85th Anniversary of the Pepper Hill Fire

Today is the 85^th Anniversary of the Pepper Hill Fire in the Elk State Forest here in Pennsylvania where 7 enrollees from the Civilian Conservation Corps and a forestry foreman lost their lives. The remaining crew was severely burned.

“In all, the fire claimed eight lives: Gilbert Mahoney 38, Ridgeway, was the first to perish; Basil Bogush, 19, Conemaugh, John Boring, 19, Johnstown, Howard May, 18, Erie, and Andrew Stefphanic, 18, Twin Rocks, all died in the fire. Ross Hollobaugh, 18, Rimersburg, died the next day in Renovo; Stephen Jacofsky, 17, Johnstown died the next day at St. Marys Hospital; George Vogel, hometown unknown, died November 2, in Renovo” (Overview of the Pepper Hill Fire of 1938).

Let’s take a moment to consider the conditions that led to this fire. Some of you may or may not already know that most of north-central Pennsylvania had been heavily logged from 1890-1930, this meant that by 1938 much of that area was very young second-growth hardwoods, shrubs, and leftover logging slash. Keeping this in mind, 1938 was an unusually hot, dry summer followed by a killing frost on October 7. That frost caused the foliage to cure and precipitation over the previous three months was significantly below normal, meanwhile, temperatures had persisted in the 80s with the average relative humidity sitting at 20-25% (National Wildfire Coordinating Group).

I’m going to pull directly from the NWCG 6 Minutes for Safety “This Day in Wildland Fire History” for the base summary of what happened that day:

“At 1110 on October 19, 1938, the Hunts Run Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) Camp #S-132 was notified of a possible forest fire. Upon investigation, several fires were located on Pepper Hill Mountain. Two CCC crews were dispatched to the fires. Both crews had just returned from a fire only hours before, and many enrollees requested to stay behind due to fatigue. All enrollees were ordered to go. The two CCC crews began initial attack from both flanks of the fire, anchoring into a nearby road. Both crews began constructing line from the heel of the fire to the top, burning out as needed.  For reasons which are still not clear, crew #2 was ordered to abandon their firing operation on the right flank and proceed to the head of the fire to construct direct downhill line. The crew was ¾ of the way up Pepper Hill Mountain when the fire below made a rapid run that overtook them. A few were able to find safety atop large nearby rocks.”

How the story unfolds is best told by one of the survivors, Pete Damico. Here is his story from the files of the Historical Society:

"It was the morning of October 19, 1938. The torrid sun relentlessly beat down its wave of heat and light, literally scorching the forests about Sinnamahoning, as if intentionally igniting the spark of destruction that was to follow. We had returned a few hours earlier from fighting a small forest fire and were getting a brief rest. At noon the fire gong once again sounded through-out the camp. We jumped out of bed, back into denims and rushed to the mess-hall for dinner, before going to the "fire-front." Following a hurried lunch, I placed a fire tank on my back, and with eighteen other fellows was off on the greatest adventure of my life. Little did we dream of the tragedy that lurked on Pepper Hill Mountain. Arriving at the ‘front’ we began cleaning a path at the foot of the mountain. After progressing about fifty feet and starting a back fire, we were ordered to go to the head of the fire and work downhill. About three-fourths of the way to the top, nine of us fellows (the others had gone ahead) stopped to take a rest; one of the lads biting into a sandwich he had hidden in his shirt. Looking back he screamed, dropped his sandwich and then fainted. Waves upon waves of red and yellow flames, only a hundred feet away, were eating their way to the top of Pepper Hill --- ready in a few seconds to devour us. Instantly the picture of the back fire we had ignited at the foot of the hill flashed through my mind; it has jumped the path and, driven by a fresh wind, had taken to the trees and madly charged toward us. To run ahead of the flames was futile; they would easily catch us. On the three remaining sides the red headless monster leaped and laughed as they threw heavenward showers of sparks and clouds of smoke and came fatally closer. SMOKE! SPARKS! FLAMES! FLESH! I dropped my tank shut my eyes, mumbled a short prayer and ran directly into the face of the back fire. In semi-daze I dragged my weary feet and burned body until completely fatigued; scorched and parched with thirst, I fell exhausted at the foot of a tree. A long time later, it seemed like eternity, I regained consciousness, hearing one of my buddies screaming at the top of his voice, as though his lungs were about to 5 Photo Courtesy of Dan LeCrone, PA DCNR burst, lying only five feet away from me. He was terribly burned; I could scarcely recognize him. A hundred feet away another of the crew was lying on the ground, his face buried in the earth. The fire was dying. With my two companions we began trudging back to the road. After several short steps, one, whose clothing was entirely burned off him, dropped naked and exhausted. Could we carry him? Help him? We tried, but his listless body weighted tons. After a few attempts we had no alternative but to attempt to get through ourselves. Reaching the road, I frantically quenched my thirst with water from the kegs carried on the truck. With a passing motorist we rode to the Bucktail Veterans Camp and then, minutes later, was raced in an ambulance to the Renovo Hospital. After three weeks in Renovo, I was moved to the Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D. C. where I was a patient for two months. Receiving my discharge, I went back to the Hunts Run Camp and was on quarters for the following month. A few weeks later, still bearing scars on both hands and legs, I was transferred to Camp S-125, Elimsport, PA, to attend the Central Shop School, where I am at present. Of that fire crew of nine men, six perished in the flames, one lived one day, another two weeks--- only I was fortunate enough to survive the disaster. Never does a day pass that I fail to thank Providence for my extremely good fortune --- to have seen death face to face and lived.”

 From Left to Right: Basil Bogush and Andy Richnafsky. Andy survived the fire and attended the 70th Anniversary of the Pepper Hill Fire.

From Left to Right: Mr. Klees, Newspaper Employee; Charles Baer, District Forester during the Pepper Hill fire; General Paul Malone, Commanding Officer of the 3rd Army Corps; Unidentified Army Personnel. Both photos are Courtesy of the Cameron County Historical Society

On March 15, 1939, disciplinary action for the staff of the Hunts Run CCC Camp was recommended after deliberation following the investigation of the events at the Pepper Hill Fire. Two of them received 30 days leave without pay, one was demoted from superintendent to foreman and the last was dismissed altogether. This direction came directly from the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture at the time.

Now, I’d like to add some discussion points from the NWCG website for you to consider, by yourself or with your crew, etc. You are also welcome to answer them in the comments to spark discussion here.

Training – Most of the enrollees received little or no formal training.  They were expected to learn what to do on the job.

• Most of us will work with new firefighters who have little or no experience. It is not reasonable or safe to assume they will learn everything on the fireline. How will your crew prepare new members for success?

Fatigue – Many of the enrollees assigned to the Pepper Hill Fire had just returned to camp from other fires at 0530 that morning.

• Though we now have work/rest guidelines to help prevent fatigue, a long fire season can still take its toll on even the fittest firefighter. What signs might we see in our crew members that could indicate fatigue?
• What impact can fatigue have on your crew, and what can you do to lessen the associated risks?

Tactics – The original plan to use the road as an anchor point seems sound, but poor choices were made on the right flank when the crew moved to the head and abandoned their burnout.

• Without aviation support, would your crew engage this fire? If so, how?
• Though not a sound decision at Pepper Hill, describe conditions where, while ensuring safety, attacking the head of a fire could be a viable tactic.

Crew Cohesion – The CCC Enrollees had not worked many fires together.  On their way up the hill, they became separated due to differences in physical ability.  There were no indications that their crew leader gave them any direction during this critical time.

• No firefighter intends to get into a bad situation. We all train to avoid them, but what if? How would you and your crew manage the safety of all firefighters if faced with a similar situation? 

Fire Prevention Week: Smokey Bear

Many of you may know the story of Smokey Bear, but we’d like to take a little bit of time to post Smokey’s story during prevention week because let’s face it – Smokey is THE prevention icon. So, without further ado, right from Smokey’s website, his story:

“Smokey Bear was born on August 9, 1944, when the USDA Forest Service and the Ad Council agreed that a fictional bear named Smokey would be their symbol for forest fire prevention.

Artist Albert Staehle was asked to paint the first poster of Smokey Bear. It showed Smokey pouring a bucket of water on a campfire and saying, “Care will prevent 9 out of 10 fires.” Smokey Bear soon became very popular, and his image appeared on a lot of forest fire prevention materials. In 1947 his slogan became the familiar “Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires!”, which was later updated to be “Only YOU Can Prevent Wildfires!”

Then in the spring of 1950, in the Capitan Mountains of New Mexico, a young bear cub found himself caught in a burning forest. He climbed a tree to survive, but he was still badly burned. The firefighters who retrieved him were so moved by his bravery, that they named him Smokey.

News about this real bear named Smokey spread across the nation, and he was soon given a new home at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. As the living symbol of Smokey Bear, he played an important role in spreading messages of wildfire prevention and forest conservation. Smokey died in 1976 and was returned to Capitan, New Mexico, where he is buried at the State Historical Park, now called Smokey Bear Historical Park.”

Even though Smokey has brown fur in all his portrayals, he is in fact a black bear weighing over 300 pounds. When he was born, he only weighed about as much as a loaf of bread (1.5 pounds). He’s even been to outer space.

Did you know that you can write Smokey a letter? He even has his own zip code! Here’s his address:

Smokey Bear

Washington, D.C. 20252

He also has a Twitter (X) handle: @smokey_bear

Fire Prevention Week: Defensible Space

We’ve talked about the proper precautions and preparations to take while debris burning, so let’s take a look at how to prepare your home for wildfires. For today we will go over some simple steps, if you want to go more in-depth, please refer to our series on the Home Ignition Zone please click here for the first installment.

Keep flammable objects at least 30 feet away from the house, especially lawnmowers (or similar equipment), gas and oil cans (this includes propane tanks), and wood piles. If you have toys and lawn furniture near the house, move them 30 feet away during times of wildfire activity.

Next, take the time to clean roofs, gutters, decks, and patios clear of leaf litter, pine needles, or any other flammable debris. Remember we have a spring AND fall fire season here in Pennsylvania, so on top of spring cleaning keep those fresh falling leaves caught up with.

I love a good flower bed as much as the next person, but here are some tips to make them a little more safe. Keep the vegetation a minimum of 5 feet from your home, and in that space use nonflammable material such as rocks (pick a pretty color, we won’t judge). Keep any dead vegetation and litter cleaned out of your flower beds and landscaped areas.

Next, look up and around, and remove any branches from trees or shrubs that overhang within 10 feet of your house, roof, or chimney.

Keep lawns watered and mowed. If you don’t water your lawn due to water conservation or no need to, make sure you keep debris cleared within 30 feet of your home.

Now, to prevent crown fires and torching, trim branches off of trees up to 10 feet high. This eliminates ladder fuels that would allow fires to reach treetops.

Install 1/8-inch metal screens over vents and under decks to prevent embers from getting in, it would be beneficial to install them over gutters as well.

You can also Go to Firewise.org or LivingWithFire.info to learn more about how to prepare your home for wildfire.

Fire Prevention Week: Resilient Forests

“Wildfires are unplanned fires that burn in forests and other wildlands, such as shrub or grass communities. Preventing and fighting unwanted fires begins with understanding the science of how they start, and why they continue to be such a big problem. Why has the number of acres burned remained so high over the last few years?

Many factors are involved in the increase in the number and size of wildfires:

• Increased complexity of implementing fire suppression, especially with the increased residential development in the wildland urban interface (WUI).

• Increased complexity of implementing fuels treatment programs has resulted in hazardous accumulations of forest and rangeland debris, and fuels such as fallen leaves, branches, excessive plant overgrowth, ladder fuels, and dead vegetation. “Ladder fuels” are positioned so that fire can spread from low to medium to high vegetation (for example from grass to bushes to trees). On a single tree, the fire can spread from ground level branches to mid branches and eventually to the crowns (tops) of the trees.

• Climate change is producing drier and hotter weather patterns and longer 'fire seasons.'

Overcrowded stands and drought patterns result in cyclical insect and disease outbreaks, which create large areas of dead and dying wood” (Fire Science | Smokey Bear).

One goal of fire mitigation is to create resilient forests, or rather bring back resilient forests. These healthy, thriving ecosystems are less vulnerable to extreme wildfires (the ones that ruin watersheds, destroy wildlife habitat, and even risk lives), and they are able to adapt to climate change, invasive species and insect infestations.

If we humans collectively have done one thing too well, it’s been keeping fire out of our wildlands. The result of this is to leave forests and grasslands just packed with flammable fuels.

A strategy to restore these resilient forests includes thinning crowded forests and implementing prescribed fire. This is being utilized by the US Forest Service and their partners on two to three million acres each year.

“Assessments of more than 1,400 fuel treatments since 2006 have shown that they are effective in reducing both the cost and damage from wildfires. In certain locations, when conditions are right, we will even manage naturally caused wildfires to perform their natural role in controlling fuel buildup, rejuvenating vegetation, and restoring ecosystems that benefit from fire. Thinning, prescribed fires, and managing naturally caused wildfires to achieve natural resource management objectives can help prevent extreme wildfires with minimal impacts to air quality while smoke from extreme wildfires may pose significant risks to public health and safety” (US Forest Service).

To read a brief article about the success of having thinned fuels in an area before a wildfire click here.

According to the Fire Defenders Blog, fire is so important for the health of many ecosystems that it is sometimes referred to as a keystone process. Like a keystone species, a keystone process has a disproportionate influence on an ecosystem and removing such a process dramatically changes an ecosystem’s ability to remain healthy and diverse. Restoring natural fire regimes is necessary for long-term sustainable management that protects both humans and wildlife, to read more about fire as a keystone process click here.

 

 

Fire Prevention Week: Debris Burning Safety

Welcome back for day two of Fire Prevention Week! Today we would like to take the time to discuss the primary cause of wildfires here in Pennsylvania: Debris Burning. As of September 28, 2023, there have been 862 wildfires caused by debris burning in 2023, burning a total of 1,089 acres across the Commonwealth.

Last year across the nation, 87% of the 68,988 wildfires reported were caused by humans and those fires burned more than 3 million acres (according to nifc.gov).

With that, let's take some time to learn how to properly burn debris.

The first and most important step is to check the current and future conditions. Don’t burn when it’s windy or vegetation is dry. Wind can easily carry embers or burning pieces of light debris to a new area, and if that area is dry, it can create a spot fire that can spread.

So, you’ve decided that conditions are right to burn, the next thing you should do is check your local regulations, as well as make sure there are no burn bans in place (contacting your local fire department should be your first route for that). Some local municipalities may even require you to have a permit to burn your debris.

Okay, you’re all clear on weather and regulation-wise, now take a look at what you are planning to burn. You can burn dry, natural vegetation grown on your property – unless it’s prohibited by local ordinances. Household trash, plastic, and tires are not good to burn and can be illegal in some areas.

Let’s combine steps four and five while we pick a location to burn. Look up and look around. Choose a safe site away from powerlines, overhanging limbs, buildings, vehicles, and equipment. A general rule of thumb is that you need at least three times the vertical height of your pile in vertical clearance. For at least ten feet around your pile, the site should be down to gravel or mineral soil. Keep the surroundings watered down and always have a shovel within reach.

Always keep your piles small and manageable. Add more debris as the previous debris burns down.

Now a moment to talk specifically about burn barrels: make sure it’s made entirely of metal and has at least three evenly spaced, three-inch vents, as well as a metal screen placed on top (this is to help reduce embers and pieces of debris flying away).

Another very important step: always stay with your fire until it is COMPLETELY out. Drown the fire with water, turn over the ashes with that shovel you keep handy, then drown it again. Repeat this process several times.

Finally, remember to take the time to check the burn area regularly over the next several days, or even a couple of weeks after the burn – especially if the weather becomes warm, dry, and windy.

Fire Prevention Week 2023 - Introduction

Hello again everyone! This week may look a little different for those of you who have been following us for some time, if you’re just joining us – welcome, let’s try something new together!

“Since 1922, the NFPA has sponsored the public observance of Fire Prevention Week. In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed Fire Prevention Week a national observance, making it the longest-running public health observance in our country. During Fire Prevention Week, children, adults, and teachers learn how to stay safe in case of a fire. Firefighters provide lifesaving public education in an effort to drastically decrease casualties caused by fires. Fire Prevention Week is observed each year during the week of October 9th in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871, and caused devastating damage. This horrific conflagration killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures, and burned more than 2,000 acres of land.” – National Fire Protection Association website, which also includes this neat little video on the history of the Great Chicago Fire (click that link if you want to give it a watch).

This week is Fire Prevention Week, and we would like to participate – with our own spin on things wildfire related. This year the National Fire Protection Association’s campaign is “Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire prevention.” Which focuses on educating folks about simple, important actions they can take while cooking to keep themselves and other safe. Obviously, we are a wildfire blog, so our posts will look different than what is on their website. However, if you’re interested in the cooking campaign, feel free to click here.

You might recall from one of our earlier posts that Pennsylvania has a bimodal fire season – well, we are starting into our second fire season here in the fall. So, let’s take the time this week to learn about how we can prevent unwanted wildfires and how fire can be an important part of maintaining diverse and healthy ecosystems.

Naturally over time litter collects on the forest floor, this can be a hinderance to the germination of many plants because the seeds can’t reach the mineral soil. Meanwhile new shrubs and seedlings begin to grow. As these get bigger, they obscure natural sunlight and can choke other species that aren’t adapted to shade tolerance.

Now, one of two things can be done here: a prescribed fire can be implemented under the supervision of experts, or it’s left alone.

What would that prescribed fire do in this ecosystem? Before excessive litter builds up a low-intensity burn occurs, removing all that litter and exposes the soil just enough for those seeds to germinate and grow. After the burn certain fire-dependent vegetation thrives, competition is reduced, destructive insects and diseases are controlled, and the build up of excessive fuels is eliminated.

Now, let’s rewind that tape and remove the prescribed fire. What happens then? More and more time passes without fire, resulting in a build up of excessive fuels on the forest floor, trees and shrubs grow larger – vistas close making the forest denser and darker. This makes it so fewer new species can prosper, creating a monoculture. Then when an unplanned fire finally occurs (this could be from a lightning strike or a careless individual) it finds enough fuel to turn into an intense, raging wildfire that can quickly get out of control. The aftermath of this kind of fire can be quite severe because more often than not a forest and all of its organic materials are completely incinerated, leaving very little behind. While the forest will eventually regenerate, but it could take years or even decades depending on the intensity of the fire that burned through. 

Fire-Adapted Ecosystems

Across the nation there are several different types of ecosystems that are fire-adapted – they depend on periodic fires. Fires promote plant and wildlife diversity as well as burning away the amassed live and dead plant material. We will obviously focus on the ones in Pennsylvania, but here are the types in other regions of the United States:

• Ponderosa Pine (Northwest and Intermountain West)
• Chaparral (Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of the Rocky Mountains)
• Lodgepole Pine Communities (Rocky Mountains)
• Boreal Forest and Tundra (Alaska)
• Midwest Prairie (Nebraska, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, and the Ohio Valley)
• Jack Pine Communities (Great Lakes Region)
• Southern Pine Communities (Texas east to Florida and north to Maryland)

There are two ecosystems in Pennsylvania:

Pitch Pine Barrens

Range for the Pitch Pine, which can have the pitch pine barrens ecosystem

This ecosystem is pretty common in the northeastern states, especially in areas with sandy soils, on average natural fires will occur in the barrens every 6-25 years. One characteristic of these fires is that they tend to be severe crown fires that are pushed by the wind from treetop to treetop. The main species that makes up this ecosystem is the Pitch Pine, which has this thick bark that protects it from heat and makes it so it can sprout back after a fire. These trees also reproduce with serotinous cones, which are cones that are opened by fire. The barrens are often home to many different rare plants, insects, turtles, and frogs – some of which require fire to shape their habitat or to be able to survive the competition from other animals. If there are extended periods of time where there are no fires in the barrens, large amounts of dead wood and pine needles can accumulate making the next fire possibly too severe for the pines and other organisms to survive.

Oak-Hickory Forests

Bet you can’t walk outside without seeing an oak tree in Pennsylvania (or at least the eastern half)! That’s because this is one of the most common ecosystems in Pennsylvania, as well as West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and many, many other states. Natural fires tend to occur in Oak-Hickory forests every 25 years or less. Native Americans burned some of these forests regularly, possibly even every year or two. Like Pitch Pine, most of our oaks have thick bark which allows them to survive surface fires – plus oaks and hickories both sprout from the base of the trunk after a fire burns through the area. Fires in this ecosystem remove shade and deep litter packs on the forest floor, which creates some of the best conditions for these trees to reproduce. You see, oaks and hickories are shade intolerant (they won’t grow well is shady conditions) so if they are in an area where the forest doesn’t burn for a long time, they could easily be overtopped by more shade-tolerant species.

Take time to remember that when fires burn at the appropriate intervals for their ecosystems it can trigger the rebirth of forests, eventually helping to maintain our native plant life.

“Fire managers can reintroduce fire into fire-dependent ecosystems with prescribed fire. Under specific, controlled conditions, the beneficial effects of natural fire can be recreated, fuel buildup can be reduced, and we can prevent the catastrophic losses of uncontrolled, unwanted wildfire.

Regardless of the benefits of occasional natural fires under specific conditions, remember Smokey's ABCs: Always Be Careful with Fire. Smokey wants you to be responsible when you use fire. It is still wrong and irresponsible to play with matches, throw lighted cigarettes away, or use equipment without proper spark arrestors, or leave any kind of fire unattended.”

Some of the other ecosystems are pretty interesting to read about, but since they don’t apply to Pennsylvania, we won’t be including them here. However, if you want to read more please feel free to click here to go to the Smokey Bear website and learn more!

The Big Blow Up of 1910

Hello, hello! Today we would like to talk about an event that is viewed as a pivotal moment in fire management (as well as Forest Service) history – the “Big Blow Up” (August 20-21, 1910). While this wasn’t in Pennsylvania, it was still an event that really shaped the wildland fire program in general.

Friend or foe?

Instrument of destruction or renewal?

Natural cycle or unwelcome force?

Over our history, the perception of wildfire here in America has swung from one extreme to another. Before the settlers came, the Indigenous people used fire, intentionally, to their benefit. Fire helped them manage wildlife habitats and with their agriculture among many of the typical uses. These fires, along with the naturally occurring ones, helped further control the fuel loading in the forest and helped fire-adapted ecosystems thrive. Of course, as the country became more settled, the folks living in those settlements began to see fire as a threat to homes, livelihoods, and lives – thus fire needed to be tamed (much like the West).

A drought-filled year already, 1910 was set to be a devastating year. In August hundreds of small fires were burning across the Northern Rockies of Idaho and Montana and the Forest Service had deployed 4000 troops to supplement the thousands of civilian firefighters already fighting these fires. August 20 brought hurricane-force winds into the virgin forest area, as they blasted through embers, and low flames were impelled into an inferno no one was prepared for. As Forester Edward Stahl described the flames that were, “fanned by a tornado wind so violent that the flames flattened out ahead, swooping to earth in great darting curves, truly a veritable red demon from hell.”

In just a few hours the fires became firestorms and trees became “exploding candles.” More trees were sucked up from the ground – roots and all – and were basically flying torches. Fireballs were reported to leap canyons half a mile wide, while entire mountainsides ignited in what seemed to be an instant.

During the two days that the great blow-up roared, more than 3 million acres burned, and enough timber was killed to fill a freight train 2,400 miles long (less than 10 percent of that was salvaged) – yes, in just two DAYS, not over a course of two WEEKS or two MONTHS. By noon on the twenty-first, daylight was dark as far north as Saskatoon, Canada, as far south as Denver, and as far east as Watertown, New York. Smoke reached New England, soot floated to Greenland, small communities were demolished, and more than 85 lives were lost. This event left lasting opinions about how forests and wildfires should be managed.

According to the National Forest Foundation “Fire suppression policy reached its extreme in 1935 with the 10 a.m. rule—mandating that any fire spotted in a given day must be controlled by 10 o’clock the following morning.” This policy was, effective, however, the extreme suppression of fires led to a large build-up of dried-out fuels and more dense but less diverse forests. All of this makes for a perfect place for a catastrophic blaze to take place. “Add in a changing climate—with longer, hotter, drier summers—and it’s clear that the “fight at all costs” approach to wildfire couldn’t be sustained” (National Forest Foundation).

“Recent decades have seen some of the worst fire seasons on record and astronomical firefighting budgets, but also a more tempered attitude about dealing with fire. In the early 1990s, Forest Service Chief Jack Ward Thomas backed away from the blanket fire suppression strategy, declaring that some fires should be fought, but others allowed to burn. “Fire is neither good nor bad,” Thomas said. “It just is” (National Forest Foundation).

This is why we have things like prescribed burning (to help safely reduce the number of fuels, and control invasive species while encouraging new native growth), community engagement to help homes be more fire-wise (both within the home and outside the home), and why we keep learning more through fire science.

“Humans are a uniquely fire creature on a uniquely fire planet, so fire has a lot to say about the character of each,” Stephen Pyne said in a 1994 interview. “Fire history shows people—humanity at large—facing questions and making choices about who they are and how they should behave."

~~~~

There are more stories and more detailed information about the Big Blow Up on the National Forest Foundation’s website (click here if you want to read more), but I want to pull this excerpt from Edward C. Pulaski and include it here:

Excerpts courtesy of U.S. Forest Service Northern Region Archives

Edward C. Pulaski

Forest ranger, Coeur d’Alene National Forest

Note: Edward Pulaski earned legend status during the blowup of 1910 when he led his men to safety and held them there in an abandoned mine shaft while the fire passed. Today, many will recognize his name in association with the axe-like “Pulaski” tool he invented for digging and chopping—often used on fire lines.

The whole world seemed to us men back in those mountains to be aflame. Many thought that it really was the end of the world. Under such conditions, it would have been worse than foolhardy to attempt to fight the fires. It was a case of saving our lives. I got on my horse and went where I could, gathering men. Most of them were unfamiliar with the country, and I knew that if they ever got out they would have to be led out … I finally collected forty-five men … Had it not been for my familiarity with the mountain trails, we would never have come out alive, for we were completely surrounded by raging, whipping fire.

My only hope was to reach an old mine tunnel which I knew to be not far from us.

Photo of the mouth of the tunnel, taken in 1910.

We raced for it. On the way, one man was killed by a falling tree. We reached the mine just in time, for we were hardly in when the fire swept over our trail.

The men were in a panic of fear, some crying, some praying. Many of them soon became unconscious from the terrible heat, smoke, and fire gas. The wet blankets actually caught fire and I had to replace them with others soaked in water. But I, too, finally sank down unconscious. I do not know how long I was in this condition, but it must have been for hours. I remember hearing a man say, “Come outside, boys, the boss is dead.” I replied, “Like hell he is.”

We counted our number. Five were missing … As the air outside became clearer, we gained strength and finally were able to stagger to our feet and start toward Wallace. When walking failed us, we crawled on hands and knees.

How we got down I hardly know. We were in terrible condition, all of us hurt or burned. I was blind and my hands were burned from trying to keep the fire out of the mine. Our shoes were burned off our feet and our clothing was in parched rags … My experience left me with poor eyes, weak lungs, and throat; but, thank God, I am not now blind."

~~~~

There are plenty of photos that accompany this event, here is a link to a gallery that has quite a few. Click here for that.

There is also a trail in the Idaho Panhandle National Forest near Wallace, Idaho that takes you along Pulaski’s route to save his men, where you can get a view of the tunnel where they hunkered down. Click here for an AllTrails synopsis and map of the trail.

 

 

Crew Photo - Independence

A quick little interjection to your day - We have a photo from the Independence crew while they were on the Smith River Complex, Division SS. They were working in steep terrain putting in saw cuts and handlines. 

Enjoy!

The One Where the Engine Crew Helped Save the Day

I specifically want to apologize for the delay in updates, I have been away at training with limited time to gather all the information and put it out there. SO! Without any further delay here is what is currently going on with the PA Fire Program:

Both Keystone and Liberty crews are home, while Independence is on assignment at the Smith River Complex in California. Two Type 6 Engines are currently on assignment in Texas.

Now, we have some photos as well as a little short storytime! Engine 603 was able to assist in saving a house from a wildfire! Straight from the crew:

"At 1430 on 8/25 a local volunteer fire department from Woodville was toned out to a woods fire on county road 3065 off Highway 69. The fire was reported at 5 acres burning in a 5-year-old plantation. Soon after the task force, we were dispatched to the fire. We showed up, along with two D5 dozers with plows, in 603. The initial attack for us was a grass fire pushing towards some structures. We knocked that down along with another brush truck from Woodville VFD. After that one of our dozers was requested for a farm-to-market structure on road 3120. We could see the fire pushing towards that structure from the field we were in so we went and tied on with our dozer and with another volunteer brush truck and a volunteer pumper truck (which is an engine with 1000 gallons and deck gun) we were able to assist in knocking down the fire as it approached the structure and moved through his yard. Yeah, we didn’t save the day alone. But definitely contributed to the effort. But the crew did a phenomenal job on that fire. We had several assignments over a 2-3 hour period and then continued with mop up till 2200 that evening."

Wildland Fire Crew Updates

The most recent update for our wildland fire crews as of 8/11/2023:

1. PA-PAS Keystone (21 Personnel): This resource is presently assigned to the Ridge Fire. The crew has been actively involved in both Division A and Division B, engaging in preparatory work for planned burnout and direct handline operations. The CRWB (Crew Boss) reports high morale among the crew, which is conducting a large number of chainsaw operations. You can find more details about the Ridge Fire here: Ridge Fire Information.

1. E-603 (4 Personnel): Currently stationed in Woodville, Texas, this resource forms part of an IA (Initial Attack) task force. The team has responded to several fires since its arrival. The ENGB (Engine Boss) remarked on the prevailing hot and dry conditions, which are projected to persist in the coming weeks.

1. PA-PAS Liberty (21 Personnel): Recently arrived at the Northwest Land Office in Kalispell, Montana, this resource is also set to join an IA task force for the time being.

We also received some photos from both of our crews for you to view!

Keystone:

Liberty:

"I thought I'd pass along a few pics of the crew mopping up and felling snags on the Woodward Fire, near Swan Lake, MT."

Pennsylvania Fire Seasons

We’d like to take the time to discuss something that you may, or may not, already know about Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania has what is called a bimodal fire season – this means that we have two separate fire seasons. A common thought is that fire season is summertime, and this could be attributed to all the coverage of fires in the Western part of our nation – which occur mainly in the summer.

Our nation has several different times for fire seasons. Fire season characteristics are driven by seasonal and continental-scale weather patterns, their movement, and variation. Seasonal air mass and jet stream changes affect various regions at different times and in different ways. In Pennsylvania, our problem times are in the spring (March through May) and fall (October through November), the Great Lakes, Northeast and Southeast all have similar patterns – unlike the rest of the nation having a “summer” fire season. However, our Spring season can extend well into summer if the jet stream remains active and brings windy/dry events that are preceded by dry conditions of two weeks or more. Much like what we saw at the end of Spring into early Summer.

We have previously discussed why the Spring is our primary fire season, with a flare up again in the fall. But just as a refresher, or if this is your first visit here, we will touch on it again. The typical pattern experienced east of the Rockies is a frequent occurrence of dry, or nearly dry, cold frontal passages over a somewhat long timeframe. This is the main mean of drying for our fuels, especially in the winter/early spring and fall. Why? Because we have deciduous trees here in good ol’ PA and they drop their leaves, allowing for a big open canopy. This means the sun can heat up the forest floor much easier than in the late spring and summer, along with limited shelter from the wind. The saving grace lies in how much snowpack we had over the winter. If we had a decent amount, all the litter and duff will be compacted and harder to dry out. On the flip side if we have a winter like we just did, where we had very little snow, the litter will still be all fluffy and easy to dry out. Thankfully, the front patterns are less likely to occur in the summer here, plus our trees are nice and green – keeping those canopies shaded.

This year we saw two large, difficult fires: the largest to note was the Crystal Lake fire that started on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, and was 100% contained on Sunday, April 16, 2023. That incident happened near Mountain Top, Luzerne County in the Pinchot State Forest. The Crystal Lake fire burned 4319 acres and did result in a temporary closure of the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Northeast Extension. The Crystal Lake fire was caused by incendiary devices. There was also the Pool Hollow fire, near Sandy Ridge, Centre County which burned 1,445 acres. That fire started Thursday, April 20, 2023, and was 100% contained on Saturday, April 22, 2023. Pool Hollow was started due to equipment use.

Photo Credit: Pete Zoschg

Crystal Lake, District 11 (Pinchot) near Mountain Top Pa.

Photo Credit: Jeremy Hamilton

Pool Hollow, District 9 (Moshannon) near Sandy Ridge.

Wildland Fire Crew Update 8/8/2023

Good morning!

We have a slew of updates at once because things moved quite fast between last Wednesday (8/2/2023) and yesterday (8/7/2023) morning.

1. PA-PAS - Keystone (21 Personnel): We gathered the crew members at the Red Lion Hotel on 8/2/2023 later in the evening where they overnighted to leave in rental vehicles to their first destination on 8/3/2023.This crew was en route to a request from the Northern Rockies Geographic Area Coordination Center (GACC), as of 8/4/2023. Upon reaching Wyoming, they received new orders to report to the Ridge fire in Montana.
2. E-603 (4 Personnel): This engine was dispatched Friday (8/4/2023) and is heading toward Conroe, TX. 
3. PA-PAS - Liberty: We had been contacted by Montana requesting a Type 2 IA Crew, and although we did not have one posted, we did have enough personnel available to fill this request. The crew was gathered at the Red Lion Hotel on 8/6/2021 where they overnighted to leave 8/7/2023 in rental vehicles. They should recieve a new order when they get closer to their destination.
4. In total, we have 19 single resources deployed in 7 different states. The majority of these resources (16) were deployed earlier this week.

Statewide Drought Watch

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 15, 2023

Map included

 

MEDIA CONTACT: Deb Klenotic, dklenotic@pa.gov

 

DEP Declares Statewide Drought Watch, Recommends Voluntary Water Conservation

 

Harrisburg, PA – Following a meeting of the Commonwealth Drought Task Force this week, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has declared a statewide drought watch. While not required, residents and businesses are encouraged to voluntarily conserve water by reducing their nonessential water use.

 

“Although this week has brought some welcome rain to much of the state, it's not enough to make up for the lack of rainfall this spring, following a winter that brought little snowfall in many areas,” said DEP Acting Secretary Rich Negrin. “As a result, we're seeing lowered stream flows, dropping groundwater levels, and persistent precipitation deficits. Water conservation, always a good practice, is especially helpful now as it'll lessen potential future impacts on water supplies if rainfall continues to be scant this summer.”

 

Residents and businesses are encouraged to reduce their nonessential water use by 5–10 percent. For example, at home there are many simple ways to use less water: 

 

• Run the dishwasher and washing machine less often, and only with full loads.
• Don’t let the faucet run while brushing your teeth or shaving. Take shorter showers. For example, consider not washing your hair daily. 
• Water your lawn only if necessary. Avoid watering on windy and hot days. Watering grass lightly and efficiently will encourage healthier, deeper grass roots. Overwatering is wasteful, encourages fungal growth and disease, and results in shallow, compacted root systems that are more susceptible to drought.
• When mowing your lawn, set the blades 2-3 inches high. Longer grass shades the soil, improving moisture retention. 
• Water your garden less often. If necessary, water only in the cooler evening or morning hours, and direct the water to the ground at the base of the plant. Focus on new plantings, which have shallow root systems. Older plants may endure dry conditions longer.
• Skip the car washing. If you have to wash your car, it's better environmentally to go to a drive-through car wash that recycles the water.
• Sweep your sidewalk, deck, or driveway, instead of hosing it off.
• Check for and repair household leaks. For example, a leaking toilet can waste up to 200 gallons of water daily. 
• Set up a rain barrel to be ready to repurpose rain when it does fall. For helpful information, see this Penn State Extension guide. Or just set out a bucket to capture water in the event of rain, and reuse it to water plants or the bird bath.

 

For more tips for residents as well as fact sheets on how businesses such as lawn care services, landscapers, hotels, and restaurants can reduce water use, see the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Drought and WaterSense web page.

 

At this time, 18 public water suppliers are asking for voluntary water conservation in their communities. For a map of daily drought status and a weekly list of public water suppliers that are requesting or requiring water use reduction, see the DEP drought web page.  DEP is notifying all water suppliers of the need to monitor their supplies and to update their drought contingency plans as necessary. 

 

The Department of Agriculture encourages farm operations to plan to help protect their viability.  

 

“Risks and volatility in farming are weather-related more than in any other business,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “Pennsylvania’s beneficial natural average rainfall has been upended by weather extremes and unpredictability in recent years. This year is no exception, with more than 90 percent of the topsoil across the state either short or very short in moisture content in the past week. 

 

“It’s critical for farmers, orchard owners and other producers to keep track of losses, and take advantage of federal crop insurance to help recoup those losses and state conservation funding and business planning grants to protect their soil, diversify their operations, and cushion against future weather-related losses. Planning cannot change the weather, but it can help farm businesses manage the risks that come with it.”

 

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) urges Pennsylvanians to be aware of increased fire risk.

 

Low precipitation has dramatically increased the number of wildfires in Pennsylvania this year. There have already been 1,400 wildfires reported statewide so far in 2023, compared to 1,036 in all of 2022. This year’s wildfires have burned more than 8,500 acres, compared to 2,700 acres in 2022. 

 

“We’ve had an unprecedented year for wildfires in the Commonwealth, and we encourage all Pennsylvanians to act responsibly to prevent wildfires as dry conditions persist,” DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said. “Pennsylvania wildfires pose a threat to public health because of the smoke they create. Though significantly smaller than the 10-million-acre wildfires in Canada, Pennsylvania wildfires still create the same hazardous air conditions in the areas impacted.”

 

DCNR reminds Pennsylvanians that 99 percent of wildfires are caused by people. DCNR is encouraging residents to understand the factors that increase the risk of wildfires, including an available fuel source, such as dried grass or leaves; dry conditions, including low relative humidity; and an ignition source to start the fire, such as sparks from an automobile, machine exhaust, or burning trash. 

 

Visit DCNR’s website for more information on wildfire danger, maps, forecasts, and tips on reducing wildfire risks.

 

Drought watch, warning, and emergency status declarations aren’t based on one indicator alone, such as precipitation. DEP assesses information provided by public water suppliers and data on four hydrologic indicators: precipitation, surface water (stream and river) flow, groundwater level, and soil moisture. 

 

DEP monitors the indicators in close partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), which maintains gages in streams and wells in many locations across Pennsylvania. 

 

There are normal ranges for all four indicators. DEP makes drought status recommendations after assessing departures from these ranges and comparing this information to historical data. 

 

For a map that’s updated daily to show the status of each indicator for each county, see the USGS Pennsylvania drought condition monitoring website.

 

DEP provides data and recommendations to the state and federal agencies and other organizations that make up the Commonwealth Drought Task Force. Drought watch and warning declarations are determined by DEP, with the concurrence of the task force. 

 

Drought emergency declarations follow the same process, with final approval by the Governor.  No county is in drought warning or emergency status at this time.

 

For more information on how DEP monitors conditions and makes drought status declarations, see the DEP drought management fact sheet.

 

The next Commonwealth Drought Task Force meeting is scheduled for July 6. Dates of upcoming meetings are posted on the DEP drought web page. 

 

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