Wildland Fire Conference

The Fires Next Time

Think about wildfire in the West and it’s hard to picture a rosy future, except for the sunsets bleeding through the smoke.

Climate change is creating longer, hotter, more explosive burning seasons, while more and more homes sprout on flammable ground. Meanwhile, the pool of firefighting talent keeps getting smaller: there are fewer trained crews, air tankers and helicopters available than there were 20 years ago. Complicated and sometimes contradictory federal policies make it difficult for the next generation of firefighters to get the training and experience they need.

And for those who do meet the requirements for this dirty and dangerous work, there’s a new specter searing the mind of fire bosses: criminal prosecution if something goes wrong and firefighters are hurt or killed.

While fire is increasingly – and properly – understood as a necessary part of many functioning ecosystems, controlled burning is a complicated and sometimes dangerous process. Fire managers often are reluctant to start fires or let natural fires burn, because an escape could leave their careers in ashes, or at least well toasted.

Those were some of the topics outlined this week at a four-day conference sponsored here by the International Association of Wildland Fire and the National Park Service, an event that drew about 400 firefighters, scientists and officials from land management agencies.

Aircraft was just inspected

Investigators Not Sure What Caused Plane Crash That Killed Two Montanans

Investigators have not found the cause of a Missoula-based firefighting plane crashing Monday near Reno, Nevada, killing all three crew members, two of them from Montana.

The Associated Press' Scott Sonner reports that investigators say the plane -- owned by Neptune Aviation in Missoula -- was just inspected and wasn't even close to its next 100-hour required inspection. The investigators also said there has never been a similar incident with the Lockheed P2V aircraft.

Authorities identified the victims of the crash as 41-year-old Gregory Gonsioroski from Baker Montana, 25-year-old Missoulian Zach VanderGriend and 61-year-old Calvin Gene Wahlstrom from Huntsville, Utah.

Click here for the full AP story.

breaking news

Professor Dies in Boise Wildfire That Destroyed 10 Homes

A tragic story this morning in Boise just hit the wires: Authorities have found a body in a burned Boise home after a quick-moving grass fire destroyed 10 homes in the southeast section of the city last night.

KTVB in Boise has the breaking story.

Update: The Idaho Statesman's Patrick Orr reports that the body is likely that of Mary Ellen Ryder, a Boise State University professor who had been missing since her house in Columbia Village burned -- the same house where authorities found the body.

During fire season in the West, mass evacuations can seem commonplace, overly cautious even -- especially when year after year, hundreds upon thousands of people evacuate from Western wildfires and often, nothing happens, to them or to their homes. But this is a stark reminder of just how important those evacuations plans can be and how we cannot be lulled by the routine of fires in our backyards -- a very sad reminder.

"The Con Crew"

Inmates Find Freedom Fighting Fire

The night before leaving to fight a wildfire, Tiffany Crow Shoe lies awake in bed, his heart punching against his chest. It's the end of July, but for Crow Shoe, it feels like Christmas Eve.

He closes his eyes and sees wild flames torching up into tree crowns. Chain saws roar, making room for firefighters to hump line around the perimeter. Crews chase the fire as it climbs up the mountain.

It's organized chaos, and it makes Crow Shoe feel alive. And free. He's been waiting and preparing for this all year.

From The New West Blog

Defending Homes from Wildfire Costs Montana Millions

Defending homes from wildfires in Montana is costing the state millions extra, and it's only going to get worse as more residents settle in the wildland-urban interface, according to a new report by Bozeman-based Headwaters Economics.

"We're very confident our data supports (that) homes do, indeed, contribute to fire suppression costs," Patty Gude of Headwaters Economics told members of the Legislature's Fire Suppression Interim Committee, which met in Great Falls Wednesday.

Missoula Valley Air “Unhealthy” Thanks to Idaho Fires

It smells like late summer in the Missoula Valley today (or what late summer usually smells like around here). The smoky skies, which have been relatively unfamiliar this summer, are likely thanks to several large fires burning in Idaho.

The Missoula City County Health Department this morning deemed the air quality in Missoula "unhealthy." And in a quick peek at this satellite image from this morning, (I've marked where Missoula is with a red check mark) you can see from where the majority of the smoke in the region is coming. The Snow Hole fire is the largest fire at 2,900 acres. It's just about due West of Missoula on the near the western Idaho border. But the ones putting up the big smoke in this snapshot are the Rattlesnake (30 miles West of Darby, Mont.) at 2,600 acres, the most southern on this image, the Porcupine, at 300 acres near Elk City, Idaho on the Nez Perce National Forest and the 500-acre Moose Creek Wildland Fire Use fire southwest of Powell, Idaho.

Click here for updated smoke maps and here for more large fire maps.

guest commentary

Montana Fires and Soil: Thinking About the Next Generation

News coverage of wildland fires -- whether the 20th anniversary of the fires in Yellowstone National Park or coverage of recent fires in Montana -- is back on the front pages. While many of the anniversary stories have focused on the regeneration of lodgepole pine, aspens, and wildlife habitat, few reports have focused on the role of these fires in the long-term condition of the soils cradling the trees and habitat.

Every farmer and gardener understands the importance of keeping soils productive. But in the case of forest soils, few consider what is necessary to keep these soils healthy and productive. Interestingly, dead and decaying trees in a forest environment play a crucial role in the health of Montana's forest soils. And while no gardener would ever imagine burying trees in the soil, forest soils are quite different than garden soils and deserve special consideration.

breaking news

Twelve Small Fires Contained Along Hwy 12 Near Lolo

Twelve small fires, ranging in size "from two feet to two acres," flared up along a 1.5-mile stretch of Highway 12 near Lolo Friday, apparently the result of a vehicle's mechanical failure, said Cindy Super, fire prevention coordinator for the DNRC, but they were quickly doused and Hwy 12 has reopened.

"They're basically just cleaning things up right now," said Super.

No sparks, please

SW Idaho is Red Hot Dangerous

Wildfire danger is at its highest in Southwest Idaho and a red flag warning from the National Weather Service is flying high. It could drop to orange as early as Friday, but critical fire conditions are the status quo.

Put together the heat, low humidity, strong winds and possible lightening storms and the potential for sudden and explosive fires is very high.

UPDATE: Just an hour after this was posted, a fire in the Boise foothills broke out suddenly and crept toward Hillside Jr. High before being put out. Fire investigators said it was caused by the spontaneous combustion of some rags a man had been using to stain his deck. Just some oily rags sitting around, minding their own business.... everybody go check the garage.

Last summer’s fires in Idaho and Montana started under similar conditions.

Thunderstorms with gusty winds are supposed to move through today, with the chance only 20% for Friday.