Wildfires erupting all across the west and mid-west as the drought continue to expand.

With 12 of 14 type 1 incident management teams assigned to incidents and firefighters  and resources being stretched the outlook does not look well for the next several weeks. Wildland agencies east of the Mississippi are stepping up to the call for assistance.

For the first time this summer, the Virginia Department of Forestry is sending fire-fighters to aid in the suppression of wildfires in the west.  Eight (4 full time and 4 part-time) employees will be part of an interagency 20 person crew that is heading to Idaho. The remainder of the crew will be comprised of USFWS and America corp. employees.  From the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. According to the National Interagency Fire Centre there are currently 63 large fires burning involving over 1,273,351 acres.  We are reminded all too often that it does not have to be a large fire to cause serious damage and even be deadly. A USFS fire-fighter was killed on a 48 acre wildfire in ID when a tree fell hitting her.

(CNN) -- Blistering hot temperatures will blast the normally tepid Pacific Northwest again Thursday as dozens of wildfires burn across large sections of the western United States.

The mercury is expected to soar near triple digits in Portland, Oregon, with Seattle forecast to reach the lower 90s, the National Weather Service said. The coastal region is roasting under an excessive heat warning.

At least 70 large fires were burning across 13 states west of the Mississippi River, according to the National Interagency Coordination Center. California had the most with 13, followed by Nevada with 12 and Idaho with 10, the center said.

The Marines joined the fight on Wednesday, with helicopter units from California joining U.S. Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard units from Colorado, Wyoming, North Carolina and California in fighting the fires by air. The Marine units will help fight fires around San Diego.

Wildfires raging in 13 Western states

In California alone, 8,000 firefighters were fighting a dozen fires, the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Wednesday. The state issued a burn ban, saying only some campfires are allowed.

Conditions could worsen in some places over the next few days. The National Weather Service said a weather pattern developing in parts of Oregon could produce conditions favorable to "explosive fire growth."

SAN FRANCISCO—Officials were concerned that thunderstorms and strong winds expected to hit Northern California early Thursday could make the work of firefighters more difficult as they scramble to shore up containment lines at several raging wildfires.

"That's the biggest question," fire spokeswoman Alissa Tanner said. "If the thunderstorms will just be rain and not gusts of winds that will be a real blessing. If not, then it could spread the fire in many different directions."

Among nearly a dozen major wildfires burning across the state, a 66-square-mile blaze in Plumas National Forest has proven problematic given the remote, rugged location. More than 900 homes were under threat, and authorities have urged residents to leave.

The National Weather Service expected isolated thunderstorms for the remote area, but only a 20 percent chance of precipitation. Crews re-established containment lines on Wednesday, but officials were concerned about the stormy forecast, Tanner said.

Some 8,000 firefighters were battling California's largest wildfires, said state fire spokesman Daniel Berlant. Fire officials issued a statewide burning ban Wednesday that will stay in effect pending a significant change in the weather or the end of fire season.

Elsewhere in Northern California, firefighters made significant progress against a wildfire in Lake County, despite dry weather and triple-digit temperatures. Hundreds of evacuees were allowed to return

home after the blaze burned more than 12 square miles and threatened nearly 500 homes in the Spring Valley community.

"We're definitely getting the upper hand on this fire," Berlant said.

In Southern California, wildfires threatened dozens of homes in the midst of a brutal heat wave.

In rural San Diego County, a group of five wildfires caused by lightning burned more than 24 square miles of wilderness, state fire Capt. Mike Mohler said. Evacuation orders covering about 180 homes and 400 residents were issued for the communities of Ranchita and Santa Fe.

The two largest fires were above the desert floor in an area subject to erratic winds. Forecasts called for a return of monsoonal moisture that could create thunderstorms with even more erratic winds Thursday, Mohler said.

Meanwhile, a 4 1/2-square-mile blaze in the foothills of Riverside County's San Jacinto Mountains threatened 47 homes, though officials lifted an evacuation order Wednesday. The fire near the community of Aguanga, east of Temecula, burned four structures, including at least one home.

A resident living in a trailer was seriously burned and a second resident received lesser injuries after the fire broke out Tuesday, authorities said. Two firefighters received minor injuries.

Elsewhere in Southern California, military helicopters dropped water on two fires that blackened more than 12,000 acres in the rugged Kern County mountains above the Mojave Desert about 80 miles north of Los Angeles. The fires forced the Bureau of Land Management to temporarily close about 20 miles of the popular Pacific Crest Trail, which runs through three western states between Canada and Mexico.

Berlant said officials were concerned that wildfire season began earlier than usual in the state.

"We have definitely seen an increase in fires this season in comparison to previous years," Berlant said. "Most of the damaging fires happen in September and October, not during the summer months."

He said the rest of the region also has been hit with fires relatively early in the season.

"We're starting to see the same level of activity that's been occurring in Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico," Berlant said. "We're just like the rest of the West; We continue to be hot and dry, just like them."

  

Fort Complex	Klamath National Forest	California, USA	3,657
Mistake Peak Fire	Tonto National Forest	Arizona, USA	4,800
Rush Fire	Northern California Resource Area	California, USA	101,000
Jawbone Complex	California Desert District	California, USA	12,462
Charley Fire	Tonto National Forest	Arizona, USA	2,300
Holloway	Winnemucca District	Nevada, USA	436,560
Ramsey	Stanislaus National Forest	California, USA	1,000
Chips	Plumas National Forest	California, USA	42,136
Halstead	Salmon - Challis National Forest	Idaho, USA	58,269
Trinity Ridge Fire	Boise National Forest	Idaho, USA	68,284
Mustang Complex	Salmon - Challis National Forest	Idaho, USA	85,537
Springs Fire	Boise National Forest	Idaho, USA	6,150
Butte Creek Fire	Bridger - Teton National Forest	Wyoming, USA	1,000
Faust	Salt Lake Field Office	Utah, USA	22,045
West Garceau	Flathead Agency	Montana, USA	8,800
Condon Mountain Fire	Flathead National Forest	Montana, USA	998

Daily statistics 8/15/12
Number of new large fires	20	States currently reporting large fires:
Number of active large fires (number includes full suppression and resource managed fires)	63	Arkansas (3) Arizona (6) California (13) Idaho (10) Montana (6) Nevada (10) New Mexico (1) Oklahoma (2) Oregon (2) Texas (6) Utah (2) Washington (1) Wyoming (1)
Acres from active fires	1,273,351
Fires contained since 8/14/12	6
Year-to-date large fires contained	585

Putting the wet stuff on the red stuff with aircraft

It now seems that the heat wave affecting Virginia has broken and with that some rain is beginning to occur in places which are a welcomed sight for firefighters, farmers and all of Virginians. However with the rains there have been a few scattered storm related problems. Power outages continue to be a major issue.

Power Outages as of 1900 9 July:

Isolated severe thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening of 8 July and 9 July caused additional power outages across Virginia. Dominion Power had completed all power restoration from the 29 June storm. 

Statewide                                                                    9,014 (-4,031 since Sit Rep #15)

Dominion                                                                    3,629 (-2,916)

·         Southeastern Virginia                                                         1,877

·         Northern Virginia                                                             750

·         Shenandoah Valley/Western Piedmont                 592

·         With respect to 8 July storms, power restoration projected to be completed on 10 July

APCO                                                                           5,385 (-1,115)

·         Amherst County                                                     2,880

Since there is no real new news about wildfire activity

 in Virginia I thought I would talk about water. No not the

 water that is currently falling from the sky but about the

 water that is delivered on a wildfire from a variety of aircraft.

 I hope you find this info interesting and informative.

Aerial Firefighting Tutorial

Introduction
The use of aircraft to drop fire retardant, foam, or water to suppress wildfires is an essential wildland firefighting tool. The speed, mobility and retardant delivery capability of aerial firefighting aircraft make them very effective resources in support of firefighters on the ground. The variety of aircraft available within U. S. aviation assets provides an appropriate firefighting capability for nearly every wildland fire situation, from wilderness to the urban interface.

Aircraft
There are three primary kinds of aerial firefighting aircraft available within the U. S.

    
• Multi-Engine Airtankers: 

Multi-engine airtankers are comprised of ex-military and retired commercial transport aircraft. They carry from 1800-3,600 gallons of retardant. The speed, range, and retardant delivery capability of these large capacity airtankers make them very effective in both initial attack and large fire support. These airtankers typically make retardant drops from a height of 150 to 200 feet above vegetation and terrain, at airspeeds from 125 to 150 knots. Large fixed-wing airtankers have complex, computer controlled retardant dispersal systems capable of both precise incremental drops and long trailing drops one-fourth of a mile or more in length. Retardant flow rates can also be controlled to vary the retardant coverage level dispersed as required by the intensity of the fire behavior and vegetative fuel type.

• Helicopters: 

 
 

 

Small, medium and large helicopters carry from 100 to 3,000 gallons of water, foam, or retardant in either buckets slung beneath the aircraft, or in fixed-tanks. Large helitankers can be very cost effective, making rapid multiple drops of 2,000 gallons or more on escaping wildfires by refilling at nearby water sources or at portable retardant bases. The internally mounted retardant tanks for the larger helicopters are also computer controlled, which allow them to drop precise incremental patterns or long trailing lines as required by the fire situation. This is particularly important in urban/ wildland fire interface situations near water sources where they can bring to bear rapid revisit times and precise retardant dropping accuracy. Small and medium helicopters are most effective in the direct support of firefighters on the ground, making precision drops on specific targets.

• Single Engine Airtankers (SEATS): 

These small, fixed-wing aircraft carry from 400-800 gallons of foam or fire retardant. SEATS can operate from remote airstrips and open fields or closed roads, reloading at portable retardant bases. SEATS are predominantly modified agricultural aircraft; however, the 800-gallon Air Tractor 802 is designed specifically for wildland firefighting. SEATS are most effective in the initial attack of small wildfires within 50 miles of a reload base where turn-around times are short and repeated drops can be made quickly.

And now for some Water Trivia

 

• although three percent of the Earth’s water is fresh, only one percent is available for human consumption. In fact, if all the world’s water were fit into a gallon jug, the fresh water available for human use would equal only about one tablespoon.
• 80 percent of the Earth’s surface is water—it acts as an insulator and helps regulate global temperature.
• water is the only substance found on Earth naturally in three forms—water can be solid, liquid, or gas.
• the average person uses well over 133 gallons of water per day.
• Structural firefighters estimate to protect a Single-family dwelling takes about 5,000 gallons of water.
  
  
  

Trivia Challenge

1. How long can a human survive without water?
a. one day
b. one week
c. one month
d. two months

2. How much does one gallon of water weigh?
a. 3.52 pounds
b. 15.62 pounds
c. 8.34 pounds
d. 11.25 pounds

3. On average, how much water is used to hand wash a sink full of dishes?
a. 10 gallons
b. 20 gallons
c. 30 gallons
d. 50 gallons

4. Approximately how many gallons of water does it take to make four new tires?
a. 2,000
b. 1,000
c. 1,600
d. 150

5. Approximately how many gallons of water does it take to manufacture a new car?
a. 3,000
b. 9,000
c. 20,000
d. 39,000

6. In the United States, from what material were the first water pipes made?
a. metal
b. rubber
c. fire-charred logs
d. clay

Trivia Challenge - Answers

1. b
2. c
3. c
4. b
5. a
6. c

HOW MUCH WATER We talked about various aircraft delivering between 100 and 3,000 gallons of water/retardant but just how much is 1,000 gallons? can you visualize?

Here are a few ways to help...

One acre foot equals 326,700 gallons of water. Picture a football field (approximately one acre) covered one- foot deep in water.

An olympic sized swimming pool holds about 660,000 gallons.