This years contest!

Last year we had a humorous contest to see who could determine what area would have the highest amount fo wildfire.

How about this year with the prizes being say well just recognition on this board and a referral to the local arson task force.

It looks like we're going to be busy here in Tx.since we haven't really slowed down much this past winter. Keith

I'm glad to see that someone else is ahead of me. So just to get my two cents in, I stay with a prediction that I made at another web site back in January.:

From looking at the weather patterns for last year and this new year. I'll have to say the Southwest: Southern California, Arizona could be the hot spots. These areas have had unusual dry patterns and some are still having fire activity. However, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and even parts of Arkansas and Kansas are dry at the present time and have yet to see any amounts of moisture. They too have had unusual temperatures and high drying conditions for the past two to three months. That could make for an early fire season for them. Of course the News will pick on the areas where the largest amount of Interface will be: Possibly California.
Where ever it may end up being or you may end up...remember be Safe..and Heads-Up.

And I'll have to add Florida into this prediction too. Southern Florida and Northern areas are both starting to burn again. I feel sorry for the folks in Flagler County and Daytona areas once again.


[This message has been edited by Captain Hickman (edited March 04, 2000).]

Don't forget to list New Mexico in your southwest prediction! We live up the side of the Sandia Mountains at 6000 ft. and the Cibola Nat'l forest behind us is dry and packed solid with even drier brush.
Jo (Placitas Volunteer Fire Brigade)

I'm throwing in Nevada again this year...We ran our butts off and I think its going to happen again. Besides, its one of the few places that Captain Hickman didn't pick.....

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[This message has been edited by NYTINARMOR (edited March 15, 2000).]

I think this year will be a repeat of the 1980 fire season, where we'll all be busy.

There's my 2 cents!

Ken
Local 3133

Is there anything left in Nevada that you didn't burn last year? With 1,152 fires in '99, and that being a 135% of the 5-year average, and having a total of 1,870,285 acres burned, which was 773% of the 5-year average of 242,056 acres, you still have things that will burn?
Have to admit, if I remember right there was about three days in August that you all.."worked your buns off". Just hoping you don't have to go through it again, but if you do....give us a call and we'll all come running... :-)
Seems that I remember from last year that Nevada had problems and concerns about the large amounts of cheatgrass and other exotic grasses, which was displacing the native grasses and plants. I thought I read somewhere that the state was, had, or going to attempt to reseed part of the areas burnt last year with the native grasses. How did or is the project going?

Hickman


[This message has been edited by Captain Hickman (edited March 15, 2000).]

Probably not as big a hotspot as the south but Michigan is about 1 1/2 months ahead of time. We had one last week that we ended up with 8 departments on just to protect exposures. Weeds are high and it has been real dry Department of Natural Resources announced Tuesday night at our County meeting to expect a year like 1988. Worst year in MI in a long time. They told us our conditions are much worse at this time thaen it was in 1988. Lets all stay safe and hope it stays quite for us all.

Les Hartford
Captain, Maybee MI

Well I guess its time to make an educated guess asbout this years wildland season. I am in Southern Idaho and I believe that we will again have a bad fire season. Our moisture was down this winter and it is still pretty dry, with rain showers coming now and then. The rain showers brings up the grasses for a good dry covering later. We still have old fuel from two years ago. Our local BLM is already putting folks on.

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P. Bishop

I will bet on Florida, specifically the central portion. We are at a drought rating of 700 (a desert is 800). During Firestorm 98 we were only at 600 in the middle of the summer.

Take care and be safe.

well, i dont know for us. here in orange county, we usually take it up the rear as far as brush goes, but this last year we had a lot of rain. we might get it easier this go around. (of course i just jinxed the whole thing, and now we will be out on campaign fires every day of summer!)

last year was a buisy season. we had so many fires going on, at the explorer academy, we took the sit reps of the ongoing fires the same as we would have taken the scores of little league baseball games! crazy!

oh well, i hope we all stay safe this season, remember the 10 and 18! im gearing up now, i just re did my wildland pack, and im in the process of working in a new pair of Nicks Hotshots! im ready to roll!



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Joe Nassetta

-"I run through the gates of hell so you don't have to."