Fire

[Wildland_Firefighter]

Interesting article. Now, it mentioned that fires in the SE usually don't get very large, which got me thinking (and if this is the wrong spot for this, i apologize-I don't want to be "that guy"). This would be because of the differing fuel types between the SE and the Western US, correct? Also, the amount of fires in the WUI is probably greater in the SE as opposed to fires from natural causes, such as lightning? As an aside, I'm working towards my FFT2, but I don't remember this being covered in the classes that I've taken thus far. Thanks in advance guys.

There can be large fars here in the SE..typically where I am in Southeast Georgia. We had the biggest fire in Georgia and Floridas history in 2007. But we have more pine plantations. Most up yalls way is leaves..

Out west you can run into sage that burns hot and manzaneta and other brush then you have lodgepole, pines, and firs..which are pretty resiny.

down here we have pines, gallberry, kudzu, palmettos, and other brush.

Western fire season can start real early, according to snow fall and rain fall and can even go into late fall until snow/rain.

SE fires can be year round since lots of the area doesnt get snow. its according to the rainfall. Though we classify fire season in the SE around Fall to Spring. Summers are humid and get the thunderstorms. Though we have had several bad fires even when the humidity is up..especially when our brush and pines have lots of flammable resins rising in spring and summer.

Humans are the #1 cause of wildfires followed by natural ooooccurances(lightning).

Weve had several lightning fires this year.

 

[atpchas]

More on fires in the southeast from the NASA Earth Observatory:
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=89195

 

[northmanlogging]

dumb question...

what do you professional folks use to keep the fire tanks from freezing, if anything.

can't be toxic of course, and I don't like the idea of salt, I sometimes use my fire tank to clean equipment as well, so it can't be corrosive either...

 

[Wildland_Firefighter]

dumb question...

what do you professional folks use to keep the fire tanks from freezing, if anything.

can't be toxic of course, and I don't like the idea of salt, I sometimes use my fire tank to clean equipment as well, so it can't be corrosive either...

Drain the tank or keep inside a building to lessen cracked pipes.

Thats what we do with our engines.

 

[northmanlogging]

tanks drianed now, pump too.

I'm thinkin cause I might need this on a job durring freezing weather, (not like often, but still).

 

[Wildland_Firefighter]

tanks drianed now, pump too.

I'm thinkin cause I might need this on a job durring freezing weather, (not like often, but still).

Its easier and cheaper to refill with water than to buy a new pump or pipes and replace them.

I know its a pain though but its the only way we've done it. Other places might use something else.

You could fill up a tank real quick with a hydrant or a deep well with a good pump (that has its pipes insulated).

 

[madhatte]

Tank drained, pumps and valves filled with non-toxic RV antifreeze. We still lose the occasional ball valve due to water trapped in the flat between ball and valve body.

 

[northmanlogging]

thats right they put that RV stuff in the drinkin water... have to look into that.

 

[madhatte]

W'd probably use the cheap old ethylene glycol but for the fact that the hazmat folks are in the same office as us and it's kind of important to keep the peace.

 

[Cfaller]

I usually use compressed air to blow all the valves and piping out. A screw compressor flowing 100+ cfm works wonders on slip on units.

 

[2dogs]

RV anti-freeze is what we use for all the summer camp pipes and toilets when there will be even a little water left.

 

[madhatte]

Stuff seems to work pretty well. Just gotta be careful to recirc everything and cycle everything open and shut to prevent water entrapment in the spaces between things. It's hard to not crack at least one thing every year.

 

[northmanlogging]

pump has a pretty good drain, suction hose is detached and drained.

Only one valve and that is on the tank, I'm mostly concerned about having water available, rather then a large 3000# block of ice, and if I do decide to use it, not destroying every living thing in the splash zone.

 

[atpchas]

More from The NASA Earth Observatory:
People Cause Most U.S. Wildfires
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=89757

 

[atpchas]

And more:
Abundant Snowpack Blankets the Sierra Nevada
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=89738

 

[Scablands]

And more:
Abundant Snowpack Blankets the Sierra Nevada
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=89738

This is one of my favorite reports: https://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/data/water/wcs/gis/maps/wa_swepctnormal_update.pdf

Washington is looking good this year. We should be well over 100% of normal here with the snow pounding down here tonight.

Here is a directory of all snowpack reports. They are usually updated daily.

https://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/data/water/wcs/gis/maps/

Map of the entire west: https://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/data/water/wcs/gis/maps/west_swepctnormal_update.pdf

And the fire crews might be busy in Alaska this year...
https://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/data/water/wcs/gis/maps/ak_swepctnormal_update.pdf

 

[Wildland_Firefighter]

We're going to be busy down here in the SE more than likely.

 

[TN woodcutter]

@Wildland_Firefighter Could be, but we've gotten tons of rain here lately. The only thing we've had is a few 3-5 acre fires, and all pretty easy to knock down. Is it pretty dry down there in Georgia?

 

[Wildland_Firefighter]

@Wildland_Firefighter Could be, but we've gotten tons of rain here lately. The only thing we've had is a few 3-5 acre fires, and all pretty easy to knock down. Is it pretty dry down there in Georgia?

We've been getting rain here and there but the thing is trees and plants are now taking up water and then farmers will start turning on their irrigation pivots thus ground water will get low quickly.

You can go a week without rain and have a sunny day with some winds on days to dry out fuels even more..and youll have big fires.

On a sunny warm day its estimated an inch or more of ground saturation will dry up.

 

[2dogs]

I went up to a friend's house in the mountains today and I was surprised to see offender crews burning off a hill side. There wasn't much fire, anything down is still wet from the winter rains. It looked like they were raking everything into piles to get some heat. Both crews were in brand new nomex, very bright orange. It won't be for long.

My son Cody has a full time permanent job with benefits at the university (a 5 minute drive from home) so we didn't sign up as fallers this season with Cal Fire or USFS.