California Fire News

Riverside city fire department will be accepting applications Posted: 10 Dec 2007 12:55 AM CST Riverside City Fire Department Ca. hiring Firefighters The Riverside city fire dept. will be accepting applications for firefighter and fire medic, starting January of 14th 2008 until January 25th 2008. The written exam will be 2-14-08. Salary is $4547 - $6089 Paramedics receive a 15% pay differential. If you do not have a california state certified fire academy, 1 year of full time experience with a municipal fire department may substitute for the certified fire academy.

Inciweb: Sterling Wildland Fire - < 1 acre - 100% Posted: 09 Dec 2007 08:24 PM CST Sterling Wildland Fire Incident Information Announcements News Photographs Maps INCIDENT UPDATED 4 HRS. AGO This incident is 100% contained. Summary A single pine tree, already dropped to the ground, was the extent of this incident. Smoke was reported by a visitor hiking in the Circle X Ranch portion of the NRA; a Ventura County FD engine crew hiked to the site and called in a hand crew to line the fire. It was declared contained the same afternoon. A thunderstorm moved through the area on the evening of December 7/morning of December 8, and lightning may have struck the tree. If so, it adds to just a handful of naturally caused fires in the history of the Santa Monica Mountains. Thunderstorms are unusual so close to the Pacific Ocean; lightning strikes even more so. Basic Information Incident Type Wildland Fire Cause Lightning Date of Origin 12/08/2007 at 00 hrs. Location West of Malibu, California Incident Commander Not available Current Situation Total Personnel 25 Size 1 acres Percent Contained 100% Estimated Containment Date 12/08/2007 at hrs. Significant Events Not available Outlook Planned Actions The fire was lined by a Ventura County FD hand crew. Growth Potential Low Terrain Difficulty Moderate Remarks Not available Weather Current Wind Conditions Not available Current Temperature Not available Current Humidity Not available

News: Wildfire protection becomes growing business Posted: 09 Dec 2007 12:58 PM CST Retardant spray system among the efforts in use By Bruce V. Bigelow UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER Whether San Diego's recurring pattern of firestorm devastation has resulted from underfunded firefighters, inept air support or a backcountry housing boom, one thing is becoming clear. Homeowners are turning to private enterprise for protection. Earlier this year, for example, Solana Beach resident John Page paid $16,000 to have a fire-retardant spray system installed in the backyard of his four-bedroom home, which backs up against a canyon in the San Elijo preserve. "I'm not thrilled about the expense," Page says. "I wouldn't recommend this for every house." Yet, just weeks after the installation was completed, Page said his family got a Reverse 911 telephone call advising them to evacuate from the rampaging Witch Creek fire, then roaring through Rancho Bernardo. It was Oct. 22. Page turned on his new system and watched as three big-gun nozzles sprang to life, spraying a translucent fire retardant over much of his house and about 65 feet into the canyon below. The 315-gallon tank emptied in about 10 minutes. Then he evacuated with his wife and daughter and the family's two dogs. As it turned out, the fire never reached their home. But as he drove away that morning, Page said, "we felt confident that we had done everything we could to protect our house." Page, who has owned the 3,000-square-foot home since 1995, had also replaced his shake cedar roof and removed pine trees, huge climbing vines and other plants that were deemed too incendiary by a local fire official. Such installations have become a booming new business in recent years for companies like privately held Firebreak Spray Systems of Hood River, Ore. "As the wildfire threat grows, there will be niche markets for companies who can provide added protection for homeowners," said Carole Walker, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association. "I think some people are saying, 'If I have the money to do it, why shouldn't I take matters into my own hands?' " Firebreak Spray Systems attracted a flurry of media coverage during the wildfires in October because the company also provides wealthy homeowners with "concierge-level" fire protection services. Under a contract with the AIG insurance company, Firebreak Spray Systems dispatched heavy-duty trucks to spray fire retardant around the endangered estates of AIG's wealthiest clients. The rapid response service has been included since 2005 to homeowners in 150 exclusive ZIP codes who are insured through AIG's Private Client Group. "It's about preventing loss for our policyholders," said Stan Rivera, director of wildfire protection for AIG's Private Client Group. The fire retardant is "very effective and very efficient," said Firebreak founder Jim Aamodt by telephone from his office in Oregon. The company provides its services throughout the Western United States, but Aamodt said Southern California is emerging as his biggest market. In San Diego County, Aamodt said his crews visited the homes of 90 AIG clients whose multimillion-dollar homes were threatened by the Witch fire. They sprayed 40, including a few that were just beginning to burn. No sprayed homes were lost, and 15 were saved from immolation, Aamodt said. His count included a four-bedroom ranch-style home that David and Kerry Roland built on Zumaque Street in Rancho Santa Fe about four years ago. Kerry Roland said she fully expected to lose their home while they were evacuating before the advancing firestorm. Afterward, she said a Firebreak crew returned to show her that the fire had halted exactly where they had sprayed fire retardant around the property. Even so, Roland said their house probably survived due to a combination of factors, including the fact that it was built just four years ago and had to meet more stringent fire code requirements. But such pre-emptive treatment, as Aamodt puts it, accounts for a relatively small portion of Firebreak's business. He is focused mostly on installing spray systems that range from rooftop sprinklers to big-gun sprayers to protect individual homes, community developments, ranches and farms. The fire retardant used is called Phos-Chek, the same slurry dropped by helicopters and air tankers, but without the red dye added to help pilots target their drops. The main ingredients of the milky-white retardant are ammonium phosphate and diammonium sulfate, both forms of fertilizer that form a no-burn zone until washed off by a strong rain. A typical home installation uses compressed gas to force the fire retardant slurry from a holding tank, which ranges from 120 gallons to 315 gallons, through a network of PVC piping much like an irrigation system. Beyond individual homes, Aamodt said his company has been designing "miles-long" systems capable of spraying fire retardant 100 feet or more around the boundary of housing tracts or community developments. It also sells 25-gallon portable fire retardant sprayers for do-it-yourselfers. Another entrepreneurial venture was started in San Diego by Dan Hirning following the 2003 Cedar fire, which charred some 273,000 acres. Hirning's company, Firezat, sells rolls of laminated fire-resistant foil to protect homes from wildfires. "I was looking for something that everybody can deploy," Hirning said. "The advantage with our fire wrap is that it's reusable." Hirning wrapped his Escondido home in foil during the October fires, making the ranch-style structure look like a giant baked potato. But the fires did not burn into his neighborhood. Hirning said he has been supplying foil mostly to the U.S. Forest Service, delivering roughly 400,000 square feet that crews used to wrap historic school houses, lodges and other remote buildings. Hirning said that so far he has not sold the tarpaulin-sized foil directly to homeowners out of liability concerns. But he anticipates conducting field tests of homes in Malibu and Santa Barbara over the next year. Another local business, Ambient Control Systems of El Cajon, has developed solar-powered "fire alert" sensors to be deployed as backcountry sentries. Each sensor can monitor roughly 100 acres and is capable of transmitting a warning signal before a small fire explodes into a runaway inferno. The warning can be transmitted by satellite or via an emergency radio frequency to a customer's computer or by text message to firefighters' cell phones, said Glenn Cunningham, a strategic consultant for Ambient Control Systems. "In as little as four minutes, you can have the fire alert information on an incident commander's computer screen," Cunningham said. "That includes where the fire is and its approximate direction." The privately held company began developing the sensors in 2002, after selling its irrigation control system technology the previous year, said Jonathan Luck, Ambient's founding chief executive. The company, which has six employees, recently completed its first sale of 500 sensors to a fire safe council that oversees the coastal watershed communities of Half Moon Bay and San Mateo. "What we're seeing is that it would be better to work with municipal, county and state governments," Cunningham said. Source: Article

Academy teaches use of prescribed fires Posted: 09 Dec 2007 12:16 PM CST CERRO GRANDE PEAK, N.M. --Wildland firefighters come here to the Southwest Fire Use Training Academy to learn not how to stop fires but how to start them, using prescribed burns to clean out overgrown forests and reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfires. The academy gets its students at a time when the wildfire season is winding down in late autumn, when many firefighters are heading home after grueling weeks on the fire lines. "We get folks coming in that are tired from fire season," said Duane Tewa, a Bureau of Indian Affairs training specialist assigned to the academy. "But they still have the attitude and the mentality ... 'This is what I want to do, this is my job, this is what fascinates me.'" A couple dozen firefighters take courses at the academy to become certified burn bosses, qualified to help with prescribed fires and other fuel management projects around the country. The Albuquerque-based academy usually has a waiting list of wildland firefighters from across the nation. A similar program at the Prescribed Fire Training Center in Florida focuses on managing fire in the South. The program is funded by the U.S. Forest Service and other federal land management agencies. The seven-week New Mexico program, which graduated its most recent class two weeks ago, has courses on fire behavior, along with the use of GPS units and portable weather stations to plan prescribed burns. "There's all kinds of things going on in fire. Everybody's moving toward fire use and allowing fire to return to its natural role," said Jerome Macdonald, the academy's creator and program manager. "But you have to have that skill - and even experience - to be able to accomplish that," he said. Students also get an arduous hike to 10,199 feet for a lesson on what can happen when a prescribed fire goes bad. From atop Cerro Grande Peak, they can see how a prescribed burn set by Bandelier National Park officials in May 2000 raced out of control, burning thousands of acres of forest and more than 200 homes. "This is an excellent opportunity for us to learn from mistakes or things that went bad and try not to make those mistakes again," said student Mike Watson, a squad boss with the Pleasant Valley Hot Shots of Arizona. To become a master of using fire, Macdonald said, one must have a deeper understanding of fire and nature - and be prepared for teaching the public that fire is not always bad. Emily Irwin, a U.S. Forest Service regional fuels specialist, said the academy's lessons today are important because overgrown forests, unhealthy ecosystems and urban sprawl will continue to be issues. "All the values that go with land management are really riding on their shoulders," she said. The academy's courses give students a foundation so they don't have to make decisions from the hip, said Julian Affuso, the assistant fire management officer for the Smokey Bear Ranger District in southern New Mexico. "That's what it's all about, it's about preparation," he told the students during their hike at Cerro Grande. "Luck is for the unprepared." Since 2000, the acreage treated with prescribed fires has more than doubled from just over 1 million to more than 2.7 million in 2006, according to the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho. At the same time, more natural wildfires have been allowed to burn in order to clear away dead, dry brush before it can fuel an out-of-control blaze. There is a time and place for both suppression and fire use, said David Mueller, a Bureau of Land Management fuels specialist assigned to the Boise center. "Now, it seems like using fire for certain benefits is becoming one of the top dogs in land management," Mueller said. Academy Interagency Fire Center By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN - Associated Press Writer source: SoSD- San Diego

News: Salaries prompt USFS exodus Posted: 09 Dec 2007 12:49 PM CST Salaries prompt USFS exodus Firefighters flee to other agencies The U.S. Forest Service might be facing a crisis, with firefighters leaving in droves for state and local firefighting jobs that offer higher salaries. USFS officials, while accustomed to losing people to other jobs in California, are alarmed at the increasing numbers of those jumping ship. "It's been going on for a large number of years, however, not at ... this rate," said Mike Dietrich, fire chief for the San Bernardino National Forest. In 2006, the 671,700-acre national forest lost 60 firefighters to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and local fire agencies, Dietrich said. The forest has about 210 permanent firefighting positions. The federal government's Forest Service leads the front-line response to fires in the San Bernardino Mountains and other national forests. The base salary for a Forest Service firefighter is about $32,000, according to the Forest Service. The CDF pays the same person almost $50,000. Minimum pay for a San Bernardino firefighter is about $60,000. The loss of federal firefighters to state and local agencies has always been a fact of life for the USFS. But the pace of departures has picked up, said Dietrich and others familiar with the situation. "It means that you will not have the federal fire-service protection you assume you have," said Casey Judd, business manager for the Federal Wildland Fire Service Association, which lobbies for federal wildland firefighters. What might the loss of federal firefighters mean in the mountains? Fires might cost more to extinguish, Judd said. Fire trucks and other firefighting equipment might have to be moved over longer distances to attack fires, meaning conflagrations could grow more quickly and pose greater dangers. Another problem for the USFS is the loss of midlevel and younger-generation firefighters who would otherwise get promoted from within, agency officials have admitted. The trend has created a kind of leadership vacuum, Dietrich said. "You may end up putting people into positions who may not have all the experience that's ideal for the situation," he said. He said last year was a "tough" one to handle as the loss of high-ranking firefighters translated into less-experienced ones fighting major fires for the Forest Service. Some firefighters interviewed even believe the Forest Service might begin shuttering stations next year in the San Bernardino National Forest, a troubling trend given recent concerns over drought conditions and huge fires that wreaked havoc throughout the region in October. Prospects for keeping firefighters don't look good. One Forest Service firefighter in the national forest who applied to work at the CDF said he is in a two-week CDF basic-training academy so he can make the jump. He estimated that 26 out of the approximately 32 people in the class are Forest Service firefighters there for the same reason. After the first of the year, Judd plans to push federal lawmakers to take up legislation to improve federal firefighters' hazard pay and provide benefits to temporary firefighters. Dietrich said other Southern California forest supervisors on the ground are aware of the retention problems and have brought them to the attention of regional and national officials. "We listen to our firefighters and we hope that we can make a difference this next year," he said. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said she is worried about the Forest Service job losses. "I have directed my staff to work with the Forest Service on a long-term solution to this problem, and to make this a top priority," she said in a statement. Feinstein might find it tough to find help. The Forest Service is seeing a decline of $64.25 million in next fiscal year's budget request from the Bush administration. Source: Article

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Forest Service Chief Dismisses Importance of Environmental Review Posted: 08 Dec 2007 11:41 AM CST Source: Yuba Net By: Sierra Club Published: Dec 7, 2007 at 08:29 In response to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling this week against Forest Service rules that had exempted logging projects from environmental review, the Forest Service Chief Gail Kimball today made statements in the Associated Press implying that the overturned rule had been necessary to protect homes in California from wildfire. The truth is that the Ninth Circuit's decision won't stop a single good project that is designed to reduce the risk of damage to communities. Appropriate, environmentally sound removal of small diameter trees and brush and prescribed burning will sail through environmental review and will not delay the right kind of community protection work. Inappropriate, environmentally destructive logging far removed from communities under the facade of "fuels reduction" does nothing to mitigate fire risk - it only lines the coffers of the timber industry and devastates wildlife habitat and watersheds. It should not be exempt from environmental review. Environmental review and public participation are vital to make sure our communities are safe. In 2003, the Forest Service issued a sweeping nationwide policy exempting from environmental review any logging project less than 1000 acres that was in the so-called "urban/wildland interface." Sierra Club has supported many projects adjacent to communities that are focused on brush removal and prescribed fire. The Bush administration has instead prioritized logging thousands of acres, in many cases far from inhabited areas, without any public input and without any assessment of potential environmental harm. One example is management of the El Dorado National Forest--rather than permitting very small projects that truly would not have significant impacts, the Forest Service planned project after project, many adjacent to one another, of around 980 acres in order to exempt them from environmental analysis. Most were not focused on brush removal and prescribed burns as the article states, but on logging large trees. To allow such exemptions wherever they wanted, the Forest Service cynically decided that large percentages, in some cases nearly all, of the national forests were "wildland/urban interface." Sierra Club and Sierra Forest Legacy (formerly named Sierra Nevada Forest Protection Campaign) filed a suit in October 2004 challenging the Bush Administration's "Healthy Forest Initiative" rule that eliminated a 30-year-old Forest Service practice of analyzing the environmental effects of timber sales up to 1,000 acres and prescribed burns up to 4,500 acres before allowing such projects to proceed. This week's ruling from the Ninth Circuit said the U.S. Forest Service erred because it: Exempted from the National Environmental Policy Act a huge class of logging classified as "fuels reduction" first, and then later gathered the environmental impact data; Failed to assess the cumulative effects of logging 1.2 million acres per year nationwide; Failed to assess highly controversial and uncertain risks of impacts; and Failed to put more specific constraints on what can be logged. Related article: Source Sierra Club Victory in Ninth Circuit Deals Blow to Bush Administration's So-Called "Healthy Forests" Initiative Court Rules That Administration Cannot Ignore Environmental Laws to Log Forests San Francisco, California--In the case of Sierra Club v. Bosworth, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the U.S. Forest Service erred when it conducted logging projects nationwide without prior analysis of their effects on the environment. Sierra Club and Sierra Forest Legacy (formerly named Sierra Nevada Forest Protection Campaign) filed the suit in October 2004 challenging the Bush Administration's "Healthy Forest Initiative" rule that eliminated a 30-year-old Forest Service practice of analyzing the environmental effects of timber sales up to 1,000 acres and prescribed burns up to 4,500 acres before allowing such projects to proceed. Today's ruling from the Ninth Circuit said the U.S. Forest Service erred because it: · Exempted from the National Environmental Policy Act a huge class of logging classified as "fuels reduction" first, and then later gathered the environmental impact data · Failed to assess the cumulative effects of logging 1.2 million acres per year nationwide · Failed to assess highly controversial and uncertain risks of impacts · Failed to put more specific constraints on what can be logged Statement of Eric Huber, Senior Staff Attorney, Sierra Club "This victory is a blow to the Bush Administration's cynical "Healthy Forests" initiative and will help protect millions of acres of national forest each year from destructive and unnecessary logging projects. This ruling will help ensure that vast swaths of our national forests are not logged without environmental reviews under the guise of forest management or fuel suppression. The Sierra Club supports forest management practices that actually seek to protect communities and our precious wild forests and minimize the risk of wildfires, but this case is just one more example of the Bush administration's disastrous overreach on environmental issues. The courts have once again had to tell the administration that it simply cannot ignore laws--environmental and otherwise--simply because it finds them inconvenient." Statement of Craig Thomas, Executive Director of Sierra Forest Legacy "In California, since the adoption of the Bush Administration rule, we have witnessed the gross abuse of discretion and ramp-up of logging with limited environmental review that we feared. Logging without environmental safeguards damages our forests and the public's trust in Forest Service management." Forest Service sued over fire management plans Related article: source ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- An environmental group sued the U.S. Forest Service on Wednesday, claiming the agency's fire management plans for certain forests in the Southwest are inadequate and produced without enough public input. Forest Guardians accused the agency of developing fire plans for a pair of forests in New Mexico and two others in Arizona without studying the potential impact on the environment as required by the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act. The group filed its lawsuit in federal court in Phoenix. It wants the court to order the Forest Service to open its plans to public and scientific review. "The system is broken as it is and it's not working," said Bryan Bird, public lands director for Santa Fe-based Forest Guardians. "... We need to get out our pencils and erasers and work at it." Art Morrison, a spokesman for the Forest Service's regional office in Albuquerque, said Wednesday he had not seen the lawsuit and could not comment. But he noted that any time individual forests develop management plans federal laws are followed and the public is given a chance to comment. Specifically, the suit targets fire management plans for the Carson and Lincoln forests in New Mexico and the Apache-Sitgreaves and Tonto forests in Arizona. However, Forest Guardians believes the agency failed to consider NEPA and the ESA in other cases, as well. Bird said the fire plans -- which spell out how and where prescribed and natural fires can be used -- should be reviewed and updated each year. He contends that's not happening. He also complains that the plans call for putting out fires even when letting them burn would be better for the landscape and for the agency's budget. "The Apache-Sitgreaves, Tonto, Carson and Lincoln national forests require suppression of all non-prescribed, human-caused fires," the lawsuit reads. "The (fire management plans) also restrict the Forest Service's authority to use naturally ignited wildfires to accomplish management goals by limiting wildland fire use to certain wilderness areas and fire management units that make up a small fraction of the forests." Forest officials have said that a central priority for the agency's Southwestern Region is restoring fire to its natural role. But they have acknowledged that meeting that goal requires a delicate consideration of both the environment and the need to protect people, property and natural resources. Emily Irwin, the region's fuels specialist, said in a previous interview that some areas in the Southwest have greater potential to use fire as a management tool because the risk to nearby communities isn't as great. But other areas are becoming more populated, and the values at risk make fire a difficult option. "It's really the right prescription at the right time at the right scale," she said. "It's understanding a strategic plan and then knowing tactically where those treatments fit in. It's the big picture." While Forest Service policy recognizes that fire is essential to western ecosystems, Bird calls it "just lip service." He contends that the Forest Service still suppresses nearly all fires. "If these same fires were allowed to burn, they could economically control fuels leading to greater safety for communities and firefighters as well as healthier forests as a whole," he said. Regional officials have said that more forests are beginning to use fire to their advantage. For example, the Tonto and the Coconino forests in Arizona for the first time this year allowed a wildfire to burn and clear out dead and dry vegetation, Irwin said. Overall, she said, the Southwest region conducts fuel treatments on about a quarter-million acres each year and most of that is done with fire. The region covers more than 22 million acres in New Mexico and Arizona. Morrison added that many forests in the region are in the process of reviewing their fire management plans. He said they are following in the footsteps of the Gila National Forest in southwestern New Mexico, which has had a successful fire use program for decades. But Forest Guardians argues that more needs to be done so fires like those in Southern California and a recent blaze just south of Albuquerque that burned several thousands acres and three homes can be avoided. "It's a really good time for the Forest Service to take a really hard look at how they manage fire in the Southwest," Bird said. On the Net: Forest Guardians: http://www.fguardians.org U.S. Forest Service Southwestern Region: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/

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From the Secret list: Remembering Pearl Harbor and Firefighter Purple Hearts Posted: 07 Dec 2007 02:35 PM CST Hey... Today is a rough day for many Americans and Firefighters, even if you didn't realize it. While some others might barely remember why, we remember. If you were around on Dec. 7, 1941, you will definitely never forget what the date means and how it impacted our nation. Today is Pearl Harbor Day. Remembering the attack at Pearl Harbor is directly remembered by fewer each year...as the "greatest generation" continues to pass on. The attack on Pearl Harbor left a toll of 2,388 dead and 1,178 wounded...including Firefighters (read on)....and pushed the United States into World War II. We had a chance to again visit Pearl Harbor just a few weeks ago-and it is clear that in Hawaii, the attack and those who lost their lives, has NEVER been forgotten. We were privileged to see Pearl Harbor through the private words and eyes of a wonderful and very proud Federal Fire Department (Hawaii) Battalion Chief...who, when showing us around, continued to use the words "OUR history" and "OUR Nation"...his message was clear to us. Pearl Harbor happened to us. Everyone of us. It's 2007 and we are at war now as well. In WW2, it wasn't just the soldiers who went to war-EVERYONE got involved and made a difference to protect our Country-and defeat the enemies. Today we need to remember those who served, those who were lost and those who survived the attacks in 1941. We must keep their memory alive as a reminder that they paid the highest price for OUR freedom. And we also must remember the young women and men who are serving overseas-today-right now as you read this stuff, they are serving you and I. During the Pearl Harbor attack. 3 Engine Companies of the Honolulu (Hawaii) Fire Department, (Engines 1, 4, and 6) were dispatched to fight the fires caused by enemy attack. HFD Fire Captain John Carreira, Captain Thomas Macy and Hoseman Harry Pang all gave their lives in the Line of Duty. 6 other Firefighters were wounded while fighting fires at Hickam Field: Fire Lt. Frederick Kealoha, Hosemen Moses Kililikani, John A. Gilman, Solomon Naauao, Patrick McCabe and George Correa. All of these Firefighters were awarded Purple Hearts and became the only civilian Firefighters in the U.S. to do so. Freedom includes the right to feel what you wish regarding our current military deployment. But either way and no matter what, we must very aggressively and proactively protect our freedom from attacks by the known and unknown enemies. The enemies who plan and would love to take it away from us...and would do so in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, those who hate what we have, what we stand for, what we believe in and how we live as Americans, offer us no options. Need a reminder? Go here...quickly: http://www.fdnylodd.com/9-11-Never-Forget/Memorials/Blood-Of-Heroes.html The following are some excellent links with video related to remembering December 7, 1941. http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/pearlharbor/ http://www.nps.gov/archive/usar/ExtendWeb1.html Take Care-BE CAREFUL and our thanks to ALL who have served and are serving OUR Country in our Armed Forces and Military/Federal Fire & Rescue Services. BillyG The Secret List 12-7-07 / 1027 hours www.FireFighterCloseCalls.com

USFS: Cascade Complex Accident Prevention Analysis released Posted: 07 Dec 2007 02:23 PM CST Cascade Complex Accident Prevention Analysis The Cascade Complex Accident Prevention Analysis is now released and posted on the web. This report examined the circumstances surrounding three events: The entrapment of two fire support contractors, implementation of the "stay in place plan" for the Cascade Complex Incident Command Post, and the decision to remain at that same ICP after the event. The process used to review and investigate the accidents analyzed in the report may not be familiar to many of you. The Accident Prevention Analysis (APA) process has several unique characteristics: • The APA process is designed to meet the intent of the Forest Service Serious Accident Investigation (SAI) process but incorporates the Doctrinal approach of principal-centered performance rather than rule-focused compliance. • The process forces a focus on the 'upstream' culture and the organization that influenced performance. This goes beyond the proximal root cause that is typically labeled a causal factor in other types of investigations. • Using an APA instead of the more typical SAI process does not relieve anyone of accountability for their actions. Had there been any evidence of a willful disregard for human safety, the APA process would have been terminated and an Administrative and/or Law Enforcement Investigation would have been instigated. • The process values learning over blaming. The analysis is sufficiently complete to enable the reader to understand what the decisions were made at the time, why they were made and how those decisions seemed right, making perfect sense at the time. This is very powerful because the players in this event were our most qualified and competent. If their decisions and actions made sense to them at the time, it is very likely similar decisions and actions will make sense again to others unless we share this experience and learn from it. Enclosed is a question and answer document that further elaborates on this review. I encourage every line officer and firefighter to read the report, discuss it, and learn from it. You can download the report at: http://www.fs.fed.us/fire, under the heading: "What's New." Introduction to the Cascade Complex APA Cascade Complex APA (8.0 MB - large file please be patient) Forest Service Environmental Assessment of Fire Retardant and Decision Notice FS Defines Process for Professional Liability Insurance (AGENCY ONLY) 2007 Independent Panel Large Wildfire Cost Review Recommendations (1.6 MB - large file please be patient) This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

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Governor - Press release - task force to review the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Fire Commission’s recommendations Posted: 06 Dec 2007 06:55 PM CST Governor Calls on Blue Ribbon Task Force to Review State Fire Response 11/6/2007 Source: CalFires.com article With the devastating southern California fires under control, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today called on the Blue Ribbon Task Force to assess the next steps to take at federal, state and local levels of government to prevent and fight future fires. Additionally, the Governor asked the task force to review the Governor's Blue Ribbon Fire Commission's recommendations, generated after the 2003 fires, to evaluate if the recommendations are still the best and most effective ways in preventing and fighting fires. "The state did a great job in quickly responding to the terrible southern California fires and the cooperation between all levels of government was impressive," said Governor Schwarzenegger Specifically, the Governor called on the Blue Ribbon Task Force to thoroughly assess the next steps at all levels of government and to evaluate the role that greater cross-agency training and resources, local planning, defensible space, building standards, Fire Safe Councils, public education and other public policies can and should play in preventing and fighting fires. The Governor's Blue Ribbon Fire Commission was established in November 2003 by both Governor Gray Davis and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. In April 2004, the Commission issued 48 recommendations for improving emergency preparedness to prevent and respond to California wildfires. The recommendations included eight federal recommendations, 20 state recommendations, one local recommendation and 19 recommendations that involved multiple jurisdictions. The Blue Ribbon Task Force was formed after the recommendations were submitted by the commission and includes representatives from county and city firefighting officials, the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), the Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES), state fire chiefs and labor unions including the California Professional Firefighters Association and the California State Firefighters' Association. Over the past four years, Governor Schwarzenegger has increased funding to state fire protection by 84 percent. This amounts to $259 million for equipment, firefighters, planning and fuels management. Since 2003, 109 new engines have been purchased to replace old CAL FIRE engines at a cost of $26.5 million. In July 2005, Governor Schwarzenegger signed executive order S-6-05, allocating significant resources to fulfill the Governor's Blue Ribbon Fire Commission's recommendations. This included: $10.8 million to replace aging fire engines. $9 million for year-round staffing at fire-season levels in San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. $12 million over five years for state-of-the-art radio equipment to increase interoperability between CAL FIRE, federal and local officials. Governor Schwarzenegger today sent the following letter to the Blue Ribbon Task Force Chairman Mike Warren: November 6, 2007 Via hand delivery The Honorable Mike Warren Chairman Blue Ribbon Fire Commission Task Force 400 South Vicentia Avenue Corona, California 92882 Dear Chief Warren, Over the past two weeks, Southern California's residents and some of the hardest working first responders in the nation faced, and conquered, wildfires of historic scope and power. I know we are all proud of the heroism demonstrated by the firefighters, law enforcement officials and volunteers who risked their lives to battle these devastating fires. With the flames firmly under our control, we now have the responsibility and opportunity to carefully craft what next steps California can take to meet the challenges of fire season. The swath of destruction left by these most recent fires leaves us no other choice. To achieve this, I call on the Blue Ribbon Task Force to recommend what we must do to better prevent and fight fires in the future. I ask that the Task Force candidly and thoroughly assess next steps at the federal, state, county and municipal levels, and evaluate the role that greater cross-agency training and resources, local planning, defensible space, building standards, Fire Safe Councils, public education and other public policies can and should play in preventing and fighting fires. I applaud the work of the Blue Ribbon Fire Commission in assessing the 2003 fires and putting together a tough, comprehensive set of recommendations. At this time, I am submitting to the Task Force an analysis conducted by my office of the 2003 recommendations. You will see that we have addressed many of the Commission's recommendations – including year-round staffing in high-risk regions, expanding reverse 911 systems and coordinating the Multi-Agency Incident Resource Processing System with the California Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System. Given the substantially larger scope of these most recent fires and developments in technologies available to fight fires, I believe we can benefit from an evaluation of these 2003 recommendations. In light of the past four years, are the 2003 recommendations still the most efficient and effective path to increasing our fire preparedness? I ask that the Task Force members address this critical question in their assessment, and help us identify what policies require more attention and resources. My administration has worked diligently to make significant progress in fire protection, providing resources to raise staffing levels, improve equipment and increase the coordination and efficacy of our response. At their height, these most recent fires burned at twice the size of their 2003 predecessors. I believe the success of our firefighters in successfully containing these mega fires, with fewer lives lost and structures destroyed than in 2003, is a testament to our policies. But we can always do more, and we will. I look forward to the Task Force's help in achieving this. Sincerely, Arnold Schwarzenegger

TEMPORARY SHELTERS AVAILABLE FOR ANIMALS Posted: 06 Dec 2007 06:09 PM CST ORANGE COUNTY OPERATIONAL AREA EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS RELEASE # 2 Date: December 6, 2007 Time: 1220 TEMPORARY SHELTERS AVAILABLE FOR ANIMALS EVACUATED FROM THE CANYONS Orange County Animal Care Services (ACS) will accept domestic animals from the evacuated areas at the Orange County Animal Care Center, 561 The City Drive in Orange. Animal owners are asked to bring identification, vet information, and any special foods or medicines along with their animals in order to ensure their animals receive appropriate care and they can be reunited with their animals when the evacuation is over. General information about Orange County Animal Care Services is available on their website at www.ocpetinfo.com or by calling (714) 935-6848. The Orange County Fairgrounds has the capacity for up to 100 head of livestock. Residents who need to evacuate large animals and livestock are directed to go to Gate 5 at the Orange County Fairgrounds. Livestock, other than horses, will also be sheltered at Orange High School, 525 N. Shaffer St., Orange. General information about Orange County Animal Care Services is available on their website at www.ocpetinfo.com or by calling (714) 935-6848. The Silverado Library will close at 5 p.m. today rather than at 6 p.m. due to the mandatory evacuation. It is closed, as always, on Friday. No decision has been made on whether to reopen on Saturday

ORANGE COUNTY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER AND PUBLIC Posted: 06 Dec 2007 06:06 PM CST ORANGE COUNTY OPERATIONAL AREA EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Mandatory evacuations for residents of Modjeska, Silverado and Williams Canyons will take effect at 1700 hours. PRESS RELEASE # 1 Date: December 6, 2007 Time: 1100 ORANGE COUNTY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER AND PUBLIC INFORMATION HOTLINES ACTIVATED The County of Orange activated and staffed the Emergency Operations Center with County agency representatives at 1100 hours on December 6, 2007. The Public Information Hotline has been staffed and is ready to accept calls of inquiry in regard to evacuations in the Canyon communities of Orange County. The Public Information Hotline phone number is (714) 628-7085. All resources and support personnel have been identified and are on standby ready to mobilize other areas of the Emergency Operations Center when needed. Due to the prediction of heavy rain and the danger of mudslides in the area of the Santiago Fire, the following orders and advisories are in effect. Mandatory evacuation of large animals is ordered at 1100 hours for Modjeska, Silverado and Williams Canyons. The Orange County Fairgrounds has been designated as a reception area for evacuated large animals Voluntary evacuations for residents are in effect at 1100 hours for Modjeska, Silverado and Williams Canyons. An evacuation center has been set up at El Modena High School, located at 3920 East Spring Street in Orange. Mandatory evacuations for residents of Modjeska, Silverado and Williams Canyons will take effect at 1700 hours. If you have questions please call the Orange County hotline at 714-628-7085. If you have an emergency please call 911

Blog article: City of Malibu to Post Reward for Info on Corral Fire Perpetrators Posted: 06 Dec 2007 03:19 PM CST Editor: Did burning Marsh mellow projectiles cause the terrible losses in the Malibu Corral fire? Source article: Malibu surfside news City of Malibu to Post Reward for Info on Corral Fire Perpetrators • Investigators Comb Clues that Could Lead to Partygoers Who May Have Started Blaze BY HANS LAETZ The Malibu City Council is slated to establish a special reward fund at its meeting next Monday and approve a $10,000 allocation for information that "directly leads to the arrest and conviction of a person or persons found to have caused" the Corral Fire two weeks ago—a fire that may cost upwards of $100 million. Meanwhile, intensive scrutiny continues of the Corral Canyon site where the blaze that claimed over 4900 acres and destroyed or damaged 90 structures is believed to have started. In addition, cash register data, credit card records and video surveillance pictures from Malibu supermarkets have been examined by arson detectives, an official has confirmed. And a firefighter from Northern California, the most seriously injured person, has returned to his home in rural El Dorado County to continue recovering from facial burns suffered protecting a Malibu house. Rumors have swept the community that youthful partygoers purchased firewood, marshmallows and party supplies at a Malibu supermarket the night of Friday, Nov. 23, just hours before fire swept down Corral Canyon. "Investigators have looked at receipts and financial data, and this information is unquestionably going to lead us to the persons we need to talk to," said Los Angeles Sheriff's spokesperson Steve Whitmore. The sheriff's spokesperson would not address rumors that firewood and snacks—including marshmallows—purchased at Ralphs Supermarket in Malibu Colony were matched with evidence recovered at the fire origination point. The rumors have been embellished with unsubstantiated reports that lit marshmallows were used as projectiles based on where the burnt confections were found. Arson detectives had clustered around the series of rock formations and caves overlooking the San Fernando Valley, at the north end of Corral Canyon Road, in the immediate aftermath of the fire. The caves and secluded views on state parkland have attracted hundreds of young adults on prior full-moon nights, prompting complaints from nearby residents that State Parks Department rangers need to crack down on the situation. Whitmore would not confirm that tire impressions were collected by the dozen or so arson investigators who were combing dirt roads near the caves after the fire. Television helicopters captured pictures of deputies apparently pouring a white substance onto the dirt at the parking lot. "All I will say is that investigators are using every single tool available in this case," Whitmore said. "We have received literally scores of substantial tips that we're following." Up to now, arson investigators will only confirm that the fire was caused by human activity, leaving open the possibility of either an accident or deliberate action. Whatever happened, the fire started on State Parks property where open flame is prohibited during a Santa Ana wind when the fire danger is highest. The fire swept south from the cave area at about 3 a.m., Nov. 24, and in the next four hours inflicted the worst damage to Malibu since the 1993 fire that claimed nearly 400 homes. One firefighter suffered facial burns, and a total of eight were injured. Los Angeles County firefighters are still calculating losses for the Corral Fire, which may total over $100 million once value of the 53 destroyed houses are added in to the 34 that suffered severe damage, and the dozens of destroyed power poles, cable lines and vehicles are factored into the total. El Dorado County firefighter Scott Herzog returned home to the Sierra Nevada foothills last week, after spending nearly a week at the Grossman Burn Center at Sherman Oaks Hospital. Herzog was one of the Cal Fire strike team members pre-positioned in Camarillo when the Santa Ana winds were first hinted at in long-range weather forecasts. Herzog's engine company had just arrived at a house in Latigo Canyon when it was engulfed. "I looked down at my arms and I saw fire, I looked down at my legs and my pants and I saw fire, fire, fire," he told reporters at his home fire station near Sacrmento last week. The flames inflicted second-degree burns on Herzog's face, but a full recovery is expected, he said. In other fire related news, County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky is working to coordinate the myriad public agencies—some of them working at cross purposes—in the Santa Monica Mountains region to come up with unified policies on fire planning. Some residents and Malibu officials have complained that they are being prevented from trimming brush within mandatory clearance buffer zones because of environmental concerns voiced by the California Coastal Commission. Yaroslavsky's field coordinator, Susan Nissman, said a January meeting will "outline a strategy for creating a Santa Monica Mountains Fire Safe Council Alliance, which will include all the stakeholders in the north Santa Monica Mountains region." "The wildland urban interface issues that this region confronts requires a collaborative approach that includes vegetation and fire management planning among all the stakeholders and setting priorities and goals we can all work on together," she said in a letter to Malibu City Council members. posted by MalibuSurfsideNews

Inciweb: Jack Wildland Fire - YNP - 1,108 acres - 65% Posted: 06 Dec 2007 10:24 AM CST Jack Wildland Fire Incident Information Announcements News Photographs Maps INCIDENT UPDATED South aspect, north of the community of Wawona Credit: NPS view pictures || view maps Summary The Jack Fire started on Oct. 29 from lightning associated with thunderstorms moving over the Park. The Jack Fire is located on the north and south sides of Turner Ridge north of Wawona. It was originally placed under wildland fire use management for resource benefits and public safety. On Nov. 8, the fire spread outside the fire use management zone causing a change in strategy. At this point, management actions were taken to slow fire spread south toward Wawona. Due to these management actions and cooler temperatures, very little fire activity was observed after November 12. However, as drier conditions were restored last week the fire began to spread significantly. Successful management actions, including burnouts and hand line construction, have held the fire at the Wawona Road and north of the community of Wawona. The fires this year in Lake Tahoe and Southern California are a reminder that is important to use fire as an ecological restoration tool as well as to create defensible space around fire prone communities. Basic Information Incident Type Wildland Fire Cause Lightning Date of Origin 10/29/2007 at 1500 hrs. Location 0.5 miles north of Wawona Incident Commander Taro Pusina Current Situation Total Personnel 25 Size 1,108 acres Percent Contained 65% Estimated Containment Date 12/15/2007 at hrs. Fuels Involved Primary vegetation involved is ponderosa pine/mixed conifer vegetation on northern portion of fire. Manzanita, buckbrush, and ceanothus persist on southern aspects. Fire Behavior Low to moderate, creeping and smoldering in mixed conifer understory. Rates of spread less than 1 chain/hour and flame lengths 6-12". Significant Events Suppression efforts on critical portions of perimeter holding. Outlook Planned Actions Patrol south and west flanks until predicted significant precipitation arrives tomorrow (thursday or friday). Projected Movement 12 hours: minimal spread to north until rain 24 hours: none likely. 48 hours: none likely. 72 hours: none likely.. Growth Potential low Terrain Difficulty High Containment Target Fire will likely be 100% contained after precipitation event in next few days. Remarks Not available Weather Current Wind Conditions 2-4 mph W Current Temperature 61 degrees Current Humidity 33 %

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