Forest Fires in the United States
15 July 1999
Several vegetation fires were detected by NESDIS/OSEI with the NOAA-14 and 15 POES AVHRR HRPT satellite on 14 July 1999.
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Fig.1. and 2. The left image shows heat
signatures and smoke from areas of fire burning near the Yukon River in central Alaska.
The right image gives a look at heat signatures and smoke from areas of fire burning in
eastern Alaska and in the Yukon Territory. Notice the large burn scar in Alaska just west
of the United States / Canada border.
(source: http://www.osei.noaa.gov/).
The INCIDENT
MANAGEMENT SITUATION REPORT from 13 July 1999 can be quoted
as follows:
"...
CURRENT SITUATION:
Moderate initial attack activity was reported in most areas. Good progress was made on
existing large fires in the California, Great Basin and Southern Areas. The National
Interagency Coordination Center mobilized a lead plane, helicopter, infrared aircraft,
single engine airtanker, engines, supplies, radio equipment and miscellaneous overhead.
High to extreme fire indices were reported in Alaska, Oregon, Washington, California,
Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, Wyoming and Arizona.
OUTLOOK:
A red flag warning is posted in northeast and central Oregon fpr low relative
humidity, low fuel moisture and gusty winds. A fire fire weather watch is posted through
noon in Washington's Columbia Basin and eastern slopes of the cascades for gusty winds. A
fire fire weather watch is posted in northeast California East of the Sierra Crest and
western and northwest Nevada for windy conditions with low fuel moisture and relative
humidity.
An upper level trough will dig into the northwestern states. A dry cold
front will lay along the western Idaho border this morning then move into central Montana
and western Wyoming this afternoon. As the cold front moves into eastern Idaho it will
intercept the northern fringe of the monsoonal moisture bringing widely scattered
thunderstorms, some dry to eastern Idaho, western Wyoming and southwest Montana. A few
showers and isolated thunderstorms will form over the northern Cascades and the northern
Rockies in Idaho and Montana. Behind the front a cooler air mass will bring gusty west to
northwest winds, especially east of the Cascade range from the Canadian border to the Reno
and Lake Tahoe area. Winds of 15 to 25 MPH with gusts to 35 MPH are expected.
The main monsoonal moisture air mass will once again bring numerous wet thunderstorms to
most of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. Eastern and southern Nevada will receive scattered
wet thunderstorms, as well as the southern Sierra Nevada and western Colorado.
High temperatures behind the front over the northwest states will top out in the 70's and
80's. The southwestern valleys and central California will have highs from 100 to 105
degrees. The Coastal areas will be in the 70's in the north to the 80's in the south. The
remainder of the West will be in the 80's and 90's.
..."
For detailed information regarding specified regions, please refer to the whole report.