Valentine - July 16,2006
At approximately 4:30 p.m. Sunday, July 16, a faulty power line ignited a fire near Valentine’s water towers. High heat, low humidity and strong winds created conditions that allowed the fire to quickly spread toward the north side of town.
Valentine’s hospital, three assisted-living centers and approximately 200 residents were evacuated.
Firefighters from 47 volunteer fire departments cooperated to battle the fire. Three air tankers dropped fire retardant, and one Black Hawk and one Chinook helicopter, each fitted with water buckets, provided additional aerial support.
The fire burned 3,100 acres, destroyed 10 homes (two within city limits, eight in the country) and damaged 10 homes.
Nebraska’s firefighters do an outstanding job of providing fire protection to citizens across the state, but because our coniferous forests have become dangerously overgrown, our firefighters’ job is becoming more difficult.
The dynamics of the wildland-urban interface are changing as more and more people move into rural, often forested areas. Additionally, we are faced with hotter summers, shorter winters and decreased snow- and rainfall. All the while, our forests are growing, which means an increased buildup of understory growth and litter on the forest floor. If left to accumulate, the debris, new regeneration and saplings serve as ladder fuel, which allows fire to spread into the forest crown.
When fire reaches the forest crown, a tremendous amount of energy is released, creating powerful columns of rising air that can carry firebrands (burning debris, such as pinecones, small branches), which rain down on structures in the fire’s path and create spot fires in front of the advancing fire. Crown fires behave erratically, so they are difficult to suppress and typically much more destructive than ground fires. Thinning the forest removes ladder fuels and increases the spacing between trees, which can help keep fires on the ground where they are more easily contained.
The Nebraska Forest Service works with landowners to develop fuel treatment projects which are designed to improve the condition of forested land, making them safer and more sustainable. As part of it’s work with landowners, NFS also provides cost-share assistance to landowners interested in completing fuel treatment projects. To be eligible for cost-share assistance, the landowner’s project must be approved in advance by NFS.
For more information about cost-share assistance for fuel treatment projects, or steps you can take to protect your home from wildfires, contact John Overstreet, NFS western fire specialist, at (308) 432-3179 or joverstreet1@unl.edu, or Don Westover, NFS fire program leader, at (402) 472-6629 or dwestover1@unl.edu.
Pine Ridge - July 27, 2006
On July 27th, 2006 an aerial fire detection flight flew a course over the Pine Ridge area of Nebraska prompted because of a dry lightning storm which had passed through the area. From this one flight 9 wildfires were detected and suppression action began immediately. Five of the fires were controlled that day but 4 wildfires continued to grow in size. The high temperature that day was 108 degrees and the relative humidity was in the single digits. The Thayer Fire and the Rudloff Fire burning near Harrison, NE became known as the Sioux Complex. The Dead Horse Fire and the Roberts Tract Fire, near Chadron, became known as the Dawes Complex. All four fires were burning in steep forested canyons which made suppression attempts very difficult. Add to this, the fact that there were several other large uncontrolled wildfires burning in surrounding states, and that nationally, the fire activity was at the highest of 5 possible levels. This meant that fire suppression resources were in short supply and being used elsewhere. Hundreds of firefighters and equipment gathered to battle these fires along with National Guard soldiers and helicopters. Incident management personnel from The Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the U.S. Forest Service set up command posts and called in Heavy Airtankers to assist in the firefighting effort.
Late in the second day, the Spotted Tail Fire became the third fire of the Dawes Complex. This fire, pushed by strong southerly and then easterly winds, burned through tinder dry Ponderosa Pine forestland and forced evacuations in part of the city of Chadron. In all, 27,954 acres were burned in the Dawes Complex.
Five days later the Oldaker Fire sprang up North of Harrison and became a part of the Sioux Complex. Fires in this complex ultimately burned 40,211 acres.
In the Dawes and the Sioux Complexes, there were 4 residences, 1 commercial property and some outbuildings destroyed. Fortunately there were no injuries or loss of life.
Nebraska’s firefighters do an outstanding job of providing fire protection to citizens across the state, but because our coniferous forests have become dangerously overgrown, our firefighters’ job is becoming more difficult.
The dynamics of the wildland-urban interface are changing as more and more people move into rural, often forested areas. Additionally, we are faced with hotter summers, shorter winters and decreased snow- and rainfall. All the while, our forests are growing, which means an increased buildup of understory growth and litter on the forest floor. If left to accumulate, the debris, new regeneration and saplings serve as ladder fuel, which allows fire to spread into the forest crown.
When fire reaches the forest crown, a tremendous amount of energy is released, creating powerful columns of rising air that can carry firebrands (burning debris, such as pinecones, small branches), which rain down on structures in the fire’s path and create spot fires in front of the advancing fire. Crown fires behave erratically, so they are difficult to suppress and typically much more destructive than ground fires. Thinning the forest removes ladder fuels and increases the spacing between trees, which can help keep fires on the ground where they are more easily contained.
The Nebraska Forest Service works with landowners to develop fuel treatment projects which are designed to improve the condition of forested land, making them safer and more sustainable. As part of it’s work with landowners, NFS also provides cost-share assistance to landowners interested in completing fuel treatment projects. To be eligible for cost-share assistance, the landowner’s project must be approved in advance by NFS.
For more information about cost-share assistance for fuel treatment projects, or steps you can take to protect your home from wildfires, contact John Overstreet, NFS western fire specialist, at (308) 432-3179 or joverstreet1@unl.edu, or Don Westover, NFS fire program leader, at (402) 472-6629 or dwestover1@unl.edu.
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