Wildfires

"The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), located in Boise, Idaho, is the nation's support center for wildland firefighting. Eight different agencies and organizations are part of NIFC. Decisions are made using the interagency cooperation concept because NIFC has no single director or manager." The website includes information about fire management, prevention, and education, as well as up to date situation reports and news releases.

"The National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) is made up of the USDA Forest Service; four Department of the Interior agencies: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), National Park Service (NPS), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS); and State forestry agencies through the National Association of State Foresters. The purpose of NWCG is to coordinate programs of the participating wildfire management agencies so as to avoid wasteful duplication and to provide a means of constructively working together. Its goal is to provide more effective execution of each agency's fire management program. The group provides a formalized system to agree upon standards of training, equipment, qualifications, and other operational functions. The people who originally made up the group were then, and are today, basically staff leaders in agency programs. They are not line officers. In most cases these leaders are the people who have a large influence on the policy and funding of an agency program. Agreed-upon policies, standards, and procedures are implemented directly through regular agency channels. The NWCG elected to operate through 'Working Teams,' a rather nondescript term that doesn't do justice to a tremendous effort. The working team concept has had the greatest effect of NWCG in that it has provided a means for the exchange of knowledge about all dimensions of fire management. Originally, there were 13 working teams. The number of Working Teams and Advisory Groups have been changed to reflect the current NWCG emphasis."

The USFA Web site provides numerous emergency response and incident command system resources intended for Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) professionals and other emergency responders. Items include downloadable documents, videotapes and kits, books, and other resources.

"Large, intense wildland fires have become more frequent across the United States in recent decades. Risks to responders and citizens, property losses, response and recovery costs, and threats to communities and landscapes have increased significantly as a result. In order to address these formidable challenges, more-effective Federal agency coordination is needed among both wildland fire scientists and also between those who produce and those who use the science relevant to wildfire mitigation, response, and recovery. To address this need, a Wildland Fire Science and Technology Task Force was chartered under the National Science and Technology Council's Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction. The Task Force analyzed the missions, portfolios, and existing coordination and application mechanisms employed by the relevant Federal agencies with respect to wildland fire science and technology, and assessed progress on the strategic actions set forth in the Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction's Grand Challenges for Disaster Reduction Wildland Fire Implementation Plan. From this examination, the Task Force identified several topics for high-priority attention and action on the part of the Federal fire research community and proposed mechanisms to improve coordination between fire science producers and the community of users of fire science. The Task Force recommends that a standing Federal Fire Science Coordination Council be established to: ensure regular exchange among the leaders of those Federal organizations that either produce or use fire science; strengthen coordination and collaboration among the organizations that produce wildland-fire science and technology; establish mechanisms to systematically assess user needs and priorities for science, research, and technology support; and define national-level needs for Federal fire science in support of the fire-management community."

"The Active Fire Mapping Program is an operational, satellite-based fire detection and monitoring program managed by the USDA Forest Service Remote Sensing Applications Center (RSAC) located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Active Fire Mapping program provides near real-time detection and characterization of wildland fire conditions in a geospatial context for the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii and Canada. Detectable fire activity across all administrative ownerships in the United States and Canada are mapped and characterized by the program."

"The Geospatial Multi-Agency Coordination Group or GeoMAC, is an internet-based mapping application originally designed for fire managers to access online maps of current fire locations and perimeters in the conterminous 48 States and Alaska. Using a standard web browser, fire personnel can view this information to pinpoint the affected areas. With the growing concern of western wildland fires in the summer of 2000, this application has also become available to the public. We hope that you find this important information both timely and helpful."

U.S. Census Bureau data for disasters, natural hazards, and weather events. "OnTheMap for Emergency Management provides real-time access to a range of detailed U.S. Census Bureau data about the people living and working in areas being affected by hurricanes, floods, wildfires, winter storms, and federal disaster declaration areas. Statistical data sources include 2010 Decennial Census data, 2008-2012 5-year American Community Survey (ACS) estimates, and 2011 LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES)."

"WFAS, the Wildland Fire Assessment System, is an internet-based information system. The current implementation provides a national view of weather and fire potential, including national fire danger and weather maps and satellite-derived 'Greenness' maps (Burgan and others 1997). Development is continuing. See News for current information. WFAS was first made available in 1994. In 1999 operation was transferred from the Fire Sciences Laboratory (FS Rocky Mountain Research Station, Missoula MT) to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC, Boise, ID). WFAS was redesigned in 2002 to provide easier access to products and vastly improve the archival process. The archives now provide real-time access to past map images including fire danger, heavy fuel moisture, Haines Index, and greenness. The navigation bar on the left organizes products by category. Selection provides access to links along with a description of the product. The Quick Links table provides direct access to products, which are categorized as Current conditions Forecast Image archive (just pictures) Data archive Archives are selected from a calendar. Variables available for each day are listed. Pop ups from wfas.net should be allowed. Maps/Data are loaded into seperate [sic] windows so different dates/maps can be compared."

"In 2017, four sequential disasters--hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, and the California wildfires--created an unprecedented demand for federal disaster response and recovery resources. According to FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency], 2017 included three of the top five costliest hurricanes on record. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimated that the cumulative damages from weather and climate related disasters in the United States were over $300 billion in 2017 alone. As of June 2018, Congress had appropriated over $120 billion in supplemental funding for response and recovery related to the 2017 hurricanes and wildfires. Further, in October 2017, close to 14,000 federal employees were deployed in response to the disasters. Given the scale and cost of these disasters, Congress and others have raised questions about the federal response and various recovery challenges that have arisen since the disasters. This report provides GAO's [Government Accountability Office] observations on: (1) federal and state preparedness and response coordination for hurricanes Harvey and Irma in Texas and Florida, and the California wildfires; (2) federal preparedness for and response to hurricanes Irma and Maria in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands; and (3) existing and emerging disaster recovery challenges highlighted by these disasters."

From the thesis abstract: "Wildland fires are an enduring homeland security threat that destroys lives, property, and the environment annually. This thesis explores the concept that the application of the intelligence cycle is a practical approach to addressing threats and minimizing wildland fire impacts. To determine how effective the intelligence cycle can be in decreasing the impacts of disastrous wildland fires, the research examined the wildland fire problem, fire service intelligence, and the intelligence cycle. Research affirmed there is no current application of a wildland fire intelligence cycle. A case study analysis concluded that components of the intelligence cycle currently take place in wildland fire incidents, but not in a formalized process. This thesis argues that the intelligence cycle is a valuable framework for re-evaluating how the fire service collects, analyzes, and disseminates information about wildland fire threats. As a result of research and analysis, several recommendations were identified that include policy adoption at the national level and enhanced wildland-fire intelligence integration. The intelligence cycle adoption will ultimately help the fire service better communicate with the communities it services, and the resulting enhanced communication will help the fire service be more successful in mitigating the effects of those fires that do occur."

This web page, provided by the National Institutes of Health Specialized Information Services, features information on fires and wildfires. Information and links are categorized in the following manner: Overview; Preparing for Wildfire; Air Quality; First Responders; Environmental Cleanup and Recovery; Resources from the National Library of Medicine; Información en español; State Information; Animals in Disasters; and Disclaimer. Also included on the page is a "Featured Site".

From the Document: "Wildfires are unplanned and unwanted fires. Wildfires can have some beneficial impacts on an ecosystem, but also often threaten homes and communities and force the evacuation of thousands of people. Wildfires are often caused by lightning strikes, and may also occur when a prescribed burn escapes control or through unauthorized human activities (deliberate or accidental). Over the last 10 years (2008-2017), wildfires have burned 6.6 million acres annually on average in the United States. In 2017, more than 71,500 wildfires burned 10.0 million acres and destroyed more than 12,300 structures nationwide. More than 65% (8,065) of the structures destroyed were residences, and nearly 90% of the structures destroyed (11,000) were in a single state, California. Congress and other stakeholders have considered options for federal support and assistance to address wildfire suppression during a fire, post-wildfire recovery in the aftermath, and land management activities to reduce the risk of future catastrophic wildfires."

"Fire departments in the United States responded to nearly 1.3 million fire calls in 2015. The U.S. fire problem no longer ranks as the most severe of the industrialized nations, yet thousands of Americans die each year, tens of thousands of people are injured, and property losses reach billions of dollars. There are huge indirect costs of fire as well, including temporary lodging, lost business revenues, medical expenses, psychological damage, and others. To put this into context, the annual losses from floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and other natural disasters combined in the U.S. average just a fraction of those from fires. The public, the media and local governments are generally unaware of the magnitude and seriousness of the fire problem and how it affects individuals and their families, communities and the nation."

This 2008 version of the "Glossary of Wildland Fire Terminology provides a comprehensive listing of terms and definitions used by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) community. This document contains terms commonly used by NWCG in the areas of wildland fire and fire use and is not intended to list all terms used by NWCG members and users. To ensure the information contained within the Glossary is current and meeting user needs, a thorough review, covering a two-year period, was undertaken. Participants in this review included all NWCG Working Teams and the National Interagency Coordination Center. Through the efforts of the NWCG Program Management Office, the glossary entries are now presented in a standard format, allowing for improved definition cross-referencing and access. This Glossary is now available electronically. In this format, information contained will be current when the Glossary is accessed. The NWCG has approved this glossary for use by the NWCG and its Working Teams. The NWCG has directed that all NWCG glossaries will be based upon the Glossary of Wildland Fire Terminology for the purpose of maintaining definition consistency and clarity among documents."

This is from the September 27, 2017 hearing on "Forest Management to Mitigate Wildfires: Legislative Solutions," held before the Committee on Environment and Public Works. From the opening statement of John Barrasso: "Today the Committee is going to hear testimony on three bills related to catastrophic wildfires burning across the West. Senator Daines has introduced Senate 605, the Litigation Relief for Forest Management Projects Act, which would address conflicting circuit court decisions and prevent costly delays in forest management as a result of duplicative consultation requirements. [...] In addition, these dead forests are much more prone to catastrophic fires. These hot, fast-moving fires are unpredictable and cause significant damage to the ecosystem and surrounding communities. There are the obvious impacts from these fires, and we have a poster board to show Bambi running away from a wildfire. Wildlife that flee too slowly are burned, homes and habitat are lost, and smoke billows into the air. Smoke and ash travel for miles, spreading fear among those who already face respiratory challenges, as this poster shows. Looks like a woman and her child walking with masks over their faces be-cause of the impact of the smoke from the fire. It is not uncommon to see people, including children and the elderly, wearing face masks. Coughing, sneezing, and watery eyes leads people to ask, is all that wildfire smoke damaging my health?" Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Jessica Crowder, Lawson Fite, and Collin O'Mara.

"Wildfires are unplanned and unwanted fires, including lightning-caused fires, unauthorized human-caused fires, and escaped prescribed fire projects. States are responsible for responding to wildfires that begin on nonfederal (state, local, and private) lands, except for lands protected by federal agencies under cooperative agreements. The federal government is responsible for responding to wildfires that begin on federal lands. The Forest Service (FS)--within the U.S. Department of Agriculture--carries out wildfire management and response across the 193 million acres of the National Forest System. The Department of the Interior (DOI) manages wildfire response for more than 400 million acres of national parks, wildlife refuges and preserves, other public lands, and Indian reservations. Wildfire statistics help to illustrate past U.S. wildfire activity. Nationwide data compiled by the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) indicate that the number of annual wildfires is variable but has stayed relatively constant over the last 30 years and that the number of acres burned annually, while also variable, generally has increased. Every year since 2000, an average of 73,200 wildfires burned an average of 6.9 million acres. This figure is nearly double the average annual acreage burned in the 1990s (3.3 million acres), although a greater number of fires occurred annually (78,600 on average)."

"NIST [National Institute of Standards and Technology] conducted a workshop on the Future Needs for Reducing the Fire Hazard of Materials on August 19-20, 2016, in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Key stakeholders from industry, academia, government, and public laboratories from the U.S and abroad participated. They contributed their expert views on future applications, needs, and challenges related to reducing the fire hazards of existing and future materials and products that compose the built and manufactured environment. The objective was to gather and distribute information that could enable the global fire community to develop a multi-year research and development (R&D) plan to improve the fire resistance of products. The workshop attendees were asked to emphasize the development of new materials; technologies; reference materials; measurement and test methods; product flammability standards, and computational algorithms to reduce the fire hazard of building contents and construction materials. The participants were also asked to consider emerging technologies and practices, such as the increasing use of high energy density batteries, while not currently in widespread usage as of 2016, can be expected to be so in the future, and are becoming widespread as of the publishing of this report."

"As part of the development of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy (Cohesive Strategy or CS), the Regional Strategy Committees (RSCs) identified barriers and critical success factors (CSFs) that would impact the successful implementation of the Cohesive Strategy at the national level. The Wildland Fire Executive Council (WFEC) tasked the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) to lead the effort for the CSF (12), addressing leveraging Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants to maximize community wildfire mitigation. Three FEMA grant programs were included in this effort: Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM), Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), and Fire Prevention & Safety (FP&S) Grants under the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. The CSF (12) workgroup conducted a gap analysis between stakeholder community wildland fire mitigation needs and provisions contained within grant program policy and guidance documents. The analysis revealed numerous areas for consideration that could have a positive impact on addressing community wildfire mitigation and increasing community resilience to the detrimental impacts of wildfire. Recommendations for further consideration were organized into four broad categories: Awareness, Education and Outreach; Grant Policy and Guidance Development; Grant Processes; and Research Considerations."

This is the June 8, 2016 hearing on "Improving Interagency Forest Management to Strengthen Tribal Capabilities for Responding to and Preventing Wildfires and S. 3014, a Bill to Improve the Management of Indian Forest Land, and for Other Purposes," held before the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. From the opening statement of the Honorable John Barrasso, U.S. Senator from Wyoming, "As the 2016 wildfire season begins, we take this opportunity to examine current Federal laws and policies in place that strengthen tribal capabilities and capacity for responding to and preventing wildfires on tribal lands. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, last year approximately 4.8 million acres of Federal land managed by the Department of the Interior burned as a result of wildland fires. Of that amount, over a half-million acres of Bureau of Indian Affairs land burned due to wildfires. [...]The Department of the Interior carries out the trust responsibilities to manage and protect Indian forests. The Department of Agriculture, specifically the U.S. Forest Service, is the primary neighbor of Indian lands, with over 4,000 miles of shared boundaries. Over 18 million acres of forests are located on over 305 Indian reservations in 24 States. These forests are vital to many Indian and rural communities. They provide a foundation for job creation, economic development, and cultural preservation. However, one fire can destroy all of that." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Michael Black, James Hubbard, Carole Lankford, and William Nicholson.

From the thesis abstract: "Fire Service leaders at large need a non-confrontational process to collaborate on a long-range strategic plan to shape the Fire Service over the next 20 to 30 years. Fire Service 2.0 conceptually calls for expanding interoperability between fire agencies over a large geographic region to increase service while decreasing costs. Futures methodology scenario planning would allow Fire Service leaders to think through plausible what if scenarios before they occur. Three plausible future scenarios for the Fire Service have been created for this thesis using futures methodology. The drivers for these scenarios were drawn from FEMA's [Federal Emergency Management Agency] Strategic Foresight Initiative, which identified drivers that are expected to impact emergency managers' operations in the future. Conclusions range from the death of the Fire Service as we know it, to its transformation into a relevant business sector leader that embraces emerging mission requirements. The goal is to begin strategic conversations today that will shape the Fire Service of tomorrow."