As Peat Bogs Burn, A Climate Threat Rises

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"A peat sample showing the history of wildfires dating back hundreds of years. Scientists can trace the history of wildfires to better understand how the peat land acts as a carbon sink." (Ed Ou/New York Times)

Did you know that peatlands make up about 3 percent of the earth's land surface, but contain more carbon cumulatively than all of our trees and plants on this Earth? Can you imagine if these areas go up in flames? Check out this very interesting New York Times piece about the effect climate change is having on our peatlands and the potential for a shockingly immense amount of carbon release. 

From the Source:

“They take thousands of years to develop,” said Merritt Turetsky, a peat researcher at the University of Guelph in Ontario. “And in five minutes, a wildfire can blow through that area and release five to six hundred years of peat accumulation and change it forever.”

“Drier peat allows more oxygen to get to the roots of trees and other vegetation. This causes them to grow bigger, which means they use more water, further drying the peat.

As trees grow, they also provide more shade, which favors the growth of other mosses that, because they hold less moisture than sphagnum, are less fire resistant.

When the bog does catch fire, it may be more severe, with the combustion spreading deeper into the peat.”

Hawaii's Wildland Firefighters Need More Resources

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Three DOFAW firefighters watch as smoke billows from a distance. Credit: DOFAW.

Front page headlines!

With the ever-growing problem of wildfires statewide, Hawaii's first responders have faced numerous challenges accessing adequate resources to ensure communities and natural resources are out of harm's way. This is a great article that highlights the underlying issues of wildfire in Hawaii, the current realities of wildfire suppression across the state, and tactics that may help alleviate these issues. The answer: improved resources for wildland firefighting and a focus on pre-fire mitigation.

From the Source:

"Experts say both the frequency and size of wildfires have steadily grown in recent decades as changing weather patterns and invading fire-prone, non-native grasses and shrubs have put Hawaii’s forests and natural areas at greater risk of fire.

Data from a recent Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization study indicate that the average area burned each year in Hawaii has climbed by 400 percent over the past century.

The study also shows that an average of more than 17,000 acres has burned each year over the past decade, with some years exceeding even the most fire-prone Western states.

In fact, a greater percentage of Hawaii is under high risk of wildfire than any of the other 16 westernmost states, according to an assessment by the Council of Western State Foresters."

"Clay Trauernicht, extension fire specialist with the University of Hawaii at Manoa, said the state needs to provide more realistic funding levels to help protect the state’s natural areas in the face of a rapidly growing wildfire threat."

"Cutting firebreaks, reducing vegetation and brush, and working with landowners to provide access for water and vehicles help to minimize the size of fires, their impacts and their potential danger to firefighters, he said."

"Trauernicht said the state should consider establishing a full-time team dedicated solely to wildfires. Not only would it improve the division’s initial response, but the team could also conduct pre- and post-fire activities when not responding to fires, he said."

Wildfire Season Rages On at University Museum of Art (Audio)

Art is not only a medium of self-expression, but also an important way to convey messages to the general public. Science and art are also not mutually exclusive.

Bryan David Griffith, Broken Equilibrium and Reconstruction. PHOTO: Tom Alexander, Courtesy of the University of Arizona Museum of Art

From the Source:

"Wildfire season has officially comes to a close, but it roars on at the University of Arizona Museum of Art's 'Fires of Change' exhibit, featuring the work of 11 artists.

Before they started to work on their pieces, the artists spent a week with scientists learning about fires in the forests of Northern Arizona in what museum officials call a wildfire bootcamp."

"Miller said the exhibition doesn’t dwell on the destructive force of fire.

"But as a necessary part of the forest ecosystem that’s all part of the rejuvenation of the forest, and the more humans suppress fires, the more catastrophic they become," she said.

The 11 artists worked across a range of mediums: installation, film, sculpture, even quilting."

Sequoias and Historic Stump in Path of California Wildfire

"Sequoia trees in Grant Grove are charred in Kings Canyon National Park, California, on September 12, 2015." Credit: National Geographic

Thick, fire-resistant bark and a massive canopy can protect trees from wildfires, most notably: giant sequoias. Native trees like koa can also use their canopies to their advantage by shading out fire-loving undergrowth, reducing the amount of fuel for a fire. Unfortunately, most native plants in Hawaii do not regenerate well after a wildfire, unlike sequoias. Our fire ecosystems in Hawaii can differ vastly from the mainland, but some things hold true for all.

From the Source:

"'They are a fire-dependent species that are well adapted to survive burns,' says Nichols. 'In fact, fire helps them get the next generation of sequoias started.' That’s because fire encourages the trees to drop their cones en masse. The blaze knocks out competition from other plants and provides a great shot of fertilizer in the form of ash. (Learn more about sequoias and fire.)'

Sequoias have fibrous, fire-resistant bark that can grow up to two-feet thick, insulating them from damage, says Stephen C. Sillett, a Humboldt State University ecologist who has received grants from the National Geographic Society to study the giants in Sequoia National Park. The trees’ massive size and canopy also help cut down on undergrowth around them, which reduces fuel for fires."

Farmers Guild Community Raises Over $18K for Wildfire Victims

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Photo Credit: Farmers Guild

Very encouraging and inspiring article about the power of community and overcoming devastation through generosity and compassion (with delicious food sharing on top of that!)

From the Source:

But a potluck can be powerful. Whether it's the Grange or the Farmers Guild, a neighborhood group or a house of faith, cultivating the space for communion bears many fruit. Most of the time that fruit is hard to see, harder still to measure—relationships, inspiration, invisible threads spun throughout a community. On rare occasions, however, that impact is obvious. Even measurable. Like on Thursday evening. Three days to plan. Eighteen thousand dollars. Forty-three auction items. One Grange hall. Four hundred people. 

For those in Lake County who've lost homes, crops, cars, livestock, businesses, photo albums, and even family members, we know that eighteen thousand dollars will make only a dent. And some things are irreplaceable. But we also know that ours is only one community of many. And so to all those who gathered with us on Thursday and all those who are, in their own communities, mobilizing to help those in need—and more importantly, to those who cultivate community even when giant billows of smoke don't waft overhead—I thank you.

How to Help California Wildfire Victims

Screen capture from CNN video.

The wildfires that have ravaged Northern California's Napa, Lake, Amador, and Calaveras counties have destroyed hundreds of homes and business, leveled a popular holistic retreat, and killed half a dozen people. There are a number of ways in which you can help the victims of these fires, even if you live across the oceans:

• Providing funds
• Finding Victims
• Locating Animals Through Social Media

Nude Hot Springs Retreat Burns Down from Wildfire

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"Burned out remains of the popular nudist destination, Harbin Hot Springs is seen after the Valley fire roared through the area near Middletown, Calif. on Sept, 14.(Photo: Josh Edelson, AFP/Getty Images)"

A favorite retreat for many in Northern California burned down from the latest Lake County wildfire that also took many homes and a half dozen lives with it. Wildfires can be a major threat to community resources, whether they are heiau, community centers, or clothing-optional spas. Our hearts go out to all of those affected.

From the Source:

"According to the website, the holistic center, which is a non-profit operated by the Heart Consciousness Church, evacuated Saturday afternoon.

A statement on Harbin's website reads: 'Photos and video have circulated online showing the destruction of the main retreat buildings, and the area is unrecognizable. That said, it appears that the historic pools still exist. Beyond that, we cannot confirm specifics or estimate damages until we are allowed to return ourselves.'"

These Photos from the California Wildfires are Apocalyptic

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"A playground is surrounded by smoldering rubble in Middletown, California, Sept. 13, 2015." Credit: Josh Edelson/Getty Images

Residents of Middletown and San Andreas have been hit hard by massive wildfires that have destroyed over 400 homes and businesses and taken the lives of a few people. 

It's the kind of news you never want to see, but unfortunately, it's becoming more and more common with the increase in frequency, size and intensity of wildfires all around the U.S. and especially in California. 

These haunting photos offer a harrowing glimpse of the aftermath of the fires. Warning: they will give you chills (and one includes some graphic content).

HWMO VIDEO: Kawaihae Fire and Flood 2015 - Mauka to Makai Impacts

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Post-fire debris smothers coastline near Mauumae Beach.

Starting on August 8th, Kawaihae experienced a brushfire that threatened local communities, businesses, and cultural sites. Over a week later, the impacts of the wildfire have reached another precious resource: our coastline. 

We just produced a short video demonstrating the mauka-to-makai effects of wildfire with recent footage and photographs documenting the post-fire floods that have and are continuing to have negative impacts on our nearshore resources including coral reefs.

At the end of the video is an important message about how you can join us in taking action to prevent troubling events like these.

Enjoy and make sure to spread this video and the messages in it to everyone you know!

The recent Kawaihae Fire burned over 4,500 acres of wildland in the Northwest region of Hawaii Island. The wildfire directly impacted local communities, businesses, and cultural sites. One week later, the wildfire impacted coastal resources through unprecedented levels of post-fire flooding.

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. 

Puukohola Heiau Cancels Cultural Festival

"90 percent of the vegetation on the park’s 80 acres. Pu‘ukoholā Heiau is in the background. (NPS photo)"

Due to the recent brushfire in Kawaihae and the need to continue to assess damages to the cultural sites, Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site will remain closed and will cancel the Hookuikahi Establishment Day Hawaiian Cultural Festival, scheduled for Aug. 15 and 16.

From the Source:

"The 43rd annual Ho‘oku‘ikahi Establishment Day Hawaiian Cultural Festival will not be rescheduled this year. Instead, the National Park Service said in a media release:

… the public is encouraged to save the date for next year’s festival, scheduled for Aug. 13 & 14, 2016. Next year also marks the 225th anniversary of the completion of the heiau in 1791, and the centennial anniversary of the National Park Service.

'We regret the inconvenience of having to close temporarily and for having to cancel the festival that so many enjoy,' said Superintendent Kawaiaea. 'As always, our priority is the safety of park staff, our visitors, and the practitioners,' he said."

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."

Two Years After Deadly Wildfire, Are There Lessons In the Ashes?

"An aerial view shows the Yarnell Hill fire burning June 29, 2013 near the town of Yarnell, Ariz. The next day, 19 firefighters died battling the blaze." Credit - Arizona State Forestry Division/Getty Images

Check out this 5-minute audio report about the Yarnell Hill fire that claimed 19 firefighters' lives - interview with Kyle Dickman, a former hotshot who wrote the book "On the Burning Edge." "He tells NPR's Eric Westervelt about the wall of flames that the Granite Mountain Hotshots faced, and how the incident has - and hasn't - changed firefighting technology and practices.

From the Source:

"On one firefighter whose story sticks with him

One boy's name was Grant McKee; he was the youngest guy on the crew. And Grant McKee was really hesitant. He didn't necessarily want to join the crew, and he didn't want to be a hotshot, he wanted to be a paramedic. And so he had a really hard time sort of fitting into the rough-and-tumble culture of the hotshot crew. And I think what touched me about Grant's story was watching him come into it, so reluctant to join the crew, and then go from being an outcast to being an accepted member and actually sort of falling in love with the job.

On whether the tragedy was caused by bad luck or "unforgivable human error," and the changes he'd like to see

What I would like to see is a larger percentage of that money going toward preparing for wildfires. So instead of spending billions fighting them, we should be spending ... billions preparing for them — by thinning the forest, by using more prescribed fire, by letting more wildfires burn."

Hot Shot Crew Raising Funds for Fallen Firefighters' Memorial

A nice representation of the strong kinship held amongst wildland firefighters. 

From the Source: 

"'There's a strong family vibe through the wildland fire community,' Curry said.

That is the reason the Lone Peak Hot Shots decided to do something so these men would always be remembered. They're hoping to build a memorial at the site where Tompkins and Chambless died. The memorial will include two granite obelisks measuring 5 feet tall. They hope they will serve as a reminder to all who see them.

New Community Partnership on Hawaii Island Aims to Improve Water Quality

"Rocky coastline on Hawaii Island." Credit - UH Manoa

We are excited to be a partner of UH Sea Grant and South Kohala Coastal Partnership for this incredible project. Post-fire erosion has always been a major concern for HWMO, so we linked up with Sierra Tobiason and the rest of the partnership for this forward-thinking project to provide any help we could, including funding support for fuels reduction (which has taken place at a couple of sites within the last month.) 

From the Source:

"The two-year Wai 2 Kai project will take place at five sites along the Waikoloa stream and within the Wai‘ula‘ula Watershed. At these sites volunteers will be recruited to install and maintain raingardens, participate in stream and beach clean-ups, remove invasive plant species, and help the project reach its goal of planting 20,000 native plants."

These native plant restoration and Wai 2 Kai volunteer activities were designed to not only restore and improve water quality, but to encourage long-lasting stewardship and understanding of the importance of healthy watersheds.

Said Tobiason, 'The organizations, agencies and community groups of the South Kohala Coastal Partnership have been instrumental in helping to develop collaborative stewardship opportunities to improve the water quality from wai to kai -- the stream to the ocean. It is very exciting to have so much community involvement and partnership support in this project as we work together to improve water quality and reduce impacts to coral reef ecosystems.'"

A Year After Deadly Wildfire: 'Some Recovery, But...' (VIDEO)

Video on how a fence brought together a town after one of the worst firefighting tragedies in American history. Article digs into the long, difficult process of mourning after such an incident.

From the Source: 

"A year ago they arrived with heads bowed, hands held. The air was silent because no one knew what to say.

They parked their pickups, their SUVs, their sedans outside Mile High Middle School, and when every last space was occupied, they parked along narrow side streets and vacant lots.

Lights blazed from the auditorium, a beacon to those who wanted to be anywhere else.

A few hours earlier on a day that soon would appear on marquees, banners and T-shirts — June 30, 2013 — friends and loved ones of the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew gathered to hear the worst news possible.

Nineteen had perished at the Yarnell Hill Fire, trapped by flames that moved so quickly several of them had not even deployed their fire shelters.

The grief began there, and spread through the city, to the vigil sites, to the public square where the hearses passed by, to the arena where thousands would gather to say goodbye.

Nearly a year later, the scenes that contained the drama of those days largely are devoid of reminders of those early days.

But the number 19 still has only one meaning in Prescott, and it reverberates as strongly today as it did then."

Above: "A makeshift memorial to the 19 fallen firefighters wraps around three sides of Fire Station 7 in Prescott in August, weeks after the tragedy." Credit: Lynn French / The Arizona Republic

San Juan Fire Explodes to 2,000 Acres in Northeast AZ (VIDEO)

From the Source: 

"Twelve structures are threatened by a fast-growing wildfire on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation west of Cerro Gordo.

The San Juan Fire was reported just before 12 p.m. Thursday and within a matter of hours, the fire grew from an initial 100 acres to 2,000 acres by 5 p.m., according to officials with Apache Sitgreaves National Forest.   

Areas on pre-evacuation notice are Whiting Homestead, Red Cabin Ranch and Greenspeak Hideaway.

'The San Juan Fire is heading northeasterly into an area where the White Mountain Stewardship Project has been thinning and that will definitely help slow down any fire activity,' Apache-Sitgreaves Nationals Forest Supervisor Jim Zornes said.

Forest Service Road 117 is closed for public access. The public is advised to look for fire personnel and vehicles entering off highways U.S. 60 and Arizona State 260.

According to the White Mountain Independent, between 200 to 300 Boy Scouts from Gilbert were in the White Mountains when the fire started.

Matthew Wright was with the group and an additional 100 adults and chaperones who were camping in the area. A group of them split off and headed for a ridge at about 9,000 feet and noticed the smoke. They then went back to base camp and told the others it was time to go."

Above: Credit - Eric Nietzel

Navajo's Assayii Lake Fire: Heartbreaking Losses, and How to Help

Learn how you can help those who have lost an important piece of their livelihoods:

From the Source: 

"Firefighters are making headway against the Assayii Lake Fire, but not before it gobbled up acre upon acre of sacred land in the Chuska Mountains between Gallup and Shiprock.The Assayii fire on the Navajo Nation had been 20 percent contained by Thursday June 19, as the blaze reached 13,450 acres, and 867 personnel battled the flames, according toInciWeb. But the victory is destined to be bittersweet.

Though no one has died, the toll is still great. Members of two communities had been evacuated, and at least 13 summer sheep camps had been destroyed, according to the Navajo Times.

'We’re going to be losing everything and our memories will be gone,” Elvina Yazzie told theNavajo Times on June 16 after driving her family’s flock of 28 sheep down the mountain with the help of her nephew, Nelvin Yazzie. “It just hurts because our grandparents built that hogan.'

Donations are being accepted at several chapter houses, Navajo Nation Emergency Management Director Rose Whitehair told the Navajo Times. The Crystal Chapter House, Naschitti Chapter House, Shiprock Chapter House, Fort Defiance Field House (Home Base), Tohatchi High School Gymnasium and Newcomb School are looking for flour, potatoes, eggs, paperware (bowls, plates, utensils, cups) Zip-lock bags, disposable gloves, oil, salt, baking powder, dish towels, steel knives, pots, pans, napkins, coffee, Kool-Aid and ice tea mix, power bars, cold cuts, bread, soda, water, juice, pitchers for Kool-Aid, canned food and boxes for food storage, according to theNavajo Times. The American Red Cross is fielding financial donations and offering other aid.

'Officials are asking that those donating items refrain from too much sugar products and also to be aware of the expiration dates,' the Navajo Times stated."

Above: "A weary firefighter prays between bouts with the Assayii Lake Fire in the sacred Chuska Mountains on the Navajo Nation." Credit: Neil Damon

How to Read the Mind of a Forest Fire

Very interesting article summarizing the history of fire science in the U.S. and the cool tools today's fire scientists use to predict fire behavior.

From the Source: 

"In a stand of ponderosa pine trees high in the Santa Catalina Mountains overlooking Tucson, Arizona, forest-and-fire ecologist Don Falk squatted with me next to a 100-foot-tall tree born a decade or two before American independence. At the base of the trunk, the tree's thick cinnamon-colored bark gave way to a shallow opening a foot wide and two feet high that looked like a series of successively smaller triangles. Falk ran his hand along the charred edges of the opening and explained what we were looking at: a window into the forest's past, and fire's role in shaping it.

Falk studies fire-scarred trees to understand how frequent, severe, and widespread fires have been in an area, and how those patterns have shifted over the centuries--which is also a key to understanding why some fires are bigger, more unpredictable, and more destructive these days, 'How do you know anything on Earth has changed?' he asks. 'You have to be able to compare it to how things were in the past. This is how we know the history.'"

"'What's being released in a fire is the accumulated capital stored up through years of photosynthesis,' Falk says. 

You're not destroying the carbon, hydrogen, or oxygen molecules. They're just being liberated.' And on a tremendous scale: even a relatively small fire of a couple hundred acres can pump out energy equivalent to the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, and can push a mushroom cloud of hot air, ash, and soot miles into the sky."

"While Falk studies fires to better understand how they have changed over the years and altered the landscape, wildland firefighters study fire as soldiers might analyze enemy capabilities. They catalog mental snapshots of fire behavior they have encountered: how the flames ripped through a grassy canyon or hopped off the ground and leaped into the treetops; the strange calm before a sudden wind shift; the fire tornados that can spin flame in new directions. Early on, a rookie matches these images with what he's learned in training or heard from the veterans."

"'“We are living in a time that is unprecedented, with the extremes we're seeing in temperatures, precipitation, and winds, and with that, the effects are unpredictable,' Bahr says. 'If you don't have that in your slide tray, you aren't going to believe it.'"

"The presence of human structures means that forests and shrublands aren't allowed to burn the way they once did. It’s a problem that keeps getting worse. Because the federal government pays most of the tab for firefighting, local governments don't have as much incentive to regulate development in the most fire-prone areas. Some insurers charge higher premiums if homeowners don't mitigate fire dangers, and more communities are adopting building codes that require landscaping and construction materials that can better withstand wildfire and not carry flames through a neighborhood.

But most community-protection programs are voluntary, with progress outpaced by influx into the wildland-urban interface, and more homes at risk means more firefighters at risk."

Above: "Ecologist Don Falk points out a fire scar on a fallen tree stump." Credit: Brian L. Frank

Wolf Pups Rescued from Funny River Fire in Alaska's Kenai National Wildlife Refuge (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Another reason to commend our brave and dedicated firefighters!

From the Source: 

"A massive wildfire tearing through Alaska's Kenai National Wildlife Refuge has caused wildlife to flee the area, but not every creature managed to escape.

Earlier this week, firefighters found a den of wolf pups that had been left behind when the rest of their pack raced away from the advancing flames of the Funny River Fire.

The pups were dehydrated, injured and hungry -- but almost all of them were alive.

'On Tuesday, 5/27, we rescued 5 wolf pups from the fire line. Due to the disturbance the parents abandoned the den. The pups were not harmed by the fire although all had porcupine quills that were removed by the medics working on the fire line. The pups were all given water and glucose by the medics (see photo). Alaska Department of Fish and Game and refuge personnel removed the pups from the area and they were transported to Anchorage for holding prior to permanent placement elsewhere. Thanks goes to Gannett Glacier firefighters and Division X-ray medics for all their good work.'"

Above: The wolf pups. Credit: Kenai National Wildlife Refuge