Forest Fires in the United States: 15 February 2000
Forest Fires in the United States
15 February 2000
The Wildland Fire Assessment System is a contribution of “The Fire Behavior Research Work Unit”, Missoula (Montana USA). The broad area component of the Wildland Fire Assessment System (WFAS) generated national maps of selected fire weather and fire danger components. Fire Danger (Potential) is a normalized adjective rating class across different fuel models and station locations. It is based on information provided by local station managers about the primary fuel model, fire danger index selected to reflect staffing level, and climatological class breakpoints. Low danger (class 1) is green and extreme potential (class 5) is red.
Fig. 1. and 2. Fire Danger Forecast Maps of the United States for 14 February (observation time) and 15 February (next day forecast; right map) 2000
(Source: Fire Behavior Research Work Unit, Missoula)
The Morning Report of the SOUTHERN AREA COORDINATION CENTER is a narrative summary of fire activity within the Southern Area including number of fires, wildfires as well as prescribed burns, and area. “Wildland fire activity continued to increase across the Southern Area. Precipitation was fairly widespread across the area and helped lower fire danger in many areas. However, Texas, Mississippi, and Arkansas are expecting a busy week as temperatures warm up and windy and dry conditions persist. The weather through Wednesday will be dry and warm with temperatures between 20-30°C for much of the area. The next chance of precipitation will not be until Thursday at the earliest.
In following states the number of fires, area and fire weather conditions were reported on 14 February 2000:
ALABAMA:
Alabama Forestry Commission: Reported 124 fires for 856 hectares (ha) on 11 February 2000. One fire was 128 ha and another was 80 ha. Both fires were caused by arson.
National Forests in Alabama: The Shoal Creek Ranger District accomplished a 960 ha burn using aerial ignition (11 February 2000).
ARKANSAS/OKLAHOMA:
Arkansas/Oklahoma Interagency Coordination Center: Minimal activity was reported over the weekend although the Forest Service did assist both Arkansas State Forestry Commission and the Oklahoma Division of Forestry on initial attack. The front brought some precipitation and raised humidity across the area but winds on Sunday have dried out most of the area already.
MISSISSIPPI:
Mississippi Forestry Commission: Initial attack activity increased dramatically on Friday but then high humidity helped to minimize activity on Saturday.
SOUTH CAROLINA:
Francis Marion-Sumter National Forests: Attacked 5 arson fires on Friday on the Francis Marion National Forest. No control problems were experienced.
TEXAS:
Texas Interagency Coordination Center: Initial attack activity is expected to be very high the next couple of days. The forecast calls for a slight chance of some coastal moisture on Wednesday or Thursday.
According to the INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SITUATION REPORT three categories of fires are distinguished, such as:
1. Fires*
2. Prescribed Fires
3. Wildland Fire Use Fires**
* This classification corresponds to the category “wildland fires” as defined by the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC)
** A brief excursion to wildland fire terminology:
Wildland Fires: Fires occurring on any tpye of vegetation, regardless of ignition sources, damages or benefits.
Wildfire: Any uncontrolled wildland fire which (1) may require suppression response, or (2) any uncontrolled wildland fire which meets management objectives and is declared as a Wildland Fire Use Fire (see below) or syn. Prescribed Natural Fire or Prescribed Fire.
Prescribed Fire: Occasionally also called management-ignited fire, or prescribed burning, is a controlled application of fire to vegetation in either their natural or modified state, under specified environmental conditions which allow the fire to be confined to a predetermined area and at the same time to produce the intensity of heat and rate of spread required to attain planned resource management objectives.
Wildland Fire Use Fire: Naturally ignited fire which is managed to achieve resource benefits under close supervision (syn. Prescribed Natural Fire)
Currently, Wildland Fire Use Fire data are not available. The differentiation of the above mentioned three fire classes do not point out clearly for the moment, whether the classified wildland fires included prescribed burned areas.
Tab.1. Fires and hectares year-to-date (11 February 2000)
(Source: Incident Management Situation Report)
Geographic Area Number of Wildland Fires Area Burned (ha) Alaska 0 0 Northwest 0 0 California 178 36 Northern Rockies 0 0 Eastern Great Basin 1 1.2 Western Great Basin 1 0.4 Southwest 103 3,178 Rocky Mountain 7 750 Eastern 24 161 Southern 4,052 26,841
Total United States
4,366 30,968
Tab.2. Prescribed fires and hectares year-to-date (11 February 2000)
(Source: Incident Management Situation Report)
Geographic Area Number of Prescribed Fires Area Burned (ha) Alaska 0 0 Northwest 3 590 California 40 914 Northern Rockies 0 0 Eastern Great Basin 3 11 Western Great Basin 0 0 Southwest 84 3,782 Rocky Mountain 0 0 Eastern 4 262 Southern 288 64,343
Total United States
422 69,897
Remarks on Prescribed Burning
At this time of the year prescribed burning operations are conducted routinely.
Fire is an important natural tool for ecosystem management. It can reduce dense vegetation improving wildlife habitat and lessening the potential for large, wildfire disasters. Land managers are directed to prepare a prescribed fire/burn plan for every area of public land that can burn. Some areas require total suppression while others will benefit from a wildland fire. Those areas that will benefit from a fire can be treated by a prescribed fire.
Especially, for the moment, in the southern and southeastern regions of the United States prescribed fire activities will be carried out in the following weeks and months. In this case, fire signals on satellite images can be traced back to this kind of land management activities.
In the Prescribed Fire Position Paper of the Forest Protection Bureau by the Division of Forestry in Florida, prescribed fire activity is described as a land management application that is essential to the practice of forestry, management of wildlife, preservation of endangered plant and animal species, improvement of range conditions and reduction of wildfire damage in the wildland/urban interface areas. While there is general public and landowner concern with increased smoke, reduced air quality, and liability; the general public and landowners benefit significantly from the reduction of devastating wildfire, improved wildlife habitat and forage, preservation of endangered and threatened plant and animal species, and improved management of forest resources. The prospect of severe reductions in the utilization of this management tool is of major concern to Florida’s natural resource managers and conservationists due to the subsequent loss of derived public and private benefits. They suggest the need for legislative attention.
Another report on nation-wide prescribed burning in the U.S.A. was published in International Forest Fire News No.19 (September 1998).
A set of photographic documents on prescribed burning techniques and objectives in the Southeast can be visited in our photo archive.
California’s 1999 fire season
The fires that swept California last summer and fall cost the state at least $92 million, more than triple the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s emergency reserve.
California’s 1999 fire season was one of the worst on record, with more than 7,000 wildfires burning at least 110,000 hectares. The CDF’s air tanker fleet spent 12,100 hours in the sky, 700 hours more than the previous record set in 1996.
The fires were aggravated by parched conditions and high winds, particularly in August and October, when firefighters’ spending averaged about $1 million every two days. In those two months alone, President Clinton issued emergency declarations for nine counties due to fires.
In Southern California, fire operations normally scaled back during the wet season in winter and spring were extended into the new year because of the threat from dry and windy conditions, a move that is costing the state roughly $1 million a month.
Authorities estimate the total cost to the state for emergency fire fighting for the state’s fiscal year, 1 July 1999, through 30 June 2000, will reach $145 million.
Copyright 1999 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
In the 1999 forest fire season statistic the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF) published detailed information on fire suppression cost, damage cost, structures destroyed, top five fires in areage burned and top five fires in structures lost.
