|
1
7,040 |
|
2
7,040 |
Eastern Area |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
1
3 |
|
3
682 |
4
685 |
Southern Area |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
3
6 |
|
317
4,580 |
2
5 |
322
4,591 |
TOTAL |
FIRES
ACRES |
1
0 |
0
0 |
3
6 |
1
3 |
320
11,670 |
5
687 |
330
12,366 |
FIRES AND ACRES YEAR-TO-DATE:
AREA |
BIA |
BLM |
FWS |
NPS |
ST/OT |
USFS |
TOTAL |
|
Alaska |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
0 |
Northwest |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
2
1 |
|
2
1 |
Northern California |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
64
1,530 |
8
1,244 |
72
2,774 |
Southern California |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
4
10 |
|
|
|
16
503 |
20
513 |
Northern Rockies |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
1
100 |
|
1
223 |
4
28 |
1
10 |
7
361 |
Eastern Great Basin |
FIRES
ACRES |
0
51 |
2
10 |
|
|
1
28 |
|
3
89 |
Western Great Basin |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
7
9 |
|
1
1 |
|
|
8
10 |
Southwest |
FIRES
ACRES |
107
667 |
25
1,331 |
1
431 |
24
3,490 |
146
184,958 |
120
11,932 |
423
202,809 |
Rocky Mountain |
FIRES
ACRES |
7
231 |
6
0 |
7
1,247 |
2
0 |
94
82,523 |
20
7,319 |
136
91,320 |
Eastern Area |
FIRES
ACRES |
1
1 |
|
1
5 |
3
52 |
1,111
27,268 |
110
2,429 |
1,226
29,755 |
Southern Area |
FIRES
ACRES |
264
14,252 |
|
88
11,204 |
12
1,405 |
12,825
1,257,550 |
309
12,990 |
13,498
1,297,401 |
TOTAL |
FIRES
ACRES |
379
15,202 |
45
1,460 |
97
12,887 |
43
5,171 |
14,247
1,553,886 |
584
36,427 |
15,395
1,625,033 |
Five Year Average Fires |
10,739 |
Five Year Average Acres |
205,722 |
*** Changes in some agency YTD acres reflect more accurate mapping or reporting adjustments. ***
PRESCRIBED FIRES AND ACRES YESTERDAY:
AREA |
BIA |
BLM |
FWS |
NPS |
ST/OT |
USFS |
TOTAL |
|
Alaska |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
0 |
Northwest |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
2
115 |
|
|
1
2 |
3
117 |
Northern California |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
0 |
Southern California |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
0
4 |
|
|
|
1
11 |
1
15 |
Northern Rockies |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
0 |
Eastern Great Basin |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
0 |
Western Great Basin |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
0 |
Southwest |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
|
2
124 |
2
124 |
Rocky Mountain |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
1
10 |
|
|
1
6 |
2
16 |
Eastern Area |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
|
2
730 |
2
730 |
Southern Area |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
|
12
15,193 |
12
15,193 |
TOTAL |
FIRES
ACRES |
0
0 |
0
4 |
3
125 |
0
0 |
0
0 |
19
16,066 |
22
16,195 |
PRESCRIBED FIRES AND ACRES YEAR-TO-DATE:
AREA |
BIA |
BLM |
FWS |
NPS |
ST/OT |
USFS |
TOTAL |
|
Alaska |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
0 |
Northwest |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
81
1,978 |
5
298 |
|
|
14
111 |
100
2,387 |
Northern California |
FIRES
ACRES |
12
101 |
3
49 |
3
1,324 |
2
6 |
|
47
704 |
67
2,184 |
Southern California |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
4
284 |
2
24 |
|
|
47
1,400 |
53
1,708 |
Northern Rockies |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
1
463 |
|
|
|
|
1
463 |
Eastern Great Basin |
FIRES
ACRES |
1
4 |
4
754 |
|
|
|
1
178 |
6
936 |
Western Great Basin |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
1
10 |
1
10 |
|
|
|
2
20 |
Southwest |
FIRES
ACRES |
7
318 |
2
35 |
2
320 |
|
|
41
6,086 |
52
6,759 |
Rocky Mountain |
FIRES
ACRES |
2
160 |
4
110 |
23
5,082 |
4
52 |
12
324 |
55
5,482 |
100
11,210 |
Eastern Area |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
17
1,214 |
4
1,512 |
171
18,224 |
53
16,206 |
245
37,156 |
Southern Area |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
89
40,248 |
7
6,069 |
186
97,509 |
455
357,198 |
737
501,024 |
TOTAL |
FIRES
ACRES |
22
583 |
100
3,683 |
142
48,520 |
17
7,639 |
369
116,057 |
713
387,365 |
1,363
563,847 |
*** Changes in some agency YTD acres reflect more accurate mapping or reporting adjustments. ***
WFU FIRES AND ACRES YEAR-TO-DATE:
AREA |
BIA |
BLM |
FWS |
NPS |
ST/OT |
USFS |
TOTAL |
|
Alaska |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
0 |
Northwest |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
0 |
Northern California |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
0 |
Southern California |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
0 |
Northern Rockies |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
0 |
Eastern Great Basin |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
0 |
Western Great Basin |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
0 |
Southwest |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
0 |
Rocky Mountain |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
0 |
Eastern Area |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
0 |
Southern Area |
FIRES
ACRES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
0
0 |
TOTAL |
FIRES
ACRES |
0
0 |
0
0 |
0
0 |
0
0 |
0
0 |
0
0 |
0
0 |
*** Changes in some agency YTD acres reflect more accurate mapping or reporting adjustments. ***
RESOURCES STATUS: COMMITTED RESOURCES
AREA |
CREWS |
CREWS |
ENGS |
ENGS |
HELI |
HELI |
AIRT |
AIRT |
OVRHD |
OVRHD |
Alaska |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Northwest |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Northern California |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Southern California |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Northern Rockies |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eastern Great Basin |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Western Great Basin |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Southwest |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
Rocky Mountain |
|
|
1 |
30 |
|
|
|
|
|
10 |
Eastern Area |
1 |
|
5 |
|
|
|
|
|
22 |
|
Southern Area |
13 |
|
38 |
236 |
6 |
24 |
4 |
|
192 |
271 |
Total |
14 |
0 |
45 |
266 |
6 |
24 |
5 |
0 |
214 |
281 |
*** NATIONAL INTERAGENCY COORDINATION CENTER ***
Today's wildland fire news. If you'd like to be pinged when I post this, please let me know.
current drought monitor link:
http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html
Look Out Southwest, Plains States: Severe Wildfire Season Ahead
Drought Conditions Raise Warning Level for Spring Blazes
By BRIAN ROONEY
March 16, 2006 - The continuing drought in the Southwest and the Central and Southern Plains foreshadows a severe wildfire season this spring, federal weather and fire management agencies predict.
The National Interagency Fire Center's Seasonal Wildland Fire Potential Outlook says the potential for wildfires will be above normal for Southern California, the Southwest, and the Southern Plains all the way to Florida.
"Drought will very likely persist or even worsen until the thunderstorm season arrives this summer," said Ed O'Lenic, chief of forecast operations for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
NIFC doesn't predict the number of acres that might burn this season, but it does assess how wet or dry the winter has been, and how much foliage there is with the potential to burn during dry weather.
"Fire potential" does not always become actual fire, says Robyn Heffernan of the agency's predictive services office.
Off to an Early Start
But the ominous prediction comes as a series of wildfires race across the Texas Panhandle and Oklahoma. Today most of Oklahoma is under a red flag warning of critical fire danger, with winds of 20 to 25 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
Conditions improved today in Texas, however, where winds have dropped to below 10 mph, from more than 50 mph on Wednesday.
Despite recent rain and snow in the West, the fire season is off to an early start, and at 930,000 acres, burning roughly nine times the seasonal average so far this year.
This comes after the record-shattering 2005 fire season, during which 8,686,753 acres of land burned, though that total reflects an unusual number of grassland fires.
Wildland fires have scorched a large amount of territory for the past several years, particularly since 1999 when nearly 6 million acres burned, and 2000, when fire burned nearly 8.5 million acres.
Officials Say Texas Wildfires Under Control
Much-Needed Rain In Forecast For Weekend
http://www.nbc4.tv/weather/8080685/detail.html
POSTED: 8:15 am PST March 17, 2006
UPDATED: 8:39 am PST March 17, 2006
CANADIAN, Texas -- As a wildfire suddenly jumped across a narrow part of the Canadian River and raced toward a tiny community, one Panhandle town's volunteer fire chief pushed his weary crews to keep going.
"You try to do everything you can to stop it, because there's so many people who've already lost so much all across the area," said Canadian Fire Chief Scott Brewster, 36.
Wildfires had consumed 840,000 acres, killed at least 11 people and forced thousands to evacuate their homes in a matter of days - and Brewster thought this blaze was finally close to being contained.
The 30-hour stand by more than 150 firefighters, who moved brush, dug trenches and lined up three dozen fire trucks, paid off by Thursday night as the blaze that consumed 450,000 acres since starting near Borger was all but out. The 80-resident town of Lipscomb was spared.
Along with help from shifting winds late Wednesday, the volunteer firefighters in Canadian were assisted by departments from as far away as Midland and the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
"They traveled a long way, and we really are grateful for their help," Brewster said, his eyes welling with tears.
The National Weather Service said rain could soak the drought-stricken region this weekend and bring further relief.
Texas Forest Service spokeswoman Jan Fulkerson said firefighters continued putting out hot spots Friday in the three major Panhandle blazes, including the one near Canadian. A 350,000-acre fire in several counties near Interstate 40 was 80 percent contained, and the 40,000-acre fire near Childress was 95 percent contained, she said.
Also Thursday, Gov. Rick Perry took an aerial tour and saw thousands of acres charred by days of Panhandle wildfires. He said he was committed to providing extra resources to fight, contain and extinguish the fires.
"The losses to the state have been staggering," Perry said in Amarillo after the tour.
Perry, who said he spoke to President George W. Bush on Thursday morning, said Texas needs federal aid immediately.
He said the federal government made "very substantial promises" about reimbursements for help the state provided after Hurricane Katrina but "has not lived up to its word." That concerns him as Texas needs help with wildfires, he said.
State Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, who accompanied Perry on the tour, said he will wait to see how successful Perry is in obtaining federal assistance.
"His sack is full of promises that Washington is going to ante up," Chisum said. "I hope he's right."
Perry said he expects state legislators in the 2007 session to work together to address more funding for the state's 1,800 volunteer fire departments, who "a lot of times have to go hand to mouth to get the equipment and get the training" they need.
"Lord knows, this is a great example of why it needs to be done, and it needs to be done in a thoughtful, long-range way," he said.
Wildfires started racing across the plains northeast of Amarillo on Sunday, with at least one blamed on downed power lines. Officials said an estimated 10,000 horses and cattle have died in the blazes.
Statewide, fires have consumed almost 5 million acres and nearly 400 homes during the past three months, Perry said.
Perry submitted a disaster relief request in December when fires first broke out and will update the request to cover the latest counties affected by blazes.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs met with her federal counterparts earlier this week in Washington, D.C., requesting federal help and funding for farmers and ranchers. She also sent a letter to the Texas congressional delegation requesting reimbursement for livestock owners for losses, including feed and feed transportation costs because of the loss of grazing pasture.
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=local&id=4001466
(03/17/06 -- DURHAM) - Durham firefighters stayed busy through the wee hours of Friday morning, battling at least brush fires.
Two fires, one near Interstate 85 and Glen School Road and another near Redwood Road, may have been started intentionally, investigators say.
Orange County firefighters say a cigarette may have sparked a blaze near New Hope Elementary School on Thursday.
Firefighters are hoping to get a break from some of the wildfire activity over the last few days.
Colorado senators push to protect funds
http://durangoherald.com/asp-bin/printable_article_generation.asp?article_path=/news/06/news060317_2.htm
March 17, 2006
By Jesse Harlan Alderman | Herald Staff Writer
As they push for wildfire funding on Capitol Hill, two Colorado senators also inched forward a measure to restore President Bush's cuts to a program that compensates counties, like La Plata, with large tracts of public land.
U.S. Sens. Ken Salazar, D-Denver, and Wayne Allard, R-Loveland, offered an amendment that would fund the Payment In Lieu Taxes (PILT) program at $350 million. On Thursday, the amendment passed the Senate.
"For us in Colorado counties like San Juan, Hinsdale and a number of counties on the Western Slope, they are owned 90 to 95 percent by the federal government," Ken Salazar said in a conference call with reporters. "Without PILT they simply can't function as governments."
Bush proposed an earmark of $198 million for PILT for 2007, a reduction of $34.5 million from last year.
The cut in PILT payments stands to hurt smaller counties such as neighboring San Juan more than La Plata with its relatively large property-tax base. If the slash stands, La Plata County would face a $90,000 dent in its $70 million budget.
Last year, La Plata County received $551,500 in PILT money to bolster $17.8 million in property-tax revenue,
Nobody pays taxes on the San Juan National Forest, Mesa Verde National Park or local Bureau of Land Management grounds. The lack of taxes on those lands leaves San Juan, like many Colorado counties, scraping for PILT payments to help pay police salaries, pave roads and provide a host of services.
The proposed Bush cuts could cost Colorado $2 million, according to an estimate provided by the office of U.S. Rep. John Salazar, D-Manassa.
When the House debates the budget, John Salazar plans to push a bill he introduced earlier in the session that would annually assign money from the U.S. Treasury to the PILT program.
The move would bypass Congress and its political whims. Last year, Ken Salazar backed a similar bill in the Senate, but both pieces of legislation are stalled.
"(The bill) is to fully fund PILT," said Nayyera Haq, a spokeswoman for John Salazar, "so we don't have to keep bringing it up as line item each year."
jalderman@durangoherald.com
Yes, please ping me to your new threads, or as you post news.
Thank you for thinking of me.
Your thread is excellent, it is good to be able to see it all in one place, as my old computer does not like the sites with charts, photos and other good things.........
I will also post alerts on the World Terrorism thread, as we have quite a few lurkers there, as the counter has been showing.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1550424/posts?q=1&&page=4101
Thank you for your excellent information.
And thank you, too!
He said the federal government made "very substantial promises" about reimbursements for help the state provided after Hurricane Katrina but "has not lived up to its word." That concerns him as Texas needs help with wildfires, he said.
I bet if the Bush ranch was threatened by fire, something would get done PRONTO!
You might want to take a look at this:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1595272/posts?page=98#98
I don't know all the details, but I suspect that some of this isn't Bush's fault directly. Some of it will be just getting through administrative channels. For instance, the center that handles some government payments lost half of its workforce, and the rest have 90+ percent with damaged homes, which means payments are creeping...
Some of it's related to government outsourcing (A/K/A competitive sourcing,) which although popular, is sometimes costing us tapayers more than having the government do some things themselves, and often interferes with efficency, since the people who knew how to do things have had their positions eliminated, and have been replaced by contractors who don't know up from down.
Some of it is FEMA not doing contracts in advance like the fire people do. Preparing makes things work better.
Some of it is funding. And that often is the fault of congress critters.
Life in the 21st century.
Some good news out of Shamrock (the TX one, not the OK one) this fine day:
~~~~
http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/state/14125880.htm
Posted on Fri, Mar. 17, 2006
After dodging wildfires, town celebrates St. Patrick's Day
ANGELA K. BROWN
Associated Press
SHAMROCK, Texas - After a hectic week dodging two wildfires and housing more than 200 evacuees of communities threatened by blazes, this small Panhandle town kicked off its 60th St. Patrick's Day celebration Friday.
Folks in the 2,000-resident town strung green and white streamers from downtown awnings and placed leprechaun cutouts in windows. Merchants were selling everything covered in four-leaf clovers - from teddy bears to boxer shorts - as well as Irish stew and green lemonade, but no green beer. Shamrock, alas, is in a dry county.
More than 10,000 people were expected to attend the weekend festival that includes a parade, antique car show, motorcycle show, rodeo, carnival and "lad and lassie" beauty pageant.
Since hundreds of firefighters arrived in the region to help battle blazes that scorched more than 840,000 acres, killed 11 people and scores of cattle since Sunday, Shamrock leaders decided to offer them a free meal at the Friday night banquet.
"Shamrock has a whole different air about it, almost like when people have the Christmas spirit," said Mary Dion, who owns Shamrock Rose clothing store downtown, where the sidewalks are dotted with permanently painted shamrocks. "When it's St. Patrick's Day there's a loving spirit here. And this will take people's minds off their problems. Everybody's lost something. If it isn't feed, it's a field."
A mixture of rain and sleet fell across several Panhandle counties Friday, and the National Weather Service predicted wet conditions would continue through the weekend. But the Texas Forest Service said lightning caused at least two new small fires in Carson County on Friday morning.
A third small fire caused part of Interstate 40 in Carson County to be shut down in both directions for half an hour Friday afternoon, and traffic was rerouted.
Texas Forest Service spokesman Warren Bielenberg said firefighters continued putting out hot spots Friday in the three major Panhandle blazes - a 350,000-acre fire in several counties near Interstate 40, a 40,000-acre fire near Childress and a 450,000-acre fire stretching from Borger to Canadian. All three were 95 percent contained.
Earlier this week, one raging fire came within 5 miles of Shamrock, which is about 20 miles west of the Oklahoma border. Another smaller fire came within a few blocks, said City Manager Johnny Rhodes.
As fires threatened neighboring towns, some nursing home residents and others were evacuated to Shamrock. They slept Sunday night in the community center, where the St. Patrick's Day banquet, dance and motorcycle rally were to be held. But they soon returned to their homes.
"We said, `It's going on, no matter what,'" Rhodes said. "We may have moved (the festival), but we wouldn't have canceled it."
The event has been held annually since the 1940s except a couple of years during World War II in the town that got its name in the 1890s from an Irish immigrant who wanted to honor his home country, according to locals. The town along old Route 66 also has a piece of the Blarney stone from Ireland in its park.
Treva Whitson of Sayre, Okla., brought her 11-year-old granddaughter, Trisha O'Quinn, to Shamrock on Friday because of the girl's Irish heritage.
"So far I like it, and it's fun to see the Irish stuff," said O'Quinn, who wore a green wig made of green tinsel and who had drawn a shamrock on her cheek with eyeliner.
~~~~
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