Forest Fires in the United States: 15 October 1999
Forest Fires in the United States
15 October 1999
The National Interagency Fire Center reported on 14 October 1999 that as warm, dry conditions persist throughout the West, large fire activity also continues in several states. Two new large fires were reported today, for a total of five large fires in California, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. As a cold front passes through the Northwest and Great Basin, strong winds are expected in several states. These windy conditions, coupled with low humidity may impact behavior on ongoing and new fires.
Warning to Hunters and Other Outdoor Enthusiasts!
Fire conditions in many areas remain extreme! Be aware of fire restrictions and conditions as you venture into the wildlands this season.
Fire Weather Outlook
A fire weather watch is posted for eastern Oregon, southern Idaho, western Wyoming, and all of Utah for strong winds and low relative humidity.
An approaching cold front will move across the Pacific Northwest tonight, bringing cooler temperatures to Washington, Oregon and California. Rain showers are expected in parts of Oregon and Washington, but winds will prevail in northern California with low relative humidities. Another storm system is expected to move through the northern Intermountain region today bringing windy conditions to southern Idaho, western Wyoming and Utah. The humidities are also expected to remain low, increasing fire conditions in those areas.
Fig. 1. Large Wildland Fires in the United States, 14 October 1999
(National Interagency Fire Center)
For more information please refer to the website of National Interagency Fire Center.
The BLM – Alaska Fire Service Initial Attack Management System (IAMS) is suite of computer applications developed by BLM/Fire to aid dispatchers and fire managers. IAMS Maps is one of these applications and provides graphical representation of various kinds of geographic data. Maps has been modified to produce output to a Web site to allow internet access to the data that IAMS stores. Dynamic data such as lightning (available May – September), fires, etc. are updated at the homepage of the BLM – Alaska Fire Service (select Maps / AFS IAMS Maps Viewer) every 15 minutes during the fire season.
The latest IAMS image of active fires in Alaska is shown in a map of 5 October 1999.
According the INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SITUATION REPORT the current situation for 13 October 1999 can be quoted as follows:
“…
CURRENT SITUATION
Minimal initial attack activity was reported from all Geographic Areas. New large fire activity occurred in Eastern Great Basin and Southwest Areas. The National Interagency Coordination Center mobilized helicopters, air tankers, a lead plane, infrared aircraft, radio equipment, crews, engines, and miscellaneous overhead. Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in California, Oregon, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, Wyoming, and Arizona.
OUTLOOK:
An approaching cold front will move across the Pacific Northwest tonight, bringing cooler weather to Washington, Oregon and California. Showers will be confined to the mountain areas of Oregon and Washington. California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Arizona, will stay mostly sunny. Coastal California will be foggy in the morning. Breezy to locally windy conditions will develop as the front moves through Oregon and Washington during the day. High temperatures will range from the 50’s in the Cascades to the 60’s and lower 70’s along the coast. Interior regions will see highs in the 70’s and 80’s, with 90’s to 105 in the southwest deserts.
A weak frontal system will move into the northern Intermountain region today. Mostly cloudy skies with a few rain and snow showers will occur over the mountains of northern Idaho and Montana. Temperatures will be in the upper 40’s to lower 60’s. Southern Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado will be partly to mostly sunny. High temperatures will range from the lower 60’s to mid 70’s. Locally breezy to windy conditions are forecast this afternoon.
High pressure at the surface and aloft is expected to produce mainly sunny and dry conditions across the Gulf Coast with patchy morning dense fog along the coasts of Texas and Louisiana in the morning. Isolated afternoon showers and thunderstorms are forecast for central and coastal Texas. Highs will be in the 80’s with temperatures around 90 over west Texas.
… .”
Following basic fire data describe the fire situation in the United States:
Number of FIRES in the last 24 hours HECTARES burning in the last 24 hours FIRES
YEAR-TO-DATE HECTARES
YEAR-TO-DATE 51 1,575 79,085 2,064,901
For detailed information regarding specified regions, please refer to the whole report.
