Wildfire

Fast-moving wildfires spread farther across the Alberta oil sands region on Thursday, forcing the evacuation of three more communities south of Fort McMurray and the work camps north of the city. Thousands of people who fled the flames earlier in the week had to evacuate for the second time in three days.

Members of the National Association of State Foresters’ executive committee held Congressional briefings on May 4 to introduce decision makers to state Forest Action Plans and convey the importance of consulting these important documents when making forest management decisions. In attendance were key staff members from the House and Senate Agriculture Committees and member offices, USDA Forest Service staff, and regional state forestry association staff.

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) announced the 2016 theme for Arson Awareness Week: Prevent Wildfire Arson—Spread the Facts Not the Fire. 

USFA and its partners will use the week of May 1 – 7 to focus attention on wildfire arson, particularly in the wildland-urban interface.

USFA is partnering this year with several groups including NASF, the USDA Forest Service (USFS), National Wildfire Coordination Group, National Fire Protection Association and several more leaders in the fire community.

Fires set by people are a real problem for wildland fire managers on all types of land ownerships, including tribal lands. Because they usually occur closer to valued property and resources, human-set fires also tend to be more damaging than fires ignited naturally. Human-ignited wildfires fall into two categories – incendiary, or intentionally set fires, and those started accidentally.

Four Arkansas Forestry Commission (AFC) wildland firefighters and three dozers were sent to Oklahoma to assist crews with wildfire suppression at the 350 Complex Incident near Woodward last week. The wildfire has burned over 57,000 acres, and is 90% contained, according to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. Crews from Alabama, Louisiana, Kentucky, Georgia, Texas and Tennessee are also assisting.

Texas A&M Forest Service Firewise Coordinator Nick Harrison received the 2015 USDA Forest Service Robert E. Browning Jr. Award for his efforts in wildfire prevention.

The award is in memory of Browning, a southern wildland firefighter who gave his life battling the South Canyon Fire in Colorado in 1994. The award goes to those who have gone beyond the call of duty in the 13-state Southern Region that spans from Virginia to Texas.

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam and the Florida Forest Service are asking citizens to exercise caution with all outdoor fires during Florida's Wildfire Awareness Week, April 10-16. Since January, nearly 800 wildfires have burned more than 13,500 acres in Florida. Most of these fires were caused by people.

The Nebraska Forest Service has a new interactive tool that should help improve efforts to fight future wildfires. For just about a month, the agency has been using new computer simulation tables that show how a wildfire in a given area is projected to behave, and how different firefighting techniques can impact a blaze in progress.

A topography map is projected onto a sand table that can be sculpted to mimic the terrain; add a simulated fire and the computer takes over.

The National Association of State Foresters provided coalition letters in support of fiscal year 2017 appropriations levels for priority USDA Forest Service State and Private Forestry (S&PF) programs. 

State and private forests make up more than two thirds of our nation’s forests and provide a host of public benefits including jobs, clean air and water, wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities and forest products.

Read NASF's FY 2017 Appropriations Recommendation Letters: