Forest Fires in Southern United States: 8 December 1998
Forest Fires in Southern United States
8 December 1998
Fig.1. NOAA image of the vegetation fires in the Southern United States 2 December 1998
(Source: NOAA http://www.osei.noaa.gov/)
See footnote at the end of this daily update: fire signatures in the Southeast must be interpreted carefully!
Virginia Department of Forestry
Fire Situation Report of 2 December 1998, 1:00 pm update
http://state.vipnet.org/dof/sit12298.htm
Davis Creek Fire in Nelson County was contained at 650 acres (263 ha.) on Saturday and is still being patrolled. A blackhawk helicopter is now on standby alert at the Richmond Air Station.
Two US Forest Service 20 person crews retained to assist in suppression and patrol operations on contained fires.
Fire in Buchanan County contained at 100 acres (40 ha). Fire from Kentucky contained at 80 acres (32 ha). Tennessee fire contained before reaching Washington county.
Helicopters were used on fire in Montgomery County.
Cumulative Severity Index (CSI)
REGION
Class Day
CSI
Waverly
4
542
Tappahannock
3
689
Charlottesville
3
506
Farmville
4
698
Salem
3
559
Abingdon
4
548
NATIONAL INTERAGENCY COORDINATION CENTER SITUATION REPORT
http://www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.html
CURRENT SITUATION IN BRIEF (from the NIFC website of 7 December 1998):
Unseasonably warm and dry conditions continue throughout much of the Southern Area. Units in Virginia, Alabama, North Carolina and Tennessee reported high fire indices.
OUTLOOK:
A cold front will move into Alabama late tonight through Tuesday afternoon. The north half will have scattered showers today with showers throughout the state tonight and tomorrow. High temperatures will be in the upper 70’s (around 25°C) today cooling to the 60’s (over 15°C) and mid 70’s (around 23°C) tomorrow. Virginia will have increasing clouds with warm temperatures. Tonight will be cloudy with a chance of showers. Rain is likely tomorrow. High temperatures will be in the 70’s (around 21°C), cooling to the 60’s (over 15°C) tomorrow.
Some remarks to the NOAA AVHRR satellite imagery: The “hotspots” detected in the Southeast must not necessarily be wildfires. At this time of the years prescribed burning activities are picking up. For more information on the extent of prescribed burning in the U.S.A. please visit the last issue of International Forest Fire News.
