They must have got it…NEU ST9232C was canceled
Negative, out of state resources passing north from LNU Kincade, being held.
Presumably replacing the NEU S/T
The cams still show a pretty good header. Wonder if they cancelled since its on FRA and the Feds to send their own ST???
Can someone determine if it’s on SRA and burning onto FRA???
SRA and a ways from FRA
Looks like a great place for a VMP…
Look like some nice dozer line along the ridges in the middle and below (closer) in this picture. I don’t see much place to go to work in between. I guess it depends on how much it settles down now that the sun is setting.
That’s a great photo!
I couldn’t agree more this looks like a good place for a VMP (prescribed fire). That whole side of the Valley is ripe for frequent burning, and the ranchers, deer, and just about any other resource you can think of benefit from fires there. As Cal Fire is starting to get back into the prescribed fire business, we need to think big. We aren’t going to touch the scale of our wildfire problem with a 50 or 100-acre project here or there, we need projects that are in the thousands or tens-of-thousands of acres.
And before we ask firefighters to risk their lives to suppress fires in places like this, we really need to ask what we are accomplishing when we put these fires out. We are just handing off a higher risk to future generations of firefighters.
Lots of VMP history and project work out here, been going on since the 80’s. One of the hidden gems of TGU and local ranches out here. Old dozer lines they can open up etc. Fuel reduction and fuel breaks with ball and chain work, goat herds, RX fire, etc. It’s obviously frustrating when it’s wild instead of controlled. Logistics are a mess out there with remoteness and one wrong turn commits you to a good hour or two turnaround. Thankfully conditions should be mild the next day or so (??). If winds are in perfect alignment with terrain, things can run for 10+ miles in a night.
Page 24 of this 2017 doc also (PDF file)
My point being is it is a great time of the year, with abundant resources, great weather and no forecasted weather, to step back, change your train of thought, and make a plan, and stop the direct attack. We did this several times east of Mt. Hamilton in the '80’s turning a wildland fire tactical operation into a VMP operation. It worked great and the landowners loved it.
Could this start to breed landowner behavior “I will just light it knowing that calfire will just clean up my land”?
I can’t answer that. But why not think about fires, like this one, as an opportunity and take advantage of it. My fall and winter days in SCU, we would burn thousands of acres with limited resources. I’m not sure that happens anymore. Now the excitement is when 50 acres is burned.
In the 80s in BEU we did a lot of winter VMPs but that was after the grass was green. I also wrote some LE 6,7and 8 burns with no lines but also after the grass was green. But we also had a rancher west of Greenfield light a 15 acre pile burn we stopped at 1500 and lost communications equipment and hunting cabins.
Once again we are off topic of the Ranch Fire. VMP’s are important in every unit but let’s talk about what’s going on with the fire.
SHF Trinity Helitack H-506 assigned to TGU-Ranch.
I would say A904G is on topic and in the appropriate q and a forum.
Good discussion with valuable information for managers to consider. Also adds to the significant aspect of wildland firefighting which is managing risk.