Rain in VA and fires and more fires in TEXAS

Rain, Rain wish we could send some to Texas!!
As you can see from the chart below Hurricane Irene dropped over 20" of rain in parts of Virginia. AND that not the end of it.... Since she left the state last weekend the sub-troppical Low has dumped almost another 12". In Waverly Va just last night alone we got an additional 4.87".

I am going to focus the next few posts on the tremendous wildfires that are occuring in Texas. Hopefully some of the info will be helpful to those wanting to know as much as possible about these fires.

The 3 main websites you should go to for information are

http://tfsweb.tamu.edu/main/default.aspx?dept=news

http://ticc.tamu.edu/

 

http://inciweb.org

Those sites above are the official information sites, you will also find a wealth of info on various media outlet sites and other social sites.

Here is some of the latest info I have seen and a few pictures you might not have seen.

BASTROP — Bastrop wildfires that have destroyed hundreds of houses and thousands of acres continued to burn Wednesday, but firefighters say they are making progress battling the blaze.

Officials said Wednesday that they have contained 30 percent of the larger Bastrop fire, which has so far annihilated about 800 houses and 34,000 acres, according to the Texas Forest Service.

Rescuers have begun conducting house-by-house searches for potential fire victims,

• Victoria Koenig, spokeswoman for the Texas Forest Service, said the Bastrop County fire has destroyed 1,368 homes -- more than double the estimate officials gave Wednesday.

Despite hopes that the fire would be largely contained by Wednesday night, it remained 30% contained Thursday morning, she said. About 34,000 acres have been destroyed.

• The fire has killed at least two people. An elite search team is helping local officials scour the area for other potential victims.

At least 5,000 people evacuated the area, officials said.

The Bastrop fire is one of scores that have been burning across the drought-stricken state. Wildfires have been scorching Texas for nearly 300 days.

In just the past week, the Texas Forest Service has responded to 181 fires, Gov. Rick Perry said.

The town of Bastrop TX with the fire bearing down on it.

The next 3 pictures are aerial pictures of Tahitian Village in Bastrop. I have been in the area working a few years ago and its so heartbreaking to see this devistation.

Thought and prayers go out to ALL the residents of this area and the rest of Texas that have been impacted by these wildfires.

The mini poster below is a sample of an attempt to let folks know how they can help prevent wildfires as they go about "life" in TX.

 I will try and keep posting info here that you might not find through normal media, social sites. Please keep checking back.

Special update on the Bearing fire in TX

According to a TX PIO “Bad day in TX.  Lots of new fires.  air resources are getting very short.  They need more type 2 tractor plows.  Jim is catching hell on his fire.  Around 4000 acres now.  Lost some homes.  3 communities evacuated. This fire is just south of lufkin as seen on the map below, just one of several in the vacinity.

The Texas Forest Service and numerous volunteer fire departments, including Hudson and Diboll, are out assisting on the Polk/Trinity fire being called the "Bearing Fire," said Karen Stafford, Regional Urban Wildland Interface Coordinator with the Texas Forest Service. Fires get their names typically from a community or street name, Stafford explained.

The Bearing Fire had burned 4,000 acres as of 5:30 p.m. Saturday, although it was first reported at 12:30 p.m. Friday as a two-acre wildfire. As of 5:30 p.m. Saturday, the fire was only 20 percent contained, compared to 80 percent contained Friday night, Stafford said.

"Once the winds picked up and the humidity dropped, the conditions were unfavorable. It was like we had everything working against us," she said.

Homes were being evacuated Saturday north of FM 2262 and in the Trevat and Sulphur communities

Incident Overview

This fast moving fire is burning in multiple aged pine plantations. Hunting camps have been threatened and impacted.

Significant Events  Resources redeployed from direct attack to defensive posture/structure protection.

Basic Information

Date of Origin Friday June 17th, 2011 approx. 12:38 PM

Location Vicinity town of Carmona, Texas

Outlook

Planned Actions Structure protection.

Growth Potential

Terrain Difficulty

Current Weather

Wind Conditions 25 mph SW

Temperature 105 degrees

Humidity 29%

Virginia Wildfire Resources head South and West

Sixteen firefighters and 5 brush trucks (engines) from the Virginia Department of Forestry are currently deployed to wildfires in Arizona, Texas, Georgia and Florida to help fight the wildfires in those states.

Over 600,000 acres are burning in those states alone and local resources are stretched to the limit and beyond. There is a process to share resources nationally which is coordinated through NIFC (The National Interagency Fire Center) in Boise, ID. Virginia is also part of the Southern Area Forest Fire Compact which provides assistance between states from Virginia to Florida over to Texas. Both NIFC and the Southern Compact have agreements in place that helps facilitate the movement of wildfire resources, so when the “call” comes there is little delay in providing assistance.

The following is information from the Southern Area Command Center (SACC) this is the most current and up to date info on the numerous wildfires raging accross the south. Following the write-up there will be pictures from the various wildfires Virginia personnel and resources are currently deployed on.

By looking at the drought map here it is very easy to see just why the "south" is burning.

Southern State Fire Situation Update

Monday June 13, 2011

Weather:

Red Flag Warning are in effect today for the Texas Panhandle and Western Oklahoma for relative humidity of 5-10 percent with 20-30 mph winds and gusts to 40 mph and temperatures 95-110.  Red Flag Warning are also posted for the Florida Panhandle for relative humidity below 35 percent. 

The only rain expected across the region this week is afternoon showers and thunderstorms which should become more numerous Wednesday from Kentucky down into north Alabama and Georgia.  North Carolina and Virginia should have a better chance of showers on Thursday.  Due to the extremely dry conditions lightning associated with these thunderstorms is increasing ignitions especially in Florida, South Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.  The drought map below shows the primary areas of concern.

State Fire Activity: 

In the past seven days Texas responded to 118 new fires for 49,385 acres.  Texas currently has nine large uncontained fires that have burned about 42,079 acres.  Information on Texas’ fires is available at: http://ticc.tamu.edu/Documents/Home/tx_sitrep.pdf  

Florida reported 47 new fires yesterday for 7,446 acres with 14 significant fires burning about 93,600 acres. 

Alabama reported 134 new fires for 3,109 acres in the last seven days.  Alabama’s Governor declared a Drought Emergency for the whole state which makes it illegal to do any outdoor burning.

 

South Carolina reported 44 fires for 132 acres over the weekend. 

Louisiana has been averaging about 20 fires per day for about 200 acres.

In Georgia the Honey Prairie Fire on the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is about 169,951 acres with 80 percent containment.  The fire is being managed under a unified command of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife, the Georgia Forestry Commission, and the Florida Division of Forestry.  The Racepond Fire in Georgia is reported as contained at 7, 893 acres.  At last report on Friday Georgia was showing 25+ fires for at least 1,100 acres, many fires with unknown acreage. 

The Pains Bay Fire is on the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge and Air Force bombing range in North Carolina.  This fire is about 45,225 acres, 75 percent contained.  Water is being used on parts of the fire where it is burning underground.  The North Carolina Division of Forest Resources has jurisdiction for fire suppression on the bombing range through an agreement with the Air Force.  The North Carolina Division of Forest Resources is in unified command with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Resources:

Florida has their Red IMT assigned to the Espanola Fire in Flagler County.  The fire is about 3,000 acres and 45 percent contained.  Florida has ordered two strike teams of type 6 engines through the compacts for a total of 10 engines with two engine operators each and two strike team leaders.  One of the strike team orders was filled by Virginia and Mississippi is working on the other strike team order.

Georgia has ordered a strike team of 5 engines with two operators each and a strike team leader through the compacts to support the Satilla District in Southeast Georgia.  This order has been filled by South Carolina.

A Texas IMT (IC Hannemann) is located in Merkel coordinating fire response for most of the state.  Aviation and other resources are strategically placed around the state.  A National Incident Management Organization (NIMO) IMT is also providing assistance in west Texas.  Engine and water tender assistance are being provided by the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System.  SEATS, helicopters, heavy airtankers and hand crews are also being used. 

The Honey Prairie Fire is being managed by a Southern type 1 IMT (Red Team, IC Wilder) under unified command with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Georgia Forestry Commission, and the Florida Division of Forestry.

 A North Carolina IMT (IC Hendricks) is managing the Pains Bay Fire in North Carolina .  The fire is being managed in unified command with the U.S Fish & Wildlife Service.

Horseshoe Fire Complex in AZ

Honey Prairie GA

West Texas

Espanola Wildfire FL

 

Wildfires Rage On in TX, a 2nd firefigher dies,water from above.

According to the Texas Forest Service, March and April werethe state's driest  on record, leaving it in extreme drought and fueling recent wildfires that have destroyed hundreds of homes and burned more than one million acres over the past two weeks. Paul Hanneman one of the ncident Commanders quoted "These conditions are  unprecedented in our history, there is nothing on record that we can compare this to” This is saying a lot since Texas has seen some of the worst wildfires Nationally in recent years. Governor Rick Perry has asked President Barack Obama for federal disaster funding, with the cost of fighting the fires estimated to be $2 million per day, supporting nearly 2,000 personnel across the state.

A major portion of these expenses are in an effort to bring water from the skies, NO not trying to make it rain but by dropping it, by some accounts millions of gallons, by dozens of aircraft. Fixed wings and helicopters, if it flys and can drop water its probably being utilized.

In one day recently one of these tankers made 16 drops, that almost 200,000 gallons of retardant laden “rain”.

And then there are the helicopters. They may not carry as much water (only measured in hundreds of gallons not thousands, BUT they are very effective. They can respond quicker, get into places the big boys cant and use pinpoint accuracy to deliver their critical loads.

What’s left after a wildfire burned over a fire truck and killed a firefighter as he tried to escape.

Many states have already sent resources to Texas and Virginia is now making preparations to do the same. Virginia’s first obligation is to protect the citizens and natural resources in the Commonwealth but now that we are coming out of our traditional Spring Fire Season we are in a position to send some help. The last time Virginia sent resources to help in a similar situation the assistance lasted several weeks, firefighters were rotated every 2 weeks, the equipment (dozers and engines) stayed and new operators were rotated.

TEXAS needs all our help if all you can do is pray for those firefighters and communities involved, support relief agencies helping or help by GETTING YOUR SMOKEY ON…. DO IT! Thats no bull! OK the picture above is a bull, you know what I ment.Many of the pictures were taken from a report out of "The Atlantic"