Kamloops Fire Centre Newsletter Aug.30

Kamloops Fire Centre As of August 29, 2012, the Kamloops Fire Centre has

responded to 358 wildfires that have consumed

1,112 hectares since April 1, 2012. This is below the

10-year average for this date of 481 wildfires burning

a total of 16,143 hectares.

As we approach the long weekend, forest conditions

remain relatively dry (see more info on Page 5). The

Fire Danger Rating throughout most of the Kamloops

Fire Centre is at “Moderate” to “High”, with some

pockets of “Extreme”.

Due to an onset of cooler temperatures and higher

humidity, our crews have made excellent progress on

the fires we are currently managing. In the last

week, most activity has been in the Vernon Fire

Zone. We currently have personnel deployed at two

larger incidents in that region: one located east of

Mabel Lake, and another 20 kilometres southeast of

Vernon near Aberdeen Lake. Both fires are exhibiting

low (Rank 1) fire behaviour and are currently in

aggressive mop-up stages.

Despite these cooler conditions, we ask the public

and our industry partners to remain vigilant in the

backcountry, especially with the influx of people who

will be enjoying the outdoors over the Labour Day

long weekend.

For the latest information on fire activity and current

prohibitions and conditions, visit the Wildfire

Management Branch website at www.bcwildfire.ca.

August 30, 2012

Fire Zone # of Fires # of Hectares

Clearwater 26 3

Kamloops 59 46

Salmon Arm 30 1

Vernon 42 134

Penticton 64 42

Merritt 102 650

Lillooet 36 247

Info current as of noon on August 29, 2012

P A G E 2

Current Prohibitions and Restrictions

Open Fires

Campfires

Forest Use

KAMLOOPS – Effective at noon on Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012, the current campfire ban in the

Vernon and Penticton fire zones will be rescinded due to a decreased risk of wildfires. Campfires

will now be permitted throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre.

The public is reminded that campfires cannot be larger than a half-metre high by a half-metre wide.

Anyone who lights a campfire must have a hand tool (such as a shovel) or at least eight litres of wa-

ter available nearby to fully extinguish it. Never leave a campfire unattended and make sure the

ashes are completely cold to the touch before leaving the area.

All other types of open burning remain prohibited within the Kamloops Fire Centre. This includes:

The burning of any material larger than a half-metre high by a half-metre wide.

The burning of stubble or grass.

Using fireworks or burning barrels of any size or description.

Anyone found in violation of an open fire prohibition may be issued a ticket for up to $345. Anyone

who causes a wildfire through arson or recklessness may be fined up to $1 million, spend up to

three years in prison and be held accountable for associated firefighting costs.

The open fire prohibition covers all BC Parks, Crown and private lands, but does not apply within

the boundaries of local governments that have forest fire prevention bylaws and are serviced by a

fire department. Please check with local governments for any other restrictions before lighting a

fire.

The open fire prohibition will remain in place until the public is notified that it has been rescinded.

P A G E 3

Precipitation

Temperature Relative Humidity

These maps are for informational purposes only and should not be used for operational decisions

Fire Danger Rating

These maps are current for August 29th, 2012

For the most recent weather maps, please see www.bcwildfire.ca/weather

Most recent forecast for KFC

Kamloops

Fire Centre Statistics

Since April 1, 2012:

Fires to date: 359

Hectares burned: 1122

Person-caused fires: 122

Lightning-caused fires: 237

2011 at this time:

Fires to date: 201




2009 at this time:

Fires to date: 886




2003 at this time:

Fires to date: 683




TODAY:

All zones except northwestern sections of Subsident and North

Thompson Areas. Mix of sun and cloud. Isolated afternoon showers.

Risk of a thundershower. Wind light northeasterly becoming northwest

10 to 20 km/h during the afternoon. High 22 to 26. Minimum humidity

25 to 45 percent.

Northwest sections of Subsident and North Thompson areas.

Cloudy with sunny periods. Scattered afternoon showers. Risk of thun-

dershowers. Wind westerly 10 to 15 km/h. High 20 to 23. Minimum

relative humidity 35 to 50 percent.

TONIGHT:

All zones except northwestern sections of Subsident and North

Thompson Areas. A few clouds. Wind northwest 10 to 20 km/h de-

creasing to light after mid-evening. Low 8 to 12. Overnight recoveries

65 to 90 per cent.

Northwest sections of Subsident and North Thompson areas.

Cloudy. Isolated showers. Wind light except for down valley to 20 km/h

in the evening. Low 3 to 8. Overnight recoveries. 75 to 95 percent.

TOMORROW:

All zones except northwestern sections of Subsidence and North

Thompson Areas. Mix of sun and cloud. Isolated afternoon showers.

Risk of a thundershower. Wind northwest 10 to 20 km/h. High 22 to 26.

Minimum humidity 25 to 40 percent

Northwest sections of Subsidence and North Thompson areas.

Cloudy with isolated to scattered showers. Risk of a thundershower.

Wind light to westerly 10 to 15 km/h. High low 20’s. Minimum relative

humidity 30 to 50 percent.

3 TO 5-DAYOUTLOOK:

Sunny with cloudy periods Saturday. High 20 to 25. Gusty west wind

during the afternoon. Mainly sunny Sunday and Monday. Gusty west to

northwest wind during the afternoon and evening. High-low to

mid-20s.

Info current as of noon

on August 29, 2012

P A G E 4

Valid as of 0800 Thursday, August 30, 2012

P A G E 5

As of August 29th, the fire danger rating is Moderate

to High throughout most of the Kamloops Fire Centre,

with pockets of Extreme around Merritt and Barriere.

While we have entered a period of cooler tempera-

tures with wetter conditions, our weather forecast

(as seen on the previous page) shows a likely return

to hot and dry temperatures within the next two

weeks.

Despite this onset of less volatile weather, the forests

remain dry. Three of our key fire weather indices

(explained further on Page 7 and seen on the right of

this page) show that, at various depths, forest fuels

are still relatively dry.

With this in mind, please pay particular attention to

the Fire Danger Rating in your area. Ensure that you

are using the appropriate weather station data for

the area in which you are operating and that you are

adhering to the shutdown formulas in the Wildfire

Regulation. As conditions warrant, we may issue spe-

cial Industry Information Bulletins to our forestry

partners with specific information regarding back-

country conditions and hazards.

Remember, if you discover or cause a wildfire, you

have an obligation to report it, take action with avail-

able resources and extinguish it, if practicable.

As always, we thank you for your diligence and co-

operation.

Industry Guidance

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P A G E 6

Kamloops Fire Centre Indices for August 29, 2012

P A G E 7

An explanation of fire weather statistics

The information collected from our weather stations (as seen on the previous page) is used to develop codes

that reflect to how dry the different classes of fuels are in the forest. Using this information, we set prepar-

edness levels (and our Fire Danger Rating) on a daily basis.

The FFMC (Fine Fuel Moisture Code) measures the dryness of fine fuels (grasses, needles, etc.). A number of

85 or higher indicates a good chance of a fire start from an ignition source. Once 90 or higher is reached, all

the fine fuels are available to burn.

The DMC (Duff Moisture Code) measures about 10 cm into the ground and is an indication of whether a fire

that starts will continue to burn in the duff. A number of 40 or greater would indicate that a fire will con-

tinue to burn.

The DC (Drought Code), measures deeper in the ground. A number of 300 or greater indicates that the fire

will burn deep into the ground, providing challenges to mop up the fire.

The BUI (Build-Up Index) is a numerical rating of the total amount of fuel available for combustion using the

DC and DMC figures.

The Danger Class is the typical Fire Danger Rating that is seen on fire signage. The numbers 1 and 2 repre-

sent “Low”, 3 is “Moderate”, 4 is “High” and 5 is “Extreme”. A map of the current Fire Danger Ratings is on

Page 3. If you have any questions about which station you should be monitoring, please contact your com-

pany forester or local fire zone for more information.

Industry and Stakeholder Online Resources

For information about high-risk activity

restrictions, details about the Wildfire Act and

Regulations, prescribed fire guidelines and

information for contract crews, aircraft and

equipment suppliers, please visit the link below.

http://www.bcwildfire.ca/

Industry_Stakeholders/

http://bcwildfire.ca/Industry_Stakeholders/

http://bcwildfire.ca/Industry_Stakeholders/

Dispatch Development

P A G E 8

From plotting co-ordinates on a map by

hand to advanced technology that records

real-time information, dispatch (a stan-

dardized resource tracking system) has

evolved significantly over the years. To-

day, the Wildfire Management Branch

(WMB) dispatch software is an interna-

tionally recognized program, one that con-

tinues to break ground in emergency man-

agement communications.

In 1994, the then Ministry of Forests un-

dertook a general reorganization of the

structure and management of WMB. This

included the centralization of the air-

tanker program to allow for a more

streamlined management process. During

this time of reorganization, WMB recog-

nized the need for a new dispatch system in order to effectively track wildfires and resources throughout the

province.

FMAD (Forests, Management, Analysis and Design) approached WMB in 1994 with an opportunity to experi-

ment with real-time tracking. FMAD suggested using mountain top repeaters and sophisticated technology

(micro meteor-burst technology) in aircraft to send position reports to a computer-based map. At the time,

wildfire dispatch consisted of tracking resources by hand through the use of maps, string and calculated co-

ordinates. This proposal was an exciting opportunity for WMB.

WMB partnered with the U.S. Forest Service in 1998 to develop an automated flight following (AFF) standard.

This standard set out specific guidelines for packet data transmission for aircraft. In 2008, it became manda-

tory for all aircraft hired by WMB to be equipped with a tracking device that meets the AFF specifications.

Over the years, WMB’s dispatch program has evolved into a state-of-the-art system. Not only does dispatch

provide real-time information on aircraft, resource and wildfire locations, it also has the capability to overlay

weather station information to indicate areas at risk of wildfire.

WMB’s dispatch program is now used in Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, the Northwest Territories, the Yukon,

Alaska and some areas of the United States. Australia has also expressed interest in developing a system simi-

lar to WMB’s.

While WMB has made great strides with the development of dispatch systems, it is important to continue im-

proving the system. In order to enhance wildfire emergency communications, it is essential to keep moving

forward and embrace innovative technological advancements.

Contributed by the Provincial Wildfire Coordination Centre

Contacts for Kamloops Fire Information We would like to provide our readers with the most current contact information for getting in touch with us.

Michaela Swan

Fire Information Officer

Office: 250 554-5532

E-mail: [email protected]

Kayla Pepper


Office: 250 554-5530


Report a wildfire *5555 on a cell or 1-800-663-5555

Wildfire Information Line 1-888-3FOREST

Burn Registration Line 1-888-797-1717

Kamloops Fire Information Officer 1-250-554-5532

Important Numbers

For more information, visit our website at bcwildfire.ca

Aberdeen Lake wildfire

P A G E 9

Kevin Skrepnek


Office: 250 554-5964


Aberdeen Lake fire on August 27, 2012, 20 kilometres southeast of Vernon, BC.

Documents

Kamloops Fire Centre Newsletter Aug.30