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The NIFC (National Interagency Fire Center) in Boise, Idaho raised their national fire preparedness level (PL) to its highest rating (5) today, the first time this PL level has been declared since 2008.
A PL5 is declared when:
Geographic Areas are experiencing major incidents which have the potential to exhaust all agency fire resources. Eighty percent (80%) of Type 1 and Type 2 Incident Management Teams and crews are committed, as well as the majority of other National Resources
The Associated Press is reporting today that in Idaho, `1,850 homes remain evacuated in the resort area of Ketchum and Sun Valley due to the 160-square-mile Beaver Creek Fire’ and that the remote mountain town of Atlanta, 50 miles to the west, is under an evacuation order.
Today’s status report indicates there are 42 large, uncontained fires, spread across multiple western states.
The following statement was released earlier today by the NIFC:
For Release: August 20, 2013
Contact: Don Smurthwaite, 208-387-5458
or Mike Ferris, 208-387-5437
National Wildfire Preparedness Moves to Highest Level
Boise – The National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group (NMAC) today increased the national fire Preparedness Level (PL) to its highest point, PL-5.
The PL ranges from one, indicating minimal activity, to five, which signals very high activity.NMAC, which consists of top federal and state fire managers, sets the national PL. The raised level reflects a high degree of wildfire activity, a major commitment of fire resources, and the probability that severe conditions will continue for at least a few days.
To date, 31,986 wildfires have burned 3.4 million acres in the United States this year. While both of those figures roughly represent only about 60% of the ten-year average, wildfire activity has escalated in recent days after thunderstorms, many with little or no moisture, moved across parts of California, Oregon, Idaho and Montana, sparking hundreds of new fires.
“The decision to move to Preparedness Level 5 reflects the complexity facing our federal and non-federal fire managers,” said Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell. “This has been a difficult and tragic season, including the loss of 30 of our nation’s firefighters. We have an experienced and skilled group of national, regional and local fire managers who will make the tough decisions necessary to respond to the
current workload. We depend on everyone to do their part to make our communities and homes defensible against fire and to follow the instructions of local authorities.”This is the fifth time that PL-5 has been reached in the last ten years. PL-5 indicates fire suppression
resources are becoming scarce, but Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said cooperation among agencies helps ease the strain.
“During periods of high wildfire activity, when assets are stretched thin, federal, tribal, state and local partners work together to prioritize wildfires so that those threatening life, property and valuable natural and cultural resources receive assets as quickly as possible,” he said. “Professional wildfire managers adapt their strategies and tactics based on the assets that they receive and do the very best they can to suppress unwanted wildfires effectively and efficiently.”
During PL-5, further assistance from the military, beyond what is already in use, and international resources may be considered and requested, but no decisions have been made concerning those steps.
The fire forecast for most of the West shows a general continuation of hot and dry weather into the fall.
Just last week, the CDC’s Public Health Matters Blog carried a report on Colorado’s Wildfires earlier this summer, and public health communications issues.
On the Scene: Wildfire Communication in Colorado
August 14th, 2013 12:38 pm ET - Blog Administrator
By Nicole Hawk
An estimated 75,000 wildfires occur in the United States each year, and each one has potential public health concerns including evacuating safely, dealing with smoke, or cleaning up spoiled food after a power outage. In June 2013, Colorado faced multiple devastating wildfires, including the Royal Gorge Fire
in Cañon City, which required the evacuation of a state prison, and the Black Forest Fire
Wildfires can move with astonishing speed, can jump firebreaks, highways, and other natural barriers, and can threaten new areas very quickly.
Hence the recommendation to develop a network of trusted disaster buddies to whom you can turn in an emergency (as can they to you), several pre-arranged evacuation destinations should you need to `get out of Dodge’ in a hurry, and a 72-hour bug-out bag you can grab at a moment’s notice.
My Bug-out-bag, Canteen, & Toiletry kit
I also keep an overnight bag, and a fully equipped first aid kit, in the trunk of my car . . . just in case (see Inside My Auto First Aid Kit).
FEMA, along with the U.S. Fire Administration, has some advice on how to protect your home against wildfires, and what to do should you, and your home, find yourself in the path of one of these destructive forces of nature.
As with hurricane, earthquakes, and tornadoes . . . the time to prepare for a wildfire is before one threatens.
Wildfire - Are You Prepared?
September is National Preparedness Month, and we’ll be talking about preparedness a lot next month. But disasters don’t follow the calendar, and so you should work towards being better prepared all year round.
