Field Observer

Welcome back! Our planes are all gone for the season and we are gearing up for out of state deployments for 2021. This provides another opportunity to tell you about one of the different positions available to our firefighters. Field Observer (FOBS) is a position that is useful both on wildfires and on prescribed fires, much like a FEMO. The Field Observer is responsible for collecting incident status information from observations at the incident and passing it on to the Situation Unit Leader, Division Supervisor, and other fire resources as needed. The information may include things like fire perimeter location, onsite weather, fire behavior, fuel conditions, and fire effects information. They collect this information to assess firefighter safety and whether the fire is achieving incident objectives. The FOBS will report occurrences such as structures lost or damaged, accidents or sicknesses. Like a FEMO they can be used to obtain, record, and monitor weather and fire behavior data. They are also trained to be able to recognize atmospheric conditions that affect fire behavior. Something else you can utilize a FOBS for is smoke conditions. They can help identify possible smoke sensitive areas such as roads, communities, schools, hospitals and more; as well as monitoring and recording smoke impacts and notify the appropriate personnel. They can also recon the assigned area, plot fire perimeters on a map, and assist in preparing maps for use in the Situation Unit, Incident Command Post, and Incident Action Plan to ensure accuracy. We have many positions available for our wildland firefighters to qualify in, there is so much more to a wildland fire deployment so stick around to learn more!

Fire Effects Monitor (FEMO)

Did you know that we have Wildland Fire Crew personnel who are qualified as Fire Effects Monitors? They are referred to as FEMOs and are quite useful on both wildland fires and prescribed fires. A FEMO collects information about an incident from their own personal observations at the incident itself. Some information they collect could be fire perimeter, the weather on site, the fire behavior, fuel conditions, smoke and other information needed to measure firefighter safety and whether established incident objectives and requirements are being achieved. While many may know FEMOs as people who sling weather, they can be utilized so much more! They can collect the appropriate samples of fuel, soil, and vegetation for a moisture analysis. This can be useful so that you know what your fuels are doing. They are trained to be able to recognize atmospheric conditions that affect fire behavior – this can give you a heads up to get people to safety if needed. Along with this, they can monitor and record fire behavior data throughout the operation. A FEMO can also plot a fire’s progression on a map and record estimates of things like rate of spread, flame length and general fire behavior. This would be useful to generate a plan of attack or to have alternate plans ready. They can also monitor ongoing ignitions (this includes burnout or backfiring) and note any fire behavior characteristics, as well as monitor and record smoke dispersion and air quality information. Don’t be afraid to utilize a FEMO for more than just the weather! They are very versatile personnel.

Load Options

 There are several load options when it comes to Aerial Firefighting and all have their own benefits: suppressant, long-term fire retardant, water enhancers, and water. A suppressant is an agent, like water or foam, that is used to extinguish the fire by applying it directly to the burning fuel. A retardant is a substance or chemical agent which reduces the flammability of combustibles. Water enhancers contain ingredients that alter the physical characteristics of water to increase its effectiveness. Water is just plain old high-quality H2O.

One of the more popular forms of suppressant is Class A Foam Suppression. With foam for wildfire suppressants, there are four types: foam solution, wet foam, fluid foam, and dry foam. There are three components to this: foam concentrate, water, and air. This extinguishes fire by cooling and smothering the flames. This increases the effectiveness and extends the useful life of water. It provides a short-term fire barrier and can help reduce suppression and mop-up time. It’s also relatively easy to use and can be seen from the air.

Class A Foam being used on a wildfire.

Long-term retardants contain retardant salts – which are typically agricultural fertilizers. This ingredient alters the way a fire burns, decreases the intensity, and slows the advance of the fire – even after the water evaporates. The main brand of fire retardant is Phos-Chek, there are three different types of Phos-Chek: dry concentrate, wet concentrate, and pretreatment. They may be colored with iron oxide (remains visible until weathering removes it), fugitive pigments (visible for several weeks until sunlight causes it to fade or weathering) or be uncolored. Retardant provides cooling, smothering, and insulating.

Phos-Chek being used on a wildfire.

Water enhancers rely primarily on the water it contains for firefighting. They contain polymers or other thickeners to improve performance by aiding in adherence to fuels, build up a thick protective wet layer and minimize drift during aerial applications. These products are a concentrate that is mixed with water and could be uncolored or colored. Some brands of water enhancers are Barricade, Thermo-Gel, Firewall, Blazetamer, Phos-Chek, EarthClean, and FireIce. We use FireIce HVO-F at both tanker bases in Pennsylvania.

BlazeTamer being used on a wildfire.

Before we move on to water, let’s talk about FireIce HVO-F. HVO-F is High Visibility Orange – Fugitive. This colorant makes it the most visible fire chemical used in aerial applications. It can also be used as both a suppressant and a retardant. There is also a certain type of polymer in FireIce HVO-F that gives it the effectiveness of 2 hours to almost 12 hours. The colorant also pulls double duty as an indicator of the usefulness of the product once it is on the ground. If it can no longer be seen from the air, then it is considered no longer effective. “FireIce HVO-F is environmentally friendly and is safe to use around sensitive aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems” (GelTech Solutions). The polymers and additives break down naturally over time and with UV exposure.

FireIce being used on a wildfire.

While water’s effectiveness is short-lived it is still an effective tool to use in firefighting. Here in Pennsylvania, we have Helicopters with Bambi Buckets which dip into a water source and then drop around fires. Fun fact: Bambi Buckets were used in 2011 to cool nuclear reactors in Japan after damage from a tsunami (CTV News).

Speaking of helicopters; there are some options when it comes to helicopters and their drops as well. You aren’t limited to just water. We can use FireIce with our helicopters here in Pennsylvania. For this application, we use FireIce 561, which has no colorant and is still a viable option for areas with sensitive ecosystems. For this, we mix the FireIce 561 the same way as the HVO-F and dispense it into a large dip tank for the helicopter to dip out of.

Aircraft Use

 

Within Pennsylvania, we use two different types of aircraft for fire suppression, and they are both very different animals. What we have sitting at the tanker bases are Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) and at remote helipads, we have three Helicopters (one is a Type 2, which can support larger missions and two are Type 3). While there is no specific, hard set time to use either aircraft over another, we do have some differences between the two for different objectives in a mission. Either can be used in situations when the fire is threatening structures and to help suppress the fire’s spread.

SEATs are used to drop retardant onto the fire to buy the resources time. They can also give the resources feedback as to what the fire is doing because they have a pretty good bird’s eye view. Tankers can drop 800 gallons of retardant at a time. They can drop more than Helicopters but must return to the base to get more retardant (usually we can get them turned around quick).

The other useful thing that air tankers can do is change the level of their drop, and split loads. There are four levels that the gate can open: Level 1 is for grass and light fuels, the gate doesn’t open far; level 2, then level 3, and level 4 is wide open for heavy timber/fuels. Splitting loads means that they close the gate when about half of the retardant is left in the hopper. This can be used to your advantage to hit different spots on the fire.

Helicopters are useful to combat hot-spotting, reconnoiter the fire, walk resources into a fire that they can’t find, or help them map the fire. They can also maneuver in areas that tankers cannot. The Type 3s can drop 90 gallons of water at a time, while the Type 2s can drop 350 gallons at a time and can load from a water source closer to the incident than an airport.

2020 PA-PAS Wildland Fire Program Annual Report

 We would like to take the time to share with you the 2020 Annual Report from the Pennsylvania Wildland Fire Program. For those of you who don’t know, our program protects 16 million acres of forest lands, 10 million acres of Wildland-Urban Interface, and we have 1,000 volunteer forest fire wardens and 373 fire-qualified employees. The wildland fire program safely and effectively manages wildland fire to enhance and protect life, property, and natural resources for the public benefit within Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania’s 2020 wildfire season kicked off early, with many fires in February. As the spring fire season progressed, weather conditions changed, and numbers dropped. Fall fire season was relatively active, recording over three times the ten-year average. The largest wildfire reported occurred in November and totaled just over 800 acres.

The Seven Pines Wildfire started on November 7, 2020, in Monroe County and burned 812 acres. Personnel from the PA Game Commission, the National Park Service, NJ Forest Fire Service, and local volunteers provided significant assistance. Photo courtesy Matt Reed.

The statistics for 2020 look like this:

·         1,508 wildfires

·         3,021 acres burned

·         99.5% of wildfires were human-caused

·         17 structures destroyed

·         12 injuries, 2 fatalities

·         10-year average: 750 wildfires for 3,500 acres 

We have some nationally-recognized Firewise USA Communities:

·         Big Bass Lake (District 11)

·         Hemlock Farms (District 19)

·         Penn Forest Streams (District 18)

·         Treasure Lake (District 9)

Even though COVID-19 mitigation measures limited the amount of our traditional public contact programs, we were still able to put on 50 wildfire prevention activities/events throughout the year.

Our Type 3 Incident Management Teams did have a busy season with COVID-19:

·         48 DCNR personnel assisted with Community Based Testing Sites from March-June

·         2 testing centers were set up and maintained for several months

·         Several truck loads of supplies were delivered

DCNR staff assisting PA National Guard and others at a Community Based Testing Site in Montgomery County. Photo courtesy John Hecker.

This year 145 volunteer fire organizations were awarded Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) Grants totaled $741,735. These grants were for the purchase of wildland firefighting personal protective equipment and firefighting equipment.

Congratulations to Bill Corbin of the Bald Eagle Forest District! He received the 2019 Arthur N. Creelman Memorial Award for his work in wildfire prevention throughout the mid-state area. Great job Bill!

Statistics for the Fire Cache for 2020:

·         100,000 items received

·         70,000 items issued

·         23,000 delivery miles

·         The cache supported mobilization of crews, engines, overhead, and training as well as the attainment and distribution of COVID-19 PPE.

Over 1,000 items valued at $1.5 million were obtained through the federal excess programs for distribution to local fire departments.

Despite significant risks and challenges, all personnel in the Pennsylvania Wildland Fire Crew were able to return safe and sound after providing assistance to our partners in other states:

·         5 Twenty-Person Hand Crews

·         2 Type 6 Wildland Fire Engines

·         71 Single-Resource Overhead Assignments

·         172 Total Resources Assigned

 

Air Operations this year was quiet, but we still flew some (statistics for both tanker bases, and helicopters):

·         7 wildfires supported

·         8,200 gallons dropped

·         19 hours flight time

·         34 hours flown for fire reconnaissance

Wildland Fire Training and Qualifications statistics for 2020:

·         25 classroom training sessions

·         456 students completed classroom courses

·         164 students completed online training courses

·         373 students completed refresher training, RT-130

·         61 position task books issues

·         44 position task books completed

Some updates from DCNR radio: installation of new P25 radio equipment continues; approximately one half of the Department has been converted by the end of 2020, and the entire Department is scheduled to be converted by July 1, 2021.

Our Prescribed Fire Program was shut down in early spring and again in the fall due to COVID-19 safety concerns. Prior to the shutdowns 15 prescribed burns covering 526 acres of DCNR lands were completed.

Prescribed fire on the Tioga State Forest, November 2020. Photo courtesy Brian Plume.

Search and Rescue statistics:

·         26 searches reported in 2020

·         16 individuals located, the other 10 self-extracted

·         DCNR personnel and cooperators invested 1,077 hours in Search and Rescue

·         Zero fatalities!

Congratulations to Jim Stiteler (Forest District 17) on his selection as the 2020 recipient of the PA Wildland Fire Leadership Award. Jim is a Type 2 Planning Section Chief and Burn Boss and a contributor on the national and local level. Great job Jim!

DCNR would like to thank everyone who assisted the wildland fire program in 2020, especially our valuable network of volunteers. We could not succeed without your dedication and service!

2021 Mid-Atlantic Compact Fire Academy

We have had many hurdles to overcome in the past year, with training having to, unfortunately, be canceled. We would like to start spring off with a little good news in the form on the 2021 Mid-Atlantic Compact Fire Academy!

Registration for the Mid-Atlantic Compact Fire Academy in McHenry, MD is now open for compact members. The 2021 Academy will look substantially different than in previous years, due to COVID still being prevalent, some adjustments needed to be made. The 2021 course offering will include nine classes taught virtually and six classes taught in-person in the normal classroom/field setting. As of now, out-of-state travel to the academy IS NOT permitted. A request to allow out-of-state travel to attend the academy has been submitted. If/when permission is given Fire Protection will let you know. Until that time please DO NOT register for in-person classes until permission has been given. All virtual courses have been approved by NWCG and credit will be given to those who successfully complete these courses as if they were delivered in-person. Students interested in taking any of the courses delivered virtually are encouraged to do so. The course matrix found on the academy website (and below) will guide you as to which classes are delivered virtually and in-person. To be sure compact members receive priority over other states and agencies, registration will remain closed to others until March 22, 2021. Contact your primary fire personnel or Michael Becker to receive the code to register for classes, once you receive the code you can register by clicking here. Be sure to use the I am a Compact Member and Have a Code option.

Classes being offered are:

·         FI-210 WF Origin and Cause Determination*

·         IROC for Dispatchers

·         L-280 Followership to Leadership*

·         L-380 Fireline Leadership*

·         RX-410 Smoke Management Techniques*

·         M-410 Facilitative Instructor*

·         S-130 Firefighter Training*

·         S-211 Portable Pumps

·         S-212 Wildland Fire Chainsaws

·         S-215 Fire Operations in the Wildland Urban Interface

·         S-219 Firing Operations

·         S-230 Crew Boss*

·         S-231 Engine Boss

·         S-270 Basic Air Operations* (Two Options are Given)

·         S-390 Introduction to Wildland Fire Calculations

Classes in Italics are Virtual Based Classes

Classes with a * require pre-course work; descriptions can be found here.

Defensible Space - Home Ignition Zone 3

The third home ignition zone (or Extended Zone) is 30-100 feet and out to 200 feet from your home.

Dispose of any heavy amounts of debris and litter, remove of any dead plant and tree material. If you have any small conifers growing in between your mature trees you should consider removing them. As always remove any vegetation that may be surrounding any buildings in this area.

It is recommended that trees 30-60 feet from the home should have at least 12 feet between canopy tops, and trees that are 60-100 feet from your home should have at least 6 feet between canopy tops. These distances are suggested based on NFPA 1144. However, the crown spacing needed to reduce or prevent crown fire potential could be greater due to slope, the species of trees involved and other site-specific conditions. It is a good idea to check with your local forestry professional to get advice on what’s appropriate for your property.

Some additional things to consider is to be prepared inside the home and within your family for fire. Have a checklist of certain fire safety needs within your home, you should be able to find these at your local fire department. Some things to have on your checklist are:

o   Develop an evacuation plan and practice fire drills – make sure your family understands the escape routes, meeting points, and other details

o   Maintain smoke detectors and fire extinguishers

o   Prepare a grab and go emergency kit that will last at least 3 days – include family and pet’s needs such as cash, water, clothing, food, first aid and prescriptions

o   Make sure an outside water supply is available – if it’s safe have a hose and nozzle available outside that will reach all parts of the house.

               

Check out this link to watch a short video about preparing your home for wildfires!