Simple steps to take before you evacuate which may save your home from a wildfire

In 2007, a fire started by downed power lines and driven by 60-80 miles-per-hour wind, swept through Malibu. The Sheriffs’ Department came to our home at 4:30 AM and told us we had 15 minutes to evacuate. If it happens to you, I guarantee you, you will not be thinking clearly. You will be frantic getting your spouse, children, pets, and maybe Aunt Millie’s picture into the car and out of the neighborhood. Even in the most serious circumstances, there are some simple things you should do before you evacuate. Read the rest of this entry »

The USWFA has created a new website. It is awesome. Has pages for most of the national fire services (Forest Service, BLM, BIA) for CalFire, and for any member of a wildland fire unit. There are sub pages for Helitak, Hotshots, you name it. If you have an interest in the personal and professional lives of wildland firefighters, visit the site. They have some wonderful photos of aircraft and fires. Click on the box below.

View my page on UNITED STATES WILDLAND FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION

Did you ever wonder what goes on at the fire department’s emergency call center when you dial 911? The County of Los Angeles (which includes the City of Los Angeles), is one of the largest in the nation, covering almost 4,100 square miles and has a population of almost 10 million. The Los Angeles City and Los Angeles County Fire Departments are responsible for responding to all 911 non-law enforcement emergency calls coming in from this area. Read the rest of this entry »

For your interest, here’s a summary of the fires in Northern CA. Listed are the “complexes” of fires with more than 10 in each area. The total is a staggering 570 fires, Read the rest of this entry »

Red flags continue flying over California - Read the rest of this entry »

Last night I saw a program on the History Channel called “Tougher in Alaska.” This program described firefighting in Fairbanks, which is a city of 85,000, 200 miles south of the Arctic Circle.
During the 6 months of Winter (it lasts until April or May) the temperature regularly gets down to -40 degrees. Read the rest of this entry »

Northern California is on fire. Read the rest of this entry »

In my book, One Foot in the Black, Greg, a rookie firefighter is going through the wildland and helitak training academy at L.A. County Fire Department Camp 8 in Malibu. One of the instructors asks Greg:
“You been on a helicopter? Do you like flying?”
“I’ve never been on a helicopter, or an airplane,” Greg replies.
“Well,” Art says, “we spend plenty of time getting on and off helicopters. It gets the adrenaline going. We do canyon insertions, one-skid landings, hover-jumps, stuff like that.”
“I’ve seen guys jumping out of helicopters in Viet Nam movies,” Greg says
“Wait till you’re standing on top of a mountain,” Art says, “and you have to unload tools from the tail of a copter hovering two feet off the ground. We’ve got some damn good pilots, very smart guys.” Read the rest of this entry »

Previously I outlined the steps arson investigators take to initially identify the source of a wildland fire. The final step is to isolate an area, possibly as much as an acre, secure it with “fire scene” tape and try to identify the actual source of the fire. Since most wildland fires start with low intensity and burn outward, once the origin area is identified, the trick is to find the ignition source. If other factors are eliminated (lightning, sparks from equipment, power lines, campfire), the investigators will be searching for a DEVICE, possibly as small as a book of matches taped around a cigarette. Often part or all this device will survive the fire. Read the rest of this entry »

Imagine an arson investigator arriving at a wildland fire which has already burned 100 acres. He has to determine whether it was an incendiary fire, and if so, where and how was it started. This is not like walking into a building where arson is suspected. A building has a limited space, with interior walls, and if it was an arson fire, somewhere within those walls, or right outside, burn indicators and evidence will be found. In the wildland, there’s a lot of acreage to cover. Read the rest of this entry »