Ethiopia Forest Fire Emergency Update: 30 March 2000 08:00 GMT
Ethiopia Forest Fire Emergency Update
30 March 2000, 08:00 GMT
Ethiopia Fire Report received 29 March 2000 12:00 GMT
If things were implemented as planned, the ground crews have continued the battle in the same fire sites as reported yesterday. One helicopter should have supported fire fighting around the micro wave tower by waterbombing.
In Dolo Mena area (Kumbi Forest) the number of fire spots has increased to 10, as compared to 6 yesterday. Re-mobilization of fire fighters is still ongoing. There were no further rains in Bale Zone.
Satellite Fire Reconnaissance Update
The update information by satellite sensors is provided by imageries of the U.S. Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP). The provision of satellite data are a response of the U.S. Government to the Government of Ethiopia’s call for international assistance..
Fig.1-3 DMSP scenes of East Africa, 28 March 2000.The red and white dots represent active fires. The center and right fire map show the area in which the problem fires are currently burning and fire-suppression actions take place. Land signature: brown; water: blue; clouds: grey; stable lights (cities): cyan.
(Source: DMSP)
Ethiopia Current Fire Weather Situation and Forecast
Fire Weather Forecast for the Southern Region:
Tab.1. Addis Abba AREA FORECAST FOR 14H00 Thursday 30 March 2000. Fire Danger Index (FDI)
Gradually the conditions improve for rain also over the valley areas but it will take a couple of days for proper rain conditions.
6 Day 14h00 Forecast Ethiopia Region Addis Abba Area Day Temp (C) Hum (%) W Dir WSpd (km/h) Bar (Hpa) FDI Tendency Thu 30 28 55 NE 17 1005 55 Yellow – Fri 31 30 49 NE 16 1004 58 Yellow – Sat 1 29 51 SW 21 1003 60 Orange – Sun 2 30 48 NE 17 1005 60 Orange – Mon 3 28 52 NE 19 1006 58 Yellow – Tue 4 27 55 NW 15 1004 53 Yellow
Tab.2. Goba AREA FORECAST FOR 14H00 Thursday 30 March 2000. Fire Danger Index (FDI)
More moisture is coming into circulation over the country with even a few showers likely in the valley areas this morning to the north-east of the country. Conditions will improve gradually for more widespread rain in the next couple of days as the high becomes more prominent over the southern hemisphere.
6 Day 14h00 Forecast Ethiopia Region Goba Area Day Temp (C) Hum (%) W Dir WSpd (km/h) Bar (Hpa) FDI Tendency Thu 30 23 55 SE 21 1004 53 Yellow – Fri 31 24 51 SE 19 1006 54 Yellow – Sat 1 23 55 SW 17 1005 50 Yellow – Sun 2 24 60 NW 15 1003 48 Yellow – Mon 3 23 65 SW 19 1004 48 Yellow – Tue 4 24 55 SE 16 1006 50 Yellow
Source of forecast tables: Net Forecasting (South Africa) on the base of data from the ECMWF (European Center For Medium Range Weather Forecasts) and the U.K.M.O. (United Kingdom Meteorological Office).
Fig.4. and 5. Fire weather forecast maps for Ethiopia, 29 and 30 March 2000.
Map legend
(Source: Net Forecasting)
Also available is a three-month rain forecast (starting 26 February 2000). The implications of this forecast are discussed by Net Forecasting.
An Eastern Africa and the Horn Satellite Imagery (NDVI) and rainfall analysis is provided by the USAID Famine Early Warning System.
The Ethiopian National Fire Fighting Committee, supported by the International Fire Emergency Advisory Group, has set up an Incident Command System. The structure of the system is given in the chart (Fig.4).
Fig.4. Structure of the Incident Command System (State: 20 March 2000)
Nationalgeographic / News has published an article which describes the ongoing fires resulting from slash-and-burn practices in Africa and Indonesia with information and imageries from last days GFMC webpages: Slash-and-Burn Agriculture Sparks Devastating Fires (16 March 2000).
For further information (history of the current fire situation, etc.) please refer also to the earlier reports this and last week at the Current Significant Fire Events page. Some visual impressions from the currently ongoing fires in Ethiopia and several photographs taken from the Space Shuttle missions in the 1980s and 1990s with general impression of land cover and fires are also available.
