Tanker Base Weekend Staffing

Airtanker base staffing for this weekend:

Saturday:
Mid-state / Hazleton:  UNSTAFFED

Sunday:
Mid-state / Hazleton: UNSTAFFED

Two SEATs are stationed at each base.
T3 Helicopters on station at Somerset and Wellsboro.
T2 Helicopter on station at Penn Forest.

*A reminder, on Sunday 4/26/2020 both Hazleton A and Mid-State A contracts will be finished and we will have one SEAT at each base until the end of the season, as well as the two T3 Helicopters and the T2 Helicopter.

Air Tanker History

Today firefighters on the ground work with aerial firefighters to help extinguish wildfires across the world. The pilots drop a mixture of water and fire retardant onto the fires. But, having a good tool to help extinguish fires didn’t happen overnight.

As early as 1930 Forest Service firefighters were flying over fires delivering water to the crews on the ground. In 1930, a Ford Tri-Motor airplane made the first water drop using a wooden beer keg filled with water. This turned out to be more of a hazard to the firefighters on the ground than originally thought. But, the proper combination of procedures and personnel wasn’t yet discovered.

The world’s first practical fire bomber was a 1939 Boeing Stearman 75 that had been converted into a crop duster. Willows Flying Service, a California Agricultural Applicator cut a hole into the fabric belly of the plane and fitted the hopper with a hatch that opened when the pilot pulled a rope. This would release 170 gallons of water.

On August 12, 1955, the first free-flowing water airdrop from an airplane onto a fire was made during the Mendenhall Fire (Mendocino National Forest). The pilot, Vance Nolta, dropped 6 loads of water to support the firefighters. While there had been a few test drops on controlled grass fires, this was the first time a real forest fire had been at least partially quenched by free-fall water.

In 1956 six Navy surplus biplane trainers (N3Ns) were bought by Willows and turned into firebombers. With these additions, Willows had a fleet that they used throughout California to respond to local fire departments and the forest service.

However, it soon became apparent that water alone was not going to work since hotter fires evaporated the water before it could do what it needed to do. Because of this, personnel created another solution – they mixed sodium calcium borate with water. Adding the chemical made evaporation a slower process. The planes then became known as “Borate Bombers,” and even though better processes were later developed, the planes were stuck with the name for quite some time.

In January of 1954 a multi-agency brainstorming session dubbed “Operation Firestop” was started after a bad fire season in California left 14,000 acres burned and 14 firemen dead. Operation Firestop’s agenda also included discussions about techniques for dropping water or chemicals on fires.

Testing for Operation Firestop began at the Marine Corps Base in Camp Pendleton where they had thousands of acres at their disposal for tests. They made drops over the canyons in Pendleton that were laced with wires and anemometers and other testing equipment. Each of these drops was analyzed for dispersal, wind drift, effectiveness, and other criteria.

Operation Firestop ended in 1954 and is responsible for aerial firefighting tools and techniques that have evolved over the years and we still use to this day.

Hazleton Tanker Base Weekend Staffing

Airtanker base staffing for this weekend:

Saturday:

Mid-state / Hazleton:  UNSTAFFED

Sunday:

Mid-state / Hazleton: STAFFED

Two SEATs are stationed at each base.

T3 Helicopters on station at Somerset and Wellsboro.

T2 Helicopter on station at Penn Forest.

Remember, we are available for all your fire needs!
Who ya gonna call?
Air Tankers!

Wildland Urban Interface Month – Defensible Space

April is wildland urban interface (WUI) month, during the month we would like to take the time to help create and sustain a fire-adapted community that may lie within the WUI.

First, let’s discuss just what the WUI is. The wildland urban interface is an area where human-made structures and infrastructures (cell towers, water supply facilities, etc.) are in or next to areas prone to wildfire. Some people may think that we don’t have a WUI problem here in PA or that WUI fires only occur in the western states…but let’s throw some statistics out there:

·         More than 46 million residences in 70,000 communities in the US are at risk for WUI fires (U.S. Department of Homeland Security).

·         The WUI area continues to grow by approximately two million acres per year (U.S. Department of Homeland Security).

·         States with the greatest number of houses in the WUI (U.S. Forest Service):

1.       California

2.       Texas

3.       Florida

4.       North Carolina

5.       Pennsylvania

This week we would like to focus on helping you create what’s called defensible space. A defensible space is an area around a building in which vegetation, debris and other types of combustible fuels have been treated, cleared, or reduced to slow the spread of fire to and from the building. You can determine the Fire Severity Zone of an area by looking at simple factors like local vegetation, weather, and topography, knowing your fire severity zone will help determine the most effective design of your defensible space.

A defensible space is one of the most cost-effective ways to protect a building from a wildfire – and often can be created by the landowner themselves.

The simplest things you can do are trim branches that overhang your home, porch, and deck. Keep plants, trees, and branches at least 5 feet from your home.

You should also clear leaves and branches from roofs, gutters, porches, and decks. Remove dead plants, leaves, and branches at least 10 feet from your home.

Landscape vegetation can be just as combustible as wildland vegetation (grass, brush, and timber). If you are concerned about whether your plants are combustible, there are several characteristics that combustible vegetation has:

·         Volatile resins and oils (generally aromatic when crushed)

·         Narrow leaves or long thin needles

·         Waxy or fuzzy leaves

·         Accumulation of dead leaves or twigs on or under the plant (I clean out my yucca plants every year because they accumulate all these things naturally)

·         Loose or papery bark

General guidance for creating your defensible space is that you assess both the horizontal and vertical aspects of vegetation – to prevent horizontal spread of wildfire thin shrubs and trees so the crowns do not intersect and there is space between the individual shrubs/trees; for vertical spread prevention keep the lowest tree branches pruned and trimmed to maintain vertical separation from tops of shrubs and grass to the lowest tree branches.

There are three concentric zones around a building: Zone 1 will require the most need for fuel modification, and is within 30 feet of the home, Zone 2 is from 30-100 feet from the home – ideally, you should keep your woodpiles within this zone., and Zone 3 is anything further than 100 feet from your home. If you are in a higher Fire Severity Zone your circles should be larger – consult your local or the state fire agency for assistance in determining this.

Some final thoughts you should consider are consulting local or state fire agencies or a qualified fire management specialist about codes, requirements and standards related to defensible space; as well as planting low-maintenance plants when sprucing up your landscape:

·         Drought-resistant

·         Pest-resistant

·         Native to the area

·         Noninvasive

·         Slow-growing

·         Wind-resistant

·         Sustainable without supplemental fertilization

Keep in mind that vegetation modification must be performed in compliance with local, state, and federal environmental regulations.

For further details about what needs to be done within the zones in your defensible space please click here.

Mid-Atlantic Compact Training Academy

Good morning all,

It is unfortunate but we have yet another training related announcement for you, this time in regards to the Mid-Atlantic Compact Training Academy. The following is the announcement we received:

"As a result of the ongoing concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic, the MAIFFPC Executive Committee has determined that the safest option for our personnel, cooperators and students will be to cancel our upcoming Mid-Atlantic Compact Training Academy, which was scheduled to be held in June, on the campus of Garrett College. We do apologize for this change in plans, and we will be working to refund all of the participant registration fees over the course of the next 30 days.

The Academy Planning Committee suggests that firefighters who are in urgent need of classes that were canceled, keep watch on the National Wildland Fire Learning Portal for training opportunities that are offered as travel restrictions are lifted. The Wildland Fire Learning Portal is located at: https://wildlandfirelearningportal.net/.

Stay well,
/s/ Robert A. Hartlove
Training Coordinator, MAIFFPC
Robert_Hartlove@firenet.gov"

What is FireIce?

The fire-retardant Hazleton and Mid State uses is a medium-term retardant gel, FireIce HVO-F (high visibility orange – fugitive). It is the most visible and effective aerially dropped fire chemical available on the market, and it is the only fire chemical that can be used as both a suppressant and retardant. Millions of gallons have been dropped by firefighting agencies in North America.

FireIce HVO-F allows air attack to make decisions on which tactics would work best in real-time. Using this in direct attack on the head or flank of the fire can immediately cool and prevent spreading, to use it for indirect attack: building line, protecting structures, and reinforcing natural fire breaks.

FireIce HVO-F can have line effectiveness of 2 up to 12 hours. The colorant is also timed with the effectiveness of the product if it can’t be seen from the air it is safe to assume that it is no longer effective. It has also been proven to be visible in all fuel types from timber to fine fuels.

Something I have been asked several times when talking about what I do is “how safe is the retardant you use?” FireIce HVO-F is environmentally friendly and is safe to use around sensitive aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The ingredients used break down naturally in the environment over time and with exposure to UV. It is also phosphate and ammonia-free.

It cleans up easily with water but may stain some porous surfaces (*looks out at mix tank and stones*). It also is non-corrosive and won’t break down our pumps or harm the air tankers.

To review the MSDS sheet for FireIce HCV-F click here. For more detailed information about FireIce and Gel Tech Solutions click here.

2020 Pennsylvania Wildland Fire Academy

It is unfortunate that we have to make this announcement in regards to our annual academy, but due to COVID-19 virus concerns Lock Haven University has been forced to cancel all on-campus events through the end of summer. As a result, the 2020 Pennsylvania Wildland Fire Academy has been canceled.

This means that there will be no basic firefighter training offered and will, unfortunately, prevent any person new to the program this year from participating in the Wildland Fire Crew for 2020.

Hopefully, 2021 will bring a return to normalcy and with that the high-quality training opportunities you have come to expect and deserve. Thank you to all for your interest in this valuable and respected program.

The Division looks forward to continued support from all crew members, whether veteran or new prospects, as the program moves forward. Contact Mike Becker with any questions, problems, or concerns you may have. 

Tanker Base Update

Good afternoon!

Hazleton's Contract B Tanker 874 landed Wednesday, April 1, safe and sound ready to gear up for our fire season. He comes on to contract tomorrow and will be available for your firefighting needs.

While our nest is full, Mid-State won't have its second plane until next Saturday 4/11.

Even though the weather and wind looked mighty grim yesterday, we were able to send Helicopter 3HA to a fire in District 17 where he dropped 4 buckets of water to assist in extinguishing the flames.

Both Hazleton and Mid-State will be staffing all weekend, enjoy your weekend, stay safe and remember we are here.