Wildland Fire Updates

Good morning everyone! We have a few updates for you, including some first-time news. Pull up a chair and a nice beverage and stay a minute as we fill you in.

 

Our first crew, Keystone, returned home Sunday (7/25/2021) around noon, and since they are home we can share with you this wonderful group photo that was taken while they were working on the Delta Lake Fire in the Superior National Forest.

"2-minutes, 20-seconds is all the time Division Supervisor, Steve Cameron had on the Delta Lake Fire to get these amazing crew photos before the air tanker turned around, scooped more water, and flew overhead! Yesterday, afternoon fuel moisture levels dropped and interior pockets of unburned fuel started to torch out, resulting in firefighters being pulled off the line as a safety precaution. Three tankers and two helicopters hit the fire hard to cool things off so crews could get back to the fireline." - U.S. Forest Service - Superior National Forest Facebook post (July 16, 2021).

 

Yesterday (7/26/2021) Independence mobilized at the Red Lion Hotel to get ready to leave this morning (7/27/2021) for Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. While they don't have a specific assignment yet, we expect them to get further reporting instructions en route.

 

Liberty has sent us some photos and updates to share with you.

In the above photos the crew is working on the Black Mountain Fire, 2 of the squads were assigned to replace bridge decking for fire access. The other squad was brushing the road. That day was a red flag day, so everyone was ready for initial attack. Everyone was doing well and they were being treated well. The crew was staying each night in dorms and eating meals at a local University.

In this photo, the crew was at the Black Mountain Fire, Dillon, MT. This was the end-of-shift debrief for July 23, 2021.

And now for something completely different!

The Bureau of Forestry's Type 3 Incident Management Team was requested and mobilized for a fire suppression assignment out of state for the first time. The request came directly from the state of Idaho. There are 11 resources in the team, and they are a mix of DCNR personnel and volunteers from across Pennsylvania. They departed Friday, July 23 for Coeur d'Alene, Idaho with the Command Trailer in tow. Yesterday (7/26/2021) while they were en route, they received instruction to report to the Snake River Complex. The Snake River Complex consists of three wildfires that merged together. The Shovel Creek, Captain John Creek, and Hoover Ridge fires, which were all started by lightning and discovered the morning of July 7, 2021, on the Idaho Department of Lands Craig Mountain Forest Protective District. These fires are in steep terrain and approximately 20-miles south of Lewiston, Idaho just past the Waha area in the Craig Mountains.

The IMT will be managing a Type III incident while on assignment. The knowledge and training that this team has are some of the major things that make this possible; they have experience in their roles from other assignments and they have National Wildfire Coordinating Group standard level training. 

The future for the IMT looks bright; if there is a need and we are able to fill it, we plan to be there to help out.

Wildland Fire Crew Updates

Saturday July 17, the wildland fire crew Liberty was mobilized to assist with wildfire suppression efforts in Montana. After a short delay due to storms Saturday night preventing them from getting necessary gear, they left Sunday (7/18/2021) morning a little later than anticipated, but ready to rock and roll. While they do not have a specific assignment yet, we anticipate them getting an assignment en route because of the wildfire activity out west. The Keystone Crew is still assigned to the Delta Lake Fire, Superior National Forest, Boundary Waters, Minnesota. The crew members have provided some more photos for all of you to see! Please enjoy!

"Creating a corduroy bridge across a green finger." A cordurory bridge is made out of small pole size trees to cross a wet area. A green finger is a portion of land that hasn't burned.

Engaging in mop-up operations.

Keystone Crew Update

The Keystone Crew has been assigned to the Delta Lake Fire in the Superior National Forest, Boundary Waters, Minnesota. They've sent some pictures home to share with everyone. Enjoy! According to a cew member they were creating saw line, parking and brushing roads on the Delta Lake fire.

Keystone Crew Mobilization

The Division of Forest Fire Protection mobilized one Type 2 Initial Attack crew of twenty wildland firefighters yesterday (7-7-2021) from Harrisburg to Boise, Idaho. The crew consists of a mix of DCNR personnel and volunteers Forest Districts 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 Keystone is the first crew of the year. Much like last year, the crew will be driving rental vehicles from Harrisburg to Boise. This year, following crews will be mobilizied to travel via flights to pick up the rental vehicles that this crew took out. The crew left early this morning (7-8-2021). While they have no specific fire assignment yet, with the large wildfires burning in several western states, we expect the crew will receive further reporting instructions while they are travelling to Boise. Several individuals have been mobilized in single resource positions. We have also supplied one Type 6 wildland fire engine with four personnel to assist the state of Montana DNRC in Lewistown, Montana. They departed Harrisburg last night (7-7-2021).

Engine Operator speaking with the media about assignments and what is expected.

Keystone Crew waiting for their crew boss meeting.

Pennsylvania Fire.

Crew members getting weighed in. The crew members needed to remain under a certain weight to meet standards.

Crew weigh in.

Trucks staged to leave this morning.

Trucks staged to leave this morning.

Crew rolling out this morning.