Boaters blocking air tankers fighting B.C. wildfires, says official

 12 July 2017

published by http://www.cbc.ca

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Canada –  Boaters on at least three B.C. lakes are interfering with the firefighting activities of air tankers and water bombers, according to one official.

Al Richmond, the chair of the Cariboo Regional District, says there have been several reports of boaters, wind surfers and kayakers preventing the air tankers from landing to fill up with water.

The affected aircraft have been using Horse, Watson and Lac la Hache lakes to fight the South Cariboo wildfire near 100 Mile House, he said.

“It just takes one person and the aircraft can’t safely come down,” he said.

That’s why he is asking everyone to stay off the lakes being used by the air tankers or stick to the shorelines if they must be on the water.

The RCMP could start issuing fines or even start confiscating boats if the trouble continues, he said, but he’d prefer if they did not have to.

“We could be using them to do more important things than trying to deal with the silliness going on out there and people’s lack of consideration for the firefighting.”

He blamed the behaviour of the offending boaters on a lack of awareness and understanding of the needs of the aircraft.

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More watchtowers, tube wells may be built — DCM

 11 July 2017

published by http://www.theborneopost.com

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Indonesia – MIRI: The state may see more watchtowers and tube wells built on peat soils, which will be activated during dry spells to prevent fire.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said this would be one of the measures to be taken into consideration to prevent or reduce the chances of peat soil fires.

“Our main strategy to prevent fire especially during the dry season is by building tube wells and watchtowers. With this, we hope to be able to detect early warning of smoke within an area and come up with various immediate actions to ensure that the fire will not spread and reach a critical level,” he told reporters during a visit to the watchtower in Tudan yesterday.

Uggah, who is also the State Disaster Management Committee chairman, emphasised that the watchtower should always be manned by capable staff to ensure that whenever smoke is detected, immediate actions will be taken.

The visit was to look at the functions and operations of the watchtower and well tube in preparation for the dry season, which is expected to hit the state soon especially here, which always experiences extensive forest fires every year.

The watchtower was built in December 2010 as a look-out point for areas in Kuala Baram within a radius of 15km to detect peat fire. It also facilitates the Fire and Rescue Department and other enforcement agencies to respond promptly.

Meanwhile, the tube well was built in 2009 and up to now, a total of 14 tube wells have been constructed throughout the state – 10 in Kuala Baram, two in Banting and two in Peian, Mukah with a capacity of 50 cubic metres per hour and a depth of 30 to 150 metres.

This tube well was built to moisten peat soils and raise groundwater levels especially during the dry season or in the event of no rain for seven days.

At the same time, it also serves as a drainage system around the peat soils that have check dams for the Fire and Rescue Department to control and eradicate fire.

“The main purpose of all these constructions is to ensure the fire in these areas can be controlled so as not to spread into a fire which will then produce haze,” Uggah explained.

He reminded landowners here to control and put out any fire they spot in light of the recent haze problem.

“They should also abide by the agreed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) implemented by the State Disaster Management Committee and must play their role to prevent fire which has been happening in Miri every year,” he added.

During the visit, Miri Fire and Rescue Department chief Law Poh Kiong related the chronology of forest fires that took place in Miri, especially in Kuala Baram area, for the past five years.

State Disaster Management Committee Miri officials who were present listed various initiatives being carried out to deal with forest fires and combat the haze in Miri primarily caused by peat (soil), open burning and trans-boundary wind.

Minister of Rural Electricity and Water Supply Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom, Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Lee Kim Shin, Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau, Miri Resident Sherina Hussaini and Miri district officer Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusuf as well as officials from the state Department of Environment, and Department of Minerals and Geoscience were also present.

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Who’s missing? thinking about wildfire resilience through an equity and inclusion lens

 11 July 2017

published by https://fireadaptednetwork.org

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USA – Imagine being caught in the path of a fast-moving wildfire, unfamiliar with the area and without enough language proficiency to understand the first responders. You see a few signs in your language, but they make no sense. Miraculously, you survive — but lose your livelihood and the place you called home. Your hardship is compounded by authorities and shelter staff unable or unwilling to help you.

During the 2014 and 2015 wildfire seasons in Washington, there were, sadly, too many accounts of migrant workers experiencing this terrifying scenario. Why? Because they lacked equitable access to wildfire preparedness information and resources. (For more on this, see Nagler 2017.)

This is a tragic, preventable failure that we must learn from.

Equity and Inclusion are Essential for True Resilience

We know that disasters affect some groups — racial and ethnic minorities, and particularly the poor — disproportionately (Lippman 2011, Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety position paper). These vulnerable community members may be rural, many are farmworkers, and some are recent immigrants and refugees who are linguistically isolated and/or politically excluded. A legacy of mistreatment has created a fundamental lack of trust of authority.

The result is that vulnerable communities are often denied the resources and relationships to cope with natural disasters, including wildfire. But fire adaptation requires the entire community. Therefore, equity and inclusion are essential for true resiliency.

To explore opportunities in this field, last year, FAC Net began working with Maria Estrada of The Nature Conservancy’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiative. The work so far has included the translation of resources in a way that is linguistically and culturally accurate, that considers socioecological context and cultural sensibilities, and that provides clear and accurate information that resonates with the intended audiences.

For example, the Washington State Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network (WAFAC) recently created a FAC outreach video. To signal inclusion to the Latinx* community, they wanted to name one of the firefighters Manuel. I discussed the project with them and pointed out that, given that the constituencies they wanted to reach were mostly migrant workers, a Latinx firefighter would not have been culturally or contextually responsive.

Economic data revealed a trend in the growth of small, Latinx-owned businesses in Washington, so we instead created a character named Lupe, the owner of a small panaderia, or bakery. We explained a variety of fire preparedness issues through her eyes, making sure the panaderia and Lupe were recognizable to viewers.

How Can We Ensure All Community Members Are Involved?

Moving forward in our partnership for at least another year, we are also exploring community engagement methods from other fields that have proven effective with diverse communities. One example is the promotora model, used by the health care industry, which recruits community members with cultural backgrounds, language and economic challenges similar to the target audience.

Promotoras are provided with the necessary technology and training to bring critical information to their communities. Trust and access, as well as cultural and linguistic competence, become the most important ingredients in empowering communities to navigate challenges.

In this case, we’re exploring a model to work with Latinx communities in preparing for wildfire. The goal is to have trained promotoras impart knowledge to community members so that they, in turn, can work more effectively with disaster relief staff, shelter staff and others when a fire occurs.

What’s Next?

As WAFAC and FAC Net enlist more partners, we hope to improve community wildfire adaptation in diverse communities by advancing an equity and inclusion approach.

We are in the early stages of this work, and we have a great deal to learn. We intend to use FAC Net to solicit ideas and disseminate what we learn with the larger community of FAC practitioners. Please contact us or comment below if you have suggestions, ideas or questions, or if you’d like to get involved!

Latinx is the gender-neutral term commonly used instead of Latino/Latina.

Resources

In Spanish: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) guide to wildfire preparedness
Online resources from the National Resource Center on Advancing Emergency Preparedness for Culturally Diverse Communities
Emergency Management article on examples of successful disaster resiliency programs: How to Include Diverse, Vulnerable Populations in Emergency Preparedness

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B.C. is burning: 14,000 people displaced in hot, dry conditions

 11 July 2017

published by http://www.cbc.ca

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Canada – Wide swaths of forest in British Columbia’s Interior are burning after a lightning storm Friday afternoon ignited brush parched from weeks of hot, dry weather.

MORE DETAILS: B.C. wildfires: the current situation

The Cariboo, Kamloops and Southeast regions of the province have been under extreme fire danger for the past two weeks, and hot, dry conditions — including temperatures up to 39 C — led to a highly combustible environment.

With Friday’s lightning storm, fires spread rapidly, worsened by strong wind gusts.

Evacuation orders were issued to multiple communities and the province declared a state of emergency.

Outgoing Premier Christy Clark announced a $100 million relief fund for affected communities.

Kevin Skrepnek, B.C.’s chief wildfire information officer, said over 140 fires started on Friday and nearly 100 more on Saturday, followed by a few dozen on Sunday.

He said 220 active fires are burning across the province.

Over 14,000 evacuees

Skrepnek said firefighters are focusing their efforts on a dozen major fires near larger communities, some of which have been evacuated.

So far, the province estimates 14,000 people have been displaced.

“We’re focused on protecting critical infrastructure, protecting communities and, quite importantly, keeping our highway routes open. Given the movement of people and given the evacuations, we want to make sure those access routes are available so people can get out if they need to,” he said.

The entire towns of 100 Mile House and Cache Creek have been evacuated and the City of Williams Lake, with over 10,000 residents, is on evacuation alert as Monday ends.

Thirty homes and two airport hangars were destroyed near Cache Creek, and fire also burned down several buildings and homes on the Ashcroft Indian Band reserve.

Multiple highway routes in and out of the region are partially closed due to the fires.

As a further complication, evacuees from 100 Mile House — a town of nearly 2,000 people — were advised to go to Prince George, about five to seven hours north, instead of Kamloops, about two hours south, as the Kamloops emergency response system was at capacity.

Evacuees, once safe, are urged to register with the Canadian Red Cross online or by phone at 1-800-863-6582.

Roger Brown, a rancher from 100 Mile House, fled his ranch along with his wife and two horses, but had to leave 80 head of cattle behind.

Having lived in California, Brown said he’s no stranger to forest fires, but this one spread particularly quickly.

“It’s been so dry up here. Everything is basically fuel.”

Brown is unsure when he’ll be back.

“When these kinds of things happen, you have to use good judgment,” he said.

“Even though some people try and stay, [orders] need to be heeded because fire is something you don’t want to play with.”

Hot, dry, and smoky

Weather conditions for the region are not expected to provide much relief over the next few days.

It is forecast to be hot and dry, with temperatures in the mid-20s and low 30s today. Temperatures are expected to climb to the high 30s by the end of the week.

“We’re still looking at a deteriorating situation,” said Bob Turner, the assistant deputy minister for Emergency Management B.C. “We are looking at many weeks to come of a challenging environment and public safety will remain the overriding priority.”

There is no rain expected through Tuesday, except in the Columbia-Kootenay region where there is also a chance of lightning.

Environment Canada meteorologist Matt MacDonald said the long-term outlook is not much better.

“We’ve been poring over all the models trying to find some rain for these fires,” he said. “Unfortunately, there’s a very stubborn weather pattern with us. While we may be enjoying lots of sunshine, unfortunately, there’s just no rain.”

Wind gusts — a major problem on the weekend — were not expected to be strong Monday, although there was a chance gusts could come in during the afternoon.

‘It could get much, much worse’

Smoke from the fires is reducing visibility and causing poor air quality. Environment Canada has issued advisories for multiple regions across the province.

On Monday, the province issued a ban on campfires in the province with the exception of Haida Gwaii and a strip on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Dozens of provincial parks have been closed due to the fires.

Help coming from outside

Extra personnel from across the province and country were expected to arrive in the region Monday to help contain the fires. Skrepnek said the military is assisting with transportation.

Federal Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said lessons were learned after the disastrous Fort McMurray fire in Alberta last year and they will be applied to this effort — especially when it comes to co-ordinating between various agencies.

“Don’t assume that the left hand knows what the right hand is doing,” he said. “The management of this situation is in the province of British Columbia. They are the lead agency. The government of Canada is there to assist.”

Goodale urged residents who may be forced to leave their homes to have a plan, be ready and carry identification.

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German-funded agency to help Indonesia prevent forest fires

 11 July 2017

published by https://www.pressreader.com

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Indonesia / SE Asia / GFMC –  An independent researchbased agency that was launched on Monday in Jakarta is set to assist Southeast Asian countries in addressing serious challenges related to the management of forest fires in the region.

The agency, the Regional Fire Management Resource Center — Southeast Asia Region (RFMRC-SEA), was established by the German-based Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC), which is financially supported by the German federal government. It will be headquartered at the Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) in West Java.

While the RFMRC-SEA has a long-term initiative to assist the region, the center’s primary focus will be on assisting Indonesia, given its status as the host country and its position in what it calls the “hot seat” for regional fire management challenges.

RFMRC-SEA project coordinator Bambang Hero Saharjo, who is also a forestry professor at IPB, said the center would provide “scientific-based” assistance, especially in preventing forest fires. A lack of scientific information on preventive measures may have been a contributing factor to the occurrence of fires in past years, he said.

“For instance, last year, […] there were fewer forest fires than the previous year, but we still don’t know whether this was merely because of successful efforts by the government, or […] if the La Nina [weather phenomenon reduced the number of fires],” Bambang told reporters after the RFMRCSEA launching at the Environment and Forestry Ministry office.

“This kind of information has to be based on scientific data and has to be familiarized to the public,” Bambang said.

Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya said in January that the plummeting number of forest fires in 2016 was primarily the result of “hard work” by related governmental agencies and the regional administration. Forest fires hit 97,787 hectares of peatland in 2016, a steep decrease from the 2015 figure of 891,275 ha, she said, citing data.

The large number of forest fires in 2015, which resulted in severe economic and health losses for Indonesian citizens and the spread of haze to its regional peers, coincided with increased temperatures triggered by the El Nino phenomenon. Meanwhile, its La Nina counterpart brought in heavier rainfall in 2016 and thus wetter conditions.

Bambang said the center would provide an improved forest fire early warning system. Using a NASA satellite, RFMC-SEA’s monitoring system is expected to better detect fires compared to the current system, which is managed only on work days.

The GFMC has three forest fire centers worldwide, with operations based in Skopje, Macedonia, to monitor Southeast Europe; Kiev, Ukraine, for Eastern Europe; and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, for Central Asia. It plans to establish two more centers, one in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, to monitor Central Eurasia and one in South America.

GFMC executive director Johann Georg Goldammer said the regional centers were tasked with “providing scientific knowledge to the decision making process” for policy makers and communities. Environment and Forestry Ministry secretary-general Bambang Hendroyono, who was present at the event, said that Indonesia had “done its utmost in diminishing forest fires” and that steps were being taken to protect Indonesia’s 15 million ha of peatland from forest fires.

One such preventive measure is a peat conversion plan, which is laid out in four ministerial regulations issued as a follow-up on the revision of a government regulation on peatland protection and the government’s peatland hydrological area (KHG) map.

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