United StatesDepartment ofAgriculture

Forest Service-

Volume 45, No.41984

JOHN R. SWANSON

F~N~

ire ~:r=Lcuk

ManogementNotes

Ib;

i.

FireManagementNotesAn international quarterly periodical devoted to

forest fire manogement

Contents3 Staying Informed-The FIREBASE System

Arlene Fields

5 JEFFCO Interagency Aviation and Fire Service CenterRobert F. Willmot

7 The National Wildfire Coordinating Group's Publication Management Sys­tem Unit

lim Whitson

8 Fire Suppression for College CreditJohn E. Roberts

10 Building a Fire Prevention TrailerEd Eichner

12 Burning Another EmpireJames B. Davis

18 How NIIMS Keeps Qualification Standards From Becoming a Barrier to In­teragency Cooperation

lim Whitson and Dave Hanson

19 Complementary Systems-IEMS and NIIMSMarvin Newell and lim Whitson

20 Smokey's Birthday Celebrated Across the NationGladys D. Daines

23 Recent Fire Publications

24 The Forest Service

26 Fire Lookouts of the Northwest

Cover: C.P. Cockrell, first wom'" employed by the USDA Forest Service as a firelookout-Olympic National Forest, WA, 1920.

2

United StatesDepartment ofAgriculture

Forest Service

Volume 45, NO.41984

Fire Management Notes is published bythe Forest Service 01 the United StatesDepartment of Agriculture, Washington,D.C. The Secretary of Agriculture hasdetermined that the publication of thisperiodical is necessary in the transac­tion of the public business requued bylaw of this Department. Use of funds torprinting this periodical has been ap­proved by the Director of the Office ofManagement and Budget throughSeptember 30, 1984.

Subecrlpttona may be obtained Irom theSuperintendent 01 Documents, U.S.Government Printing Ollice,Washington, D.C. 20402. The subscrip­tion rate is $7.50 per year domestic or$9.40 per year foreign. Single copy costis $2.00 domestic and $2.50 foreign.

NOTE-The use of trade, firm, or cor­poration names in this publication is lorthe information and convenience of thereader. Such use does not constitute anolflcial eMofsemtlnt 01 any pfoouct Of

service by the U.S. Department ofAgriculture.

Send suggestions and articles 10 Chief,Foresl Service (Alln: Fire ManagementNotes), P.O. Box 2417, U.S. Departmentof Agriculture, Washington, DC 20013.

John R. Block, SecretaryU.S. Department of Agriculture

A. Max Peterson, ChiefForest servrce

L.A. AmicareUa, DirectorCooperative Fire Protection

francis R. acee,General Manager

Fire Management Notes

Staying Informed-The FIREBASESystemArlene Fields

FIREBASE Manager, Boise Interagency Fire Center,Boise, ID.

i \'I,

Whether you are a field practi­tioner. a researcher, an administra­tor, an educator, or a student, doingyour job right means being in­formed. In the rapidly changingfield of wildland fire, staying in­formed could mean spending largeamounts of time reading journals,reports, proceedings, and hundredsof other information items eachyear. However, if you use the mostefficient information tools availableto you, staying informed need nottake up so much of your time.

One tool that has already provenits ability to help you keep up withthe information explosion is theFIREBASE system. FIREBASE is acomputerized file of sources of in­formation related to wildland fire. ltis a collection of bibliographic cita­tions and, in most cases, digests ofdocuments and other items dealingwith wildland fire, To keep up withnew information, citations and di­gests are continually being added tothe file.

When a user requests informationfrom FIREBASE on a particularsubject, all items in the file dealingwith that subject are automaticallyretrieved by the computer. As a re­sult, with a very small investment oftime, the user is brought up to dateon the subject of interest.

• Fire detection• Fire suppression-including

retardants, equipment, andtechniques

• Fire behavior-including casehistories

Volume 45, Number 4

• Smoke management• Fire history-historical fire oc­

currence in specific areas• Fire effects-ecological aspects

of fire and fire damage• Fire statistics• Fire weather• Fire hazard• Fire danger indexes• Fuel management• Prescribed fires-including both

"planned ignition" and"chance ignition" fires

FIREBASE now has approxi­mately 8,800 citations on-line.About 50 percent of the items cata­loged on FlREBASE were producedsince 1960 and about 30 percentsince 1970. However, for historicalpurposes, the file contains informa­tion dating back as far as 1890.

The FIREBASE file contains onlybibliographic citations and digests.It should not be confused with sys­tems that store and manipulate rawdata. For example, FIREBASE doesnot contain fire weather data or firestatistics, but it does contain digestsof items that deal with fire weatherand fire statistics.

Content of FIREBASE

Most of the items cataloged onFIREBASE deal with wildland fire.However, because structural fire isimportant to wildland fire in areassuch as the urban/wildland inter­face, some structural fire informa­tion is also included.

FIREBASE is not restricted toitems produced in the United States.Work from dozens of foreign coun­tries, including Canada, theU.S.S.R., and Australia, isrepresented.

The following list gives the broadtopic areas included in FIREBASE:

• Fire and fuelfundamentals-including chem­istry and physics

• Experimental fires• Fire management-general

information• Fire management analysis• Fire management economics• Fire management planning• Fire management training• Wilderness fire management• Fire prevention

How To Use FIREBASE

If you wish to have a FIREBASEsearch made, contact the search cen­ter that services your geographic lo­cation. When you have determinedthe exact nature of information youneed, call, or wri te , to make thesearch request. Make your requestas specific as possible. Sometimes itis helpful to identify what you don'twant, as well as what you do want,in order to eliminate looking at ref­erences that are only of marginal in­terest. The response to your requestwill come in the form of a computerprintout listing the pertinentreferences.

If you have a search request anddo not know which of the following

3

search centers to contact, call orwrite the FIREBASE OperationsCenter.

Regions 1 and 4. USDA ForestService, Intermountain Forest andRange Experiment Station, 507 25thStreet, Ogden, UT 84401. Attn:Rugh Hyland. (801) 625-5446; FTS586--5446.

Regions 2 and 3. USDA ForestService, Rocky Mountain Forest andRange Experiment Station, 240 W.Prospect, Fort Collins, CO 80526.Attn: Bob Dana. (303) 221-1267;FTS 323-1267.

Region 5. USDA Forest ServicePacific Southwest Forest and Rang~Experiment Station, P.O. Box 245,Berkeley, CA 94701. Attn: DennisGalvin. (415) 486--3686; FTS449-3686.

Region 8. Science Library. Uni­versity of Georgia, Athens, GA30602. Attn: Ginger Rutherford.(404) 542-4535; FTS 520-2477.

4

Regions 6, 9, 10, and all foreignrequests. Forest Resources LibraryAQ-15, University of Washington,Seattle, WA 98195. Attn: DaleBurke. (206) 543-7484; FTS399-1076.

FIREBASE Operations Center.USDA Forest Service, Boise Intera­gency Fire Center, 3905 Vista Ave­nue, Boise, ID 83705. Attn: ArleneFields. (208) 334-9457; FTS554-9457.

At present, there is no charge fora FIREBASE search. However, asbudget and personnel cutbacks con­tinue to be made, a change in theFIRE BASE pol icy might be neces­sary. Should this happen, we wouldof course notify users as to the prob­able charges prior to performing therequested services.

Need for More Information

The ability of the FIREBASE sys­tem to keep up with the changinglaws, policies, and technologies ofwildland fire depends on people likeyou. There are many more sourcesof fire information available thanthe FIREBASE input center canmonitor. We need your help.

If you have information in anyform-published or unpublished­that should be shared with the firecommunity, you are urged to send theitems to the FIREBASE OperationsCenter, USDA Forest Service, BoiseInteragency Fire Center, 3905 VistaAvenue, Boise, ID 83705. If youwould like the items returned to you,please mark your name on each itemin a conspicuous place. If the itemsare already included in the system,they will be returned to youimmediately.•

Fire Management Notes

JEFFCO Interagency Aviation and FireService Center

Robert F. Willmot

Fire Management Officer, USDA Forest Service, Arap­aho and Roosevelt National Forests, Fort Collins, CO.

I'

The JEFFCO Aviation and FireService Center, located just north­west of Denver in Broomfield, CO,celebrated its first anniversary inSeptember 1984. Named for theJefferson County general aviationfacility that is its home, JEFFCO isan idea that took 20 years to realize.

Origins of JEFFCO

For nearly two decades, wildfiresuppression experts in severalagencies worked to develop a uni­fied approach to firefighting. Wild­fire is no respecter of propertyboundaries or agency jurisdictions,but different policies and adminis­trative approaches are difficult toreconcile. The strong leadership ofJerry Mauk (then Regional Directorof Air, Aviation, and Fire Manage­ment for the Forest Service) and ageneral shortage of forest fire pro­tection funds acted as catalysts tomake a long-term dream a reality.

How JEFFCO Functions

JEFFCO is an interagency avia­tion and fire center, unique in con­cept and operation. It combines theresources of many agencies into onelocation, under one line of supervi­sion. Federal, State, and countyagencies work together in a commonenvironment, doing complementarytasks, not segregated by unit. Forexample, a State employee maywork a regular dispatch shift, dis­patching State, county, and Federalresources. The national air tanker

Volume 45, Number 4

contract may be managed by acounty employee. The interagencyhelitack crew may provide initial at­tack services on county, State, orFederal fires. JEFFCO performs in­teragency regional duties in aviationoperations, fire dispatching, andcache materials management in aneffective, efficient manner.

Mission

JEFFCO is a multilevel service or­ganization charged with supportinggovernmental agencies and theircooperators in the management andprotection of public lands againstwildfire and other natural disasters.Participating agencies are the Bureauof Land Management (USDI), ForestService (USDA), National Park Serv­ice (USDI), the State of Colorado,and five Front Range Colorado coun­ties. The onsite base manager is su­pervised by the Fire Management Of­ficer of the Arapaho and RooseveltNational Forests.

Services

JEFFCO provides services in sixgeneral areas:

I. Fire weather data from estab­lished stations is broadcast daily tounits requesting this informationduring fire season.

2. Administrative and Forest FireInformation Retrieval and Manage­ment Systems (AFFIRMS) data isbroadcast daily to units inputtingweather data and requesting AF­FIRMS information. This data will

be transmitted through the ForestLevel Implementation Planning Sys­tem (FLIPS) when all units areon-line.

3. There are 2 Class I fire crewsand 18 Class II fire crews withinJEFFCO's jurisdiction that are dis­patched upon request.

4. JEFFCO controls two IncidentManagement Teams at the Class Ilevel and two Class II teams. Alloverhead management teams andgroups are trained and qualified tooperate under the Incident Com­mand System. Each team and groupis composed of interagency person­nel. Units outside the Rocky Moun­tain Region are often surprised todiscover a team composed ofcounty, State, and Federal personnelin response to a request for manage­ment of an incident.

5. National Interagency FireQualification System (NIFQS) rec­ords are compiled, and qualificationcards (red cards) are issued throughJEFFCO to cooperating units.

6. Transportation, reconnais­sance, aerial photography, helicop­ters, and air tanker aircraft are dis­patched by JEFFCO.

Incident Dispatch Center

The nerve center for JEFFCO isthe incident dispatch center. Dis­patchers at JEFFCO are trained pro­fessionals who perform a service forthe cooperating agencies. Normaloperating procedure is to providedata and resources on a first-come,

5

._ -----~~------------,

JEFFCO Aviation and Fire Service Center, located northwest of Denver in Broomfield.

CO.

can be dispatched through JEFFCOupon request.

What JEFFCO Includes

JEFFCO is the designated base ofone helicopter and a supporting five­person helitack crew. An air tankerwith a 2,200-gallon capacity isbased at JEFFCO. A fully equippedradio repair shop is also part of theJEFFCO complex. Space is avail­able for three radio technicians to dobench work. Mobile repair vehiclesare available for electronic sitemaintenance.

JEFFCO provides office space forthe Forest Service south zone avia­tion officer and one project pilot. Inaddition, hanger space is providedfor two Forest Service aircraft withadequate tiedown space for visitingaircraft on the ramp.

first-served basis. If two or more in­cidents are competing for the sameresources, priorities are establishedby the Regional Fire Coordinator, orby a unified command if any of theincidents is not on National Forestlands.

JEFFCO dispatchers do not inde­pendently establish policy or makemanagement decisions for the indi­vidual land management units. Theagency land' manager declares theneed for incident resources; theJEFFCO dispatcher coordinates thelogistics of getting the right resourceto the right place at the right time ina safe, cost-effective mannner.

6

Zone Incident Cache

The normal stocking level of theJEFFCO cache is adequate to supply700 firefighters plus supportingequipment. JEFFCO can be immedi­ately resupplied by Denver's Gen­eral Services Administration (GSA)regional office or by air from theBoise Interagency Fire Center(BlFC) if the restocking level fallstoo low during multiple incidents.

Three division-sized radio cachesand a helitorch are maintained atJEFFCO. Plans trailers, large gener­ators, and other wheeled equipmentare maintained in Fort Collins and

Outlook

JEFFCO is an accomplishment inits own right. In an era of decliningbudgets andreductions in services,JEFFCO is an outstanding example ofdoing more with less. Those of uswho have participated in its planningand development are proud of whatJEFFCO can do to assist managers ofthe public lands. The next time youare in the Denver area, please plan tostop at JEFFCO and visit. The coffeeis always hot. •

Fire Management NotesI'I

The National Wildlife CoordinatingGroup's Publication ManagementSystem Unit

Jim Whitson

Staff Specialist, USDA Forest Service, Boise Inter­agency Fire Center, Boise, ID.

000-099

100-199

800-899900-999

200-299300-399400-499700-799

distribution points each withdifferent material. The Interna­tional Fire Service Training As­sociation distributes several op­erational documents. TheNational Audiovisual Centerdistributes some training pack­ages, and the Boise InteragencyFire Center Warehouse distrib­utes forms and some trainingpackages.

• Make recommendations toNWCG on minimal format andpublication standards. Gener­ally, the previously establishedNWCG publication standardswill continue to be followed.

Membership in the PMS unit is byappointment from NWGC. The unit isunder the immediate direction of theNWCG Chairman. Currently, the unitis composed of an interagency grouplocated at the Boise Interagency FireCenter.

Unit meetings are called by thePublication Management SystemChairman as needed, usually prior todistribution of the quarterly publica­tion listing. Each year the unit willsubmit an annual accomplishment re­port and a work plan to NWCG.•

can be obtained, catalog num­bers, and cost. This list is dis­tributed to the member agenciesand to selected individuals.

• Assign publication and formnumbers. Nine major subjectcategories have been estab­lished within which specificpublications can be cataloged:

Indexes and Glossa-ries

Operational SystemDescription andPlanning

System Organiza­tion, Function,and Procedures

QualificationsOperationsPublic RelationsResearch and De-

velopmentAdministrationTraining: I-ICS

Courses; S-SkillCourses; T-Tran-sition Courses,etc.

For example, the new FirelineHandbook is numbered 410-1,under' 'Operations. "

• Provide initial masters to desig­nated distribution points. Cur­rently, there are three approved

In early 1982, the National Wild­fire Coordinating Group (NWCG)recognized that material must bereadily available to support thenewly adopted National InteragencyIncident Management System(NIIMS). Consequently, a Publica­tion Management System Unit(PMS) was chartered to publish,stock, and distribute all supportingdocuments for NIIMS. This unit isnow in place, and the material isavailable to all users.

The original mission of PMS wasto provide support in the manage­ment and control of all operationalmanuals, forms, training courses,and other related publications anddocuments produced in support ofNIIMS. At its May 1984 meeting,NWCG expanded the PMS charterto include all NWCG publications.In the near future, users will haveeasy access to a variety of fire­related material.

The PMS unit has severalfunctions:

• Maintain an inventory and pub­lish an index of all current pub­lications approved by NWCG.PMS is publishing, on approxi­mately a quarterly basis, a listof material, where the material

Volume 45, Number 4 7

-------------------------~

Fire Suppression for College CreditJohn E. Roberts

Forester-Fire Management, USDA Forest Service,Dry River Ranger District, George WashingtonNational Forest, Bridgewater, VA.

As the number .of permanent andtemporary USDA Forest Servicepersonnel shrinks, the demand forreserve firefighters increases. How­ever, even in large population areas,coordinating a successful recruitingand training program can be diffi­cult. In Virginia, one solution hasbeen a cooperative program with lo­cal universities. These universitieshave included firefighting trainingas a course for college credit. Thetraining material seemed to fit bestinto the biology department: "BID155: WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION. Icredit. Forest fire behavior, basicforest firefighting activities, and or­ganization and management of theForest Service. Includes field exer­cises and physical testing. "

The listing above is from the1983-84 catalog for James MadisonUniversity, located in Harrisonburg,VA. The university supplied the fa­cilities, printing, and advertisement.The Dry River Ranger District,George Washington National Forest,provided the instructors andmaterials.

A similar course was featured atnearby Bridgewater College inBridgewater, VA. At both schoolsthe course was presented during thefall semester because the need forfirefighters is greatest in spring. Thecourse was given in the evenings tominimize conflicts. Forest Serviceemployees were able to maintaintheir normal workday and not createcongestion for the university. AtJames Madison University, the

8

firefighting class was held twice aweek for 2 hours. At BridgewaterCollege, the class was held onlyonce a week for 2 hours, but theclasses extended over a longer pe­riod of time.

Enrollment for the two sessions in1983-84 totaled 38 students; 34completed the training. Of the 34graduates, 12 students failed to passthe physical requirements or did notwish to participate in the physicaltesting.

The composition of the classeswas approximately 50 percent maleand 50 percent female. The enroll­ment at one institution was almost60 percent female. One class hadmore female finishers on thelll.z-mile run than male finishers.

The net result of the cooperativeprogram was that the Dry RiverRanger District and George Wash­ington National Forest gained a po­tential 22 firefighters. Although stu­dents are not always available forfire duty, an additional 22 names todraw from is a substantial benefit.

Course Description

The course and its contents arebased on the requirements forfirefighters in the Forest ServiceManual. Graduates of the coursequalify for an interagency fire jobqualification card. When they aregiven the card, students are toldthey can be eligible for fire duty andfire standby if they so desire.

The course is divided into sixphases:

Phase 1. At the beginning, a gen­eral picture of the Forest Serviceand its mission for natural resourceprotection is given. Two films areviewed during this phase,"Commonground" and "ManAgainst Fire." Also a part of thisphase is the series Basic Fire Orien­tation and Basic Firefighting, in­cluding a glossary of fire suppres­sion terminology.

Phase 2. This phase of the train­ing begins with the film' 'Introduc­tion to Fire Behavior. " Homeworkand testing are taken from the stand­ard National Wildfire CoordinatingGroup VVorkbook.

The instruction continues throughthe S-190 "Introduction to Fire Be­havior" workbook, introducing theuse of water in fire suppression.Also included is the film' 'Water onthe Fire" and information on currenttechnology, such as the use of float­ing pumps and helitankers.

Phase 3, This phase, FireWeather, is one of the more difficultparts of the course.

In addition to films "FireWeather" and "Atmosphere Stabil­ity and Instability," local weathertrends are reviewed. Discussion ofnational trends such as the SantaAnna winds is also included. Aqualified Fire Behavior Officerparticipates in these sessions.

Phase 4. The handtools used onwildfires are reviewed during thisphase. The film "Handtools forWildfire" introduces the students tothe major hand tools used on wild-

Fire Management Notes

!I

fires. Specialized tools such as themist-blower are also discussed. Thisphase is highlighted by actual linebuilding in a field exercise, utilizingFuel Model 9. The students are or­ganized into squads and are able touse the tools they have studied.

Phase 5. This phase consists ofphysical testing. primarily the1%-mile run. The Forest Servicecoordinates the run with the univer­sity, using the university track. TheForest Service provides a pacesetterfor the run to aid the students incompleting the run in II minutesand 40 seconds or less. Because ofthe large number of students. therun is preferred to the standard steptest. Students who do not participatein the run or who fail cannot receivea "red card" qualifying them for afire job, but they may still receive apassing grade. If students who donot pass the run are sincerely inter­ested in employment, they are giventhe standard step test.

Phase 6. During this final phasethe emphasis is on safety. The" 10Standard Firefighting Orders"workbook is covered as well as"Thirteen Situations that ShoutWatch Out. " The film "Standardsfor Survival" reinforces the text.Stickers and cards for reference arepassed out. This wrap-up includesdiscussion of personal protectiveequipment such as shirts, pants, andhardhats. The film "Your WayOut" helps explain fire shelters;then a short field exercise is in­cluded to provide students with the

Volume 45, Number 4

opportunity to put their knowledgeto use. After a general review, thefinal exam is given.

Results of Course

During the course, four or fivetests are given, graded, and then re­viewed. The most interested stu­dents are offered the chance to actas "coordinators," rounding up theother students in times of high firedanger. The opportunity to be onfire standby, especially on week­ends, gives the students an avenuefor further experience as well as al­lowing them to earn some income asAD-I Firefighters.

Benefits to the Forest Servicefrom this program are both tangibleand intangible. Obviously the mostimportant tangible benefit is the in­creased number of trained personsavailable. The intangible benefitsare just as real and important. Inworking with local universities, val­uable contacts are made. The learn­ing institutions also benefit from thefees paid for the courses. An unex­pected benefit was that the ForestService gained a channel of commu­nication with the college students.Because of this channel, local prob­lems connected with parties, vandal­ism, and lack of information flowhave been eased. For example, signsstolen from the George WashingtonNational Forest were turned in tocollege officials and then returned tothe Forest Service. An awareness offire prevention, which may spread toother students, is also accomplished.

At this point. the future of theprogram is solid. Yearly updating ofcourse material will assure incorpo­ration of the latest technology.Planning is now under way to incor­porate the National Interagency In­cident Management System (NIIMS)into the presentation for the 1986-87school year. The basic courses 1-120and 1-220 will provide the ground­work. Additional planning is beingdone for conversion training of re­cent graduates. Some graduates arealready local residents or becomeresidents upon completion of collegeand want to remain fire qualified.

Although this program is not acomplete solution and cannot be ap­plied in all areas, there may be op­portunities for a similar program inother National Forests. The intangi­ble benefits are a major considera­tion. Students gain a better under­standing of fire management andbehavior, which they can applythroughout their lives, wheneverthey build campfires. burn leaves,and so forth.

Since this program began in 1979,a total of 140 students have completedthe training. Additionally, many For­est Service employees and highschool teachers have audited thecourse. Forest Service Fire Manage­ment has succeeded not just in gain­ing qualified firefighters but in pro­viding another service to the public.Through programs such as this, thereputation of the Forest Service for ef­ficiency. credibility, and public serv­ice can be enhanced.•

9

Building A Fire Prevention TrailerEd Eichner

Fire Prevention Technician, USDA Forest Service,Wind River Ranger District, Gifford Pinchot NationalForest, Vancouver, WA.

Figure I-Eye-catching mural on the side of the trailer conveys the fire preventionmessage.

An innovative fire preventiongroup at the Wind River RangerDistrict, Gifford Pinchot NationalForest, worked with local fire pre­vention cooperatives to accomplisha long-sought-after goal-present­ing the fire prevention message tothe most people for the least cost.The Forest Service acquired andpainted a trailer, and with help fromthe Southwest Washington Fire Pre­vention Council and the Mid Co­lumbia Fire Prevention Co-op, de­signed the interior to display the fireprevention message. The trailer wasinaugurated in the summer of 1983.

Ed Eichner, Fire PreventionTechnician, spent a year searchingfor a suitable trailer. Finally he lo­cated an available Army Corps'trailer in Walla Walla, WA. Withthe help of Ray Currey, Fire Man­agement Officer, and Ed North,Warehouseman, the Wind RiverRanger District acquired a 3D-foot,fifth-wheel trailer. The trailer wasbrought to the district in December1982.

The Forest Service made thetrailer available to the co-ops for usein their fire prevention programs.Together, members of the three or­ganizations laid their plans,deciding who would do what andwho would pay for each job. It wasapparent that the first job would beto change the exterior painting fromthe Corps' design to a basic white.

Deciding just what should bepainted on the outside of the trailerwas a major job. All of the organi-

zations concerned wanted an eye­catching design that would give acomprehensive fire preventionmessage-something the publicwould notice when watching a pa­rade or just driving along the high­way. A lot of ideas were discussedand debated and finally a design wasagreed upon. It illustrated both aforest fire and a home fire and citedthe need for fire prevention (fig. I).In May 1983, the trailer was movedindoors and painted. Vickie Vance,a local artist and schoolteacher,agreed to do the job for $ I ,000. Themural painting of the outside designtook approximately 60 hours.

In June, there was a joint meetingof the two co-ops and the Forest

Service. Representatives from theNorthwest Interagency Fire Preven­tion Group were also invited. At thismeeting the mural was shown forthe first time and plans for finishingthe interior of the trailer were pre­sented. A steering committee wasformed, including two membersfrom each co-op, to coordinateplans. The Forest Service and thetwo fire prevention co-ops signed anagreement for the usc of the trailer.In July, the joint group received a$2,500 grant from the Northwest In­teragency Fire Prevention Groupand went to work on the inside ofthe trailer. Display cases were built,and the logos of both co-ops werepainted on the outside of the trailer

10 Fire Management Notes

I

(fig. 2). Everything was ready.The trailer was first used by the

Mid Columbia Co-op at the HoodRiver County Fair in July. Then inAugust it made appearances at theCowlitz, Clark, and SkamaniaCounty Fairs and in September atthe Klickitat County Fair.

The number of visitors to thetrailer was not counted, but therewas a very large turnout at all of thefairs and numerous favorable com­ments about the trailer displays. The

children especially seemed to likethe exhibit and came back time aftertime. Maybe the free Smokey Bearhandouts were a strong attraction.

One of the results of the displayshas been increased requests for fireprevention material from the public.Requests for Smokey to visitschools have tripled. The trailer hasbeen requested for fairs in Oregonand Washington next summer, andseveral northwest fire co-cps and lo­cal fire districts have asked to use it

for their fire prevention programs.The trailer, a rolling advertisement,is a successful cooperative venturebetween the Forest Service and localfire prevention groups. It fully ac­complishes its creators' goal-s­getting the fire prevention messageto a large number of people.

For further information contact EdEichner or Ray Currey at the WindRiver Ranger District; telephone (509)427-5645 .•

Figure 2-Rear view of the fire prevention trailer, showing logos of the two local fire pre­vention co-ops that participated in the project.

Volume 45, Number 4 11

Burning Another EmpireJames B. Davis

Research Forester, USDA Forest Service, Forest Fireand Atmospheric Sciences Research, Washington. DC,

Figure I-Map offire area in Kalimantan with inset of Indonesia. Exact area offire isuncertain but is estimated at 8 million acres. Total land area of Kalimantan is 212,000 squaremiles-c-about the size of California and Ariwna combined. The island of Borneo is 82 percentforested.

o

acres. Table I shows the strikingsimilarity between the Kalimantanfire and the devastating forest firesthat took place in the United Statesand Canada around the turn of the

oo

oo•

1.0

,lq.

Indian Oeean

Vilinam Phlllpp,ne./'lxI

South China ~ Philippine

se~ .S..

~IIYSI' do~o{f( ~ - .'".,.' .."-.)Singapore ~-

Jllhrt.~.I~?~ .

The fire broke out in EastKalimantan Province in February1983 and burned itself out, or wasput out by rain, in July, afterconsuming an estimated 8 million

The forest was parched from thelongest, most severe drought thearea had ever experienced. The firedidn't start in one place or at onetime. It began with innumerableland-clearing operations started bysettlers following in the footsteps ofloggers (11). In the beginning, no­body cared much about the fire be­cause of the vastness of the land andits remoteness from major townsand cities. Very little was done inthe way of organized fire control.Huge clouds of smoke made it al­most impossible to fully delineatethe immense area that was on fire.For weeks the midday sun wasmerely a pale yellow disk.Witnesses recall hearing the crackleof distant burning until suddenly thefire came from all points of thecompass at once.

After the fire had subsided, thosewho examined the site had littledoubt that logging slash hadsupplied the initial fuel for the holo­caust and that land-clearing fireswere the primary source of ignition(I). These factors combined with a2-year drought produced one of his­tory's most devastating fires.

The fire in question must be thePeshtigo, the Hinckley, or one ofthe terrible Lake States fires of thelast century, right? Wrong! Thisfire. one of the largest and most de­structive in history, occurred lessthan 2 years ago in the tropical rainforest of southeastern Kalimantan,the Indonesian section of the islandof Borneo (fig. I).

12 Fire Management Notes

century. These North American fireswere given the designation' 'burningan empire" by Stewart Holbrook inhis book of the same name (4).Drought, logging, and land-clearingfires are the common elementslinking the two sets of disasters(10).

Normally, tropical rain forestsdon't burn (fig. 2). Slash and burnagriculture-felling small jungleplots and burning the slash prior toplanting-has been carried on forcenturies without causing seriousfires (7). However, this agriculturalpractice was intensified inKalimantan prior to the fire as partof Indonesia's' 'transmigration pro­gram," in which families are movedfrom crowded islands, such as Javaand Bali, to new homes in less de­veloped areas.

A fairly new factor was the use ofa form of selective logging thattakes only three or four highly valu­able trees per acre but results in log­ging slash and opens up the canopyto sun and wind (8, 3). Cruciallyimportant was the 2-year droughtthat made parts of the tropical foresttinder dry. In addition, the groundwas littered with dead leaves, a nor­mal jungle response to drought. Thedrought was one of the occurrencesassociated with the EI Nino­Southern Oscillation Event, thecomplex, little understood, cyclicalchange in Pacific area ocean and aircurrents. El Nino is a worldwidephenomenon that occurs about every30 years. For most of the Asian

Volume 45, Number 4

Figure 2-Tropical rainforest similar to that which burned in the Kalimantan fire. Treesgrow to J50 feet or more.

13

tropics, it means exceptionally dryweather or drought.

All of these factors combined tocause a fire spread that was highlyvariable, creeping in many areas andexploding in others. Observers re­ported . 'towering infernos" and"fire storms" with flames reachingup to 150 feet or more above thetops of the 100- to 200-foot trees.Apparently topography was an im­portant factor; the fire made majorupslope runs, completely consuminglarge downed hardwood logs. Insome places, shallow coal depositswere ignited (5).

Because the fire lasted so long, itfrequently reburned areas that hadbeen only scorched previously. Sur­prisingly, the fire was witnessed byrelatively few people. The absenceof roads limited ground travel, andthe thick clouds of smoke made ae­rial surveying a risky business.Many airports were closed forweeks. Smoke was so thick thatflights occasionally had to be can­celed at Singapore Airport, morethan 1,000 miles away. Much of theinformation about the spread of thefire is from satellite infrared im­agery (fig. 3) (6).

Foresters who studied the devas­tated area estimated that in thelogged area (40 percent of the firearea) tree mortality ranged from 50to 60 percent. Most of the remainingforest was damaged badly enough toslow growth or degrade logs.

Timber loss has been estimated tobe about 3/4 billion cubic feet in

14

Figure 3~Satefljte infrared imagery of the Kalimantan fire taken April 2, /983. showingthe island of Borneo and part of the Celebes (compare to fig. I). As many as 56 individualfire occurrences are shown in East Kalimantan; the fire area consists of many' 'hot spots,"some more than /,000 acres in size.

Fire Management Notes

it',

II

;~

:1 mature crop trees and another 1-114billion cubic feet of lost future har­vest. The financial loss, conserva­tively estimated at $1.6 billion, ispotentially devastating to a devel­oping nation-equalling EastKalimantan's annual budget for 37years! It is estimated that the impli­cations and effects of the fire on thelogging industry will be felt for atleast 70 years. Many of the imma­ture trees that would have formedthe next harvest under the Indone­sian selective logging system (on aharvest cycle of 35 years) have beendestroyed (9). To put it in our ownperspective, the Kalimantan fireburned nearly as much as all of themajor Lake State fires combined (ta­ble I) (2).

One important difference betweenthe Kalimantan fire and the earlyNorth American fires is that the lossof human life in the Kalimantan firewas little or possibly none. The ex­act figure may never be known be­cause of the vastness of the fire, theremoteness of the area, and the lackof communications.

Loss to wildlife varied. Becausethe fire spread slowly much of thetime, ground-dwelling animals had achance to escape. Animals thatlooked to the trees for home andsafety did not fare as well. Thearea '5 remaining 3.000 orangutans(a rare and endangered species oncenumbering in the millions) werehard hit; whole families climbed tothe topmost branches and perishedfrom flames and smoke. The most

Volume 45, Number 4.

important long-term effect is theloss of habitat and food source.Gone are the great variety of trees,especially wild figs, that were animportant source of food for a widevariety of birds and mammals.

Perhaps most important of all isthat the fire area is no longer a rainforest. The complex, highly diversecommunity of plants and animalsthat once existed has vanished, per­haps forever. Today, fragile tropicalsoils that had been protected by theforest canopy for thousands of yearsare alternately baked in the tropicalsun and eroded by intense rain.

Watershed damage on the firearea may not be as important as theloss in transpiration. Tropical rainforests are great sponges that soakup the torrential rains and then tran­spire the moisture back into the at­mosphere. Since the fire, water fail­ing on the burned area runs off tothe ocean. The new growthreplacing the old is more susceptibleto drought and fire and producesfewer of the necessities for wildlife.What will happen to the region inthe future is largely unknown, be­cause large, devastating fire is sorare in the tropics. Although salvagelogging is under way, no one seemsto know what to do about siterehabilitation.

Just as we had to learn the hardway in the United States and Can­ada, the Indonesian government isnow realizing the importance of fireprotection. In the short term,Indonesia is considering the estab-

lishment of strategic fire­suppression forces, includingground forces, air tankers, andbucket-equipped helicopters. TheIndonesian government realizes thatan adequate dispatch and communi­cation system is essential and alsoplans to regulate the use of fire inland clearing. Long-term fire pro­tection, however, can only be ac­complished by improved loggingpractices, including slash disposal,and a change in the attitudes of localfarmers.

15

.~J

ITable 1-Representative large and destructive fires oj the last two centuries

Areaburned Lives

Name Date Location (acres) lost Ignition source Weather Fuel type

Kalimantan Feb 1983 Southeast 8,000,000 Unknown Many small land Record Tropical rainKalimantan clearing fires drought forest/loggingProvince slash

Great Idaho Aug 1910 Idaho and 3,000,000 85 Many small light- Drought and Western coniferMontana (5 towns de- ning, railroad, and strong winds forest/logging

stroyed) logging fires slash r

Miramichi Oct 1825 New 2,830,000 Unknown (5 Many small land Record Northeasternand Maine Brunswick towns de- clearing and logging drought conifer

and Maine stroyed) fires forest/loggingslash

Pontiac May 1853 Quebec 1,800,000 None Unknown Unknown Northeasternconifer forest

Manistu Oct 1871 Michigan 1,500,000 Unknown Many small land Drought Lake Statesclearing and logging coniferfires forest/logging

slash

Peshtigo Oct 1871 Wisconsin 1,280,000 1,500 Many small land Long severe Lake States(1 town de- clearing and logging drought and coniferstroyed) fires strong winds forest/logging

slash

Lapeer Aug 1881 Michigan 1,014,000 169 Many small land Drought, Lake StatesCounty clearing and logging strong winds conifer

fires forest/loggingslash

Yacoult Sep 1902 Oregon and 1,000,000 38 Many small settler Extremely dry, Western conifer IWashington and logging fires strong winds forest, mostly

Douglas-fir

Holland Oct 1871 Michigan 1,000,000 None (1 town Many small land Drought Lake Statesdestroyed) clearing and logging conifer

fires forest/loggingslash

Hinckley· Sep 1894 Minnesota 160,000 418 Many small land Hot dry sum- Lake States(12 towns clearing and logging mer, moderate coniferdestroyed) fires winds forest/logging

slash

"Although small compared to many fires, the Hinckley is included because of the great loss in life.

16 Fire Management Notes

1/ i

II

I', \.,

Literature Cited1. Ashton. P.S. Aide memoire on the state

of rain forest research and its applica­tion in Indonesia. Cambridge, MA: TheArnold Arboretum of Harvard Univer­sity; 1984. 14 p. Draft.

2. Brown, A.A.; Davis, K.P. Forest firecontrol and use. New York: McGrawHill; 1973. 686 p.

3. Canadian International DevelopmentAgency. A profile of Indonesia's for­estry sector. Vancouver, BC: Paul H.Jones and Associates Ltd.; 1950.77 p.

4. Holbrook, S.H. Burning an empire.New York: Macmillan; 1943.

5. The Jakarta Post. Kalimantan forestfires keep aflame with controversy.1983 May I. On file with: Forest Fireand Atmosphere Sciences Research,1204 RPE. Rosslyn, VA.

Volume 45, Number 4

6. Malingreau, J.; Stevens, G.; Fellows,L. The Kalimantan forest fires of1982-1983-Satellite observations fordetection monitoring and damage as­sessment. Washington, DC: NationalAeronautics and Space Administration;1984. 10 p.

7. Rappaport, Roy A. The flow of energyin an agricultural society. ScientificAmerican. 225(3): 117-132; 1971.

8. Republic of Indonesia Department ofForestry and Department of Industry.Wood-based industries in Indonesia. In:Proceedings, 1st consultation meetingon wood and wood products industry;1983 September; Helsinki, Finland.Jakarta, Indonesia; [Publisher un­known]; 1983. 25 p.

9. Ross, M.S. A statement ofconcern-the forest fires in EastKalimantan. Republic of IndonesiaMinistry of Transmigration; 1983.5 p.

10. Storey, T.B.; Noel, S.M. Large fires inthe world since 1825. Special report forOffice of Civil Defense. Berkeley, CA:U. S. Department of Agriculture, ForestService, Pacific Southwest Forest andRange Experiment Station; 1966. 35 p-

11. Wound in the world. Asiaweek 34: 553;1984 July 13.•

17

How NIIMS Keeps QualificationStandards From Becoming aBarrier to Interagency CooperationJim Whitson and Dave Hanson

Staff Specialist, USDA Forest Service, BoiseInteragency Fire Center, Boise, ID, and BattalionChief, Los Angeles County, CA.

.~'. '.-- ~.,., " . \,." ",-

, ,." ...

"I1

I

The National Interagency IncidentManagement System (NIIMS) wasdesigned so that cooperating emer­gency service agencies at alllevels-local, regional, andnational-could exchange re­sources. Each agency would havemore resources and more kinds ofresources available without a corre­sponding increase in the total emer­gency resource base in this country.NIIMS offers some solutions towhat many wildland protectionagencies perceived as overly rigidqualification standards under theNational Interagency Fire Qualifica­tions System (NIFQS).

Need For Cooperation

The rules for physical fitness,training, and other qualifications un­der the Large Fire Organizationssystem created barriers toexchanging resources among local,regional, and national agencies.Many wildland fire protectionagencies did not participate in thesystem; in some cases they were ex­cluded from participation by differ­ences in agency rules. NIIMS is de­signed to allow participatingagencies at the local level to jointlyagree upon the training, experience,and physical fitness that is equiva­lent to the standards described in the"Qualification and CertificationGuide." For instance, the Q&CGuide may call for successful com­pletion of course 1-420. At the locallevel, agencies may find that they

18

are currently teaching a coursewhose content equals or exceeds thematerial covered in 1-420 and whichwould therefore be an acceptableequivalent to 1-420. Also, theagencies may request the addition ofmaterial to 1-420 which would meeta particular local need.

Setting Minimum Standards

Under NIIMS, any agency whichcommits personnel and resources atthe national interagency level willbe expected to meet certain mini­mum requirements for training,physical fitness, and experience. Aparticipating agency will have theresponsibility of evaluating its per­sonnel to determine if they meetthese minimum requirements beforecertifying them as qualified. Physi­cal fitness will be determined by thesending agency based on guidelinesprovided under four fitness catego­ries: arduous, moderate, light, andnone.

For example, for the firefighterposition, meeting the fitness re­quirement at the arduous level andcompleting training courses such asS-130 (Basic Firefighter), S-190(Introduction to Fire Behavior),Standard First Aid, and specialtytraining, as needed, are basic re­quirements for most Federalagencies. Many State and localagencies have rigorous trainingcourses which more than meet theseminimum requirements and wouldqualify them to exchange resources.Of course, safety of the firefighter

must not be compromised whenevaluating these criteria.

Standards relating to protectiveclothing and equipment should alsobe considered" Agencies exchangingresources on a regular basis shouldagree to accept the protective equip­ment policies and standards of theirpartner agencies or come to anagreement for providing agency­required equipment on an incident.

Future of NIIMS

As the various agencies come to­gether in the NIIMS implementationprocess, problems dealing with quali­fications and standards can beidentified and solved if all parties rec­ognize the advantage of workingcooperatively. By using the nearestforces during an incident, emergencyresponse capabilities can be in­creased, resources better protected,and lives and dollars saved.•

Fire Management Notes

,

Complementary Systems­IEMS and NIIMSMarvin Newell and Jim Whitson

Project Leader and Staff Specialist, USDA ForestService, FIRETIP Project, Boise Interagency FireCenter, Boise, fD.

"

.\1)

.j

Questions have arisen about therelation of the National InteragencyIncident Management System(NIIMS) to the Federal EmergencyManagement Agency's (FEMA)planning system, called the Inte­grated Emergency Management Sys­tem (!EMS). The following infor­mation should help to provide anunderstanding of !EMS and NIIMSand how the two systems mesh on aState or local basis. The writeup hasbeen approved by two FEMA Re­gional Fire Representatives.

Integrated EmergencyManagement System

The Integrated Emergency Man­agement System is the FederalEmergency Management Agency'slong-term, all-hazard strategy to in­tegrate and develop emergency man­agement capabilities at the State andlocal level. !EMS is a basic founda­tion for planning for the response,recovery. and mitigation of hazards.

!EMS is a new concept developedby FEMA which is designed toachieve total integration of emer-

Volume 45, Number 4

gency management activities and thedevelopment of capabilities neededto handle incidents. FEMA providesfunds to States and localcommunities to support theirplanning efforts. Through !EMS,communities can identify deficien­cies in emergency preparedness andplan how to correct them.

!EMS does not include any re­sponse mechanism or organizationfor managing emergencies.

National Interagency IncidentManagement System

The National Interagency IncidentManagement System is a total sys­tems approach to incident manage­ment. NIIMS includes the IncidentCommand System, which is anonscene management organization.Its concepts and principles can beused for managing any type ofincident.

While NIIMS emphasizes jointplanning for incidents where morethan one agency is involved, it isalso designed for agency commandwhere an incident is wholly within asingle jurisdiction.

How Do The SystemsMesh?

NIIMS/ICS provides techniquesfor field command to handle emer­gency response problems onsite , in­cluding a mechanism formultijurisdictional management, ifneeded.

The NlIMSJICS concept ad­dresses problems associated withintergovernmental relationshipsthrough a comprehensive decision­making process. The decision­making process encourages planningfor on-the-scene management of mi­nor single-agency incidents as wellas complex multiagency incidents.

IEMS focuses on the full spectrumof hazards, at all levels of governmentresponse, This planning process formitigation preparedness and recovery,when combined with the NIIMS/ICSconcept, makes a comprehensiveemergency management system. Thistotal system is a structure in which in­tegration of effort, resources,agencies, and jurisdictions can bebroadly applied.•

19

Smokey's Birthday Celebrated Acrossthe NationGladys D. Daines

Smokey Bear Program Manager, USDA ForestService, Cooperative Fire Protection,Washington, DC.

~'

Have you seen a birthday cake astall as Smokey Bear? We have.

Can you imagine celebratingSmokey's birthday almost everyweekday for a year? We couldn't.But in 1984 there have been somany birthday parties held acrossthe nation to celebrate Smokey's40th Birthday that we 've lost countof them.

Birthday parties have been held inbaseball stadiums, in forests, inschoolrooms and libraries, at countyand State fairs, and in office build­ings and parks.

One of the first Smokey Bearbirthday parties was held in April, atthe Alabama Forest Festival inMontgomery, Alabama. Peoplecame from miles around to partici­pate in a logrolling contest, chainsaw competition, and footraces andto watch forestry conservation andfirefighting equipment demonstra­tions. A giant birthday cake, createdand baked in the shape of SmokeyBear, was served to more than 3,000people (fig. I).

In May, the San Dimas Equip­ment Development Center inCalifornia invited a class of third­grade children to join their birthdaycelebration. Smokey Bear was thestar of the party, giving all of thechildren fire prevention handouts. ASmokey Bear sing-along got every­one singing. A high point of theparty came when the excited chil­dren helped Smokey blowout thecandles on his birthday cake(fig. 2).

20

Figure l~This giant Smokey Bear cake baked in Montgomery, ALfed more than 3,000people.

Fire Management Notes

r.IIII

IiJ

,L

Figure 2-Third-grade pupils help Smokey Bear blowout the birthday candles at a party in San Dimas. CA.

Volume 45, Number 4 21

Figure 3-A birthday cake covered with candles shaped like pine trees is presented toSmokey Bear at Grey Towers. PA.

An art exhibit honoring RudyWendelin, retired Forest Service art­ist, opened in May at Grey Towers,a Forest Service facility in Milford,PA. The exhibit includedwatercolors of Smokey Bear andother Forest Service scenes pro­duced by Wendelin over the years.Smokey attended the opening day asan honored guest and was presentedwith a large birthday cake (fig. 3).

In July, Smokey appeared at theMendenhall Mall in Juneau, Alaska,where he selected the winner of achildren's coloring contest. The fes­tivities included the presentation ofa large birthday cake to Smokey,which he graciously shared with allof the mall visitors.

In August, employees at theWillamette National Forest inOregon invited Smokey Bear'sfriends to a birthday party in hishonor. A display of forest fire pre­vention exhibits, firefighting toolsand equipment. and a movie aboutSmokey Bear's life were all part ofthe day's activities. Vet anotherbirthday cake was presented toSmokey and then served to theguests at the party.

In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, ForestService employees and their fami­lies, as well as other Federal agencypersonnel, were invited to a partyand open house at the Eastern Re­gional Office in August. A cere­mony marking the release of theSmokey Bear commemorative stampwas held in cooperation with theMilwaukee office of the U.S. Postal

22

~iI

Service. Third-grade school­children presented a short play aboutSmokey Bear, and refreshmentswere served. Of course, SmokeyBear himself attended the celebra­tion. After the party, the staff pro­vided a brief tour of their workingarea.

The birthday parties held forSmokey Bear this year have involvedthousands of people, both young andold. Smokey's message has been rein­forced in a new and striking way. andmany people have been reminded,once again, of the need to preventwildfires.•

Fire Management Notes

"(,

'.,J

/J:

rf

Recent Fire Publications

!

II

,I

II

,~,,\

Alexander, M. E. Prescribed firebehavior and impact in an east­ern spruce-fir slash fuel com­plex. Can. For. Servo Res.Notes 4(1); 3-7, 25; 1984.

Gabriel, Herman W. and Tande,Gerald F. A regional approachto fire history in Alaska.BLM/AK/Tech. Rep. 83-09.Anchorage, AK: U.S. Depart­ment of the Interior; 1983.32 p.

Volume 45, Number 4

Matson, M.; Schneider, S.R.;Aldridge, B.: and Satchwell, B.Fire detection using the Na­tional Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration Series Satellites.Washington, DC: National En­vironmental Satellite, Data andInformation Service; 1984.41 p.

Pyne, Stephen J. Introduction towildland fire management inthe United States. New York,NY: John Wiley and Sons;1984.

Sackett, Stephen s. Observations onnatural regeneration inponderosa pine following a pre­scribed fire in Arizona. Res.Note RM-435. Fort Collins,CO: U.S. Department of Agri­culture, Forest Service, RockyMountain Forest and Range Ex­periment Station; 1984. 7 p.

Steele, Robert W. and Barney,Richard J. Bulldozers in firemanagement: current designs anduses. Res. Note INT-328.Ogden, UT: U.S. Department ofAgriculture, Forest Service,Intermountain Forest and RangeExperiment Station; 1983.4 p.•

23

$51.00

$10.00$ 2.72$23.91$ 6.00Each

The Forest Service

The Forest Service of the U. S.Department of Agriculture is dedi­cated to the principle of multiple­use management of the Nation's for­est resources for sustained yields ofwood, water, forage, wildlife, andrecreation. Through forestry re­search, cooperation with the Statesand private forest owners, and man­agement of the National Forests andNational Grasslands, it strives-asdirected by Congress-to provideincreasingly greater service to agrowing Nation.

The Forest Service:Conducts forest and range re­

search at more than 75 locationsfrom Puerto Rico to Alaska andHawaii.

Participates with all State forestryagencies in cooperative programs toprotect and improve the Nation's395 million acres of State, local,and private forest lands.

Manages and protects thel87-million-acre National ForestSystem for sustained yields of itsmany products and services.

The U.S. Department of Agricul­ture is an Equal Opportunity Em­ployer. Applicants for all Depart­ment programs will be given equalconsideration without regard to age,race, color, sex, religion, or na­tional origin.

Using Weather Data

Fire is an economical and effec­tive tool for wildlife habitat en-

24

hancernent, removal of hazardousaccumulations of fuels, disease con­trol, seedbed preparation, and spe­cies management. Timing of a burn.firing technique. manpower andequipment, placement of fire lines,and weather are elements forestmanagers must consider before asuccessful burn. All of these ele­ments, except weather, can be partlyor wholly controlled by the forester.Weather is usually the limiting fac­tor in a prescribed burning program.

A new research paper presentsdata that describe spatial and diurnalvariability of the weather elementsimportant for prescribed burning,the frequency of major weather sys­tems that are responsible for rapidchange of these variables, and theapplication of data in the ForestryWeather Interpretation System to theprescribed burning problem.

Free copies of Weather Condi­tions Associated with UnderstoryPrescribed Burning in SouthGeorgia, Forest Research Paper 46,are available from the Georgia For­estry Commission. Attention: ForestResearch, P.O. Box 819, Macon,GA 31298.

New Helicopter Training Guide

The new Interagency HelicopterTraining Guide has been completedand is available from the BIFCWarehouse. The guide can be pur­chased as a complete package or in­dividual components can be orderedseparately:

# 1261 Course(Complete IHTGPackage)#9808 Contents(lHTG Text Only)#9809 Binders, I"#9810 Slide Set#9811 Slide Trays(Order 2)#9802 PlasticSheet Protectors $ o. 19(Order 6) EachThe course number should be

specified even if component partsare ordered; the number is part ofthe warehouse computer system andis essential for prompt delivery.Please include a personal contactand telephone number on yourrequisition.

Requisitions should be sent to theNational Interagency Fire Center,BIFC Warehouse, Bureau of LandManagement, 3905 Vista Avenue,Boise, ID 83705.

This very useful interagencyguide has been revised to incorpo­rate the latest information, proce­dures, and technological advance­ments common to the helicopterindustry. We encourage you to re­place outdated training materialswith this new training guide as soonas possible. The BIFC Catalog willinclude this training guide in futureissues.

Fire Management Notes

LI.,

I

jr.)

"\

Guide to Identification andPostfire Management of FiveCalifornia Oaks

Oak trees are found on at least 20million acres in California-in openwoodlands, mixed with other spe­cies in the mountains. and in thechaparral lands, Although their cur­rent value as a timber resource islimited, oak trees play significantroles in stabilizing soil for water­sheds, in providing wildfire habitatand mast (nuts), and for recreationand esthetic values.

Currently, there is a growing ef­fort in southern California to useprescribed burning to reduce fuel

Volume 45, Number 4

buildup and fire hazard in chaparraland other wildlands where oaks arefound. Because all oaks are subjectto some damage by fire, with the ex­tent and effects of that damage fre­quently varying by species, landmanagers need information to helpthem correctly identify species andevaluate their susceptibility to firedamage before they can select effec­tive management plans for the oaks.

The Pacific Southwest Station hasrecently published a General Tech­nical Report that provides guidelinesfor identifying five prominent spe­cies of southern California oaks-

coast Jive oak, interior live oak,California black oak, canyon liveoak, and California scrub oak.

The publication provides specificinformation for the identification ofeach of the five species; describesways to assess fire damage for thetrees on the basis of species, diame­ter, and degree of trunk or barkcharring; and outlines postfire man­agement alternatives for fire-dam­aged trees.

Write for: Five Southern CaliforniaOaks: Identification and Postfire Man­agement, General Technical ReportPSW-71. •

25

"Fire Lookouts of the Northwest"

.\'

,',

A 412-page hardbound book byRay Kresek , "Fire Lookouts of theNorthwest" is an overdue tribute tothose solitary guardians who werethe backbone of the forest protectionsystem.

Thirty years of research enabledthe author to blend 586 rare photo­graphs with a comprehensive inven­tory of the 3,040 lookout sites inOregon, Washington, Idaho, andMontana. The book's 29 chaptersare full of interesting stories aboutthe people who stood watch in thetowers and cabins that once perchedatop America's remote peaks andformidable volcanos.

26

Numerous colorful anecdotes tellof unusual characters, loneliness,encounters with wildlife; the war­time enemy watch; summers spentatop tall crow 's-nests and loftyspires; tormenting winds and splen­did views; the trauma of beingstruck by lightning. Firsthand recol­lections of historic fires are vividlyrecounted.

There are stories about the originof names such as Bad Luck Look­out, Lion Hill, Three Fingers, LavaButte, and Mount St. Helens andtales of back-country transporta­tion-from mules to airplanes. In­formation on the effects of geologic

events is included, and the CivilianConservation Corps is given creditfor its many contributions.

"Fire Lookouts of the Northwest" issure to be appreciated by former look­outs, foresters, historians, lovers ofthe outdoors, mountaineers, and arm­chair explorers alike. The publisher isHistoric Lookout Project, W. 123Westview, Spokane, WA 99218.•

Fire Management Notes

I'i,

III

//~

LI,

1'- -'1National Advanced Resource Technology Center

~I

COURSEDATE Of

PRESENTATION

December 10-14. 1984

January 7-18. 1985

february 4-15. 1985

forest and State Level fire~agementAn~y~s

Aviation Management and Safely

Advanced Incident Management1-520

Area Command 1-620 february 7-15. 1985

National Are Danger Rating System March 4-8. 1985

fire Behavior Analyst S-590 March 25-Aprll 5. 1985

fire and Resource Management for April 22-May 3. 1985Une Officers and Program Managers

Advanced Smoke Management May 20-24. 1985

All courses will be held at the National Advanced Resource TechnololYcenter, Pinal Air 'ark, Marana, Arizona, except as noted.

i\

I\

Volume 45. Number 4

For Information contact:Dlredor

National Advanced ResourceTechnology Center

PInal Air Park. Marana, AZ. 85238Tel. FTS 762-6414/602 629-6414

27

United StatesDepartment of Agriculture

Washington, D.C.20250

OFFICIAL BUSINESSPenalty for Private Use, $300

.,~

IIIIIIU.S.MAlL

"Postage and Fees Paid

United SlatesDepartment 01 Agriculture

AGR·'01

\

a,II,

ORDER FORM To: Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402

~Credit C.rd Order. Only

Enclosed is S 0 check, VISA" Total charges S Fill in the boxes below.o money order, or charge to my...Deposit Account No. Credit r-'--'--'--'--'--'--'--,--,--,--,--,--,--,--,---r-,

ITIIITIJ-D lEe-hoi--I Card No.Expiration Date I"'T"I-rl

Order No. MonthlYear ~ ,I

Please enter my subscription to Fire Management Notes 8t'$13.00 domestic, $16.25 foreign.(Prices are sUbiect to cha-nge without notice.) ,"Make checks payable to Superintendent of Documents.

eompany '" p8f1OIl8l name

PLEASE PRINT OR TYPE

For Office Use Only.

Quantity Charges

Enclosed

To be mailedSubscriptions

Postage

Foreign handling

MMOBOPNR

UPNSDiscounf

Refund