New wildfire fighting tool unveiled in Southern California

VIDEO: A new water tank to help fight fires from the air was unveiled in San Marcos Tuesday. Helicopters with capabilities to drop water onto fires aerially are one of the most crucial firefighting tools. The New HeloPod can be filled with 5,000 gallons of water in under three minutes. Then, a helicopter can fill its tank through its “snorkel” while hovering above, in about one minute. “Aerial assets are key in wildland firefighting, and having this is going to be key to the success here in San Diego County,” Jon Hegge, CalFire Division Chief said. The Vallecitos Water District, CalFire, San Marcos Fire Department and the City of San Marcos have been working together on this project for the last four years.
KSWB-TV FOX 5 San Diego

Arizona researchers use NASA satellites and tagged trees to help prevent wildfires

VIDEO: Coconino County is home to the largest ponderosa pine forest in the world, so monitoring what impacts these trees’ health can help the state determine how to fix it. Researchers from Northern Arizona’s Ecosystem Science Innovation Lab measured, chipped and drilled a small device into ponderosa pines in Flagstaff. Lab associate director Amy Wolkowinsky said the device tracks how trees respond to stress. “Tag key species with field instruments like dendrometers which measure the amount of shrinkage and expansion in a tree overnight over the course of a day, over the course of time, and that is one way we can evaluate tree stress,” Wolkowinsky said. The lab received funding from the state to conduct these surveys in forests across Arizona. Wolkowinsky said the overall goal is reducing wildfire risk.
KTVK-TV CBS 3 & KPHO-TV CBS 5 Phoenix (AZ Family)

As Wildfire Awareness Month arrives, Oregon Department of Forestry reminds that 70% of blazes are started by people

May is Wildfire Awareness Month. Oregon experiences its heaviest wildfire activity during the summer months, but fires occur all seasons of the year, including spring. Keep Oregon Green, in partnership with federal, state, tribal and local fire agencies, will be spreading the word about the steps we all can take to prevent the start of careless, unwanted wildfires this summer, and encouraging Oregonians to create defensible space around homes and outbuildings. Each year, over 70% of Oregon’s wildfires are started by people. Many are a result of escaped debris burn piles or gas-powered equipment and vehicles casting sparks or catching fire. During the 2023 fire season, the Oregon Department of Forestry reported that people were directly responsible for sparking 823 wildfires that burned 6,197 acres.
KTVZ-TV NBC/CW+ 21 Bend

Burning operations planned on military training lands in Alaska to reduce wildfire threat

Starting as early as Thursday, May 2, the Bureau of Land Management Alaska Fire Service (BLM AFS), in coordination with the U.S. Army Garrison Alaska, will implement prescribed fires in several live-fire ranges of the Yukon Training Area near Eielson Air Force Base and the Fort Wainwright Small Arms Complex south of Fairbanks. The prescribed burning may continue through May 31, as weather conditions allow. Prescribed burns are fires that are intentionally set under controlled conditions to remove dry and dead grass and lower the risk of wildfires that could impact nearby communities, resources and facilities. Executing these burns in the springtime, amidst milder conditions, ensures optimal control and minimizes adverse effects like smoke.
Alaska Wildland Fire Information

Intense 61-acre mulch fire contained in Florida

Firefighters have contained a 61-acre mulch fire in Indiantown. Martin County Fire Rescue (MCFR) said the calls came in just after 3 p.m. on Monday. Concerned callers reported seeing large amounts of smoke in the area of Fox Brown Road. Photos taken at the site, show the plumes of smoke from the blaze. The fire, which initially covered only 5 acres, grew into a 61-acre fire in the evening, MCFR said. Multiple units worked together to contain the spread. MCFR said the State Forestry crews would be taking over the firefighting efforts with local units remaining on standby if needed. Before the end of the day, the Florida Forest Service said the fire has been 100% contained. Motorists traveling in the area were advised to use caution and drive slowly as visibility was reduced due to smoke.
WTVX-TV CW 34 Fort Pierce

Fire in Utah grows to 22 acres

PHOTOS: A fire burning near the Oak Grove Campground spread from 5 to 22 acres over the course of a few hours on Monday. The fire was reportedly started after an all-terrain vehicle caught fire on the side of the road in the Dixie National Forest a short distance below the Oak Grove Campground, Hurricane Valley Fire District Battalion Chief Tyler Ames told St. George News. It was reported at approximately 3:40 p.m., according to WildCAD-E, a computer-aided dispatch system. And as of approximately 6:30 p.m., it had grown to 22 acres. “It’s not under control yet,” Ames said, adding that “there’s a lot of resources, and they’re getting a pretty good handle on it.”
St. George News

Scientists look at Hawaii fire to better predict Colorado wildfires

VIDEO: When the Marshall Fire swept through Boulder County, no one could have predicted its path of destruction, but researchers are working to develop tools that can. Timothy Juliano is a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder. Juliano and his team are studying a different fire to better understand what could happen here in Colorado. "We focused on the Lahaina fire which happened in Hawaii," Juliano said. Using advanced computer models, the researchers were able to simulate the wildfire that devastated the town of Lahaina. They replicated how the intense winds there whipped up a brushfire and drove flames into populated areas. "We learned that, first of all, downslope wind storms are really destructive," said Juliano.
KUSA-TV NBC 9 Denver

Idaho Governor declares May Wildfire Awareness Month

Idaho’s Wildfire Awareness Month Proclamation was made official by Governor Brad Little minutes before the ignition of a wildfire demonstration. The burn featured a side-by-side look at fire behavior and showed the importance of immediate defensible space, comparing a fire-ready vs. not fire-ready structure. The signing took place as part of the Idaho Department of Insurance Wildfire Risk Forum April 29 at the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise, Idaho. “The unprecedented growth of the wildland-urban interface has elevated the need for coordinated education concerning how, where, and why wildfires burn as well as collaborative efforts to increase survivability of homes and property,” Governor Little said.
Big Country News Connection