Wildfire Wednesdays #63: Fire Technology

Happy Wednesday Fireshed Coalition Members!

While nothing can replace the boots on the ground efforts of firefighters against wildfires, recent technological advances are helping to support and increase safety of these efforts. Today we wanted to share with you some of the new technological advances that are helping fire professionals predict and combat wildfires across the globe.

This Wildfire Wednesday features information on:

• How drones are being used to fight fires

• Technology being introduced to increase firefighter safety

• Silicon Valley’s increased focus on fire technologies

Have a good week,

Liz

Drones & Wildfires

Credit: Steve Peterson

It has been just two years since the Wildfire Management Technology Advancement Act was signed into law, allowing for increased capacity in drones being used on the front lines against wildfires. Drones are being used to drop incendiary devices to create fuel breaks and backburns, map fires with thermal imaging, inspect flight paths for retrofitted jets that release retardant over fires, and provide high-resolution images of fire behavior. Drones can access areas that manned-aircrafts can’t due to size and safety concerns, they can also fly at night and when visibility is low due to smoke which makes them even more valuable in the fight against wildfire. To learn more, read this article from National Geographic: Fireball-dropping drones and the new technology helping fight fires or this article from Discovery: Wildfire Technology - Tackling the Spread of Wilderness Fires with Digital Technology.

Additionally, check out the video below from the Smithsonian Channel that shows how a “predator” drone used infrared technology to locate a missing fire crew and protect critical infrastructure in a 2013 wildfire in Yosemite National Park.

Firefighter tech

Source: Parasim

• Qwake - This helmet-mounted communication device for firefighters “provides aid in navigating fire hazard zones by combining augmented reality (AR), thermal imaging cameras (TICs), cellular and wireless network technologies, camera tracking, GPS localization, and data collection.” (Qwake Technologies Awarded Air Force Contract to Adapt AR Solution for Smokejumpers and Special Operations)

• PARASIM - This parachute training simulator uses a 3D virtual reality display and suspension harness to mimic the conditions of an actual jump. “Controls, real world scenes, malfunctions, wind profiles, various weather conditions, and a full library of terrain types add up to a realistic experience.” This technology can help smokejumpers prepare for parachuting into wildland fires.

Silicon Valley Fire Technology Investments

California has seen devastating wildfires in recent years. In 2020, 4.2 million acres burned across California, a number that is expected to be exceeded this year. The proximity of Silicon Valley, the global technological hub, to many of the California wildfires has led many developers and investors to turn their attention towards fire prevention and fighting technology. While many of these technologies are solely being utilized in California for now, we would expect at least some of these products and platforms to be available across the US in the upcoming years. Here are some examples of some of the technological advances coming out of Silicon Valley right now (from California wildfires: Fighting bigger blazes with Silicon Valley technology & As wildfires approach Silicon Valley, tech firms struggle to find the backing to fight them)

Source: Zonehaven

• Zonehaven: This “Community Evacuation Interface” is a map-based software that connects maps, fire and police departments, dispatchers, and residents to provide reliable information about evacuation updates and preparation resources. This platform is already serving 3.2 million people in over 170 fire districts in California.

• Rain System: This startup is making a network of drones that can detect and drop retardant on wildfires before firefighter arrive.

• Buzz Solutions: This software platform uses visual data and algorithms that can detect failures within power grid systems that can lead to wildfires. The software “assesses the likelihood of asset degradation, line health, vegetation encroachment, and future hotspot areas” so repairs can be made prior to wildfires starting.

Wildfire Wednesdays #62: Causes of Wildfires

Hello FACNM community!

We hope you’re all staying healthy during this period of increased smoke across much of New Mexico (check out this map to see fire and smoke distribution across the US). While wildfires are a natural part of our ecosystems, only 10-15% of the global wildfires we experience today are from natural causes. Human-caused fires behave differently than naturally-occurring wildfires and are responsible for 97% of fires that threaten homes in the wildland-urban interface (WUI). Human-caused wildfires have expanded the total area burned across the United States and have more than tripled the length of the wildfire season. In 2020 there were approximately 2,743 human-caused fires that burned 368,729 acres in the Southwest alone.

This Wildfire Wednesday features:

• Information about the most common human causes of wildfires

• Measures to reduce risk of wildfire from those human-causes

• A link to an upcoming webinar of interest

Have a great week!

Liz

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Most common human-causes of wildfires

Source: Utah Fire Info

• Abandoned campfires: “On average since 2001, abandoned campfires have started 44% of the human-ignited wildfires in the Southwest. In contrast to lightning, which may be more likely on a ridge (and then burn down slope), human ignitions are often linked to roads and recreation sites in valleys. Fires that start in valleys or lower slopes can burn up slope easily and hence grow faster.” (Source: Increasing Wildfire Awareness and Reducing Human-Caused Ignitions in Northern New Mexico). Over Mother’s Day weekend this year (2021), nearly 30 abandoned campfires were found by fire prevention patrols in Santa Fe National Forest alone.

• Burning debris: Nationally, the majority of human-caused wildfires result from escaped fires from debris burning (Source: Human-started wildfires expand the fire niche across the United States)

• Arson: Arson is a leading cause of wildfire in several heavily populated States, including California and Florida (Source: Wildland Arson: A Research Assessment). From 2010-2014 the U.S. Department of Interior reported that 23% of reported wildfires were attributed to arson. Research suggests that arson ignitions are responsive to law enforcement actions, weather and climate, and labor market variables (Source: Increasing Wildfire Awareness and Reducing Human-Caused Ignitions in Northern New Mexico).

• Powerlines: “The total number of acres burned by powerlines (nearly 178,000 acres) is more than the sum of acres burned by wildfires ignited by arson, children, debris burning, equipment use, and smoking over 15 years... A study in southern California found that electrical line wildfires can often be larger than wildfires caused by other types of ignitions because the high winds that can cause line faults also makes firefighting more difficult” (Source: Increasing Wildfire Awareness and Reducing Human-Caused Ignitions in Northern New Mexico).

Number of wildfires by type of human ignitions in the Southwest (Source: Increasing Wildfire Awareness and Reducing Human-Caused Ignitions in Northern New Mexico)

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Human-caused wildfire risk reduction

• Abandoned campfires: To have a safe campfire (after checking that it’s allowed under current fire restrictions) you should adhere to the following advice from the Cal Fire Campfire Safety page:

  • Cut wood in short lengths, the fire should be no larger than necessary.

  • Never leave a fire unattended.

  • Always keep a shovel and bucket of water nearby.

  • Use the “drown, stir, and feel” method to drown the fire with water, stir the water into remaining embers and ash, mix thoroughly, and feel the area with the back of your hand.

Source: Klamath Falls News

• Burning debris: Prior to burning any debris you need to check to restrictions in your area and you may need to obtain burn permits. You can burn debris safely by taking these precautions from the Cal Fire Residential Landscape Debris Burning Safety and Southern Foresters Tips for Safe Debris Burning pages:

  • Check to see what weather conditions are expected. Outdoor burning should be postponed if shifts in wind direction, higher winds or wind gusts are forecasted.

  • Clear all flammable material and vegetation down to bare mineral soil within 10 feet of the outer edge of pile or burn barrel.

  • Landscape debris piles should be in small 4 feet by 4 feet piles.

  • Keep a water supply and shovel close to the burning site.

  • A responsible adult must be in attendance until the fire is out.

• Arson: “Wildfire hotspot modelling, which identifies high potential for arson, can help law enforcement efficiently allocate resources to reduce arson incidents” There are some precautions that individuals and communities can take in order to reduce risk of arson in their area (Increasing Wildfire Awareness and Reducing Human-Caused Ignitions in Northern New Mexico)

  • Reduce hazardous fuels and eliminate attractive hazards such as piled fuels.

  • Monitor weather and climate drivers of wildland arson success and model predictors of arson such as the socio- economic drivers of arson and other crime rates.

  • Establish arson reward programs

• Powerlines: While most of the fire prevention measures associated with powerlines fall to energy companies, there are some efforts individuals can make to reduce the likelihood of powerlines causing a wildfire:

  • Immediately report any powerlines that are fallen, sparking, or ablaze.

  • If you notice encroaching vegetation near your powerlines, and they are not on your property, immediately call your local electric company to inform them of the potential hazard. DO NOT attempt to trim vegetation around a powerline yourself, this needs to be done by professionals.

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Webinar of Interest

Recent fire regimes of the bi-national Madrean Sky Islands- implications for collaborative, transboundary fire management

Presenter: Miguel Villarreal, Western Geographic Science Center, USGS
Date: July 20, 2021 11am AZ/12pm MDT

“In this webinar I will share results of a recent study of contemporary fire regimes over a 32-year period (1985-2017) in the Madrean Sky Islands of the U.S. and México. Our research team evaluated the size, severity and return interval of recent fires in relation to a conceptual model of historical fire regimes for the major biotic communities. During the study period 335 fires burned approximately 28% of the study area, with re-burns occurring on over 25% of the burned areas. The greatest variation in fire regimes, including fire size, frequency, and severity was observed in places with the most diverse human activities and land uses – particularly in the mountain ranges adjacent to the U.S.- México border. Average severity of recent fires was low despite some extreme outliers in cooler, wetter environments. Fire frequency was also higher than historical expectations in these cool and wet environments that support forest types such as Spruce-Fir, indicating threats to these systems possibly attributable to drought and other factors. In cooler and wetter environments in more remote areas of México, pine-oak forests burned with fire frequencies close to historical. In contrast, fires were absent or infrequent across large expanses of lower elevation Woodlands and Grasslands due possibly to overgrazing, which reduces abundance and continuity of fine fuels needed to carry fire. Our findings provide a new depiction of fire regimes in the Sky Islands that can help inform fire management, restoration, and regional conservation planning, fostered by local and traditional knowledge and collaboration among landowners and managers.” 

Click here to register for this webinar NOW!

Click here to view journal article on which this webinar is based.

Wildfire Wednesdays #61: Fire-Adapted Gardening & Landscaping

Hello Fireshed Coalition Members!

We hope you all had a great holiday weekend and Fourth of July. Although we’re well into gardening season here in New Mexico the blooms we’ve seen around our community lately have inspired us to write a garden/landscaping-focused post! There are many ornamental and native plants that thrive in our yards across New Mexico and you can incorporate these plants and other design concepts into your garden to make your property more fire-adapted.

This Wildfire Wednesday includes information on:

• Landscaping your defensible space

• “Fire Wise” plants for New Mexico

• NM Cooperative Extension & County Extension services

Happy gardening!

Liz

Landscaping Defensible Space

Often when we think of defensible space we are focused on removing plant material from our property, but you can still have many plants and creative landscaping in a fire-adapted yard! Check out some advice from F.C. Dennis’ Fire-Resistant Landscaping fact sheet for how to appropriately landscape your defensible space around your home.

Defensible space landscaping design tips from F.C. Dennis:

• Landscape according to the recommended defensible-space zones. That is, the plants near your home should be more widely spaced and lower growing than those farther away.

• Do not plant in large masses. Instead, plant in small, irregular clusters or islands.

• Use decorative rock, gravel and stepping stone pathways to break up the continuity of the vegetation and fuels. This can modify fire behavior and slow the spread of fire across your property. It is highly recommended that the first 3-5 feet away from the house be gravel, flagstone, pavers, or some other non-flammable material.

• Incorporate a diversity of plant types and species in your landscape. Not only will this be visually satisfying, but it should help keep pests and diseases from causing problems within the whole landscape.

• In the event of drought and water rationing, prioritize plants to be saved. Provide available supplemental water to plants closest to your house.

• Use mulches to conserve moisture and reduce weed growth. To reduce fire danger, it is best to use a non-organic mulch such as pea gravel or stone, but leaf mold or compost is also acceptable. Mulch can be organic or inorganic. Do not use pine bark, thick layers of pine needles or other mulches that readily carry fire.

• Be creative! Further vary your landscape by including bulbs, Garden art and containers for added color.

Image credit: F.C. Dennis Fire-Resistant Landscaping; Fact Sheet No. 6.303

Fire Wise Plants for New Mexico

The New Mexcio locust plant (photo: USDA Forest Service)

Once you’ve designed or altered your yard to be more fire-resistant you may want to plant some new species that will support your defensible space! The Santa Fe Botanical Garden has great information about “Firescaping” and which plant species are appropriate for our yards in New Mexico, click here to learn more.

Also, Check out this Fire Wise Plant Materials guide from the New Mexico Cooperative Extension Service to learn more about Firescaping and for a list of all recommended trees, shrubs, flowers and ground covers for your yard!

Prickly Pear Cactus (Photo credit: Amy Stone, OSU Extension)

NM Cooperative Extension

NM Cooperative Extension and your County Extension offices are one of the best resources available for guidance and information about your garden and property. The Cooperative Extension Service exists to provide “practical, research-based knowledge throughout New Mexico”. Not only do they have a variety of information, publications, and videos on their website but they encourage you to reach out directly to your County Extension office if you have questions. Click here to discover which County Extension office can help you with your garden or landscaping project.

Different County Extension jurisdictions across New Mexico (https://aces.nmsu.edu/county/)

Wildfire Wednesdays #60: Take Action!

Hello Fireshed Members!

We hope you’re enjoying the rainy weather we’ve been fortunate enough to have across much of Northern New Mexico this week! We’re grateful for a little moisture on the ground before this upcoming weekend’s festivities and hope everyone will stay diligent with some fire restrictions being lifted across the state.

Did you know that there are different levels of engagement you can have with the Fire Adapted Communities New Mexico Learning Network? Receiving this newsletter is a great start and if you’re feeling ready to become a little more involved and connect with other individuals in our community we’re here to tell you how! If receiving this newsletter is enough for you, we also have an way for to you take a small action to increase your fire preparedness in our community.

This Wildfire Wednesday features two ways to take action:

1. Become a FACNM “member”

2. Sign up for wildfire alerts

Keep reading to learn more about these actionable tasks. Hope you all have a wonderful Fourth of July and holiday weekend!

Liz

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Become a FACNM Member

If you’re interested in connecting with community leaders and professionals who are working towards making our communities more fire-adapted, becoming an official member of the Fire Adapted Communities New Mexico Learning Network is a great next step for you! Members consist of residents, retirees, fire professionals, emergency responders, researchers, architects, ranchers, hydrologists, foresters, and more! Membership costs nothing and you gain access to events, learning opportunities, and it connects you with a network of professionals who can support you in efforts to make your community more fire-adapted.

A breakdown of how our FACNM members self-identify within their community.

To sign up to become a member of the FACNM network click here to visit the directory page and select “Add”. You will then be added to our member list and receive updates about networking and learning opportunities.

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Sign up for Alerts

Signing up for wildfire alerts is a small, actionable task that will help ensure you are informed and prepared this wildfire season! Click on any of the pages below to sign up. We also recommend bookmarking this InciWeb site which shows all of the active wildfires across the USA so you can plan ahead and be prepared!

New Mexico wide:

• NM State Forestry Wildfire Alert email (only for state or private land, not federal)

• NM Fire Information (click on the + at the bottom of the page to add your email, shown on the right)

Santa Fe fireshed:

• Alert Santa Fe

Wildfire Wednesdays #59: Fire Professionals

Hello Fireshed Members!

This week we wanted to highlight and provide resources for one important group within our Fire Adapted New Mexico Learning Network: Wildland firefighters & fire professionals. These individuals are essential to protecting our forests and communities and they face both physical and mental risks associated with their jobs. We’re grateful for all fire professionals and are sharing resources we hope can support them both on and off the job. [Warning: this post references suicide].

This week’s Wildfire Wednesday includes:

• Background information on fire professionals for those who may be less familiar with the field.

• Information on physical health for fire professionals.

• Mental health resources for fire professionals.

• A link to a success story involving firefighters in the Medio fire.

Have a great week everyone!

Liz

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An Introduction to Fire Professionals

For those of us who may be unfamiliar with the many different types of fire professionals and what their jobs entail, The Forest Service’s People Working in Fire webpage provides good background information and great informative videos that can give you insight into the jobs and lives of firefighters.

Click Here to visit the People Working in Fire page

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Physical Health

Photo credit: Chris Tuite

The recent tragic death of Tim Hart, a smokejumper responding to a fire in New Mexico, demonstrates the inherent risk that fire professionals face on a daily basis. Firefighters additionally face increased rates of lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, hearing loss, and other smoke-related illnesses - but there are steps that one can take to reduce risk. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is currently working on a research project to deepen our understanding of the relationship between firefighters and cancer rates, click here to read more about this research.

Here is some advice from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Firefighters and Cancer Risk webpage on how to reduce your risk of fire-related cancer (visit this page for more details on how to carry out these steps):

Photo Credit: Miami-Dade Fire Rescue

• Protect yourself at work. 

  • Reduce exposure to diesel exhaust from the fire apparatus.

  • Clean and care for PPE and SCBA properly.

  • Wash yourself as soon as possible after every fire.

  • Store PPE gear correctly to avoid contaminating other areas in the firehouse or apparatus.

  • Always be cautious at the fire ground.

• Talk to your doctor. As a firefighter, make sure your doctor knows your work or volunteer history, even if you are retired.

  • Discuss your risk of cancer with your doctor. Firefighters may need to start screening at an earlier age and do screenings more frequently than the general population. Ask about ways to reduce your risk of cancer, such as good nutrition, physical activity, and avoiding tobacco and alcohol.

  • The Fire Service Joint Labor Management Wellness-Fitness Initiative provides cancer screening recommendations for firefighters.

  • NFPA 1582: Comprehensive Occupational Medical Program for Fire Departments also provides health information for firefighters.

• Record your exposure. The International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) recommends that firefighters keep a personal record that tracks exposures and incident responses.

• Follow healthy lifestyle behaviors. Good nutrition, physical activity, and avoiding tobacco and alcohol can decrease your risk of cancer and other diseases. For more information about healthy lifestyle recommendations, download or order the free fact sheet Healthy Behaviors.

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Mental Health

In the recent Workforce Resilience Ignite Talk Series “Wildland Firefighters Mental Health and Well-being” (video included below), fire professionals discussed the mental health risks associated with the job and the difficulty of “fitting in” when off-assignment. It was particularly inspiring to hear from Mark Titus, a fire professional who shared his journey of recovery from PTSD after his initial reluctance to seek help. It is not uncommon for firefighters to struggle with PTSD, substance abuse, suicidal thoughts or difficulties in relationships but there are resources available to help address and manage these challenges.

Click on the programs below for mental health resources specifically for fire professionals:

Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance

The Code Green Campaign

Share The Load Program

If you or someone you know is struggling with a mental health crisis call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline (available 24 hours in English & Spanish)

1-800-273-8255

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2020 Medio Fire Success Story

Read the Medio Fire Factsheet and explore the Great Santa Fe Fireshed Coalition website to learn about how previous treatments and fire professionals successfully managed the 2020 Medio Fire to protect homes and vital resources in our community.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE