coastal wildfire news
DESCRIPTION
Information about wildfires in the Coastal Fire Centre, British ColumbiaTRANSCRIPT
2012 ISSUE 7 AUGUST 10, 2012
Some fire worksites may look chaotic at first glance,
until you realize that they are actually well-organized.
Everyone has a job to do and everyone is trained to
prepare for and carry out that job.
If you are required to be present at a fire for any
reason, here are a few things you need to understand:
1) If you do not have specific instructions about where
you need to be and what you need to do, get them!
On any fire, the first place to go for instructions and
directions is the Plans centre. If you’re still unsure or
if you get disoriented, go back to Plans and ask
again. Do not simply wander around the site, since
you may walk into a dangerous area.
2) Many people are curious about what we do, but their
presence may create a hazard or a distraction
(especially around helicopter bases).
3) If you are a member of the public, do not drive to a
fire to take a closer look. Please stay well back and
let our crews do their work.
4) If you see an airtanker or helicopter working where
you are, leave the area immediately. The aircraft
cannot drop their loads if they know that people are
in the area, since a drop may cause branches, snags
or rocks to fall. We do not want to see anyone get
hurt.
Please stay back and let us do our job!
“Skids Down” is a term that most people in the
aviation world understand, but sometimes find hard to
articulate. At the Coastal Fire Centre, the term is used
to describe the time of day when a helicopter must have
its skids on the ground (i.e. land for the remainder of
the day).
Any aircraft operating for the Wildfire Management
Branch must be on the ground one half-hour before
“evening grounding time”. Evening grounding time is
determined by an algorithm that Transport Canada
provides to pilots that identifies hours of daylight.
The reason that WMB aircraft are required to be
back at base earlier is to provide a longer buffer period
should any unforeseen event occur. The Ministry of
Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations
(FLNRO) has opted to risk-manage flight operations
by adding this extra 30 minutes to the buffer period and
giving the flight manager latitude to continue flying
into that buffer time should the need arise. If there’s an
emergency and someone is hurt, an hour is a more
reasonable amount of time to get first aid into the area.
Helicopters can not operate without risk after dark
and that risk does not outweigh any potential benefit
from flying at night. Remember that fire behaviour
generally drops off as temperatures drop at night.
Helicopters
See detailed weather forecast
page 6
In this Issue:
Restricted Areas
Keep Yourself Safe
At Coastal
Page 1
Helicopters are multifunctional tools for the
Wildfire Management Branch. They’re used to
dump buckets of water onto fires, transport crews
and cargo, evacuate injured people in
emergencies, and perform aerial reconnaissance.
In planned burn operations, a “heli-torch” can be
affixed to a helicopter and used as an aerial drip
torch.
In the Coastal Fire Centre, helicopters are
particularly useful since the terrain is often
mountainous and hard to access. Landing areas
are purpose-built to allow helicopters to land in
difficult locations. These sites are constructed by
experienced fire crews and are referred to as
helispots, helipads or heliports.
The sites must be built to exact ministry
specifications and maintained (despite their often
precarious positions) at a high safety standard.
They must also be kept clear of debris and wet
down regularly. Safety clearances are maintained
and danger trees and snags are removed within
two tree-lengths of the landing pad.
From Left to Right:
Rob Fraser—Senior
Protection Officer—
A v i a t i o n , L o r n a
W o l l n e r — A v i a t i o n
Operations Assistant,
Toni Large—Forest
Protection Assistant—
Aviation, Temporary
Assignment.
Our Aviation Management Philosophy is based on
the following facts:
Use of aircraft is considered a high risk activity
and safety considerations must be addressed in all
aspects of flight planning and operations;
Aircraft are an integral and substantial part of our
wildfire management activities;
Cost effective use of aircraft should be of primary
consideration
Aircraft are a finite resource, both in number and
type, and;
Aircraft must be managed by trained specialists
that are current in their role.
Coastal’s Aviation Team
Are You in the Way? ‘Skids Down’
In some circumstances, it is important to limit public
access to a particular area so that work can be carried out
safely by the Wildfire Management Branch. According to
the Wildfire Act, the government may restrict access under
specific conditions:
(1) If the minister considers it necessary or desirable to
limit the risk of a fire, to address a public safety concern
or to avoid interference with fire control, the minister by
order may designate a specified area as a restricted area
for a specified period.
(2) During the specified period under an order under this
section, a person must not remain in or enter the area des-
ignated by the order as a restricted area, unless the person
(a)first receives the written authorization of an offi-
cial, or
(b)Enters the area only in the course of
(i) travelling to or from his or her residence,
(ii) using a highway as defined in the Highway
Act, or
(iii) travelling to or from
(A)an operation, or
(B)An activity
Of a type that the minister may specify in the
order.
(3) An order under subsection (1) or an authorization un-
der subsection (2) may be different for different
(a) types, categories or subcategories of operations
or activities,
(b) categories of persons, places or things, or
(c) circumstances
(4) For the period during which an area continues as a
restricted area under this section, a person is relieved from
any fire control obligation for that area.
Restricted Areas—The Wildfire Act
NOTAM is an acronym for “Notice to Airmen”. The
NOTAM system was officially adopted in 1947. A
NOTAM is filed with an aviation authority to alert
personnel to “the establishment, condition or change in any
aeronautical facility, service, procedure or hazard en route
or at a specific location.”
NOTAMs are issued and reported for a number of
reasons, including:
establishment, withdrawal or significant changes
to procedures for air navigation services
establishment, closure or significant changes to the
NOTAM
Restrictions apply to aircraft flying near a fire. Under
Section 601.15 of Transport Canada’s Canadian Aviation
Regulations, “no unauthorized person shall operate an
aircraft over a forest fire area”.
No notification is necessary unless the Wildfire
Management Branch extends its operational airspace with
a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) to conduct fire control
activities, as was the case in Bella Coola in 2009. That
allowed air operations to remain unimpeded by non-fire
air traffic, but allowed regular air traffic to continue to fly
through a specified corridor at particular times.
In some cases, an airport must be shut down
completely and regular air traffic gets rerouted. At other
times, it is simply a matter of working with local
authorities to come up with a co-operative solution, as was
the case in 2005 when a fire broke out in Burns Bog. The
Vancouver International Airport (YVR) authority worked
with the Wildfire Management Branch to keep air traffic
moving by restricting regular airport traffic to the north
side of the Fraser River and conducting fire operations
south of the river.
NOTAMs are not automatically instituted unless there
is a need to do so. A notice is only issued (in addition to
airspace restrictions) when normal air traffic is in danger
or that traffic could potentially endanger WMB personnel
working on a fire.
Remember: If there is a fire in the area, pilots
should avoid it if at all possible.
Restricted Areas—Aviation
The area around a forest fire; even with no fire
suppression aircraft activity, is considered to be
flight restricted under the authority of CAR 601.15
(over a forest fire area, or over any area that is
located within 5 nautical miles of a forest fire, at an
altitude of less than 3000 feet at ground level).
To Report a Wildfire
1-800-663-5555
operation of aerodrome or runways
changes in the level of protection normally
available at an aerodrome for rescue and
firefighting purposes
inoperable radio navigational aids
establishment or discontinuance of areas or routes,
or portions thereof
implementation of short-term contingency
measures in cases of disruption, or partial
disruption, of air traffic services and related
supporting services
Page 2
Page 3
Plane Spotting
With Floats
Page 4
Bell 204/205
Hughes 500
Bell 407
Sikorsky Aircrane S64
Martin Mars
Used with a belly tank and/or nozzle
Hazard, Incident and Accident—Aviation
The Wildfire Management Branch trains staff to
be professional passengers. A professional passenger
is someone who takes an active role to ensure that a
flight is conducted as safely as possible. Although
the pilot is ultimately responsible for the safe
operation of the aircraft, there are many ways that
our staff contribute to a safe flight as a passenger.
Be a proactive passenger:
Look — Stay focused. Don’t distract the
pilot, but be aware of your surroundings and
help spot any potential hazards.
Listen — Follow the pilot’s orders and be
an active participant in the flight.
Remember to pay attention to radio traffic
and dialogue going on around you.
Report — If you see something unusual,
report it to the pilot immediately. Be sure
that others in the aircraft are aware of any
danger.
Transport Canada has mandated that every flight
must begin with a safety briefing. Allow the pilot to
deliver his briefing and save any questions until the
end. Then it is your responsibility to brief the pilot on
the purpose of the flight and what tasks are to be
carried out. Page 5
See detailed weather forecast
page 6
With the fire season upon us, the public is out in the
backcountry in ever-increasing numbers. If you are inad-
vertently caught in a helicopter or airtanker drop zone, it
is important to keep yourself safe.
If possible, leave the area immediately if you see an
airtanker in the area. Airtanker crews must cease opera-
tions if they become aware that people are in the area.
If you are inadvertently caught in a drop zone during
a drop:
Stay calm. Stay clear of snags and loose rock.
Lie face-down with your head toward the drop area.
Cover your head. (If you are cycling, leave your
helmet on.)
Hold on to a stable object (preferably a rock) to
reduce the chance that you being moved by the
force of the drop.
After the tanker has dropped its load:
Avoid breathing in the mists that are created by the
drop. Allow the fire retardant to settle before get-
ting up.
Leave the area immediately.
Watch your footing, since some fire retardants can
be slippery.
Rinse the retardant off your skin at the first oppor-
tunity. Try to keep the retardant away from your
eyes or any cuts. If there is contact, rinse the af-
fected areas immediately.
10
Accidents
30
Incidents
1
Fatality
A hazard is any source of potential damage, harm or adverse
health effects on something or someone under certain conditions.
An incident is any aviation occurrence, other than an accident that
affects or could affect the safe operation of an aircraft.
An accident is where a person receives any injury or an aircraft
sustains any major damage requiring replacement or repair.
Professional Passenger Ground Safety
600 Red Flag
Hazards
The Heinrich Pyramid is a visual tool used to show the correlation between hazards, incidents, accidents and
fatalities. The pyramid was first developed by Herbert Heinrich, an accident investigator, in the 1920s and is
still used in aviation circles today. In today’s aviation industry the equation Heinrich developed largely
holds true. The general aviation ratio is 8.6:1 but in areas with mountainous terrain like the coastal region
the ratio is adjusted to 4:1. The Wildfire Management Branch works hard to mitigate any danger; all unsafe
situations are reported and immediate action is taken to correct potential hazards. Reporting is mandatory!!
See detailed weather forecast
page 6
To Report a Fire 1-800-663-5555
Or *5555 on your
cell
Situational awareness is “a
p i l o t ’ s ( o r a i r c r e w’ s )
continuous perception of self
and aircraft in relation to the
dynamic environment of flight,
threats, and mission, and the
ability to forecast, then execute
t a s k s b a s e d o n t h a t
perception.” (Carol, 1992 ).
Situational awareness (SA)
is a skill that pilots continually
develop and is essential for flight safety. It is, as
Carol notes, “problem-solving in a three-
dimensional spatial relationship complicated by the
fourth dimension of time compression, where there
are too few givens and too many variables. It
encompasses the individual’s experience and
capabilities, which affect the ability to forecast,
decide and then execute. SA represents the
cumulative effects of everything an individual is and
does as applied to mission accomplishment.”
Although this concept may have first developed
in aviation, it is applicable to a wide variety of jobs
— p a r t i c u l a r l y f i r s t
responders. The concept
addresses how a person has to
think to develop situational
awareness, but it also deals
with the consequences of not
using that skill properly (and
how to prevent that from
happening).
Inattention, distraction,
overload and disinterest may
threaten an individual’s ability to take in all aspects
of a situation, but a solid grounding in best
practices, training and good reflexes may help
reinforce situational awareness.
Continuous training and reinforcement can help
an individual perform appropriately in a difficult
situation and not feel overwhelmed. If pilots or
firefighters are bombarded by a lot of information,
this type of training allows them to deal with new
information more efficiently.
- Carol, L. A. (1992). Desperately seeking SA. TAC Attack
(TAC SP 127-1), 32(3), 5-6.
Situational Awareness
The Coastal Fire Centre’s activity has picked up
substantially this week as lightning moved through
the region on August 7, 2012. Twenty-eight fire
starts resulted from this weather front. Most fires
discovered were spot size and were dealt with
quickly. Thirteen fires are actively being worked on
today, August 10, 2012. We expect to have more
reports of lightning-caused fires as more strikes be-
come visible with the warm weather forecasted for
the weekend.
We are asking that if you see a fire please report
it. We rely on the public to report fires and would
like to thank the loggers, pilots and citizens who
help when these events occur.
Please remember that there is still a Category 2
Open Fire ban in place, which means no backyard
burning, no burn barrels and no fireworks. Camp-
fires are still allowed within Coastal Fire Centre
jurisdiction but check with your local government as
you must abide by local bylaws. For more informa-
tion go to: www.bcwildfire.ca.
SYNOPSIS: Little change is expected in the pattern over
the next couple of days with a fairly dry, stable, and mild
westerly flow in control over the coast allowing the
warming and drying trend to continue. Patchy moisture
entrained in the upper flow should maintain partly cloudy
skies over Haida Gwaii and parts of the Mid Coast today,
likely clearing somewhat on Saturday allowing
temperatures to rebound a few degrees.
OUTLOOK (days 3-5): The gradual warming and
drying trend continues on Sunday while a fairly dry
westerly flow remains in control over the region. A
frontal system and associated upper trough that approach
from the northwest on Monday should bring increasing
winds, cooler temperatures, and the potential for isolated
showers to Haida Gwaii and northern sections of the Mid
Coast while areas to the south likely see another warm
and dry day with a few bands of cloud. As the weakening
system advances southeastward across the region
Monday night, isolated showers and gusty winds are
possible. Tuesday should be a transitional day with skies
clearing from north to south as a drier northwesterly flow
gains control in advance of the next Pacific ridge.
6 TO 10 DAY: A more significant warming and drying
trend is expected Wednesday through Friday as a large
Pacific ridge drifts eastward across the fire centre.
To Date in
Coastal
Fires to Date
Person Caused 46
Lighting Caused 45
Total Number of Fires
91
Hectares burnt 22
Number of Incidents Responded to
296
Fire Danger Rating
As of August 10, 2012
Predominantly Moderate/High
Page 6
Weather Today At Coastal
Diagram from Airbus