If You Must Burn ..Know The Laws .. Know How/When/Where!

http://www.dof.virginia.gov/info/faqs-burning.shtml

Spring Wildfire Season ..... Vigilance a lesson to be learned.

Below is a news release referencing Virginia's upcomming Spring Wildfire Season. With all the recent snows and rain wildfires are NOT on many of your minds, But PLEASE be vigilant, learn what you can do to prevent a wildfire from starting, learn when and how you can safely burn and learn how you can help protect your home and property from wildfires. 
Check Out the following sites ....
http://www.dof.virginia.gov/fire/
http://www.dof.virginia.gov/fire/firewise-index.htm
http://www.smokeybear.com/
http://www.firewise.org/
http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/fireprevention/

Outdoor Fires Unlawful Before 4 p.m.

The Commonwealth’s 4 p.m. Burning Law goes into effect Feb. 15th – the start of spring fire season in Virginia. The law prohibits burning before 4 p.m. each day until April 30th if the fire is in, or within 300 feet of, woodland, brushland or fields containing dry grass or other flammable materials.

“This law is one of the most effective tools we have in the prevention of wildfires,” said John Miller, director of resource protection at the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF). “Each late winter and early spring, downed trees, branches and leaves become ‘forest fuels’ that increase the danger of a forest fire. By adhering to the law and not burning before 4 p.m., people are less likely to start a fire that threatens them, their property and the forests of Virginia.”

A violation of this law is a Class 3 misdemeanor punishable by up to a $500 fine. In addition to the criminal violation, those who allow a fire to escape are liable for the cost of suppressing the fire as well as any damage caused to others’ property.

In 2010, there were 897 wildfires that burned 8,485 acres of forestland in the Commonwealth. This was a seven percent increase in the number of wildland fires compared to the number (837) of fires in 2009. Similarly, the amount of acreage burned increased 13 percent when compared to 7,494 acres that burned in 2009.

Miller said, “At this time, the long-range forecasts are for a normal to slightly drier spring, with normal to slightly above normal temperatures. We can generally count on a couple of passing dry cold fronts in the spring that bring strong winds on the heels of zero precipitation. Under these weather conditions, and drought conditions on the ground, we could potentially see increased fire risk.”

To learn more about how to protect yourself and your property, visit www.dof.virginia.gov

The Virginia Department of Forestry protects and develops healthy, sustainable forest resources for Virginians. Headquartered in Charlottesville, the Agency has forestry staff members assigned to every county to provide service to citizens of the Commonwealth. VDOF is an equal opportunity provider.

With nearly 16 million acres of forestland and more than 144,000 Virginians employed in forestry, forest products and related industries, Virginia forests provide more than $27.5 Billion annually in benefits to the Commonwealth.

I went back into the archives and pulled several "headlines" from springtime fires here in Virginia, from 1988 to 2005. Many of these spring fires followed a wet or so called normal winter. Things dry out and change rather quickly in the spring.

1988…. “Yesterday we had 18 fires that burned 158 acres," said John Graff, chief of fire management at the department's headquarters in Charlottesville. "We had four more this morning that burned 34 acres."

1995    A 1,200-acre fire that burned through dry loblolly and white pine forests near Norwood in southern Nelson County awed veteran firefighters with its intensity.
In Page County, a 200-acre fire brought under control Tuesday near Stanley may have led to another fire that burned 450 acres one-quarter mile away before it was contained late yesterday. Flames leapt as high as 200 feet. The fire could be seen for miles as it crept in a wide, smoky sweep up Dovell Mountain.
A third forest fire broke out in Clarke County about 3 p.m. yesterday when a house burned down and set off wildfires, said Dusty McIntosh of the Front Royal Fire Department. Fred Burlingame, chief forest warden for Frederick and Clarke counties, set a backfire that stopped the fire from sweeping into a dozen woodland homes. The fire burned about 20 acres.

1995… Fires pushed by strong winds blackened more than 1,100 acres of dead, dry forest in western Virginia yesterday, threatening houses and presaging what officials fear will be a long fire season.

1997    FOREST FIRE DANGER LINGERS DESPITE RAINY WEATHER

Limbs felled by ice storms in 1994 and 1995 could provide fuel for forest fires, especially if Virginia gets a prolonged dry spell or people burning trash become careless, Forestry Department spokesman Lou Southard said.

Southard said a state law restricting trash burning was changed this year in hopes of cutting down on forest fires. The law prohibits burning before 4 p.m. between Feb. 15 and April 30. Before it was changed by the General Assembly, the restriction was in effect from March 1 to May 15.

"On a 20-year average, we found there were 60 percent more fires and 75 percent more acres burned in February than in May," Southard said. He said it is better to burn trash in the evening because humidity generally is higher and winds calmer.

1998    FIRE BURNS ON AFTON MOUNTAIN

A spectacular forest fire whipped up the west side of Afton Mountain yesterday afternoon, forcing the evacuation of about 15 homes, forest officials said.
The blaze began about 3:30 p.m. at the base of the mountain near a subdivision in Augusta County and had burned between 75 and 100 acres by nightfall. The cause of the fire was not immediately known. No one was injured.

1999….. Fires cropped up from the Abingdon area in the state's southwest to forests near the Quantico Marine Corps base within 50 miles of Washington, said Lou Southard, fire chief for the Virginia Department of Forestry.
The most troubling fire was in Fauquier County, where about 1,000 acres near the sprawling Marine base burned before the blaze was controlled last night. Nineteen families were evacuated as the fire raced across open fields and tree lines, Sheriff Joe Higgs said. About 200 firefighters from five counties battled the blaze, some of whom stayed on the scene overnight to make sure the fire did not re- ignite, Higgs said.

2000   FOREST FIRE SEASON OFF TO AN EARLY START

APPALACHIA - State Department of Forestry crews contained a series of forest fires in southwest Virginia in an early start to the annual forest fire season.

Up to a dozen fires have broken out each day since last weekend and have consumed a total of 2,025 acres, said Chuck Hutsell, acting regional forester.

The largest of the fires, involving 700 acres in Buchanan County, was believed to be arson, Mr. Hutsell said yesterday.

2005     Virginia Department of Forestry officials are using a helicopter to battle a 150-acre forest fire in Franklin County today.

Franklin County Public Safety Director Chris Slemp said the fire broke out Wednesday afternoon on Turkey Cock Mountain in the Snow Creek area of the county. Officials believe lightning might have sparked the blaze because a storm rolled through that area about an hour before a citizen reported seeing smoke about 4:30 p.m.

The fire is not expected to threaten any homes, Slemp said.

It took Franklin County firefighters about 90 minutes to reach the fire because the terrain on the mountain is so rough. At 6:40 p.m. Wednesday, county firefighters were ordered to retreat because the fire was spreading rapidly, Slemp said.

The Virginia Department of Forestry sent a helicopter to drop water on the blaze Wednesday night and this morning. Their firefighters have taken over the fire with assistance from a few Franklin County volunteers, officials said.

Its to early for this!

BRIEF: Crew battling Botetourt County wildfire

Posted on: Mon, 07 Feb 2011 17:29:01 EST

Feb 07, 2011 (The Roanoke Times - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Sixteen firefighters expect to complete containment tonight of a 13-acre wildfire in Botetourt County on Caldwell Mountain in the Jefferson National Forest -- about five miles west of Fincastle.
The U.S. Forest Service and Virginia Department of Forestry are cooperating to fight the fire, according to the Forest Service.
The blaze was reported around noon Sunday. The Forest Service has not yet determined its cause, reported Barbara Walker, Forest Service public information officer.
The Forest Service said the fire is in "extremely steep, open terrain and difficult to access," adding that the blaze currently poses no danger to residences or buildings.

Another snow, another fire season and wildfire news

As we in Virginia prepare for yet another possible snow storm (this wed/thur) and the begining of our SPRING FIRE SEASON (Feb 15 - April 30) Wildfires are making news elsewhere.

Houses lost in Australian forest fires

Feb 6, 2011, 7:41 GMT

Sydney - A forest fire burning out of control near Perth on Australia's west coast has destroyed several houses, a Fire and Emergency Services Authority spokeswoman said Sunday. She would not say how many houses had been lost. Six helicopter water-bombers and 150 firefighters have worked for 24 hours to keep the fire away from farms, vineyards and houses in the Swan Valley. Police suspect the fires are the work of arsonists taking advantage of tinder-dry conditions and gusty winds. The loss of homes in Perth coincides with the second anniversary of forest fires north of Melbourne that claimed 173 lives, destroyed 2,000 properties and blackened 450,000 hectares

PERTH, Australia (AP) — Authorities say a wildfire on the edge of a major Australian city has burned 35 homes. There are no reports of injuries. The Western Australian Fire and Emergency Services Authority says the fire raging Sunday on the eastern outskirts of the state capital Perth has destroyed 35 houses and other homes are under threat. The authority says residents of several communities should evacuate as firefighters battle the blaze.

Fireworks Blamed for E China Forest Fire

Fireworks are suspected as the cause of Saturday's forest fire that left six dead and three injured in east China's Zhejiang Province, a local official said Sunday. The blaze was likely started around noon Saturday when people set off fireworks at the graves of relatives in Fulin Village, Chun'an County, said Hong Shanfu, deputy head of the county publicity department, citing an initial investigation. About 300 people, including fire-fighters and villagers, had managed to put out the fire at about 10:20 p.m. Six villagers, including a college student who had returned home for the Lunar New Year holiday, died fighting the blaze, Hong said.The provincial government Saturday urged lower level authorities to stay vigilant against forest fires as many people were setting off fireworks and burning paper money in tribute to their ancestors.

FLORIDA; Wildfire Along County Road 640 Chars About 500 Acres in Mosaic Peace River Park Firefighters battle blaze near Mosaic Peace River Park for six hours.

February 4, 2011

BARTOW;  A wildfire burned about 500 acres on County Road 640 Friday afternoon in a fast-moving blaze that took six hours to control. Crews first arrived at 2:30 p.m., when the fire was less than a quarter-acre in size just east of U.S. 17 in Bartow. The land is part of Mosaic Peace River Park, said Lt. Mark Olinger of the Bartow Fire Department. The flames spread to an area of pine trees and cogon grass, a type of invasive weed known to easily catch fire, and quickly spread, Olinger said. Pine trees about 12 to 20 feet tall were flaming from their top branches. "Just like matchsticks," Olinger said. "I knew we were going to be there for a while."

He estimated about 300 acres were initially burned by wildfire. Another 200 were purposely burned by firefighters in a method to contain the flames called "back burn," in which areas of land around the fire's outer edges are burned to cut off its supply of brush. "It burns itself out," Olinger said. Fort Meade, Mulberry and state Division of Forestry fire crews assisted in battling the blaze. It did not threaten homes or other buildings. The cause of the fire is unknown. The fire is expected to smolder overnight so there could still be some smoke in the area this morning.

Tip of the blog....

Smokey Bear has a big job to do in lots of places and needs a lot of help from all of us. His famous saying might me ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT WILDFIRES but it takes ALL OF US not just YOU!

More on Virginia's Spring Wildfire Season in upcomming blogs.

The end of a long week of training

The Complex Incident Management Course inIone CA comes to and end tomorrow. the students(and cadre) were put through a rather untense 8 hour simulation that tested them as a team and as individuals who will become part of a select few folks who can manage the most complex of incidents. The simulation had the teams managing a several thousand acre wildfire in Maine.

There were many sighting of Smokey Bear throughout the campus of the CalFire Academy, below is a wnderful stained glass window.

CIMC day 4

CIMC training continues in IONE CA at the CalFire training facility. The students are being challenged more and more, the cadre is providing some excellent lectures on incident management and running simulations which put the teams through their paces. Daily functional breakouts are a valuable part of the learning PROCESS.

PIO functional breakout, the students were given a great opportunity to talk AND learn from Janet Upton.

In July, 2008, Janet was appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as Deputy Director of Communications for CAL FIRE where she oversees the public information and education programs for the largest fire department in the state.

                                                                    Cadre meeting

Good Fire .... Bad Fire

Smell smoke? It’s fire.

By Tracy Agnew Published Suffolk News Herald

10:53pm Tuesday, February 1, 2011

If you smell smoke during the next several months, don’t panic — it could just be from a controlled burn at the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.
Staff at the refuge will be conducting prescribed burns as part of the refuge resource and fuels management program. The burns help maintain forest health and reduce the amount of fuel available for an unwanted fire.
“While smoke from these prescribed burns may be noticeable for several days, depending on the size of the burn and the wind direction, the long-term goal is to reduce the chances of communities having to deal with weeks or months of smoke,” Refuge Manager Chris Lowie said in a press release.
He referred to the refuge’s wildfire of 2008, which was sparked by logging equipment on June 9 and burned until late September. At 121 days, it was the longest-burning wildfire in Virginia’s history. It was one of the most expensive, as well, with costs that exceeded $11 million.
The smoke from that fire affected residents throughout Hampton Roads and northeastern North Carolina, depending on wind speed and direction.
The upcoming burns will be conducted by trained personnel following approved plans. Swamp personnel are assisted by other federal, state and local agencies, including the Virginia Department of Forestry and the North Carolina Forest Service.
The burns are dependent upon short and long-term weather conditions, the potential wildfire threat and other ongoing wildfires in the region.
The pine forests in the swamp require the periodic use of fire, Lowie said in the press release. The burns aim to protect the historic landscape and natural resources and prevent nearby private property from being affected if an unwanted fire does break out.
For more information, call the swamp headquarters at 986-3705.

114 wildfires reported over weekend in SC

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South Carolina forestry officials say there were 114 wildfires statewide during the past weekend.
Forestry Commission spokesman Scott Hawkins said in a news release Monday that more than 540 acres burned between Jan. 28-30, causing more than $94,000 worth of property damage across South Carolina.
Commission forest protection chief Darryl Jones says it is an indication that the state can expect a busier than usual fire season, which typically starts in late winter.


http://www.goodfires.org/

http://visitmyforest.org/

Three Steps to Protect Your Forest

Support Good Fires, Prevent Bad Ones

Prescribed fires, planned and professionally managed, clear underbrush and renew habitats. With prescribed fires, wildlife thrives and wildfires are prevented.

See more about good fires in your area at GoodFires.org.

Champion Conservation

Our forests provide clean water and air, essential natural resources and wildlife habitats. Do your part to champion the conservation of forestland. For seven simple ways you can help, click here.

Leave No Trace

Our forests are places of beauty and peace. You can help preserve the wonder of unspoiled nature by practicing Leave No Trace hiking and camping. Learn how at LNT.org.

Watch the video below and see what a fire crew from Pulaski VA does to help Smokey Bear and the citizens of the county.