Crews on the move

[NJFFSA16]

Pack test complete? Gear ready? Boots cleaned? Stand at the ready...it's raging in Colorado.

(Undated-AP) -- About 140 firefighters left Oregon today to
fight wildfires burning in Western Colorado.
The Coal Seam blaze, burning west of Glenwood Springs, has
burned about 75-hundred acres since June eighth. It's in the same
area as the Storm King fire that killed 14 Hot Shot firefighters in
1994, including nine Oregonians from Prineville.
So far no one has been reported injured, but the fire has
already consumed 23 houses and come close to burning hundreds of
other buildings.
Mike Fitzpatrick of the Northwest Coordination Center in
Portland says the Oregon firefighters first priority will be to
save lives and prevent more property damage. Then he says their
efforts will be focused on bringing the Coal Seam blaze under
control by digging fire lines around the flames.


(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press

[NJFFSA16]

Just the beginning of what may be a long season:cool:

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - As fires burn through wild land in
Colorado, New Mexico and California, residents of the Northwest
have a few worry-free weeks before the fire season blazes to life
here.
But fire crews from Oregon and Washington are already breathing
dust and smoke, sleeping on rocky hillsides, and showering once
every couple of days.
Oregon has the largest number of contract crews for wildland
fires in the country, with about 220, followed by Washington, with
about 30 crews.
That means that when fires burn in other states, Oregon reaps an
economic boon - although one with a great deal of risk for the
crews involved.
The robust industry sprang up in Oregon because the state had
historically relied on local crews drawn from lumber companies
rather than state employees. When the federal government began
hiring private crews in the 1990s, they looked to companies already
established in Oregon, said Rick Dice, the director of the
Springfield-based National Wildfire Suppression Association.
About 140 crews from Oregon and Washington are deployed at fires
in the southwest, California and Colorado this week.
The state has also sent out nine tanker airplanes, 45
backcountry fire engines - called "bush rigs" - and several
helicopters, said Carol Tocco, spokeswoman for the Northwest
Interagency Coordination Center.
Central Point-based Erickson Air Crane has two helicopter
tankers in New Mexico, one in Southern California and one in
Minnesota. With crew, the choppers rent for $30,000 a day in
addition to a $4,000 charge per hour of flight time, said Lee
Ramage, chief operations officer.
Of the Oregon and Washington crews deployed, 109 are private
contract crews. That translates into about $500,000 a day gross
income for Northwest companies that fielded crews this week, Dice
said.
Companies bill the U.S. Forest Service or other government
agencies $5,000 to $6,000 per 12-hour shift per crew, said Mike
Wheelock, president of Grayback Forestry, the John Day-based
company that had three crews in New Mexico and three in Colorado on
Tuesday.
The Colorado fires bring back memories of 1994. Nine members of
a hot shot crew from Prineville died in the Rocky Mountains when
winds shifted, sending flames from the Storm King directly toward
firefighters who tried to flee up a steep slope.
A hot shot crew from Warm Springs was headed Tuesday toward the
Coal Seam fire on the same dry juniper slopes.
"It's kind of exciting. Being that close to fire, being scared
that it can pick up and go," said hot shot member Oscar Queahpama,
19, in a cell phone interview from his van en route to the fire.


(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press

[NJFFSA16]

Black Hills crews join Colorado firefighting effort

(Rapid City-AP) -- Twenty-three firefighters and five trucks
from the Black Hills are on their way to help crews battle a fire
that threatens the suburbs of Denver.
Brush trucks are coming from Lead, Ludlow, Rapid City, Johnson
Siding and Buffalo. Emergency medical technicians and other
personnel will join crew members from each truck.
They expect to work for 14 days on the fire line.

[NJFFSA16]

Joining the ranks......

Nebraska firefighters help with Colorado wildfires

(Chadron-AP) -- Twenty firefighters from the Nebraska National
Forest have joined about one-thousand others who are working to put
out a more than 90-thousand acre wildfire blaze in Colorado.
The crew of forest service employees and students of the
service's Pine Ridge Job Corps Center left for the neighboring
state earlier this week.
Forest Service Supervisor Don Bright says the Nebraska National
Forest is fortunate to have conditions that are NOT as dry as many
other areas.
He says additional crews and fire equipment could be sent to
Colorado if the conditions in Nebraska do NOT get dryer.
The Nebraska National Forest includes forest units near Chadron,
Halsey and Thedford.

[NJFFSA16]

On deck...firefighters ready to go to bat in Colorado.
---------------------------------------------------
Tennessee firefighters may head to Colorado

(Chattanooga-AP) -- More Tennessee firefighters are on alert to
join their counterparts in Colorado in battling wildfires.
The fires began Saturday in the Pike National Forest, about 60
miles south of Denver, and grew to nearly 100-thousand acres
yesterday.
They have destroyed at least 22 homes and forced extensive
evacuations.
State forestry officials say ten Tennessee firefighters already
are in Colorado working as bulldozer crew bosses, strike team
leaders, members of helicopter crews and with fire prevention teams
from other states.
Volunteers have been told they may be called as early as this
weekend to take a military or charter aircraft to the fireground.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press

[NJFFSA16]

Spearfish crews helping Colorado wildfire effort

(Spearfish-AP) -- About a dozen of the firefighters battling
wildfires in Colorado are from the Spearfish area.
And officials say that's all they can spare because conditions
are dry in the Black Hills, too.
Three engines and crew members have been dispatched from the
Northern Hills Ranger District in Spearfish to combat three
separate fires in Colorado. Officials say part of the Spearfish
crew is stationed at the Hayman fire, south of Denver.


(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press

[NJFFSA16]

From the relatively cool Sunshine State...into the heat of the fire.
----------------------------------------------------
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Firefighters from Florida deployed to
Utah this weekend to help fight wildfires.
Forty firefighters left Saturday for southern Utah to help with
the Sanford fire, a 65,000 acre blaze on a national forest. They
join 17 other Florida firefighters already working in western
states on wildfires.
The two 20-person crews are employees of the state Division of
Forestry and various local fire departments.
Across the West, 17 large fires were burning on 721,806 acres in
seven states on Sunday, according to the National Interagency Fire
Center.
"We are able to send additional personnel now because our rainy
season has begun and the wildfire risk in Florida is decreasing,"
said Florida Agriculture Secretary Charles Bronson.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press

[NJFFSA16]

Twenty US Forest Service firefighters, based in Montgomery, Ala., flew from
Alabama's capital city Monday (6/24) evening to help battle wildfires in
Virginia.

The men and women will assist fire crews at Virginia's Shenandoah National Park
in fighting the blazes.

Firefighters are in short supply all over the US, and are only allowed to work
14 days before they are required to rest.

A spokesperson says this is the first division from the State of Alabama to head
in out to battle wildfires outside of the state.

[NJFFSA16]

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The National Park Service sent 28
employees from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to help
fight fires in the West.
Eight left Sunday for Denver to help contain a 137,000-acre
wildfire in Hayman, Colo.
A park crew of 20 left Saturday from Alcoa with 60 other East
Tennessee volunteers, made up of state park, U.S. Forest Service
and Tennessee Valley Authority employees to join 500 firefighters
battling a 72,000-acre fire near Panguitch, Utah.
"We're at the highest level of preparedness," said Bob Miller,
park spokesman. "It's a really urgent situation."
A team typically fights fires for 14 days before moving out of
the rotation. Several of the volunteers are in support positions as
equipment managers or field observers.
"Most are pretty young and they are generally very fit,"
Miller said. They will be paid for their work.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press

[NJFFSA16]

(Concord-AP) -- Twenty volunteer firefighters who helped battle
wildfires in Nevada are coming home (to New Hampshire).
The crew is scheduled to arrive at Manchester Airport late
tonight.
They arrived in Nevada on June 19th and battled a fire in the
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, which is near the California
border.
The fire burned more than 22-thousand acres and four buildings.
The volunteers are part of group that helps battle forest fires
around the country when needed.
A separate crew sent to battle a Colorado wildfire is expected
home this weekend.

[NJFFSA16]

Connecticut firefighters return from fighting wildfires out West

(Marlborough-AP) -- Twenty Connecticut firefighters are home
this morning after spending two weeks battling the wildfires in New
Mexico and Arizona.
The firefighters were part of a nationwide mobilization to fight
the blazes.
They worked 10 to 12 hour days to save homes, buildings and a
major fish hatchery. To do that, they cleared brush and anything
else that could catch on fire.
Their last days were spent trying to stop the flames by creating
firebreaks on the western side of the Rodeo and Chediski fires in
Arizona.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press

[LadyFF13]

Crews from right here in NJ are also heading out. NJFFS crew from C division got the call on Monday. They're not listed on the EACC site yet. Anyone have a clue where they were sent to?

It's going to be a long hot summer for all the crews. My prayers go with them. And to anyone on the board heading out...be safe!

[cbplante3]

NJ#1 and #2 were sent to the Daley Complex in northeastern Wyoming. 12 from div. A, and 14 each from B and C.
We also sent a support dispatcher to the Mustang complex in Utah, and a STCR to the Rattle, also in Ut. I'll become available as a DIVS on mon. Hopefully we'll have another DIVS and a STCR/EN.
We'll keep you posted.

[NJFFSA16]

My understanding is that the latest NJ crews were dispatched to the Daly Complex Fire in Wyoming.

DALY COMPLEX:
Started: June 27, 28 to 40 miles north of Gillette. Three fires
are being managed as one complex.
Size: 18,000 acres.
Containment: 25 percent.

[LadyFF13]

I had it narrowed down to a few fires that have shown increases in Type II hand crews in the last day or so...but the way things are going that was still a lot of fires!

I've got some good friends out there and now I have a better idea of what incidents to keep my eyes on.

How come I can watch them go into a burning building at one of our calls without breaking a sweat, but get nuts with them out west?

Thanks for the info! Be Safe

[garyh61]

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press [/B][/QUOTE]
Can anyone help me get on with one of the state fire crews out in Arizona? I've got some experience in the field with hand crews (Montana 2000) and have both current pack test and red card. The U.S. Forestry Serv. is very bureaucratic and has been no help. Anyone who can provide information please write to garyh61@hotmail.com

Thanks,

Gary

[mtnfireguy]

And those of us "Out West" appreciate the help your sending us (through the channels of course). We have recalled all the crews we have in other states to deal with the fire in our backyard (South Fork II). So when their 14 days are up they come home, rest two days and then go back to work here!

We really didn't want to be a host again!!!

[NJFFSA16]

Originally posted by garyh61
Can anyone help me get on with one of the state fire crews out in Arizona?

You probably should contact your own state's forest service office and discuss it with them. Any resources requested by Boise, go first to a regional center...and then to individual states wildfire agencies.

[cbplante3]

Just an update, the USFS has been requesting overhead regularly, and I'm finally availabel! So tomorrow, I'm on my way to missionary ridge as DIVS.
Talk to you all in a couple of weeks, stay safe out there, and don't let me read about any of you in the news, okay?

[NJFFSA16]

Likewise, I'm sure Bert....be safe and I'll see you when you get back!:D

[NJFFSA16]

ANCHORAGE (AP) - Five Alaska emergency firefighter crews have
been ordered to the Lower 48.
Twenty-member crews from Allakaket, Beaver, Buckland, Kaltag and
Mentasta were scheduled to fly Monday night to Las Vegas, where
they will be assigned to fires in western states.
The Bureau of Land Management Alaska Fire Service and the Alaska
Division of Forestry maintain more than 70 emergency firefighter
crews in 55 towns and villages. Additional crews are expected to be
ordered to fires in western states over the next week.
In addition, the Alaska Type 1 Incident Management Team was
ordered to Seattle for assignment to a fire. The team, with about
40 members, returned July 11 from a 20-day assignment on the
Rodeo-Chediski Fire Complex in Cibecue, Ariz.
Only one fire remains staffed in Alaska. Firefighters are
continuing to mop up the 187,000-acre Vinesale Fire near McGrath.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press

[NJFFSA16]

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Twenty firefighters from the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park and Cumberland Gap National Historical Park
are among those from various agencies waiting to head out to help
fight Western forest fires.
Terry McDonald, spokesman for the Cherokee National Forest, said
thus far 225 Tennesseans have been sent out west to fight forest
fires so far this fire season.
The destination of the latest group is uncertain.
In addition to the U.S. Park Service, firefighters volunteering
to help the western states are from the U.S. Forest Service,
Tennessee Valley Authority, Bureau of Land Management and various
state agencies.
The crews began arriving Monday at a Knoxville hotel. Once five
crews are assembled, arrangements will be made to get them on an
airplane to a firefighting destination.
Of the 20-person Park Service crew, "almost none are full-time
firefighters," said Bob Miller, Great Smoky Mountains National
Park spokesman. "Most of them have jobs in such things as
fisheries and visitors service. But they get trained to fight
fires."
The groups gathering Tuesday included a contingent from the
Florida Department of Agriculture.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press

[NJFFSA16]

Alabama firefighters working out west return home

(Montgomery-AP) -- Alabama firefighters fighting the blazes out
in Colorado have returned home today.
Officials say the 20-person crew returned home safe.
The crew includes eight firefighters from the National Forest
Service, seven from the state forestry commission, one from the
National Park Service and one each from the Pelham and North Shelby
fire departments.

[NJFFSA16]

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Government fire managers said Wednesday that
650 Army soldiers will be sent to Oregon next week as crews across
the drought-stricken West struggle against dozens of wildfires.
It is the third straight year that the military has been called
in. Fire officials say the fire season started particularly early
this year and it hasn't let up.
"It came out early and it came out roaring," said Don
Smurthwaite, spokesman for the National Interagency Fire Center in
Boise, which oversees the nation's fire suppression efforts.
About 3.5 million acres have been charred already this year, far
ahead of the 10-year average of 1.6 million acres. Colorado and
Arizona have both seen the largest wildfires in their histories; on
Wednesday alone, there were 51 large, active fires burning on more
than 400,000 acres.
The West also is baking under record-setting temperatures.
"That's certainly adding to the problem," Smurthwaite said.
"Low humidity and high temperatures cure what fuel is out there.
We're seeing a great efficiency in ignition."
The soldiers from Fort Riley, Kan., will join 17,000 people who
have been stretched thin fighting fires in nearly a dozen states.
The soldiers will be trained and then deployed in eastern
Oregon, where officials say an 18,700-acre fire could grow to more
than 100,000 acres unless it is contained. Gov. John Kitzhaber
called in 500 Oregon National Guard troops to help firefighting
efforts.
Fire crews from Australia and New Zealand have helped in the
past, but Smurthwaite said there are liability questions to be
resolved before they can go to work this year. Legislation before
Congress would address the concerns.
Elsewhere Wednesday:
- In Arizona, authorities said they planned to announce Thursday
whether charges would be filed in the Chediski fire, which merged
with another in eastern Arizona to form the largest wildfire in
state history. The fire was started in brush by a woman who said
she was trying to signal a news helicopter after she became lost on
the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.
- An 8,600-acre wildfire inched away from more than 250 homes in
the foothills near Topaz Lake, Nev. The threat has "significantly
lessened," information officer Jenny Scanland said Wednesday.
- A wildfire near Durango, Colo., that destroyed 56 homes and
forced 2,100 people to flee was contained Wednesday, but a new
wildfire in Larimer County quickly spread to at least 200 acres and
threatened homes.
---
On the Net:
National Interagency Fire Center: http://www.nifc.gov

[NJFFSA16]

Maine firefighters help with western fires

(Augusta-AP) -- More Maine forest service rangers and
firefighters are out West battling fires that are raging in Wyoming
and Utah.
A 20-person crew left this week for Wyoming to fight a
34-hundred acre fire on very steep terrain. That crew is being led
by forest ranger George Harris of Island Falls.
Mainers are also helping battle an 88-thousand-acre fire in
Utah.
The Maine Forest Service the past two months has sent more than
50 forest rangers and civilian firefighters in Wyoming, Utah,
California, Oregon and Colorado.



(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press.

[NJFFSA16]

(Manchester-AP) -- Another team of New Hampshire firefighters
has headed west to help battle raging forest fires.
The 20 volunteers flew out of Manchester yesterday, headed for
Idaho. They'll be on the fire line for two weeks.
The latest crew is the fourth group of New Hampshire
firefighters sent west this summer.

[NJFFSA16]

Volunteer State continues sending in crews

(Cleveland-AP) -- Tennessee has sent more than 300 firefighters
to help battle Western U-S wildfires over the last six weeks.
Tennessee Interagency Coordination Center chief Eddy Holt says
there are now 40 people from Tennessee on the fire lines and others
could be called to duty.
Holt says with the dry conditions out West, the need for aid
could continue for some time.
The ten-year average for acreage burned in wildfires is under
two and a half (m) million per year. Already this year, nearly five
(m) million acres have burned.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press

[BFDladder3]

I just saw on the local news , thursday that Connecticut's next crew was leaving to hook up with the other New England area forestry groups in New Hampshire to make up a full crew typically our agencies are so small, thats the way they do it. Combine CT , Ma, Ri Vt Nh and Me. It sure makes me wish back whne I had decided to go that route instead of going big city...Like I ended up doing..lol but I figured growing half way between Boston and New York, hwta chance would I ever have getting to go out to god's country to fight forestry...lol after all I missed a lotta the bronx burning... (oh well...) stay safe out there.... your in "our" prayers too...

[NJFFSA16]

Allegheny National Forest personnel help fight fires in Oregon

(Tionesta-AP) -- Allegheny National Forest workers are helping
fight fires in Oregon.
Nine workers left this weekend to fight fires. Two other workers
left Friday to perform administrative duties in Oregon.
Steve Miller, a spokesman for the national forest in northern
Pennsylvania, says when there is a forest fire in another part of
the country, is saps the resources of forests around the nation.
Some crews from the Allegheny National Forest have been out west
three times this year. The crews fight fires for only two weeks at
a time because of the long days and the challenging physical work.



(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press.

[NJFFSA16]

Crew from Mountain State battles western blazes

(Charleston-AP) -- The state has dispatched a 20-person crew to
help fight the massive wildfires burning in the western United
States.
The crew includes personnel from the West Virginia Division of
Forestry, Monongahela National Forest and other specially trained
citizens.
Led by Mason County Forest Ranger Tom Withrow, the crew left
Friday for a 14-day assignment based in Redding, California, near
Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
Members are expected to help the U-S Forest Service and other
crews battling 32 active wildfires that have burned more than one
million acres across the region.
Withrow's team Wednesday was the initial attack team responding
to a downed plane that started a 300-acre fire.


(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press.

[NJFFSA16]

Iowa firefighters return from fighting forest fires


(Des Moines-AP) -- A group of volunteer firefighters from Iowa
are expected to return this week from Oregon where they've been
fighting a forest fire since August 17th.
The 20-member crew, Loess Hills Number One, has been battling
the Apple Fire in southwest Oregon.
They have received high praise for their effort and work ethic
from Ron Siller, who organized the fire-fighting plan.
The crew began two years ago and faced the Jasper Fire that
burned 83-thousand acres in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
In Oregon, the flames weren't the only challenge they faced.
One member of the crew, Jason Gooder of Iowa Falls, says the
landscape was a lot steeper than they expected and one of the
hardest things they've faced.



(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press.

[NJFFSA16]

First fire crews head west from Minnesota

(Duluth, Minnesota-AP) -- Help is on the way from Minnesota for
firefighters battling western forest fires.
The first wildland fire crew to head west this season leaves
Duluth this afternoon.
Their destination is the Spruce Complex on the Gila National
Forest in southwestern New Mexico.
The Spruce Complex is made up of four fires burning in ponderosa
pine and mixed conifer.
In addition, two strike teams of engines from Minnesota also are
expected to leave today. One is from the Bureau of Indian Affairs,
the other from the U-S Fish and Wildlife Service.
The engines from the B-I-A will be traveling to Colorado. Those
from Fish and Wildlife will head to Montana.


(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) - State fire crews are gearing up as
continued hot, dry, windy weather bakes much of the Black Hills
National Forest region in southwest South Dakota and northeast
Wyoming.
Two single-engine air tankers went on station at the Custer
State Park airport Wednesday night and will be on duty for the
duration of the fire season, said Joe Lowe, state wildland fire
coordinator.
The Black Hat firefighting crew is expected to return from duty
in Colorado in the next few days, and four state hand crews in the
Hills are also ready, Lowe said. The Black Hat crew was put
together last year and helped fight 16 range and timber fires in
South Dakota.
Near Belle Fourche, lightning on Wednesday night sparked fires
at a dairy farm and near Orman Dam. A wheat field also caught fire.
No serious damage was reported.
Although slightly cooler weather is expected over the weekend,
the break could be very temporary, said Steve Trimarchi of the
National Weather Service office in Rapid City.
Since June 1, state crews have battled 17 fires on state or
private land in the Hills, said Lowe. Most have been about an acre
in size, although a 20-acre fire burned near Oral on Tuesday night.
In addition, about 12 fires have been reported on the Pine Ridge
Indian Reservation since June 1, with the largest about 800 acres,
Lowe said.
In the Black Hills National Forest, only a handful of small
fires have been reported so far this year. But that could change
with additional hot, dry weather, said Lowe.
"As conditions dry, we expect to see larger fires," he said.
Most western South Dakota prairies were rated as high or very
high fire-danger areas as of Wednesday. However, fire danger was
rated low in some other West River areas, including Perkins,
Mellette, Todd and Tripp counties.
One reason for the disparity is that rains have been spotty all
spring and summer across western South Dakota, said Teresa Murphy,
a National Weather Service hydrologist in Rapid City.
In areas near Oelrichs, Lemmon and Bison, precipitation totals
through June were ahead of totals for all of last year. Custer
received 4.93 inches in June, and Ardmore racked up 8.2 inches that
month.
But conditions dried out quickly in July. So far this month,
Custer has received only .17 of an inch, Murphy said Wednesday
afternoon.
Philip had only 1.75 of an inch in June and so far this month
has received slightly more than half an inch.
Rapid City, which was running ahead of normal precipitation
levels for much of the year, is now well below normal, both
downtown and at the airport.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

New Jersey crew 1 is in Plumas National Forest in Orville, CA.

Crew 2 is in Eldorado National Forest in Placerville,CA.

They are both currently assigned as I/A units.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/fire/

[NJFFSA16]

Connecticut crew heads to Wyoming

(Hartford-AP) - A 20 member fire crew from Connecticut is being
sent to Wyoming to help fight wildfires.
The state Department of Environmental Protection sent the crew
today at the request of the U-S Forest Service.
The Connecticut firefighters have been assigned to help with
containment of the Big Spring Fire in the area of Casper, Wyoming.
The fires have burned hundreds of acres of land and are
threatening several homes.
The crew is composed of D-E-P staff and personnel from local
fire departments and will be in Wyoming for up to 16 days.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

*Crew Mnemonics Key

HIF = Hiawatha National Forest

IIC = Indiana Interagency Crew

MAS = Massachusetts State

MDS = Maryland State

MFC = Minnesota Interagency

Midewin = Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie

MOC = Missouri- Iowa Interagency

NEF = New England National Forests (Green and White
Mountain NFs)

NHS = New Hampshire State

NJS = New Jersey State

OHS = Ohio State

PAS = Pennsylvania State
------------------------------------------------------

NJS#3, MFC#6 and MOC#4 are assigned to the Big Spring Fire in Montana. Today they were burning out, holding and improving line. PAS#2 & MFC#8 are on the Deep Lake in N.W. Wyoming. PAS#2 was doing I.A. and MFC#8 was on the fire at about 8,000 ft. HIF#1 are on the Amethyst fire in Yellow Stone. IIC#2 is on the Lynch fire in Montana.

OHS#1 assigned to Granite Fire are spiked out until Friday doing burn out operations and will stay on this incident.
MFC#6 has been reassigned to Big Springs Fire in Wyoming.
NHS#1 is being reassigned to the Amethyst Fire. MDS#1 has been reassigned to the Horse Canyon Fire.
MOC#3 has been reassigned to the Big Creek Fire in

NJS#2 has been reassigned to the Chilicoot Complex. PAS#1 is also assigned to the Chilicoot Complex.
NEF#2 & NJS#1are assigned to the Smoke and Ram Fires.
MAS#1 was assigned to night shift on the Chilacoot Complex.
Potential is very high for extreme fire behavior. The weather hasn’t changed still hot and dry. The Smoke fire was active throughout the night. Crew spirits are great now that everyone is working on a fire

[NJFFSA16]

Date: 7/25/03 Southern California Support
Assigned Crews: NJS#1, NJS#2, PAS#1, MAS#1, NEF#2
Location: Southern California
Crew Assignments: NJS#2 is spiked out on a wilderness fire.
PAS#1 was reassigned to a fire on Six Rivers N.F.
NEF#2 & NJS#1are staged at Susanville for initial attack.
MAS#1 was reassigned from the Chilicoot Complex to I.A..
Scattered rains and higher humidities have lowered the fire danger in some areas but hot dry weather is expected for the weekend. There were a high number of lighting strikes in some areas with little rain. Fire activity is expected to increase. Crew spirits remain high.

Date: 7/25/03 Southwest Fires: Kinishba (AZ-FTA-000198), Misc. ABC (NM-GNF-000301), Spruce Complex (NM-GNF-000139)
Assigned Crews: MDS#1, OHS#1, MFC#7
Location: New Mexico, Arizona
Crew Assignments: OHS#1 is assigned to the Granite Fire and are spiked out doing burn out operations, they will stay on this incident.
MDS#1 pulling initial attack duty and mopping up the Desirite Fire..
MFC#7 is assigned to the Bolt fire. Their 2 weeks will end the 27th.
The Midewin crew is on the Columbine District doing initial attack



Date: 7/25/03 Incident: Big Spring (WY-CAD-000129), Deep Lake (WY-SHF-000096), Amethyst (WY-YNPC-000306), Hidden Lake (MT-BDF-000032)
Assigned Crews: NJS#3, MOCC#4, MFC#8, PAS#2, HIF#1, MFC#9, IIC#2, NEF#3, CTS#1
Location: Wyoming, Montana, Idaho
Crew Assignments: NJS#3, MFC#6 and MOC#4 are assigned to the Big Spring Fire in Montana. They are still burning out, holding and improving line.
PAS#2 is doing I.A. from the helibase on the Deep Lake fire in N.W. Wyoming.
MFC#8 is working the Deep Lake fire and doing a great per “IC”. HIF#1- ½ of the crew is doing I.A. and the other ½ is working on the Boundary fire in Yellowstone N.P.
IIC#2 is still on the Lynch fire in Montana.

[NJFFSA16]

By COURTNEY LOWERY
Associated Press Writer
WEST GLACIER, Mont. (AP) - In an open barn filled with rafting
and fishing equipment but no customers, 26 displaced river guides
have handed over their paddles for pulaskis.
The guides are from four of the biggest rafting companies
working in and around Glacier National Park. They have just
completed basic fire training hoping they can make money battling
the flames that have driven them - at least temporarily - from
their summer jobs.
Fires that have forced the evacuation of portions of Glacier and
the surrounding area also have put a crimp in river rafting trips
in and around Glacier.
Some of the guides, like Danny Schmidt of Utah, turned to fire
training when flames erupted in the park last week and it became
clear river raft trips might get canceled.
"It kind of set the tone for the rest of the summer, so we
drove to the local Forest Service office and started asking
questions," Schmidt said.
He was among the more than two dozen area guides who received
their "red cards" Sunday - a kind of diploma for basic fire
training.
Tuesday evening, still wearing flip flops and baggy shorts,
Schmidt and three of his friends checked in at the Robert Fire
camp. A few minutes later, they were suited up in yellow and green
flame retardant gear, ready to work on an engine crew.
Rusty Shankle, who trains guides at the Great Northern Raft Co.,
said a number of his younger employees were among those that
underwent the fire training.
"These kids are poor," Shankle said. "They come out here and
first thing, they have to go through two and a half weeks of
training. Then June is slow and then finally, they start making
money in July."
But this year was a bit different. While some river trips have
continued, Mike Cooney, a lead guide for Glacier Raft Co., said the
firm had lost about 60 percent of its business because of the
fires.
Randy Gayner, owner of Montana Raft Co., said he encouraged some
of his guides to take part in the fire training.
However, he added: "We're hoping we don't lose them."
Like other guides, Gayner is still trying to run trips this
summer. With smoke and heat comes people wanting to cool off, he
said, so not all has been lost. But he knows that as the fire
danger grows, he may have no choice but to cancel even more trips.
"If it gets where we can't run trips, we'll switch our
resources," he said.
Raft companies generally have something fire crews need - big
buses and drivers. So, if need be, Gayner is ready to lend his
buses and his crew to the fires.
Brian Paul, a native of West Glacier and a guide with Gayner's
crew, was on the river last Wednesday when 30 mph winds drove
shooting flames and smoke into the sky. He said the feeling he had
that day is lingering with the smoke.
"It was really eerie... It still is," he said. "You just
never know what's going to happen."

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

UPHAM, N.D. (AP) - About 200 North Dakota firefighters have
battled wildfires in western states this summer.
The 20-person crews from various agencies are usually assigned
to a fire for about two weeks, said Andy Randall, dispatch manager
for the North Dakota Interagency Dispatch Center.
"They've been in northern Idaho, western Montana and eastern
Montana, and we sent one crew that went from Wyoming to Colorado,"
he said.
Engines and vehicles from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and
other agencies also have been sent to fires, Randall said.
"We have a couple contractor water tenders and a contractor
with a couple engines that have gone out or gone on some local
fires, too," he said.
The dispatch center is at the J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife
Refuge near Upham.
The center coordinates movement of state fire crews and
firefighters from the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service,
and Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Randall said North Dakota crews are being sent to fires later
than they were last summer.
"They're just now actually starting to starting to get into
what many people would consider more normal fire season time -
mid-August into the middle of September," Randall said.
Dry conditions in North Dakota prompted Gov. John Hoeven to
declare a fire emergency in 16 counties in western and
south-central North Dakota on Friday.
The announcement can restrict the setting of outdoor fires and
off-road vehicle travel.
"We also are looking at the incresing fire danger, particularly
in southwestern North Dakota," Randall said. "We try to maintain
resources enough in order to handle our own."

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

NJS 4, NJS 5 and also single resource personnel should be listed on or before this weekend. My guess....Montana or Wyoming.

[NJFFSA16]

Virginia firefighters head to Montana

(Undated-AP) -- Some firefighters from Virginia are headed west.
Five wildland firefighting crews will leave tomorrow for
Montana.
The 100 firefighters are headed to the Flathead National Forest
to fight the "Crazy Horse Fire." That blaze began yesterday and
had charred more than 15-hundred acres by today.
It's common for firefighters in the East to help with western
fires in the summer.
A crew of New Hampshire firefighters left that state today, to
help fight the Boles Meadow fire on the Lolo National Forest. The
fire covers 22-hundred acres.
The Virginia crews are from the National Park Service, U-S
Forest Service, the Virginia Department of Forestry and the
Flatwoods Job Corps Center.


(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

NJS crews 4 and 5? departed early this morning....headed for Montana. Single resource individuals, (dispatch, strike team leader & more) also reported to be outbound.

NJ

[NJFFSA16]

HALIFAX -- Nova Scotia has sent an additional eight firefighters
to help battle a huge blaze in British Columbia's Kootney, National
Park.
The group of Natural Resources staff members is the third from
the province to head west in recent weeks.
The province says a team of six firefighters in Alberta since
July 31st, is expected to return home this week.
The group left yesterday and includes a five-member helitack
crew.
Helitack are specialized crews who are transported by
helicopters to remote fires.
They are expected to remain in B-C until early September.
The Nova Scotia contingent will be joined by 10 fire personnel
from Newfoundland and two firefighters from Prince Edward Island.
(BN) ked (from Broadcast News Ltd.)

AP-NY-08-18-03 1214EDT

[leatha4eva]

August 13, 2003

Connecticut Sending Crew To Assist With Fires In Montana
The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), at the request of the U.S. Forest Service, is sending a 20 member crew to assist with the wildfires that are burning in Montana. The Connecticut crew will leave Thursday, August 14, 2003 at 9:00 a.m. from the DEP’s Eastern District Headquarters in Marlborough, Connecticut. (directions below).

The crew will drive from Marlborough to Manchester, New Hampshire where they will join up with another New England crew assigned to the Montana wildfires. From New Hampshire, the crews will travel to the staging area in Montana, where they will assist with containment of the Cooney Ridge fire, located about 11 miles east of Florence, Montana and north of the Threemile Wildlife Management area. The Cooney Ridge fire ignited Friday, August 8, 2003 after lightning storms moved through the area Friday night. As of August 12, 2003 the fire burned approximately 3,000 acres and was not contained. The fire has not caused any structural damages but a Stage One Alert, meaning evacuations could be ordered, has been put into effect. Temperatures exceeding 100 degrees, low humidity levels and moderate winds are hindering the efforts of fire crews.

"There is a great deal of fire activity in the western part of the United States every day. To help the U.S. Forest Service bring these fires under control, Connecticut’s specially trained crew will be joining other fire personnel to contain the Cooney Ridge fire in Montana," said David K. Leff, DEP Deputy Commissioner. "The DEP is very proud of the members of the state’s Interstate Fire Crew. They perform a very important service and their efforts help protect many lives, property and natural resources."

The DEP trained crew going to Montana is composed of DEP staff and personnel from local fire departments. The crew will be deployed in Montana up to a 16-day rotation. Assignments in the West allow DEP crews to develop and hone skills that will help protect lives, forests, and property in Connecticut.

Directions to DEP’s Eastern District Headquarters: Take Route 2 to exit 13. Follow Route 66 east approximately two miles. DEP’s Eastern District Headquarters is on the left side – 209 Hebron Avenue (Route 66) – with Smokey Bear out front.

Note: Due to personal safety issues, names and towns of the crew will not be released. This information will be made available upon the return of the crew.

http://dep.state.ct.us/whatshap/press/2003/mf0813.htm

Stay Safe guys (and gals)!
-steve

[NJFFSA16]

ZUNI PUEBLO, N.M. (AP) - Rugged boots shuffle and tap anxiously
among the duffel bags scattered along the front of Zuni Pueblo's
tribal headquarters.
Dozens of men and women are waiting their turn to walk through
the double doors, get a quick check over and be sent to their next
firefighting assignment somewhere in the northwest United States.
It's a dangerous job and it's far from home, but those are some
of the reasons Zunis continue to sign up year after year to be
emergency wildland firefighters.
Gerald Noche, 47, has been fighting fires for 20 years. He has
been as far east as Tennessee, west to California, up to Montana
and several places in between.
"You get to meet a whole bunch of people and go out of state.
It's like going on vacation without spending the money," Noche
said jokingly. "It's interesting to me."
Noche and the others know it's far from vacation. Each year,
they go through weeks of training from September into November and
again from January through March. By that time, the fire season is
beginning.
Training includes news ways to be safe and how to recognize
changing fire behavior, said Don Geesling, the Bureau of Indian
Affairs' fire management officer in Zuni. He said fire assignments
can also be considered training exercises since crews learn from
their experiences.
A lot is expected of Zuni crews.
"I look at us as paramilitary. We require that kind of
discipline," Geesling. "We can go react and respond and blend in
with any other type of team in a crisis situation. Fire,
hurricanes, floods, it doesn't matter."
Geesling is trying to find $150,000 to put the finishing touches
on an advanced firefighter training center in Zuni. The new
building on the east end of town will house fire management
operations, classrooms and firefighting equipment.
Geesling also wants to continue encouraging the pueblo's younger
members to consider firefighting careers.
Royden Latone, 30, and most of his cousins are members of the
Zuni crews.
"It's a rush," he said. "It's a different feeling when you're
out on the head of the fire and the fire is coming at you and you
have to work hard."
Zuni also has an elite hotshot crew, which is expected by the
end of the fire season to be classified as a national resource
crew. They helped during the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001,
terrorist attacks and worked from April through October during last
year's fire season.
Many in Zuni follow in the footsteps of their grandfathers and
fathers who were called on in the early day of the program some 50
years ago, said Zuni Head Councilman Carleton Albert Sr.
"Zuni has really been known for its firefighting expertise,"
said Albert, who has fought fires along with his five brothers.
"It takes a lot of hard work when you're out there."
"In a sense it really makes you appreciate nature," he added.
"You see fire just go up the trees and what effects it has on
wildlife and how devastating it is when fire burns the soil."
Zuni's economy also benefits from the program. BIA
Superintendent Clayton Seoutewa said the pueblo has an unemployment
rate that ranges between 40 and 60 percent but firefighting offers
many tribal members the chance to work during the fire season.
The program, which is funded with federal dollars, brings about
$1.5 million a year into the local economy, Seoutewa said.
Officials in Zuni want to ensure the pueblo's tradition of
producing top-notch firefighters. It's something that's stressed
each time a crew gets on the bus.
"When they go out I tell them, 'Remember who you are. You're
Zuni, you're a tribal member. You're representing yourself, your
family, your tribe and this organization,"' Geesling said. "I
tell them, 'Leave with your head held high and come back with your
head held high.' And it seems to work."

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

(Missoula-AP) -- About 560 troops from Fort Hood, Texas are on
their way to Montana to help fight forest fires.
Congressman Denny Rehberg says the troops will be coming from
the 82nd Field Artillery unit and will be equipped for deployment
along fire lines.
He says the troops are needed to help deal with fires that have
grown on strong winds this week across western Montana.
The deployment is expected to cost almost two (m) million
dollars.
Officials say they may also deploy helicopters modified for the
specific purpose of medical evacuation and interim care at
additional cost of about 100-thousand dollars.
The state has already deployed hundreds of National Guardsman to
help deal with fires and evacuations.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

MISSOULA (AP) - The 2003 fire season is quickly turning into one
of the busiest for the Forest Service's fire cache, with crews at
the supply depot shipping about $24 million in supplies so far to
help support firefighters in Montana and Idaho.
Pat Nooney, director of the facility, said he expects the final
tally to reach about $28 million, which would make it the
third-busiest fire season for the depot.
During the fire season of 2000, the Region One Fire Cache, one
of 10 fire equipment suppliers around the nation, shipped about $34
million in equipment and supplies - everything from canteens and
sleeping bags to shovels and fire shelters.
The record, however, was in 1988 when the facility shipped $40
million in goods to fire crews in Montana and Idaho.
Based on historical patterns, Nooney had projected spending $9.8
million this year. "I underestimated that substantially," he
said.
It has been a crunch, supplying as many as 31 major fire camps
simultaneously, he said.
"We had one day in 2000 that we shipped out $1,017,000 worth of
goods," Nooney said.
From Aug. 11-17 this year, "we shipped out more than $1 million
each day - and all of those days exceeded our busiest day in
2000," he said. "It was pretty extraordinary."
Since then, however, the work has tapered off. Last Tuesday, the
cache shipped $642,000 worth of goods.
"Crews need their supplies as they're gearing up," Nooney
said. "Most of our crews are pretty well saturated by now."
The cache is a huge warehouse of firefighting equipment that
tries to maintain a $15 million inventory. About half of that
remains on hand, Nooney said.
It replenishes its stock with purchases from around the country,
but also by drawing on the resources of other nearby caches.
Although it sits at the back of the Missoula International Airport,
most of the supplies are brought in and out by truck.
"One of our most popular items is water handling equipment:
pumps and hoses and fittings," said Nooney. "It shows that we're
developing a greater reliance on the use of water to fight fires."


(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

NJS#4 is working the Blackmail 2 fire near Yaak Mt. in Montana.

NJS#% is working Division W of the Wedge Canyon fire, also in Montana.

[NJFFSA16]

(Portland-AP) -- Firefighters from Maine, New Hampshire and
Rhode Island are off to fight wildfires in Montana.
The 13 firefighters left from the Portland Jetport yesterday.
They'll be in Montana for two weeks to fight fierce wildfires near
Glacial National Park and other areas.
Much-needed rain yesterday has quieted the three dozen major
wildfires ravaging Montana, but fire officials are warning crews
and area residents not to let their guard down yet.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center, the wildfires
have burned over 500 thousand acres in seven Western states.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

EDMONTON -- Soldiers being deployed to help weary B-C
firefighters say they realize it's dangerous work.
About 50 Edmonton-based soldiers packed up their convoy
yesterday and received a short crash course in firefighting.
Another 60 flew out today to help drag hoses, dig up hot spots
and try and save more homes.
Almost 250 homes were lost to the walls of fire near Kelowna
over the weekend.
Major Todd Strickland says he helped out during the giant ice
storm in Quebec and he's happy to help out this time by battling
forest fires in B-C.
Corporal Kurtis Williams says he realizes the situation could be
dangerous and fires are unpredictable.
Saskatchewan is also sending about 195 firefighters to B-C.
Fire control centre spokesman John Cook says Saskatchewan
currently has 13 fires burning, compared to over 830 in B-C.
He says that's allowing them to send in reinforcements to B-C.
(Global, CJVR) lga (from Broadcast News Ltd.)

AP-NY-08-25-03 1831EDT

[NJFFSA16]

(Jarrettsville-AP) -- Two crews of Department of Natural
Resources firefighters will return this evening from battling
wildfires in Montana.
The 40 firefighters have been helping to contain the Rough Draw
Fire on the Gallatin National Forest near Livingston, Montana.
Five fires about five miles southeast of Livingston have burned
almost 3,000 acres so far. The fire there is now 50 percent
contained.
They're scheduled to arrive at the Madonna Work Center in
Jarrettsville between 7:15 and 7:30 p-m.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

Soldiers using fire mission for training exercise too

(Huson, Montana-AP) -- Fort Hood soldiers in western Montana to
help protect homes and property from fire are using the assignment
as a training opportunity.
About 500 members of the Second Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery
Regiment, arrived in Missoula, Montana, yesterday for fire duty.
It's the second time in three years that Fort Hood soldiers have
traveled to Montana to help fight fires.
But Sergeant Major Willie Jones says the assignment this time is
more than just fire duty.
He says it's a real-world challenge to help fine-tune their
skills for the bigger missions they will be called to perform.
While there, the Army hopes to enhance its leadership program by
assigning junior leaders and lieutenants to 20-person all-soldier
firefighting platoons.
Jones say the goal is to develop teamwork.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

BLAIRMORE, Alberta -- More than 200 Alberta firefighters are
heading west this morning to help stamp out forest fires in B-C's
tinder-dry interior.
Busloads of personnel are heading to Nelson from southwestern
Alberta to battle flames in various fire zones.
Alberta wildfire information officer Brydon Ward says the length
of their stay will depend on when it rains and for how long.
He says it helps that daytime temperatures there are dropping
and overnight humidity is rising.
About 100 of the firefighters are from northern Alberta while
the rest are coming off action against the massive Lost Creek blaze
in the Crowsnest Pass.
That fire is under control but Ward says more than 460 personnel
are still on scene to ensure there are no flareups.
A state of emergency that had been in place in the Crowsnest
Pass for about a month was officially lifted late yesterday
morning. (BN) krt (from Broadcast News Ltd.)

AP-NY-08-26-03 0233EDT

[NJFFSA16]

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) - Some Colorado firefighters and various
pieces of equipment are going to California to help battle the
cataclysmic infernos raging there, but officials are keeping other
personnel behind -- just in case.
"You don't want to be at someone else's fire when your town
burns down," said Larry Stern, the director of the Boulder County
Office of Emergency Management.
Volunteers who go to California are expected to make a 21-day
commitment, which could leave their home areas in Colorado
vulnerable.
A quarter-acre blaze Saturday afternoon started by fireworks in
Eldorado Canyon showed how ripe wildland fire conditions are, Stern
said.
If not for an outcropping of rocks and some neighbors quick with
garden hoses and buckets, Boulder County could have had its own
inferno, he said.
"We really lucked out," Stern said.
The resources that are being moved from Colorado to California
included professionals such as Jefferson County Airport tanker base
manager Mark Michelsen, who was packing for an assignment near Los
Angeles.
"The guys out there say it's just wicked. They can't get a
handle on it," he said.
The dozen blazes raging from Los Angeles to the Mexican border
are being blamed for at least 15 deaths and the destruction of
1,000 homes. About half a million acres have been blackened.
Firefighters from Boulder County's Lefthand Canyon fire
department on Monday packed up a "Type 3" engine -- one that can
fight structure fires in mountainous communities -- so it could be
loaded onto a flatbed in Fort Collins headed to California. Three
crew members also were dispatched.
The Larimer County Sheriff's Office is sending an engine with a
three-person crew. And two military cargo planes from Peterson Air
Force Base fitted for firefighting, along with a 40-person crew,
were ordered Monday to fly to California to help, said Col. Richard
Moss, commander of the 302nd Airlift Wing near Colorado Springs.
An engine from the Basalt Fire Department also shipped out on
Monday en route to California.
Justin Dombrowski, Boulder wildland fire management officer,
said Colorado residents should consider the California blazes a
"wake-up call" to have evacuation plans ready if disaster does
strike here.


(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

(Phoenix-AP) -- Arizona is sending more fire engines and crews
to help California firefighters battle major wildfires.
According to a list released by the Land Department, the latest
engines to be dispatched with three-member crews were sent
yesterday by the Sedona, Eager, Mayer, Show Low and Highlands
departments. More are being sent by Pima County.
The list indicates a total of 20 engines with three-member crews
plus assorted individual firefighters and supervisors have been
sent.
Governor Napolitano says the crews were being sent under a
reciprocal aid agreement between California and Arizona.
She says the hearts of Arizonans go out to Californians,
especially firefighters and people who lost homes or relatives.

[NJFFSA16]

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AP) - Two military cargo planes
fitted out for firefighting were ordered Monday to fly to
California to help battle wildfires that have charred more than
480,000 acres and killed at least 15 people.
The two C130H3s will drop fire retardant from an altitude of
about 150 feet above the treetops.
The planes and a crew of about 40 were to leave on Tuesday and
should be ready to fly missions within 30 minutes of their arrival
in California, said Col. Richard Moss, commander of the 302nd
Airlift Wing at this base near Colorado Springs.
The 302nd logged more than 350 hours fighting wildfires in
Colorado, Wyoming and South Dakota in 2002.
Tanks and other equipment were loaded onto one of the planes on
Monday. The other plane was to be outfitted on Tuesday.
They will join two planes from the California Air National Guard
at Channel Island/Point Mugu. All four planes were activated Monday
by the U.S. Northern Command, the military center at Peterson
responsible for homeland defense.
At least three Colorado fire departments prepared to send crews
and engines to help fight the wildfires.
The Larimer County sheriff's department, the Left Hand Canyon
Fire Department in Boulder County and the Basalt Fire Department
shipped engines out Monday.
The wildfires disrupted air travel between California and
Denver. United Airlines, the largest carrier at Denver
International Airport, canceled eight flights between Denver and
Los Angeles International Airport on Monday.
Frontier Airlines canceled two flights between Denver and LAX.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

(Portland-AP) -- More than 150 Northwest firefighters are
heading to southern California to help battle fierce wildfires.
Five air tankers and several helicopters took off today from
bases in Oregon and Washington. And six engines with 58 people have
been sent to northern California.
Northwest fire spokeswoman Jeree Mills says the region is
sending a 55-member national management team, headed by Mike
Lohrey. That team went to Texas for the space shuttle recovery and
to New York after Nine-Eleven.
There are 20 support people with the team.
And 20 highly trained firefighters have been sent from the Warm
Springs Indian Reservation.
The massive wildfires are fueled by the hot Santa Ana winds.
They have killed 15 people and destroyed more than 11-hundred
homes.
About 10-thousand people are working on 483-thousand acres of
wildfire.


(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Officials from around the Northwest
scrambled to send firefighting airplanes and helicopters to
California Monday, as part of a national effort to help beleaguered
crews facing massive wildfires near Los Angeles.
Five aerial tankers, used to bombard burning areas with
fire-suppressant slurry, and several helicopters, used to ferry
crews or dump water on fires, rumbled off the runways from bases in
Oregon and Washington headed south.
A spotter plane, used to direct the tankers to good targets,
also left for California, where wind-driven fires have killed at
least 13 people and destroyed about 900 homes.
"It's an extremely volatile situation," said Northwest fire
spokesman David Widmark. "You have fatalities, and destruction of
homes. This is what our people are walking into...We're sending our
best."
The airplanes and helicopters were used to battle wildland fires
in Oregon and Washington during the summer, but had been idled
after fire season ended here last month.
Officials are also sending a team of fire bosses experienced in
taking control of emergency situations, who may assume command of
one of the several blazes burning in Southern California, although
which has not yet been determined, Widmark said.
Also sent to California were the Warm Springs Hot Shots, a crew
of 20 or so skilled firefighters from the Warm Springs Indian
reservation east of Portland, who were already at the fire lines by
Monday morning.
Nationally, emergency officials have called up 700 fire behavior
specialists, safety officials and others from outside California to
help with the fires, according to Widmark.


(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

Arizona firefighters lend a hand in California
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - A group of Pima County firefighters are
lending needed hands to help their California colleagues battle
raging wildfires.
But they are not the only Arizonans who will fight blazes that
have already consumed more than half a million acres and destroyed
more than 1,000 homes.
Acting on a request from California Gov. Gray Davis, Gov. Janet
Napolitano said Monday she will ask 100 firefighters to travel to
the neighboring state.
"Arizona is all too experienced in fighting wildfires.
Hopefully, this experience we have learned the hard way will be
beneficial," Napolitano said.
Napolitano's request will add to the 74 firefighters and 24
engines who are soon expected in southern California, said Deneen
Cone, dispatch center manager for the Arizona State Land
Department.
Members of several southern Arizona fire departments are already
in California and additional manpower and equipment is expected to
be sent there.
So far, crews and equipment from Corona de Tucson and Golder
Ranch fire departments, members of the Coronado National Forest
fire management team as well as the Northwest and Mount Lemmon fire
districts have already left for the golden state.
Harry Findysz, a battalion chief for the Mount Lemmon Fire
District, said three firefighters and an engine are on their way to
the Los Padres National Forest near Santa Maria, Calif.
The Mount Lemmon crew will likely be fighting fires alongside
California firefighters who helped battle the Aspen Fire on Mount
Lemmon earlier this year.
While the three firefighters are all the eight-man department
can spare, Findysz said California crews "need everything they can
get."
Arizona State Land Commissioner Mark Winkleman said it was
unclear exactly where the additional firefighters and equipment
would hail from, but departments throughout Arizona have
volunteered their help.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

(Las Vegas-AP) -- Urban firefighters from the Las Vegas-area are
joining about 200 state and national firefighters from Nevada
battling wildfires in Southern California.
A task force of 22 firefighters left this morning with two
engines from Las Vegas, two from Henderson and one from Clark
County.
It joins 19 U-S Forest Service, Park Service, Bureau of Land
Management and Nevada Division of Forestry engines sent yesterday
to California -- along with three hand crews.
Nevada also is sending a third National Guard helicopter to what
has turned into California's deadliest outbreak of fires in more
than a decade.
Most of the firefighters have been sent from northern Nevada
counties -- including Elko, Carson, Washoe, Storey and Douglas.
The number of acres scarred in the Southern California wildfires
has surpassed one-half (M) million.
Fifteen people have died and 15-hundred homes have been
destroyed.


(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

(Bullhead City-AP) -- Firefighters from five Mohave County fire
departments are headed to California today.
Larry Tunforss of the Bullhead City Fire Department says engines
from Bullhead City, Fort Mohave Mesa, Mohave Valley and the
Hualapai Valley departments on are their way to El Cajon (kuh-HON)
this afternoon.
The Oatman department will join them later today.
California Governor Gray Davis has asked Arizona to sent an
extra one-hundred firefighters, so they are going from all over the
state. More than 70 are already fighting those fires in southern
California.


(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - With Kentucky's forest fire season in
progress, only one firefighter from the U.S. Forest Service can be
spared to aid others battling blazes in California.
Timber, Wildlife and Fire Staff Officer Rex Mann, of Mount
Sterling, will depart Tuesday night for California, where he will
serve as an area commander. In Kentucky, Mann is assigned to the
Daniel Boone National Forest, according to the U.S. Forest Service
in Winchester.
However, the Kentucky Division of Forestry says it can't spare
any firefighters.
"We are actually short on resources this year because of the
budget," said Gwen Holt, a spokeswoman for state forestry. "They
haven't requested any help and we can't afford to send them at this
point."
Kentucky's fire season began Oct. 1 and runs through Dec. 15.
There were 28 fires Saturday and warming temperatures were expected
to make the coming weekend a difficult one for those who fight
fires on private lands, Holt said.
Since Jan. 1, there have been 744 fires that have scorched
15,660 acres, Holt said. The largest fire this season was a
1,000-acre blaze Friday and Saturday at the Big South Fork National
Recreation area in Tennessee near the Kentucky-Tennessee border.
"That fire was started by a snag falling over a powerline,"
said Kathleen Kennedy, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service.
More than 10,000 firefighters are currently battling some of the
most deadly wildfires in California history. At least 17 deaths
were blamed on the fires, 15 in Southern California and two in
Mexico, as separate blazes scattered along an arc from the suburbs
northwest of Los Angeles to Ensenada, Mexico. More than 1,500 homes
have been destroyed.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - Roughly 30 South Dakota firefighters have
been called to help at fires in California and Colorado.
State Chief Fire Management Officer Jim Strain said several
crews and trucks will help fight the Cedar Fire near San
Bernardino, Calif., the largest of all fires burning in that state.
He said other crews are working two other California fires and
about 20 Black Hat firefighters have been sent to Colorado. That
hand crew will work near Denver.
State Wildland Fire Coordinator Joe Lowe plans to head to
California Friday. He's originally from the San Bernardino area.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

Reno-based fire teams return from Southern California

(Reno-AP) -- Two northern Nevada fire suppression teams have
returned to Reno from assisting with firefighting efforts in
Southern California.
The teams were led by Deputy Reno Chief Marty Scheuerman and
Battalion Chief Brent Swearingen.
The Reno Fire Department provided three brush engines and three
structure engines with 26 personnel on the fire line for about a
week against the largest campaign wildfire in California history.
The area strike teams also included units from Storey County,
Carson City and the Army Reserve.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

Oklahoma firefighters help fight blaze in north Florida forests


(Taylor, Florida-AP) -- A crew of Oklahoma firefighters is
helping fight a wildfire in northern Florida.
A 20-man crew from Talihina is helping build fire lines in a
swampy area in an effort to contain the fire.
The fire has burned more than 34-thousand acres of timber and
swamp land in the Osceola National Forest and the John Bethea State
Forest.
Florida forestry officials say about 20 percent of the fire is
contained.


(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

New Jersey sending single resources to Alaska. Radio operator departs Saturday...as I hear it.

CBP3...you got the scoop?

[Fire1839]

He is already out in alaska, Actually his tour is almost over and he is a Information Officer forget which complex though, Seen him on CNN a couple times

[NJFFSA16]

Mr Plante is in Alaska? That may well be accurate...however, I'm referring to a district warden in Division A, Section 2...who is supposed to head out shortly.

I will effort establishing a communications link with Trenton...and posting our resource information at the Section 2 website.

Thanks!

Engine A16

[NJFFSA16]

NJ Forest Fire Service Division Firewarden C. Bertram Plante is assigned as the Fire information officer for the Alaskan Fire complexes.

Firehouse Forums member CBP3....Way to go Bert!
****************************** ******************

Fire information officer Bert Plante said firefighters battling
several wildfires in Alaska are encountering extreme fire behavior,
which includes 30-foot trees ablaze with 100-foot flames. In
situations like that, the fire is too big to try and douse it with
water or throw dirt on it, he said.
"That's honkin'," Plante said. "When you come right down to
it, how are you going to stop it? About the only way you can fight
that kind of fire is with more fire. Eagle is ready to do it."
Plante said if the situation becomes dire, residents will be
given two hours to gather at a designated safety zone at the local
airport. The Red Cross already has set up a shelter in Tok, about
165 miles away.
"Hopefully, if the big fire comes up there is nothing to burn
and it stops the fire," Plante said. "As long as it goes past the
town and not through it ... then you have success."
Plante said the 36,000-acre Evansville fire near the Kuskokwim
River village of Bettles 185 miles northwest of Fairbanks - while
one of the smaller wildfires in the state - was showing extreme
behavior.
"The darn thing is growing by thousands of acres every day,"
Plante said. "Yesterday it was really romping and stomping."
While winds blowing from the southwest caused the fire to spread
rapidly, it was moving into uninhabited areas and not advancing on
Bettles.
The Taylor Highway fire measured 742,093 acres on Wednesday - an
increase of more than 90,000 acres from the previous day. Motorists
were experiencing lengthy delays on the Taylor Highway - Eagle's
only road out of town - and the Steese Highway.
The Boundary fire northeast of Fairbanks measured 365,000 acres
on Wednesday after it spread about 20,000 acres to the north and
northeast into a largely recreational area.
The fire was staying away from inhabited areas that previously
had to be evacuated for a week. However, winds were pushing more
smoke into the Fairbanks area causing some residents there to
become alarmed the fire was moving their way, Plante said.
Fire crews this week will likely receive 15 fire engines shipped
from other states, Knight said. Five engines will go to the Eagle
complex, five to Tok and five are to be put on standby. Otherwise,
the state appears to have enough fire resources, he said.
"The only thing we're short of is water from the heavens,"
Knight said.

[NJFFSA16]

Mississippi's firefighters assist with wildfires out west
dg/stf/rh
BY DENISE GRONES
Associated Press Writer
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Every summer Mississippi firefighter Danny
Bryant packs his gear and heads out West for a blazing showdown
against one of nature's most destructive forces - the wildfire.
Bryant, a fire training officer with the Mississippi Forestry
Commission, has been fighting wildfires for almost two decades and,
for the past 15 years, has joined a firefighters taking on blazes
in the West.
The commission has about 650 employees trained not only to do
their regular jobs but to also battle wildfires that plague the
state during dry periods, normally in the early spring and fall.
Of that number, more than 90 employees are certified to travel
around the county to battle fires like the Carson City, Nev., blaze
that has burned 14 homes and forced evacuations of hundreds of
others.
There's no shortage of hot spots.
In California, a 10,000-acre wildfire forced 200 teenagers from
two juvenile probation camps on Friday and continued threaten rural
hamlets on the edge of the Angeles National Forest.
Bryant said he doesn't mind camping in a valley with bears and
mountain lions or bathing in a makeshift shower in the back of an
18-wheeler.
"It's actually kind of fun roughing it," he said.
Firefighters from Mississippi and elsewhere are dispatched to
remote points during the wildfire season, setting up makeshift
camps that offer laundry facilities, a kitchen, a medical tent, and
other basic services.
"Everything is mobile and can be picked up and moved to another
site," said Kent Grizzard, the Forestry Commission spokesman.
"It's like a small city, set up in the middle of the woods."
Bryant said when the fires aren't in remote areas, the camps can
go up almost anywhere. Fire crews have camped on football fields or
in school yards, he said.
He said while fighting wildfires in Florida, firefighters stayed
in hotels.
Bryant said the firefighters spend a majority of their time in
training and becoming qualified in the various specialties unique
to firefighting.
Once trained, crews are called up if their area of expertise is
needed.
Mississippi's 20-member hand tool team - the infantry of
wildfire fighting - normally goes on assignment once a year. The
primary responsibility of these teams is to construct a fire line,
a strip of land cleared of flammable materials, to control burning.
There are 17 instant management teams that rotate around the
country each week helping with wildfires. Bryant is a member of one
and expects his rotation to come up in a couple of weeks. Last
summer, he fought fires in Glacier National Park in Montana.
"We are usually gone for 14 days, but sometimes we get
extensions to stay an extra seven days," he said.
Grizzard said firefighters from other states come in to assist
when a fire gets too big for local and regional officials to handle
themselves.
"Thousands of people can work on one incident," he said.
Mississippi's team is often called to assist with national
forest fires or national park fires.
Grizzard said during the summer months, Mississippi's wildfire
season is slow due to a combination of weather and land conditions.
"Our fire season is normally early spring and fall," he said.
Wildfires in the western part of the country are more prominent
in the summer due to the topography, weather patterns and forest
fuel, such as sticks and leaves.
---
On the Net:
Only you can prevent forest fires: http://www.smokeybear.com
Mississippi Forestry Commission: http://www.mfc.state.ms.us


(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

Tennessee firefighters head north to battle Alaskan forest blaze
chacjt2
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee firefighters are helping
crews battle an unusual half-million-arce forest fire in Alaska,
officials say.
The firefighters are in remote areas fighting blazes that spread
invisibly beneath 12 inches of sphagnum moss that blankets the
ground.
"It's like mulch, and when it dries out it becomes tinder,"
Gary Chancey, a spokesman for the firefighters, told the
Chattanooga Times Free Press.
Only faint streaks of smoke are visible at the surface while the
acreage burns underneath, said Chancey, a Polk county native.
A dry season has been blamed for the 15 separate fires that are
destroying about 3 million acres in Boundary, Alaska, U.S. Forest
Service officials said.
About 3,000 firefighters from the U.S. Forest Service, Tennessee
Valley Authority and other departments across the country have been
rounded up for the Alaskan fire, said spokesman Terry McDonald.
Their main objective is to steer the flames away from populated
areas, said Pete Buist, manager of the Alaska interagency units.
Another Tennessee firefighter, Jack McCarty of Cleveland, is
managing a staging area in Alaska that's responsible for preparing
equipment for about 1,000 firefighters during the blaze's peak.
"Jack has to have equipment readily available, and that means
having a lot of moving parts," said Phil Musgrove, McCarty's
supervisor.
Buist said so far 16 homes, two campers and 19 outbuildings have
been destroyed by the fires.

---
Information from: Chattanooga Times Free Press,
http://www.timesfreepress.com

[Fire1839]

New Jersey Crew 1 left this morning from New Lisbon around 9:00. Headed to Reading, California for IA.

[NJFFSA16]

Along with NJS 1 moving to California, Division A, Section 2 boss Kevin Drake has been deployed to Washington State for DIVS.

[NJFFSA16]

HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) - Twenty Maryland Forest Service
firefighters will travel to northern California to join crews
battling a growing wildfire near Redding, the state Department of
Natural Resources said Monday.
The firefighters are from Carroll, Dorchester, Frederick,
Harford, Howard, Montgomery, Talbot, Washington and Worcester
counties, DNR spokeswoman Megan Arts said. They were scheduled to
leave Tuesday morning from Jarrettsville for Harrisburg, Pa., where
they were to join fire crews from other Middle Atlantic states on a
flight to the West Coast, she said.
The blaze broke out Saturday afternoon and had grown to 9,010
acre acres Monday after sweeping through French Gulch in the
mountains about 19 miles west of Redding, according to the U.S.
Forest Service.
It destroyed 22 homes and two commercial buildings in the town
during the weekend as it was driven by wind up to 12 mph. Fire
officials predicted that it would not be fully contained until
Friday.
The blaze was only 10 percent contained Monday, said Dottie Cary
of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

Eastern crews remain in northern California, however, they are basically doing standby duties

Assigned Crews: MD-MDS #1

Location: Eldorado National Forest, Amador Ranger District
Crew Status: Project work and available for initial attack. Partly sunny, low fire activity.

Date: 8/24/04 Incident: ONC August Support (CA-ONCC-000013

Assigned Crews: OH-OHS #1

Location: Six Rivers National Forest, Lower Trinity Ranger District
Crew Status: Project work (work with district Fuels Specialist prepare prescribed burn unit) and available for initial attack.

Date: 8/24/04 Incident: ONC August Support (CA-ONCC-000013)

Assigned Crews: NJ-NJS #1

Location: Plumas National Forest, Feather River Ranger District
Crew Status: Project work and available for initial attack. Partly sunny, low fire activity.

Date: 8/24/04 Incident: ONC August Support (CA-ONCC-000013)

Assigned Crews: PA-PAS #1

Location: Eldorado National Forest, Placerville Ranger District
Crew Status: Project work and available for initial attack. Partly sunny, low fire activity.


Date: 8/24/04 Incident: ONC August Support (CA-ONCC-000013)


Assigned Crews: WV-WVS #1

Location: Six Rivers National Forest, Smith River National Recreation Area
Crew Status: Project work (French Hill Community fuel break) and available for initial attack.

Date: 8/24/04 Incident: ONC August Support (CA-ONCC-000013)

Assigned Crews: MN-MFC #2
Location: Klamath National Forest, Oak Knoll Ranger District (staging area)
Crew Status: Project work (roadside fuels reduction) and available for initial attack.

Date: 8/24/04 Incident: ONC August Support (CA-ONCC-000013)

Assigned Crews: WI-WIC #1
Location: Klamath National Forest, Scott River Ranger District
Crew Status: Project work (preparation for prescribed burn) and available for initial attack.

Date: 8/24/04 Incident: ONC August Support (CA-ONCC-000013)

Assigned Crews: MN-MFC #3
Location: Klamath National Forest, Salmon River Ranger District (Sawyers Bar)
Crew Status: Project work (future district prescribed burn preparation, fire line construction) and available for initial attack.

Date: 8/24/04 Incident: ONC August Support (CA-ONCC-000013)

Assigned Crews: MI-KBIC #1
Location: Mendocino National Forest, Upper Lake Ranger District
Crew Status: Project work (along with forest service crew) and available for initial attack. Partly sunny, low fire activity.

Date: 8/24/04 Incident: ONC August Support (CA-ONCC-000013)

Assigned Crews: MI-MIS #1
Location: Six Rivers National Forest, Mad River Ranger District
Crew Status: Project work (26 mile fuel break) and available for initial attack.

[NJFFSA16]

All eastern crews have returned to their home states....safely!

[NJFFSA16]

Rocky Mountain Wildfire Center sending choppers to Florida

DENVER (AP) -- The Rocky Mountain Wildfire Coordination Center
is sending five helicopters to Florida to assist with Hurricane
Frances.
Spokesman Larry Helmerick said three helicopters left today for
Jacksonville and two more will depart tomorrow. Summer rains have
dampened wildfires in Colorado, freeing the helicopters to help
with Florida relief efforts.

(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[Fire1839]

New Jersey 1 and 2 are heading out to Montana tomorrow at 0600...Good Luck, Have Fun and Stay Safe

[NJFFSA16]

Missouri Crew 1 is at the Alpine Lake Fire, Minnesota (Superior NF)

Indiana Crew 2 is at the Alpine Lake Fire , Minnesota (Superior NF)

West Virginia Crew 1 is at the Alpine Lake Fire, Minnesota (Superior NF)

Ohio Crew 1 is at the Alpine Lake Fire, Minnesota (Superior NF)

Maryland Crew 1 is at the Camp 32 Fire, Montana (Kootenai NF)

Pennsylvania Crew 1 is at the Camp 32 Fire, Montana (Kootenai NF)

Ohio Crew 2 is at the Camp 32 Fire, Montana (Kootenai NF)

New Jersey 1 & 2 are at the Camp 32 Fire, Montana (Kootenai NF)

http://www.fs.fed.us/eacc/iarr.rtf

Be safe....everyone comes home!

[NJFFSA16]

MO-MOC#2 is at the Alpine Lake Fire, Minnesota (Superior NF)

IN-IIC#2 is at the Alpine Lake Fire , Minnesota (Superior NF)

WV-MOF#1 is at the Alpine Lake Fire, Minnesota (Superior NF)

OH-OHS#1 is at the Alpine Lake Fire, Minnesota (Superior NF)

WV-WVS#1 is at the Signal Rock Fire, Montana

MA-NEP#1 is at the Signal Rock Fire, Montana

MD-MDS#1 is at the Blackerby Fire, 6 mi. SE of Grangeville, Idaho

PA-PAS#1 is at the Blackerby Fire, 6 mi. SE of Grangeville, Idaho

OH-OHS#2 is at the Blackerby Fire, 6 mi. SE of Grangeville, Idaho

NJ-NJS 1 & 2 are at the Blackerby Fire, 6 mi. SE of Grangeville, Idaho

DE-DES#1 is at the Blackerby Fire, 6 mi. SE of Grangeville, Idaho

NH-NHS#2 is at the Long Ruggles Fire, 22 mi. SE of Craigmont, Idaho

WV-WVIA#1 is at the West Fork Fire, 26 mi. S of Grangeville, Idaho

MI-HMF#1 is at the Long Ruggles Fire, 22 mi. SE of Craigmont, Idaho

WI-WIC#1 is at the West Fork Fire, 26 mi. S of Grangeville, Idaho

VT-GMF#2 is at the Nez Perce National Forest, Idaho

MA-NEP#2 is at the Blackerby Fire, 6 mi. SE of Grangeville, Idaho

MA-MAS#1 is at the Devil Fire, 13 mi. W of Lochsa, Idaho

IN-IIC#3 is at the Devil Fire, 13 mi. W of Lochsa, Idaho

MO-MOC#3 is at the Devil Fire, 13 mi. W of Lochsa, Idaho

[NJFFSA16]

WV-WVS#1 is at the Signal Rock Fire, Montana

MA-NEP#1 is at the Signal Rock Fire, Montana

OH-OHS#2 is at the Blackerby Fire, Idaho

DE-DES#1 is at the Blackerby Fire, Idaho

NH-NHS#2 is at the Clear Red Complex, Idaho

WV-MOFC#1 is at the West Fork Fire, Idaho

MI-HMF#1 is at the Clear Red Complex, Idaho

WI-WIC#1 is at the West Fork Fire, Idaho

Midewin IHC is at the Blackerby Fire, Idaho

VT-NEF#2 is at the China Ten Fire, Idaho

MA-MAS#1 is at the West Fork Fire, Idaho

IN-IIC#3 is at the China Ten Fire, Idaho

MO-MOC#3 is at the China Ten Fire, Idaho

MD-MDS#1- Returned Home

PA-PAS#1- Returned Home

NJ-NJS#1 & NJS#2- Returned Home

MA-NEP#2- Returned Home

[NJFFSA16]

WI-WIC #1 West Fork Commercial flights to Duluth (DLH) with 9 people
arriving at 12:10, 9 at 14:20, and 2 at 16:00. Bus
arrangements being made.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OH-OHS #2 Blackerby NIFC Charter flight on 8/25 (Thursday)
WV-WVS #1 Signal Rock Lv Missoula (MSO) at 0845MT, arrive Saint
WV-MOFC #1 West Fork Louis (STL) at 1240CT, lv STL at 1325CT,
IN-IIC #3 China Ten ar. Harrisburg, PA (MDT) at 1505ET
MO-MOC #3 China Ten IARR Kurilla on flight.
IARR Plante will fly commercial.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MA-MAS #1 West Fork All five crews travel to Missoula on 8/25 (Thur).
MA-NEP #1 Signal Rock NIFC Charter flight on 8/26 (Friday).
VT-NEF #2 China Ten Lv Missoula at 0830 MT, ar Manchester, NH
NH-NHS #2 Clear Red (MHT) at 1505 ET.
DE-DES #1 Blackerby
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MI-HMF #1 Clear Red Travel to Boise, ID on 8/25/05
Commercial flights on 8/26 (Friday) with 4 people
to Traverse City, MI (TVC) ar 1440ET, 7 people
to Grand Rapids, MI (GRR) ar 1525ET, and
9 people to GRR ar 1740ET.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Midewin IHC scheduled to remain on Clear Red Complex, ID

[NJFFSA16]

By JEFF BARNARD
AP Environmental Writer
GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) - One hot summer day in 2002, as the
Biscuit fire was roaring through the Siskiyou National Forest,
Steve Karkanen and the Lolo Hotshots were trying to keep it from
jumping the line at Bear Camp Ridge.
Part of the U.S. Forest Service's elite corps of expert
full-time wildland firefighters, the Lolo Hotshots were working
with two contract crews, the grunts of the wildfire fighting
business - one of which did not speak much English and showed they
were also short on experience.
"One of my guys who was running a dozer went down the hill to
corral part of a spot fire," Karkanen, supervisor of the crew,
recalled from his office in Missoula, Mont. "A crew of Hispanics
was tasked with making sure the line was secure.
"They had no idea what they needed to do with it. And more
importantly, they weren't communicating the fact that there was a
spot fire across the line," which threatened to overtake the
bulldozer crew, he said. "It was just a matter of luck I was
walking down the line and saw what was developing. ... It was not a
good situation at all."
As the nation publicly debates immigration reform, the state of
Oregon is enforcing tough new standards on the 158 contract
firefighting crews that it oversees. Contract crews are composed of
firefighters employed by private companies that contract with the
government to fight fires.
Crews from Oregon account for 78 percent of the contract
firefighters in the country and are made up mostly of Hispanics.
Each crew consists of 20 people.
Federal costs for fighting wildfires have been running about $1
billion a year since 2000, the year that 8.4 million acres of
rangeland and forests burned around the country. The wildfires show
no signs of declining, because of drought, a warming climate and
forests thick with fuel from a century of putting out fires.
With declining budgets, federal agencies such as the Forest
Service can no longer fill the need for full-time firefighters.
Contract crews have filled the gap, even though they are generally
more expensive.
But that has led to some problems, like the close call on the
Biscuit fire.
Acting on complaints from fire bosses and fire crew contractors,
the Oregon Department of Forestry is phasing in standardized tests
to ensure crew bosses speak English and the language of their
firefighters well enough to be safe on the fire line.
Inspectors check to be sure contractors maintain proper dispatch
facilities, records, training and equipment. It is up to
contractors to assure that none of their firefighters are illegal
immigrants. Failure can mean suspension or termination of the
contract.
Low bidders no longer have first crack at jobs just by keeping
estimates down. Starting this year, dispatchers have been able to
call in the crew with the best performance record, not the one
offering to do the work for less.
Four Hispanic contractors are suing the department in U.S.
District Court in Portland, claiming that enforcement of the new
regulations is racially motivated and reflects a belief that
Hispanic crews are more likely to "cut corners and engage in
misconduct to make money."
"It's not our theory they are discriminating against Hispanic
firefighters. But they are discriminating against Hispanic
contractors," said Kevin Jacoby, a paralegal in the Salem law firm
handling the lawsuit. "If they did it on a wider scale they
wouldn't have anybody to fight fires."
The lead plaintiff, Mountain Forestry of Independence, lost its
contract for 16 fire crews in 2004 over a record-keeping dispute.
"When they identify a problem in one of these files currently
under a Hispanic firefighter, they come down very hard on them,"
said Jacoby.
Oregon officials insist they do not intentionally target
Hispanics, who account for 27 of the 61 contractors in Oregon. But
they say they are improving performance and safety in an industry
that was spinning out of control a few years ago when a string of
big wildfire seasons created demand that outstripped the supply of
experienced crews.
"Everybody is feeling good about this process, with the
exception of some folks who are suing us," said Bill Lafferty,
fire program director for the department. "Performance is up.
Contract compliance issues are down. Everybody is trying to show
good because they know it affects their future."
The crackdown has been welcomed by established contractors,
including Hispanic employers such as G&B Reforestation of Salem.
"I believe it's actually good," said Andres Coria, a squad
boss for the company started last year by his father, Gerardo.
"This kind of eliminates a lot of these underbidding guys who just
come in and bid a low price."
Coria said leadership positions are filled by bilingual family
members, and the firefighters break down about half Hispanic and
half white. Coria doesn't feel he can spot forged work papers, so
he recruits among high school and college friends.
Despite an evaluation ranking them below the middle, they have
had plenty of work this year, and have enough nonfire work, such as
forest thinning and herbicide spraying, to keep the crew working
all year. Next year they hope to add another crew or two.
"The money is great," he said.
Mike Wheelock, owner of Greyback Forestry Inc., in Merlin,
increased his wages to compete for workers and arranged with Rogue
Community College in Grants Pass to help any who are not fluent in
English.
"It's not an immigration issue or anything like that," said
Wheelock. "It's a safety issue. You can't have people there that
can't communicate."
An inspector general's report from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture this year took particular note of complaints about
English fluency, and raised the possibility that some crews likely
include illegal aliens.
The Pew Hispanic Center estimates about half the 300,000
Hispanics in Oregon are undocumented, but no one has anything but
guesses on the proportion among firefighters.
Immigration agents have not made any busts in fire camps in the
Northwest this year, but won't say whether any investigations are
under way, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
spokeswoman Lori Haley.
The focus of enforcement actions has changed from raiding job
sites and rounding up illegal workers to bringing criminal charges
against the employers who knowingly hire them, she added.
It is still up to contractors to check work permits and Social
Security numbers, though everyone concedes that quality fakes are
plentiful.
One improvement is that instead of waiting months to verify a
Social Security number, they can check a special Web site listing
phony ones, said Lafferty.
---
On The Net:
http://www.oregon.gov/ODF/FIRE/fire.shtml

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

14 wildland firefighters dispatched to Oregon return tonight

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Fourteen wildland firefighters based in
Alabama are due back in the state tonight. According to Coleen
Vansant, spokeswoman for the state Forestry Commission, the 20-man
interagency group were dispatched 16 days ago (August 26th) to
Redmon, Oregon, to help battle wildfires that scorched thousands of
acres since mid-summer.
The returning crew members are:
- Derrick Heckman, crew boss - St. Clair County
- Bobby Matthews, assistant crew boss - Cullman County
- Cary Rhodes - Shelby County
- Brandon Hunnicut - Madison County
- Brian Smith and Ken Colburn - Chilton County
- Joseph Connelly and Jason Gilpin - Baldwin County
- Gary Coleman - Coffee County
- Victor Howell - Conecuh County
- James "Moto" Williams - Chambers County
- Joel Bartlett - Marion County
- Gary Thompson - Covington County
- Barry Snow - Randolph County
Vansant said the crew is scheduled to arrive at the Montgomery
Regional Airport around 9 p-m.
Its the second time this summer that Alabama-based firefighters
were dispatched to Oregon to fight wildfires.


(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

Connecticut firefighters head to Michigan to battle forest fire

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Seventeen firefighters from Connecticut
will be helping the U.S. Forest Service battle a forest fire in
Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
The crew is set to take a flight from Bradley International
Airport in Windsor Locks early this morning (Tuesday). It includes
nine firefighters from the state Department of Environmental
Protection, eight local firefighters, two members from Vermont and
one firefighter from Rhode Island.
The team will head to the Sleeper Lake Fire, about 300 miles
north of Detroit. A lightning strike is the suspected cause of the
29-square-mile blaze.
The firefighters are expected to be deployed for up to two
weeks.
Earlier this summer, a group of Connecticut firefighters helped
fight fires in northern California.