Forest Fires in the United States
19 November 1999
Several active fire signals were recorded by OSEI with the NOAA-14 POES AVHRR HRPT satellite on 18 November 1999 in the Mid Atlantic and Southeast regions of the United States. According to the NIFC Incident Management Situation Report (see below) a total of 367 wildfires burned 4,733 ha in the Southern Area. At the same time 3 prescribed fires were conducted on 723 ha. Thus, three of the active fire signals on the satellite imageries (Fig.2 and 3) could be prescribed burns.
Fig. 1. Geographical regions of the United States (modified map from National Interagency Fire Center). The here mentioned southeastern area is in the map on the right side green colored.
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Fig. 2. and 3. The image shows heat
signatures and smoke plumes from numerous areas of fire burning in the Mid Atlantic and
Southeast regions of the United States.
(Source: NOAA http://www.osei.noaa.gov/)
The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reports its Wildland Fire Update every Friday unless significant activity occurs.
According the INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SITUATION REPORT the situation for 18 November 1999 can be quoted as follows:
"...
CURRENT SITUATION
Fire activity continues to intensify in the Southern Area as warm, dry and windy
conditions prevail. Due to the fire activity in the South, Bennett's Type I Incident
Management Team is being staged in the area to quickly respond to a new fire. The Rocky
Mountain Area also reported a new large fire and was busy with initial attack activity as
a strong cold front moved through last night, bringing high winds and mostly dry
thunderstorms. The Eastern Area experienced moderate initial attack fire activity and
reported one new large fire. The National Interagency Coordination Center mobilized
helicopters, large transport aircraft, infrared aircraft, telecommunications equipment,
crews, a Type I Incident Management Team and miscellaneous overhead. Studebaker's Type I
Incident Management Team is being mobilized to Atlanta, Georgia for FEMA in anticipation
of assistance to areas affected by Hurricane Lenny. Very
high to extreme fire indices were reported in California, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas,
Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Indiana, Missouri, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Georgia,
Mississippi and Oklahoma.
SOUTHERN AREA LARGE FIRES:
BLOOD COMPLEX, Chattahoochee National Forest. A Type I Incident Management Team (Melton)
is assigned. These fires are burning in the Blood Mountain and Rich Wilderness areas near
Blairsville, Georgia. No report was received on this fire.
BOOTENS GAP, Shenandoah National Park. A Type I Incident Management Team (Carvelho) is
assigned. This fire is ten miles east of Shenandoah, Virginia. No report was received on
this fire.
STANLEY CREEK, Chattahoochee National Forest. This fire is burning in heavy fuels and
steep terrain near Blue Ridge, Georgia. The situation has improved and mop-up is
continuing.
BUZZARD CREEK, Daniel Boone National Forest. This fire is nine miles northeast of Whitley
City, Kentucky. A hotshot crew assisted in burnout operations yesterday. The expected
containment has been delayed until today.
AVEY COMPLEX, National Forests in North Carolina. A Type II Incident Management Team
(Kearney) is assigned. This complex consists of the Avey Creek, Goldie Deaden, Pine Ridge,
Horse Cove, Maple Springs and Sweet Water fires. The fires are burning five to eight miles
from Robbinsville, North Carolina. Crews made good progress building and holding firelines
on all of the fires. The Avey Creek and Horse Cove fires have burned together and made
significant acreage gains yesterday. The Goldie Deaden fire also gained significant
acreage.
ROBINSON COMPLEX, Buffalo National River, National Park Service. A Type II Incident
Management Team (Bollman) is assigned. This is a complex of several arson starts, which
have burned into several large fires 25 miles southeast of Harrison, Arkansas. High winds,
low humidities and poor access are hampering control efforts. The forecast calls for high
winds and low humidities to continue for the next few days.
CREEK ABC, National Forests in Alabama. This complex consists of nine fires. No other
information was reported.
ALABAMA ABC, National Forests in Alabama. This complex consists of six fires, four miles
south of Duncanville, Alabama. The fires range from one to 100 acres.
FORT LEWIS MOUNTAIN, Virginia Department of Forestry. This fire is five miles north of
Salem, Virginia. Crews reestablished firelines that were lost Tuesday night. Approximately
95% of those lines were burned out. Reenforcement of the firelines will continue today.
DOG SLAUGHTER RIDGE 99, Virginia Department of Forestry. This fire is seven miles
northeast of Shenandoah, Virginia. No new information was reported on this fire which was
last reported at 500 acres. This will be the last report, unless new information is
received.
OUTLOOK
A fire weather watch is posted for low relative humidities
and moderate southerly winds in Missouri, and for low humidities in Kentucky. Missouri
will be sunny and warmer with high temperatures in the 70's. Relative humidity will range
from 25-35 percent, with south winds at 15-30
MPH.
Kentucky will be partly sunny and warm with high temperatures in the mid 60's in the east
and mid 70's in the west. Relative humidity will be 25 percent in the east and 25-35
percent in the west. Winds will be south to southwest at 10-20 MPH.
Georgia and North Carolina will be sunny with high temperatures ranging from 55 to 70
degrees. Relative humidity will be 25-35 percent, with light winds at 5-10 MPH.
Virginia will be mostly sunny with high temperatures in the mid 60's to lower 70's.
Relative humidity will be 25-35 percent, with southwest winds at 10-20 MPH.
Colorado will be partly cloudy with widely scattered showers in the west and snow showers
in the mountains. High temperatures will be in the 40's and 50's, with 30's and 40's in
the mountains. Strong westerly winds will likely develop in areas east of the Continental
Divide. Winds could gust to 70 MPH in the higher terrain of the front range and to 60 MPH
on the adjacent high plains after sunrise.
Southern California will be sunny with high temperatures in the 50's in the mountains and
60's in valleys. Relative humidity will be 10-20 percent with southwest winds in the
mountains at 5-15 MPH and northeast winds at 5-15 MPH in the valleys.Georgia will be sunny
with high temperatures in the upper 50's in the extreme north and up to 70 in the south.
North Carolina will be sunny with high temperatures in the upper 50's and lower 60's.
Temperatures will be in the 40's in the northern mountains. Kentucky will be sunny with
high temperatures in the 50's in the northeast and up to 65 in the far west side of the
state.
Southern California will have increasing clouds with a chance of rain in the afternoon
north of Point Conception, and mostly sunny to the south. High temperatures will be in the
50's to mid 60's in the north and in the mountains, 60's and 70's to the south, and 80's
in the lower deserts.
... ."
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 |
| 407 | 5,241 | 87,949 | 2,243,224 |
For detailed information regarding specified regions, please refer to the whole report.