Videos: NPS Fire Leaders - Christie Neill & Len Dems
(76KB pdf posted 2/3/2012)
Fiddlers Road Burn Out FLA Summary
(120KB pdf posted 2/3/2012)
The decision was made to conduct a strategic firing operation in advance of the head of the fire and hold it on the east side of the road. Once ignitions were in progress, the main fire spotted in two different locations, (Finger #1 and Finger #2). Finger #3 laid across Fiddlers Island Road. As the main fire continued burning to the west toward Buck Island, the decision was made for all resources to withdraw to the Strange Island Staging Safety Zone.
No injuries to personnel or damage to equipment was reported.
Retardant Avoidance Area FLA
(377.88 bytes pdf posted 2/2/2012)
Fire retardant was aerially applied to a designated avoidance area during suppression of the Lawler Incident, San Bernardino National Forest. To foster organizational learning, the Forest initiated a Facilitated Learning Analysis (FLA).
BP11 Escaped Prescribed Fire Summary
(93KB pdf posted 1/31/2012)
On Sept. 15, 2011, the National Key Deer Wildlife Refuge, located on Florida’s Big Pine Key, ignited the 21-acre BP11 Prescribed Fire. The test fire, conducted at approximately 1030 hours, was deemed successful and firing operations began on the unit.
Rapid Lessons Sharing: North Carolina Medical Incident Summary
(438KB pdf posted 1/23/2012)
The crew member is moving noticeably slower than normal. His respiratory rate is unusually rapid. Half way through the run, he starts complaining of thirst. His right leg begins to cramp. His squad boss—a certified wilderness first responder—has him slow down to assess his condition, what appears to be possible severe dehydration. He notices that the crew member’s speech is beginning to slur and he is becoming more aggressive and disoriented. The squad boss directs three crew members to get a crew vehicle.
2012 Emergency Helicopter Extraction Source List
(34KB pdf posted 1/17/2012)
This updated 2012 publication provides a thorough listing of helicopter resources available to conduct human extractions for emergency evacuations throughout the United States.
Corte Madera Helicopter Damage Green Sheet
(485KB pdf posted 1/12/2012)
At approximately 1020 hours, the helicopter sustained moderate heat damage to the front exterior surface area of the helicopter’s cockpit during flight operations. The pilot was able to land the helicopter at a nearby Helibase without further incident or injuries. After cleared by a Sheriff’s helicopter mechanic, it flew back to home base without incident.
Inmate Firefighter Trainee Fatality Green Sheet
(501.73 bytes pdf posted 1/10/2012)
On Wednesday, January 4, 2012, at approximately 3:45 PM, near the conclusion of a
crew training hike, a 54 year old Inmate Firefighter Trainee collapsed. The injured
Inmate Firefighter Trainee was transported by ambulance to a local hospital where he
was later pronounced dead.
Videos: NPS Fire Leaders - Bill Kaage & Norman Christensen
(82.09 bytes pdf posted 1/9/2012)
Training Hike Fatality
(103KB pdf posted 1/6/2012)
At approximately 3:23 p.m., a training crew of 17 Inmate Firefighters supervised by a Fire Crew Captain, began a 20 minute, .66 mile training hike. During the hike, one of the Inmate Firefighters collapsed. CPR was initiated and the Inmate Firefighter was transported to a local hospital where resuscitation efforts continued unsuccessfully.
Helicopter Heat Damage Blue Sheet
(120KB pdf posted 1/6/2012)
The following information is a preliminary summary of a near miss aviation incident that involved a San Diego County Sheriff’s Fire Fighting Helicopter in the San Diego Unit. The Helicopter sustained heat related damage while performing flight operations during a controlled Vegetation Management Program (VMP) burn.
Truck Rolls Down Hill and Collides with Tree
(271KB pdf posted 1/6/2012)
An employee was shuttling other employees from one site to another where the vehicles had been staged. The staging area was at a large semi-circle turnout, on a forest road, that had a very slight grade, approx 10%. Truck then proceeded to roll backwards down the slope.
SQF Chainsaw Incident FLA
(1MB pdf posted 1/5/2012)
After assessing a 10” diameter cedar tree that was wedged between two trees,suspended approximately 6’ off the ground, the employee proceeded to cut. When his saw cut was in the tree 2” he could tell the tension was too high for him to keep cutting, and noticed the kerf closing. He made a second cut to relieve the tension about an inch next to the first cut. As the second cut was being made the bind released and one end of the 10” tree swung towards the injured employee.
Wallow Fire Fuel Treatment Effectiveness on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation
(2.76 MB pdf posted 1/5/2012)
The story of how--when the 2011 Wallow Fire threatens Fort Apache Indian Reservation lands--prior fuel treatments: 1)Increased firefighter safety; 2)Enhanced management options; 3)Substantially reduced suppression costs and fire size; and 4)Minimized negative effects on resources.
4th International HRO Conference Report
(1MB pdf posted 12/22/2011)
This report—intended for the wildland fire community—provides a collection of applicable key learning highlights—and follow-up links—from the 2011 Fourth International High Reliability Organizing Conference. A total of 30 speakers and 150 participants—from multiple high-risk, safety-critical organizations—gathered in Washington D.C. to share knowledge and experiences. This report focuses on the speakers whose themes and insights have applicability to wildland firefighters and fire leaders.
Davies Creek Ridge Helicopter Incident Summary
(463KB pdf posted 12/20/2011)
On a remote mountain top on the Tongass National Forest, a helicopter overturned with a Forest Service employee and a contract pilot onboard. The crash resulted in no injuries but was, nevertheless, a very serious accident.
Acadian Burn Injury FLA Summary
(313KB pdf posted 12/19/2011)
On May 2, 2011, the Acadian Wildland Fire is reported to the De Soto Ranger District of the National Forests in Mississippi where a firefighter working spot fires recieves first degree burns. This summary contains a link to the full FLA Report.
Peters Ridge FLA
(1MB pdf posted 12/18/2011)
The Peter’s Ridge Fire was first reported on August 12, 2011. On August 14, 2011 at 0900 hours, the fire's west flank had burned over the hand line and made a short run with some single-tree torching. At 0930 hours, the Incident Commander (IC) made the decision to order seven smoke jumpers to arrive by ground as there was easy access by road. At 1215, the jump aircraft informed Interagency Dispatch (dispatch) that they were starting jumping operations. At 1345 hours dispatch was notified that there was an injured jumper in need of medical attention on the Peter’s Ridge incident, but that it was not life threatening.
Rapid Lesson Sharing
(201KB pdf posted 12/16/2011)
The Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center has a way to quickly get lessons to the field…Rapid Lesson Sharing. If you have a lesson, share it so others can learn.
Burn Fuel in Bladder Bag
(128KB pdf posted 12/14/2011)
This document describes a near miss durring pile burning operations. There was a flashback of flame toward one of the firefighters while using a Fedco five gallon bladder bag filled with fuel mix to ignite the piles.
Engine 30 Fire
(399KB pdf posted 12/13/2011)
On June 27, 2011, at approximately 1030 hours, a Type 6 Wildland Fire Engine—Redwood Engine #30, a 2008 Ford F-550 was returning from a severity assignment when the engine made a noisy thud and began handling rough.
The passenger noticed driveline parts flying out behind the vehicle—that started a wildfire. The driver pulled the engine into the median and quickly exited the vehicle—detecting that it was on fire.
The passenger called 911 and began tossing fuel cans and equipment off the truck while the driver attacked the vehicle fire with the fire extinguisher until it was fully discharged. The fire destroyed the vehicle.
Alice Lake Canoe FLA
(776KB pdf posted 12/12/2011)
On October 16, 2011 during the Pagami Creek Fire on the Superior National Forest in northeast Minnesota an incident occurred that resulted in a motorized canoe being swamped in the middle of a large lake within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). As
a result, three firefighters were totally immersed in cold water and exposed to hypothermic conditions for a period of approximately 25 minutes until they were rescued by floatplane.
Station Fire Lessons
(192KB pdf posted 12/8/2011)
This document contains lessons relating to the Station Fire in 2009. lessons are related to multiple topics including but not limited to: Night Flying of Aircraft, Fire Behavior Modeling, and Working With Urban Interface Communities. The lessons are broken down into National, Regional, and Local (ANF).
Videos: NPS Fire Leaders - Dave Parsons and Sue Husari
(42.79 bytes pdf posted 12/8/2011)
Prospect Rock ATV FLA
(1MB pdf posted 11/30/2011)
At about 1330 hours, while patrolling on one of the ATVs, the employee ATV rider attempted to ride up a hill on a control line, which was later estimated at being approximately a 40% grade. Before reaching the top of the grade, the ATV began to tip over backwards after striking a rock with a front tire. The rider jumped off to the left, striking his shoulder on the ground, sustaining a broken collarbone. The ATV flipped over backwards completely (once), landing upright on its wheels.
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