Forest Fires in the Southern United States and Alaska
16 June 1999
Several active fire signals are recorded by OSEI on 14 and 15 June 1999 in Florida.
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Fig.1. and 2. The NOAA AVHRR image show
a few heat signatures and some smoke from scattered areas of fire in northern Florida.
What appears to be a burn scar or smoldering ground left by the large area of fire which
in the right image had been burning on both sides of the Florida / Georgia border two
weeks ago.
(Source: NOAA http://www.osei.noaa.gov/)
Several vegetation fires were detected by OSEI with the NOAA-14 AVHRR satellite on 14 June 1999.
Fig.3. Heat signatures and dense smoke from large areas
of fire burning in western Alaska and in the Yukon Territory of Canada.
(source: http://www.osei.noaa.gov/.
The INCIDENT
MANAGEMENT SITUATION REPORT from 16 June 1999 can be quoted
as follows:
"...
CURRENT SITUATION:
Large fire activity continued in Alaska, Western Great Basin, and Northwest Areas. Initial
attack activity was moderate in California, Eastern Great Basin, and Southwest Areas, and
light elsewhere. Mobilization of resources to Alaska was moderate. The National
Interagency Coordination Center mobilized radio equipment, a helicopter, and miscellaneous
overhead to Alaska, the Southwest, and the Northwest Areas. Very high to extreme
fire indices were reported in Nevada, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and West Texas.
ALASKA LARGE FIRES:
DONNELLY, Fort Greely Army Base. A Type I Incident Management Team (Stam) is assigned.
This fire is twenty-five miles south of Delta, AK. Three structures have been lost and
seven damaged on Ft. Greeley. Currently threatened are the Alcan Highway east of Delta
Junction and the Delta Junction community. Crews are concentrating on holding spotfires
and protecting structures.
MINTO, Upper Yukon Zone BLM. A Type II Incident Management Team (Cowins) is assigned. This
fire is near Minto, AK. Aided by gusting winds yesterday evening, the fire jumped an
existing dozer line and moved north into black spruce. Retardant drops were used to
reinforce the line between the fire and the village. An evacuation plan was activated for
Minto village elders and children.
OUTLOOK:
Alaska's interior region will have scattered showers and thunderstorms.
Winds will be east, 5 to 10 MPH. High temperatures will be mid 70's to mid 80's.
Arizona will be partly cloudy with scattered afternoon thunderstorms.
Winds will be south to west, 15 to 25 MPH with gusts up to 45 MPH. High temperatures will
be in the lower 70's to upper 80's in the mountains and around 90 to 114 in the valleys.
New Mexico will be partly cloudy with widely scattered thunderstorms in
the mountains. Winds will be east and gusty in the Rio Grande Valley. High temperatures
will be in the 60's and 70's in the mountains and northeast, and in the 90's in the
southwest.
Nevada will be partly cloudy with isolated thunderstorms. Winds will be
southwest at 15 to 25 MPH, and gusty. Highs will be in the mid 60's to 90 in the
mountains, and 90 to 100 in the valleys.
..."
For detailed information regarding specified regions, please refer to the whole report.