Fire Management today

36 Pages·2015·1.05 MB·English

Fire
Management
today

Volume 74 • No. 2 • 2015
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Tom Vilsack, Secretary
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Thomas L. Tidwell, Chief
Forest Service
Tom Harbour, Director
Fire and Aviation Management
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April 2015
Trade Names (FMT)
The use of trade, firm, or corporation names in this publication is for the information and convenience of the
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of Agriculture. Individual authors are responsible for the technical accuracy of the material presented in Fire
Management Today.
Fire Management Today
2
Fire
Management
today
Volume 74 • No. 2 • 2015

C
On the Cover: OnTenTs
Anchor Point—Understanding Fire Doctrine:

The Doctrinal Pyramid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Tom Harbour

Note From This Issue’s Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Ken Frederick
The Other Kind of Wildfire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Howard Hedrick
Rangeland and Wildfire Fifty-Year Forecast:

A Bureau of Land Management
engine assists with holding Mostly Cloudy and Dry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

operations on the Two and a Half Don Smurthwaite

Mile Fire in Idaho in 2011. Heavy
engines are indispensable tools in BLM Engines: Critical Resources for Rangeland Fire . . . . . 17

rangeland fire suppression. Photo
Ken Frederick
credit: Austin Catlin, Bureau of Land
Management Rangleland Fire and Invasive Species: a Vicious Cycle . . . . 21

Randy Eardley
Rangeland Fire Behavior and Tactics:

What To Know If You Don’t Already . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Ken Frederick

Rural Volunteer Fire Departments Receive

New Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Brian Haugen and Jacob Beauregard

Encountering Dirt, Fire, and Road: My First Season as a

Wildand Firefighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

The USDA Forest Service’s Fire and Aviation
Management Staff has adopted a logo Michaela Hall

reflecting three central principles of wildland
fire management: Rangeland Interface Fires: Where They Are and

• Innovation: We will respect and value How They Are Different . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

thinking minds, voices, and thoughts of
Ken Frederick

those that challenge the status quo while
focusing on the greater good.
• Execution: We will do what we say we
will do. Achieving program objectives, shORT FeaTuRes
improving diversity, and accomplishing
targets are essential to our credibility.
Rangeland Fire Protection Associations Are Helping
• Discipline: What we do, we will do well.
With Rangeland Fire Suppression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Fiscal, managerial, and operational
discipline are at the core of our ability to
Success Stories Wanted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

fulfill our mission.
The Next Steppe: Sage-Grouse and Rangeland WIldfire

in the Great Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Losing Greater Sage-Grouse Habitat to Fire . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Contributors Wanted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Firefighter and public safety Guidelines for Contributors . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Back Cover

is our first priority.
Volume 74 • No. 2 • 2015
3
Anchor
by Tom Harbour
Point Director, Fire and Aviation Management
Forest Service
u F d : T d P
ndeRsTanding iRe OCTRine he OCTRinal yRamid

What is doctrine? Eight years our actions must be carried out
after the Forest Service through applications. We cannot
adopted this thing we call focus only on topographic or mun­
“doctrine,” I still hear people say dane objectives that we repeat by
that they don’t understand it. rote.
Definition: Doctrine is the body Yes, our actions are based on
of principles that sets the moral operational objectives. But, I want
or ethical standard and forms the recognition of the complexity in
foundation of judgment, mode objectives (strategic vs. tactical;
of action, decision, and behavior. The Doctrinal Pyramid. largescale vs. smallscale; broad vs.
It is authoritative but flexible, focused, etc.). We need to think
definitive enough to guide specific and build on our understanding much more about the “whys” and
operations, yet adaptable enough based on the foundation. the “whats,” rather than always the
to address diverse and varied situa­ “how.”
tions. When we started in our first jobs
as wildland firefighters, we were This starts with a clear under­
The Doctrinal Pyramid taught that preparing a good foun­ standing. Leaders and firefighters
dation (rules and applications) should understand wildland fire or
So what does all that mean, and
would assist us in mitigating the prescribed fire incidents and what
how do we apply it? Perhaps it
risks associated with our roles in the assigned agency administra­
would be helpful to imagine a pyra­
wildfire incident response. As we tor wants them to accomplish. The
mid divided horizontally into three
grew professionally, although we incident commander or the burn
sections. The top of the pyramid is
started to gain an innate sense of boss needs to clearly translate those
“Doctrine”—the why. The middle
things, too often we devoted more agency administrator objectives
part is “Principles”—the what. And
time and attention to the applica­ into specific objectives needed to
the bottom, the largest portion of
tions (the how), and less to the accomplish the “whys” and “whats”
the pyramid, is “Applications”—the
doctrine (the grand “why”) and the of the job to be done.
how.
principles (the “what”).
The key to our success is based on
Good examples of basic appli­
True doctrine, properly understood, a clear understanding of our fire
cations of doctrine include
changes behaviors. We need to doctrine. Doctrine is (to repeat)
guidance such as Lookouts,
change our behaviors to align with authoritative, yet flexible; defini­
Communication, Escape Routes,
our understanding of why things tive, yet adaptable. It creates an
and Safety Zones (LCES); the 10
are. Therefore, we need to teach organization guided by well-stated
Standard Firefighting Orders; and
all three parts of the pyramid: doc­ principles that represent the scope
18 Watchout Situations (“10s” and
trine, principles, and applications. of the work, the work environment,
“18s”). These practices are easy to
and the mission. It must be under­
understand and guide preparation
Doctrine and Objectives stood and be meaningful to every
and response behaviors. They are
employee and be at the heart of safe
the foundation of our operations, Now is the time to focus on better
and effective mission accomplish­
just as “Applications” is the founda­ objectives. Objectives should guide
ment. 
tion of our pyramid. Based on this our actions and must be shaped by
foundation, we need to learn from the “whys” and the “whats,” while
Fire Management Today
4
n F T i ’ C
OTe ROm his ssue s OORdinaTOR
Ken Frederick
Welcome to a special issue some of the current strategies avail­ Basin and many other parts of the
of Fire Management Today able to managers to help break this Western United States, the inter­
(FMT). This issue focuses pattern. face includes interstate highways,
on rangeland fire—how it is differ­ mining infrastructure, ranches,
ent from forest fire, how it is man­ This edition of FMT also includes oil wells, and homes. The article
aged and suppressed, and why it is an article reviewing the basic, but examines some of the special
an important aspect of numerous critical, elements of rangeland aspects of the rangeland-urban
Federal, State, tribal and local fire fire behavior. Although grass and interface. Suppressing fire in these
programs. We have assembled a set brush fires usually have a low resis­ settings means grappling with
of articles intended to create a well- tance to control, they are often unique factors and challenges.
rounded picture of rangeland fire. very challenging because they can
spread incredibly fast and grow to Finally, Don Smurthwaite contrib­
The U.S. Department of the monstrous sizes in a single burn­ uted an article about the future of
Interior, Bureau of Land ing period. The article presents rangeland fire. Much of the 770
Management’s (BLM) deputy assis­ five common-sense tactical strate­ million acres of rangelands in the
tant director for Fire and Aviation, gies for firefighters engaging these United States are under siege by
Howard Hedrick, sets the tone for kinds of wildfires. For seasoned invasive species, climate change,
this edition of FMT by explaining wildland firefighters and fire man­ and shifting land-use patterns.
why rangeland fire is a relevant agers, these strategies are good Smurthwaite spoke with scientists,
topic for wildland fire professionals. reminders; for people newer to the ecologists, and fire managers to get
With 2 out of every 5 acres of land profession, they are lessons to be a sense of what the next three to
in the United States considered learned. five decades hold for rangelands.
rangeland and factors like climate Their conclusions are both sober­
change and invasive grasses com­ We have also included an article ing and eye-opening.
plicating the fire problem, the next outlining the BLM’s strategic use
generation of wildland fire profes­ of a highly capable fleet of wildland The bleak outlook for rangelands
sionals needs to understand the engines as the backbone of its sup­ underscores the plight these land­
complexities of rangeland fire. pression operation. A great deal of scapes are facing today. Invasive
BLM landscapes are sprawling and species are perhaps the greatest
Randy Eardley contributed an arid expanses with predominantly agent of change threatening grass
article that explores the predica­ lighter fuels. When fires start, the and brush ecosystems; fire is mere­
ment fire managers face in numer­ tactical situation usually demands a ly the natural force that distills
ous places across the arid West: the cost-effective, mobile water delivery these threats into something we
“vicious cycle” created by flamma­ platform. Many BLM hotshot crew can see and grasp. The perception
ble invasive species in rangelands. members and smokejumpers start that brush and grass fires deserve
The presence of these flammable their careers on engine crews, gain­ less attention than fires burning in
invasive species, particularly cheat- ing critical experience in fighting heavier fuels is no longer valid—if
grass, sets the table for frequent hot, fast-moving fires. it ever was. For the BLM and its
occurrences of wildfire, and the dis­ partners managing fire across the
turbance created by the unnaturally This issue also touches on the rangelands of the Western United
frequent fires invites more invasive rangeland-urban interface. You States, fire management is a mas­
species. Eardley’s article examines might not be familiar with this sive job, and it must be accom­
term. When firefighters think plished safely and correctly, now,
of the wildland-urban interface, more than ever. 
Ken Frederick is a public affairs specialist most of us have an image of nice
with the U.S. Department of the Interior,
homes nestled on the edges of for­
Bureau of Land Management, External
Affairs, National Interagency Fire Center. ested meadows. But, in the Great
Volume 74 • No. 2 • 2015
5
T O K W
he TheR ind OF ildFiRe
Howard Hedrick
Range Fires: The
Perception Problem It’s difficult for many people, old and young,

to overcome the notion that not all fires in

Let’s be candid: when it comes
to wildfire, forests get the lion’s natural landscapes are forest fires.

share of the attention. There are a
number of reasons for this. Start
with Smokey Bear, one of the
Then there’s the dramatic aspect of brush” or “it’s just scrubland” are
most successful and widely known
wildfire: smoke and flames in a for­ all-too-common reactions to wild­
Ad Council campaigns ever con­
est have a greater visual impact on fires burning in rangelands.
ducted. Generations of Americans
the public than smoke and flames
have grown up with the friendly
burning in range vegetation. Crown Rangelands Under
reminder, “Only You Can Prevent
fires in a forest make for dramatic Siege
Forest Fires.” Recently, Smokey’s
television footage and photography.
famous line was changed to “only Across the Western United States,
Not convinced? When is the last
you can prevent wildfires.” Still, it rangelands are simply too vast to
time you saw CNN broadcast foot­
is difficult for many people, old and ignore, and the impacts of range­
age of a sagebrush fire?
young, to overcome the notion that land fire are too great to escape.
not all fires in natural landscapes Two of every 5 acres in the United
The cruelest truth of all may be
are forest fires. States are considered rangeland,
that rangelands simply aren’t as
and these sprawling landscapes
aesthetically appealing to most of
Although range fires can and do aren’t as tough, resilient, and
the public as forests. Rangelands
burn ferociously, they are gener­ static as the casual observer might
do not carry the same associations
ally much shorter in duration than expect. They are complicated and
in the public mind. “It’s only sage­
large forest fires. While a major for­
est fire may burn for weeks or even
months, large range fires typically
burn for only a few days. They don’t
have the staying power to capture
the public’s attention.
Also, undeservedly, range fires are
perceived as being “easier” to sup­
press. The truth is that range fires,
because of their propensity to spread
across thousands of acres an hour,
are among the quickest to spread
and the trickiest of all to manage,
especially during initial attack.
They’re also dangerous: a dispro­
portionately high percentage of fire
fatalities and serious injuries occur
in light, flashy rangeland fuels.
Howard Hedrick is the deputy assistant
director with the U.S. Department of the
The 2013 McCan Fire on the Twin Falls District exhibits explosive fire behavior, especially
Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Fire
in brush fuels.
and Aviation.
Fire Management Today
6
diverse ecosystems that support a The truth is that range fires, because of their
surprising variety of wildlife and
propensity to spread across thousands of acres
vegetation and are under constant
an hour, are among the quickest to spread and
pressure to change. Species in an
ecosystem are interdependent; like the trickiest of all to manage, especially during
dominoes, when one falls, others initial attack.
may be pushed over too.
Rangeland relationships are more
on as many as 50 million acres (20 to native plants, and it’s easy to see
fragile than many might suppose.
million hectares [ha]) in the Great how an increasing supply of flam­
Perhaps the primary rangeland
Basin alone. Although this was mable vegetation, coupled with
conservation concern currently
once thought to be only a lower higher regional temperatures and
involves the greater sage-grouse, a
elevation problem, cheatgrass has reduced rainfall, adds up to a recipe
species directly linked to the health
now spread to rangelands up to for ecological disaster. As a result,
of rangelands in much of the West.
8,000 feet (2,400 meter) above sea we’ve lost much of the long-lived
Sage-grouse numbers are shrink­
level. perennial vegetation on our range­
ing, as are populations of large and
lands to fire. Native shrubs rarely
small mammals and birds, such as
As species gain or lose dominance, come back after a fire, but grasses
raptors. This is occurring as range­
the ecosystem itself changes. Most do, and in many areas, the previous
lands across the country are under
of the invasive plant species spread­ shrub-based ecosystem has changed
attack by nonnative vegetation.
ing throughout the rangelands are to a grass-based ecosystem.
Invasive cheatgrass, for example,
highly flammable in comparison
is now the dominant vegetation
Rangeland Fire Protection Associations Are Helping

With Rangeland Fire Suppression

Rangeland Fire Protection an annual operating plan. The because these fires were destroy­
Associations (RFPAs) are State- annual operating plan addresses ing their livelihoods. Now ranch­
chartered, nonprofit organiza­ topics like chain of command, ers and farmers have a way to
tions established to prevent and organizational structure, dispatch work with the BLM for the good
suppress range fires. RFPAs are procedures, safety, etc. The annual of both parties.”
operated by their members (who operating plan also includes direc­
are typically ranchers, farm­ tion addressing policies, such as RFPAs do not provide structural
ers, and rangeland permittees) suppression-related ground dis­ fire protection; they are created
and are funded by fees (set by turbance (i.e., bulldozer and disk to protect improvements private
local boards) and grants. RFPAs work). landowners have made on range­
give trained members the legal lands, assist adjoining cooperators
authority to fight fires—primarily Wes Wootan is a county commis­ if asked, and keep wildfires small
fires occurring on public lands sioner, farmer, and one of the early through safe, aggressive initial
leased or allotted to rangeland members of the Mountain Home attack.
users or public lands adjacent to RFPA. “Before we started getting
private rangelands. RFPAs set up, the BLM [Bureau of RFPAs are successfully operating
Land Management] fire guys were in Oregon and Idaho. The State
RFPAs are brought into exis­ put in a bad spot,” Wootan said in of Nevada envisions RFPAs in the
tence by a State charter and a a 2013 interview. “They had to tell near future. The RFPA model is
Memorandum of Understanding, ranchers who showed up to help proving to be an effective way of
but their activities on incidents fight fires, “You can’t be on this fighting fire—and resolving fire
are defined and governed by fire.” The ranchers wanted to help management conflicts.
Volume 74 • No. 2 • 2015
7
Range Fires: The Other
Wildfires
Range fires, “the other kind of
wildfire,” deserve our attention
and respect for a variety of reasons.
One is professional: the intervals
between rangeland fires are shrink­
ing at an alarming rate, as areas
that used to burn every 100 years
or so now often burn every 5 to
10 years. Another reason is social:
wildland-urban interface issues are
not only associated with forests.
To illustrate this, spread out a map
of the West and look closely at the
locations of cities and towns in the
Great Basin: the majority of those
at risk are hemmed in by range­
land.
Western rangelands are more fragile than many realize, especially when threatened by
Ecological impacts tie these con­ frequent wildfires.
cerns together. As one Bureau of
Land Management fire ecologist Addressing a Growing at least, as a reminder that range­
put it: “People don’t think about Concern lands count and that we need to
rangeland resources, but they’re be as vitally aware of the risks and
We thank the editor for inviting us
important on a local scale and rewards, challenges and opportuni­
to use this issue to point out the
even on a global scale.” Noting the ties, and consequences and benefits
importance of rangelands and the
loss of native vegetation and its of rangeland fire as we are of any
role wildfire plays on them. The
consequences, she somberly adds: other kind of wildfire in any other
information in this issue may not
“Things—species—are simply dis­ kind of fuel type. Too much is at
appearing.” be new to you, but it should serve, stake for us to do otherwise. 
Success Stories Wanted!

We’d like to know how your Submit your feedback, articles, stories, and photographs by email or
work has been going! Provide us traditional mail to:
with your success stories within
the state fire program or from Fire Management Today

your individual fire department. USDA Forest Service

Let us know how the State Fire Fire and Aviation Management

Assistance (SFA), Volunteer Fire 1400 Independence Ave., SW

Assistance (VFA), the Federal Mailstop 1107

Excess Personal Property (FEPP) Washington, DC 20250

program, or the Firefighter
Property (FFP) program has Email: [email protected]
benefited your community. Fea­
ture articles should be between If you have any questions about your submission, you can contact one
1,000 to 2,000 words in length; of the FMT staff at the email address above.
short items of up to 200 words.
Fire Management Today
8
R W
angeland and ildFiRe
50-y F :
eaR OReCasT
m C d
OsTly lOudy and Ry
Don Smurthwaite
Rangelands Under New Fire Dynamics lands is in an upward trend,” says
Siege Mike Pellant, BLM’s Great Basin
All too often, after a wildfire has
Restoration Initiative coordinator.
Rangelands—those areas in which ripped across rangeland, fire sets
“[Because of] the increase in wild­
vegetation consists predominately the stage for annual, nonnative
fire size, fire frequency, and acreage
of grasses, shrubs, forbs, and simi­ species (primarily cheatgrass)
burned, we’re on a track that seems
lar plants—cover 770 million acres to muscle in. Cheatgrass thrives
to grow exponentially.”
(312 million hectares [ha]) in the in disturbed areas, is a prolific
United States, or roughly 40 per­
“The intermountain rangelands are
cent of the Nation’s entire land
in pretty tough shape,” says Louisa
mass. These areas occupy sprawling What does the future of

Evers, the science liaison and cli­
landscapes, besieged by invasive rangelands and wildfire
mate change coordinator for BLM.
weeds, often unappreciated, and
look like? The easy
“We have major problems with
occasionally dismissed by the pub­
invasive species. Everything winds
answer to the question

lic as unimportant. Yet, they’re
up getting tied to that.” Jeanne
surprisingly vital, valuable, and— is that rangelands

Chambers, a research ecologist
unexpectedly—vulnerable. will look different in
with the Forest Service’s Rocky
the future and so will
Mountain Research Station, adds,
Rangelands are also highly sus­
“We could already be seeing novel
wildfire occurrence and

ceptible to wildfire. Given certain
communities on the landscape
behavior.

conditions, wildfires can race across
because of climate change and the
rangelands, sometimes burning
infiltration of invasive species.”
20,000 acres (8,000 ha) in an hour.
“I’ve seen range fires move 8 miles
seeder, dries out quickly, and is Assessment and
(13 kilometers) in 90 minutes,”
highly flammable. That sets up an Response
says Andy Delmas, the Bureau of
unhealthy dynamic for rangelands:
Land Management’s (BLM) Boise What’s the current state of range­
the more wildfire, the more nonna­
District fire management officer, land and wildfires? What does the
tive annual species; and the more
whose suppression jurisdiction future of rangeland and wildfire
nonnative annual species, the more
covers 4.4 million acres (1.8 mil­ look like? Are there any steps that
wildfire. The light fuels and fast-
lion ha) in what may be the most we can take to reverse the trend
moving nature of range fires can
fire-prone landscape in the country. of more rangeland fires? What
make fighting them especially haz­
“On the Pony Fire last summer, we will future firefighters need to
ardous.
were at 100,000 acres (40,500 ha) know about rangeland wildfires
in the first 36 hours—and it was to fight them? Pellant, Evers, and
According to experts, range fires
still growing.” Chambers, who together have more
are growing larger and more fre­
than 90 years of rangeland manage­
quent. In 2012, an exceptionally
ment and wildfire experience, have
challenging fire season in the Great
Don Smurthwaite recently retired similar questions about what’s tak­
as chief of External Affairs with the Basin, about 3.2 million acres (1.3
ing place on western rangelands
National Interagency Fire Center, U.S. million ha) of rangeland burned.
Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land and the future consequences for
“The overall fire situation on range­
Management. wildfire and firefighters.
Volume 74 • No. 2 • 2015
9
These three experts answered four
key questions regarding the often
volatile mix of wildfire and range­
land:
1 . What’s the current state
of rangelands and wildfire?
The short answer from the range­
land experts: “It depends.” It
depends on the location of the
rangelands, their elevation, the
occurrence of wildfire, and other
factors.
“Outside of the areas where wild­
fires have burned, we’ve seen a
gradual improvement in range­
lands,” says Pellant. “Our grazing
management has improved over the
Cattle and other livestock may be important tools in the future of rangeland
last 100 years. We don’t have the
management. Targeted grazing can be used to combat invasive species (like the dried
erosion problems we once had, and
cheat grass pictured here beneath a sage brush overstory) and maintain greenstrips.
we’re seeing better plant composi­
tion in many areas where invasive
nials, especially in our lower to wildfire occurrence and behavior.
plants are not a problem.”
middle elevations.” It is unclear, however, exactly what
western rangelands will look like
Chambers agrees: “It’s very much
Because of the extent of the inva­ in the future. “I don’t think we’ll
context dependent. It depends on
sive species component, wildfires have much of an idea of what our
where you are on the landscape.
have grown in frequency and size rangelands will look like 50 years
The lower elevations are probably
in recent years. That’s not a good from now. It’s therefore difficult
not as healthy, but many of our
trend for rangelands in the West. to figure out just what fire will be
upper elevation systems are in as
Thirty years ago, 100,000-acre like on them,” says Evers. But she
good or even better condition than
(40,500-ha) range fires were rare. does have a few suspicions that fol­
they were 50 years ago. It’s not an
Now, range fires of that size hardly low a “domino” line of reasoning.
all-or-nothing situation,” she says.
make the headlines. “In 2012, we “I strongly suspect rangelands will
had a 1-million-acre (405,000­ be different. You change the veg­
The exception—and it’s an excep­
ha) fire footprint in southeastern etation, you change the fuels, you
tion that covers about 30 million
Oregon alone,” states Pellant. change the climate, and you should
acres (12 million ha) of rangeland
“That’s a very telling statistic.” see a change in the fire regime,”
in the Great Basin alone—is where
she says.
invasive species have taken over,
So, what is the current state of
generally after a disturbance, and
rangelands and wildfire activity? Pellant has similar thoughts, start­
most often resulting from wildfire.
“We’re not on a very good track,” ing with the changing climate. “A
says Evers. warmer climate means that our
“We’re considered to have a fire
fire season will be longer because
problem on rangelands, but the fire
2 . What does the future of our growing season may be longer.
problem is connected to the inva­
rangelands and wildfire look Fuels loads may increase,” says
sive species, especially the annual
like? Pellant. “It means more rain, less
grasses,” says Evers. Chambers
snow, and more carbon dioxide—
adds, “The problems we’re facing The easy answer to the question
which acts as a fertilizer to plant
are increasingly connected to inva­ is that rangelands will look dif­
growth. It means more consecutive
sive annuals and nonnative peren­ ferent in the future and so will
Fire Management Today
10