After Years of Drought, Wildfires Rage in California

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Screen capture from New York Times.

This interactive news piece (graphs, maps, photos, and gifs) offers some eye-popping insight into the impacts of drought on wildfire frequency and severity. 

From the Source:

"He described how fire – in such arid conditions – climbed quickly up mountain ridges and spread vertically, going from the grasses at ground level to smaller branches that act as ladders to the bodies of dry trees.

Dead trees were, in part, what allowed the fire to keep going. And they can be found all over California...

A study from the University of California, Merced, has shown that fire seasons in the West, including California, are, on average, 86 days longer than they were in the 1970s.

'Southern California has a 12-month fire season now,' said Scott L. Stephens, a professor of fire science at the University of California, Berkeley. 'You can have a fire there at any time.'”

Indigenous Fire Methods Could Slash Global Emissions

"NSW Rural Fire Service crews struggle to contain a bushfire around the Wentworth Falls escarpment. Photo: Wolter Peeters"

We can learn a lot from the past and especially from those who have (and continue to) pass on the knowledge for centuries. 

From the Source:

"The preliminary findings of a $3 million United Nations University research project, largely funded by the federal government, said controlled wildfire methods historically used by Indigenous Australians, and robust methods to measure their benefit, could be used by nations around the world, cutting global emissions from wildfires by as much as a half.

Indigenous people have historically managed the savannah regions of tropical northern Australia through low-intensity 'patchwork burning' early in the dry season, which can help prevent uncontrolled fires later in the season, and so cut emissions.

Wildfires are a significant source of greenhouse gas and their prevalence is expected to increase because of climate change. Each year wildfires burn up to 4.5 million square kilometres globally – an area more than half the size of Australia."

Lake Tahoe Program Pays Cash for Grass to Conserve Precious Water

"The South Tahoe Public Utility District is working to help homeowners convert their thirsty lawns to drought-friendly landscaping with the district’s turf buy-back program." Credit - EarthJustice

This innovative, incentive-based approach to conserve water has many benefits, one of which is to protect homes from wildfires by incentivizing Firewise landscaping. Firewise gardening in Hawaii has many of the same benefits including conservation of water, which is especially critical for the parched leeward sides of the islands.

From the Source:

"Another resident-favorite conservation initiative is the district’s turf buy-back program. The idea is simple: grass requires lots of water and fertilizer to keep it green, and grass that dries out and turns California “golden” is ripe for fire. Why not try drought-friendly plants instead? Rangel visits customers’ homes to photograph and measure the lawn they want to convert and to help them apply for the rebate. She says demand for turf rebates this year is higher than it’s ever been."

"Jennifer Cressy of the Tahoe Resource Conservation District has advised many local families thinking of making the switch from grass to something greener. She says about half of homes in South Lake Tahoe are second homes, and out-of-town owners are especially excited about “zero-scaping,”—creating a landscape you never need to water. But a truly Tahoe-friendly yard must also include 5 to 30 feet of “defensible space” around the outside of the house that are free of debris so firefighters have a chance to save the building from a blaze."

VIDEO: Flash Flooding Near Kawaihae Filmed

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Screen capture from Big Island Video News.

On Monday, August 17th, a storm brought heavy rainfall to the State, including the Northwest side of Hawaii Island. Inches of rain fell each hour, which as you can imagine created frightening flash flood scenarios. Highways were shut down, vehicles were stranded, and dozens of residents evacuated the Kawaihae area. An unprecedented amount of murky stormwater ran through the streams and streets of Kawaihae and as of this morning, continues to find routes to the ocean. 

These shocking videos show just how dramatic the post-fire erosion event was last night. 

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (From Distant Flames)

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Photo: Matthew Keys/Flickr Creative Commons

A by-product of wildfires that can impact people from miles away (and sometimes continents away!), smoke can create severe public health impacts. This fun and informative personal account of smoke impacts also has some good tips at the end of the article.

From the Source:

"Smoke plumes can carry dangerous gases and toxins hundreds or thousands of miles, exposing hundreds of millions of Americans each fire season to harmful particulates. Even as the United States continues to make strides to reduce air pollution—here’s looking at you, Clean Air Act and Clean Power Plan—the risks from smoke plumes are only likely to worsen as climate change continues to spur bigger, badder fires."

"Short-term exposure to plumes has been linked to everything from asthma attacks to stroke to anxiety. People with preexisting respiratory and cardiovascular problems are particularly vulnerable, as are the elderly and the very young. One study found that babies whose moms had been exposed to wildfire smoke during pregnancy had lower birth weights. And even perfectly healthy folks (joggers, like yours truly) may suffer sore throats or itchy eyes when a haze descends."

"In the meantime, anyone looking to breathe a little easier during wildfire season can take precautions. The CDC offers some excellent tips, including:

• Check air quality reports.
• Consult local visibility reports.
• Keep indoor air as clean as possible.
• Don’t be a dolt and go out for a run when a thick plume of wildfire smoke descends on your backyard.

Er, that last note might not be a CDC-approved message but rather one I wrote to myself."

Strong El Nino Blamed for Dry Winter Forecast

"Tropical Depression 6E, which formed in the Eastern Pacific over the weekend, was captured in an image at 7 p.m. Sunday by the GOES-15 geostationary satellite. Hawaii is in the upper left corner of the image. Tropical cyclone activity usually increases in El Nino years such as 2015." Credit - Honolulu Star-Advertiser

A strong El Nino can mean a variety of things for Hawaii: more storms, a dry winter, and potential for landslides (especially in areas affected by wildfire).

From the Source:

"'We're not just talking about leeward drought,' said Kevin Kodama, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service office in Hono­lulu. 'It will probably manifest itself in windward areas as well. The expectation is that there will be pretty significant drought.'

"While there is a greater chance of storms during the June-through-November hurricane season, El Nino will likely steer most rain in the winter-to-spring rainy season away from the islands.

For farmers, ranchers and homeowners who like to keep their lawns green, a strong El Nino could mean cutbacks next year.

'The chance of drought goes up, the stronger the El Nino is,' Kodama said."

"Storms could, however, also cause landslides in areas recently hit by wildfires."

Residents Return to "War Zone" After Wildfire Engulfs Homes (VIDEO)

"PHOTO: A man stands in front of the remains of his fire-destroyed home, June 29, 2015, in Wenatchee, Wash." Credit - Elaine Thompson/AP Photo

Embers can be one of the greatest threats during a wildfire near a community. This Washington fire set homes and businesses ablaze in the heart of the city, a testament to the importance of preparing for wildfire no matter how far you are from the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI). Our hearts go out to those who've lost their homes and businesses - we can't imagine how difficult of a recovery that must be.

From the Source:

"Homeowners forced to evacuate recently because of a rapidly moving wildfire in Washington state returned today to find that the blaze had burned so hot that few of their belongings remained or were even recognizable.

'[It] looks like a war zone,' Diane Reed told ABC News affiliate KOMO-TV. 'I've never seen anything like it ... To just sit back and think, I don't even have a fork or a plate or clothing — just your basic things that we all take for granted. It's just gone.'

Wenatchee, a town with a population of 30,000, suffered a double whammy. As fire ripped through neighborhoods and burning embers ignited several large businesses downtown, nearly half the city was ordered to shelter in place after an industrial fire and ammonia leak released a dangerous smoke plume."

Alaska Fire Crews Battling 2 Large Tundra Wildfires

"Smoke rises from the Bogus Creek Fire, one of two fires burning in the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge in southwest Alaska. Fire managers said Monday that weekend rain helped tamp down the fires which, together, total about 63 square miles. (Matt Snyder/Alaska Division of Forestry via AP)"

Wildfires in the tundra in Alaska may become more of a frequent thing over the next century due to changing climate conditions.

From the Source:

"Alaska gets fewer fires in tundra than in forests, and tundra fires tend to be smaller, but they are not unheard of, according to Fish and Wildlife Service fire ecologist Lisa Saperstein.

Tundra fires are more common in southwest Alaska, but rare in the far north, she said. In 2007, a lightning-caused fire burned 400 square miles in the Brooks Range in the North Slope in an area where lightning is an anomaly.

The current fires are burning about 400 miles south of where the 2007 fire took place. Both fires are located in a biologically dynamic area where waterfowl nest, Saperstein said."

"According to a 2013 report by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service, climate change could be a factor in a growing number of fires in tundra ecosystems over the next century."

Hawaii Told to Expect El Niño to Continue All Year

Credit - NCSU NC Climate

This next year could be a much busier year not just for hurricanes, but for wildfires in Hawaii. Here's why:

From the Source:

"Chu said El Nino could clear the path for summer hurricanes. The end of hurricane season in November will bring dryer conditions to the island, including parched landscapes and increased wildfire risk."

Devastating Wildfires Pose Growing Threat to Hawaii's Lush Forest and Water Resources

Excellent, well-rounded article about the mauka to makai connectivity in regards to wildfires. Our wildfire issues are making national headlines!

From the Source:

"In addition to chipping away at the last of Hawaii's native forests, wildfires also threaten the state's limited freshwater resources. According to Elizabeth Pickett of the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, fires can make the soil hydrophobic, meaning less water infiltrates the soil and contributes to the state's precious groundwater resources.

Wildfires are also destructive to the state's treasured coral reefs.

The most recent National Climate Assessment reports that Hawaii's coral reefs are already struggling to survive due to bleaching events and ocean acidification."

Sign-up for a free-trial of ClimateWire to read the full article (it's worth it!):

http://www.eenews.net/login?r=%2Fclimatewire%2Fstories%2F1060016599%2Fsearch%3Fkeyword%3Dhawaii

"A forest fire creeps down to the sea from the West Maui Mountains.
Photo courtesy of Peter Liu."

El Niño Expected to Dry Out Island

West Hawaii Today examined the possibility for El Niño this year. We chimed in on what El Niño could mean for the islands in terms of wildfires:

From the Source: 

"The Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization is increasing outreach in the face of the possible dry conditions. Heavy fuel loads caused by the wet summer are cause for concern, said Pablo Beimler, education and outreach coordinator for the organization, which is based in Waimea. 

'A lot of wildfires happen in these drier periods after it’s been wet,' Beimler said. 'The fuel loads in West Hawaii are similar to when we had the big fires in Waikoloa in 2005 and 2007.'

Unlike the typically well-defined fire seasons on the mainland, wildfire is a year-round possibility on Hawaii Island.

'In a single day, you may have a wet morning and wildfire conditions in the afternoon,' Beimler said. 'It just changes so rapidly.'"

Above: "High rainfall in Kealakekua and Honaunau during May benefited area farmers. The Big Island can expect below average rainfall this winter, but forecasters say the island should escape severe drought, the National Weather Service said Friday." Credit - West Hawaii Today

Racing Wildfire Engulfs Homes in California Town

"A mere 10 minutes later, the wildfire driven by fierce winds raced through their neighborhood, missing them by three houses and torching a roof across the street."

Given the right conditions, a wildfire can switch gears and head right towards your community within minutes. That's why it's best to be READY far in advance of wildfire season by creating defensible space around your home, fire-proofing your home, and creating/rehearsing an evacuation plan. 

From the Source: 

"Fire crews aided by calmer winds and aircraft knocked down a wildfire Tuesday that damaged or destroyed 100 homes and a church and forced more than 1,000 people to flee a small town near the Oregon border.

As crews put out remaining embers, the people of Weed wandered through scorched neighborhoods covered in pink fire retardant had been dropped by firefighting airplanes.

Some homes were burned to the ground, with only chimneys left standing. Broken water pipes spurted over the blackened landscape. The remnants of the Holy Family Catholic Church were still smoking, marked by twisted metal girders lying on the ground.

The fast-moving blaze, which began Monday, was among nearly a dozen wildfires burning in California that have been exacerbated by the state's third straight year of drought. The tinder-dry conditions have sent firefighters scrambling from blaze to blaze, almost nonstop." 

Article link no longer available.

Above: "A jet aerial tanker drops its load of fire retardant on a fire near Pollack Pines, Calif., Monday, Sept. 15, 2014. The fire, which started Sunday has consumed more than 3,000 acres and forced the evacuation of dozens of homes." Credit - Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo

Burn, Baby, Burn - If We Say So

From the Source: 

"What strategy might evolve for the Western wildlands?

The old fire exclusion paradigm had clarity—a bogus simplicity, but one easily communicated and measured. What has emerged to replace it can seem muddled and tricky to explain. The reality is that fire suppression remains dominant nationally, though it has acquired a lighter hand in the backcountry and a heavier one near exurbs. The other reality is that every wildland fire put out is a fire put off. Fire agencies now face a phalanx of changes that are powering conflagrations—not only the legacy of stockpiled fuels but also climate change, invasive species, a fractal exurban sprawl, and political gridlock. With no single cause, there is no single solution. Fire officers look instead for pragmatic responses, adapted to particular circumstances."

"Critics dismiss the outcome as a muddle, but others put a positive spin on it, arguing that it’s more of a mashup. They point out that the country does not have a fire problem: It has many fire problems, all of which require different approaches. In the public lands of the West, the options are few. Fire officers will have to manage their lands with the fires they get, not the ones they would like. In many wildlands they will work with fires that start from any source and “box” them in according to natural or built features that allow easier control. They will then burn out from those perimeters and fire out the interiors. This approach, officially known as “confine and contain,” unofficially as “box and burn,” is likely to become the primary strategy for managing fires in the West. This video demonstrates how a hybrid approach, including “box and burn,” was applied to the recent Slide fire outside Sedona, Arizona."

"So expect plenty of fires this season. Expect burns that make 1977’s 178,000-acre Marble Cone fire seem unexceptional. Expect critics to harp on wishy-washy policies and a lack of airtankers. Hope that we don’t see communities blown away or crews burned over. Then get used to it. It’s what the future of fire in the West will look like."

Above: "A wildfire threatens homes in San Marcos, California, on May 15, 2014. The blazes come amid record temperatures in the state, where the annual wildfire season typically starts much later in the year." Credit: Jorge Cruz/AFP/Getty Images

World's Hottest May is Now May 2014: NOAA

The planet continues its warming trends - expect wildfires to ride along the upswing, as well.

From the Source: 

"Last month was the hottest May in more than 130 years of recorded weather history, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Monday in its monthly state of the climate report, as May 2014 surpassed the previous record high for the month set in 2010.
The world's combined land and ocean temperature for May was 1.33°F above the 20th century average of 58.6°F, NOAA reported, adding that four of the five warmest Mays have occurred in the past five years.

In the report, NOAA separates out temperature records for the world's land and ocean areas. On land last month, the world saw its fourth-hottest May on record with a global surface temperature 2.03°F above the 20th century average. The oceans saw their hottest May on record, with a temperature 1.06°F above the 20th century average.
 

• The United Kingdom had its third-warmest spring on record, with temperature 2.3°F above the 20th century average
• Norway saw its warmest spring since national records began in 1900, breaking its previous record set in 2002. The nation's average temperature for March to May 2014 was 4.1°F above the 1981-2010 average.
• South Korea saw its warmest May on record, with a temperature 2.2°F above the 1981-2010 average."

Above: Land & Ocean Temperature Departure from Average May 2014 Credit: NOAA

California's Drought Getting Even Worse, Experts Say (PHOTOS)

From the Source: 

"California's drought conditions have worsened over the past week with the percentage of the state suffering from the highest category increasing, the National Weather Service said Thursday.

'Exceptional' drought conditions have spread in Central California since a week ago, weather officials said. Areas in Northern California have also moved into this category since last week, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Almost 33% of the state faces exceptional conditions. About 25% of the state faced those conditions last week.

Every part of California remains in what is considered severe drought. 

A year ago, no part of the state was in exceptional drought conditions, the weather service said.

The drought has prompted water conservation efforts as well as rationing in some parts of the state. L.A. saw record dry conditions this winter, and snowfall in the Sierras has also been significantly down."

Above: "Looking toward the San Gabriel River from East Fork Road north of Azuza in February, the San Gabriel reservoir can be seen in the far distance where it has receded more than a mile." Credit: Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times

Obama, Western Governors Make Plans for Fire Season

We fully support a strategy that does not involve dipping into fire prevention funds. We believe fire prevention and pre-suppression is key to reducing the threat of wildfire in Hawaii. Obama and the Western Governors agree:

From the Source: 

"A years-long drought parching Western states and threatening to ignite a record fire season is spurring the Obama administration to revise the federal government’s approach to combating wildfires that threaten hundreds of millions of acres of Western land.

Obama and senior administration officials on Monday met by video conference from the Situation Room with governors of eight states, gathered here for the annual meeting of the Western Governors Association. The White House reviewed national drought estimates and fire projections with governors and promised to work with them once fire season gets under way.

'Fire is a priority for this administration,' Interior Secretary Sally Jewell told governors on Monday."

"The Obama administration has said climate change is causing increasingly severe fire seasons, which average 60 to 80 days longer than in past decades because of hotter temperatures and less snowpack. Idaho Gov. Butch Otter (R) said Monday the fires are an environmental risk, too: In 2013, fires in Otter’s state added 6 million tons of carbon to the atmosphere and 34 million tons of particulates, he said."

"On Capitol Hill, the administration is also pushing Congress to adopt new budgetary rules that would remove forest-fire funding from the traditional budget process. Instead, major fires would be treated as disasters and funded the same way hurricanes, tornadoes and other calamities are treated.

Under current rules, when fire costs spiral out of control, the federal government has to dip into accounts set aside for long-term fire prevention, like fuel management, to pay for short-term containment and suppression costs.

'Because of the extent of fires that we’ve had in recent years, not only has the fire suppression been used up, but all the other money that’s been set aside for fuel mitigation has to be cannibalized to fight fire,' said South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard (R)."

Above: "Plumes of smoke from a wildfire rise from Oak Creek Canyon in Sedona, Ariz., as seen from I-89A near Sedona, Ariz.,on May 21, 2014." Credit: AP Photo/Vyto Starinskas

66-Million-Year-Old Wildfire Reveals the Climate During the Last Days of the Dinosaurs

From the Source: 

"Archaeologists are learning a bit more about forest fires that occurred 66 million years ago during the time of the dinosaurs. They've discovered the first fossil-record evidence of forest fire ecology in Canada, revealing a bit more about the ancient climate of our planet.


In this case, the researchers managed to discover what is essentially a snapshot of the ecology on Earth at a time when the dinosaurs were on the verge of their mass extinction. The fossil record also reveals a bit more about how forests recovered after a fire.

'Excavating plant fossils preserved in rocks deposited during the last days of the dinosaurs, we found some preserved with abundant fossilized charcoal and others without it,' said Hans Larsson, one of the researchers, in a news release. 'From this, we were able to reconstruct what the Cretaceous forests looked like with and without fire disturbance.'"

"In fact, the plant fossils allowed the researchers to estimate, for the first time, climate conditions for the closing period of the dinosaurs in southwestern Canada. This shows exactly what the ecology was like right before the dinosaurs went extinct." 

Above: "Researchers have discovered the first fossil-record evidence of forest fire ecology in Canada, revealing a bit more about the ancient climate of our planet.This image shows the Las Conchas wildfire in the New Mexico region." Credit: Jayson Coil

Dry Conditions Fuel an Alaska Wildfire That's Bigger Than Chicago

From the Source: 

"Alaska is battling a huge wildfire this Memorial Day. In the last 24 hours the fire has spread to become bigger than Chicago, prompting officials to issue an order for about 900 people as it threatens Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula, a region south of Anchorage. With just 30 percent of the fire’s 243 square miles contained, 1,000 structures have been evacuated.

Large wildfires are familiar to the region, where 1 million acres burn annually, and yet it is unusually early in wildfire season to see a fire of this size, a spokesperson said. Citing “unusually dry conditions” as the cause, the Anchorage Daily News points out the state has had “unseasonably warm spring temperatures.”

But the real culprit for worsening fires is climate change, which boosts optimal conditions like heat, drought, and dry weather. This winter, parts of the country were hit by frigid temperatures while Alaska saw temperatures in the high 40s and 50s and had its all-time warmest January. In other words, Alaska saw spring-like temperatures as early as January and February this year. Some scientists say climate change fuels this extreme jet stream."

Above: Credit - NASA

Fire on the Mountain (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Check out this beautifully put-together new short documentary on the many mysteries of fire, highlighting the Missoula Fire Lab's work in Montana. Definitely worth 10 minutes of your day!

From the Source: 

"Last June, 19 firefighters lost their lives trying to control a blaze near Yarnell, Arizona—the highest death toll for firefighters battling a wildfire in this country since 1933. What went wrong? Is it time to reconsider our approach to fighting fire?"

"Fire is inevitable. You can defer it, but it’s a pay-me-now-or-pay-me-later scenario."

"We’re paying for that blindness now. Across the West, enormous swaths of forest and shrubland are loaded with decades’ worth of built-up fuel. Climate change is compounding the problem: years of drought are turning much of that fuel into tinder; fire season is starting earlier and ending later; bugs are surviving warmer winters and killing vast numbers of trees, increasing the risk that fires will start and spread; and some forests destroyed by fire aren’t growing back, because faster-growing shrub and grass species are taking over before new trees can establish themselves. What it all means is that when fires start, they burn hotter and more destructively than ever before, often killing trees that would have survived less-intense heat."

"The success of fire shelters often depends on where they’re deployed, and on the intensity of the fire. The Granite Mountain Hotshots could not have been in a worse place for deploying their shelters: they were walled in on three sides by rising slopes that would funnel and pull the fire, and surrounded by a six-foot-high tangle of very dry fuel."

"When Marsh saw the fire turn the corner into the bowl, the crew had maybe three or four minutes until the flames would reach them. They picked an area where the vegetation wasn’t as dense and started clearing a spot for their shelters, between two shallow troughs that carry runoff into Yarnell. This was the point at which Marsh radioed his plans, with chain saws audible in the background. His sawyers cut down gamble oak and manzanita, to give the crew at least a small area free of fuels where they could lie down. Other hotshots dragged the branches away from the clearing and lit fires at the perimeter to burn off more fuels and increase the distance between themselves and the main fire when it arrived. In the final moments before the fire closed in, as they had been trained to do, they began to toss all their equipment outside the perimeter of the clearing, especially combustible items such as torches and chain-saw gas and oil. But the fire roared in too fast for them to finish the job. Later, fire-behavior analysis would suggest that it crossed the last 100 yards toward them in 19 seconds, burning at about 2,000 degrees."

Above: "Names of the fallen hotshots, scribbled on a whiteboard in the resource room at the fire station the day of the Yarnell Hill Fire and left untouched ever since." Credit: The Atlantic

Fire Near Slide Rock Prompts Evacuations (VIDEO)

From the Source: 

"The outlook in Arizona remains grim a month after the Southwest Coordinating Center issued this wildfire forecast: 'Erratic and extreme fire-behavior potential will need to be considered as a given ... outside any typical historic frame of reference.'"

"Crews fighting a 450-acre fire near Slide Rock State Park on Tuesday night were expected to be joined by reinforcements early today in the effort to battle a northern Arizona fire that officials say is threatening 100 structures, including homes and vacation resort cabins.

About 100 firefighters were on scene and more resources were ordered as the fire quickly moved up steep canyon walls on Tuesday afternoon and heavy smoke filled Oak Creek Canyon, where fire officials say the Slide Fire was sparked.

The threatened structures are at the north end of the canyon. Evacuations were ordered along a 2-mile stretch from Slide Rock State Park north toward Junipine.

A shelter opened by the American Red Cross Grand Canyon Chapter in Flagstaff was scarcely used on Tuesday night.

Slide Rock State Park is a favorite destination in the summer.

People visit in droves to slide down the naturally formed sandstone water slides. The 43-acre park is 7 miles north of uptown Sedona. The West Fork of Oak Creek is one of the most popular hikes in the state, with its towering cliffs, meandering stream bed and lush vegetation."

Above: "Smoke seen from Cornville, Ariz., May 20, 2014." Credit: Tom White/AZ Central