W.I.S.E. Fire Tracking

Velma Fire

Location: 2 miles SW of Velma, Stephens Co. OK
Specific Location: Lat 37° 26´ 0″; Lon 97° 40´ 0″

Date of Origin: 04/09/2009
Cause: Under investigation

Situation as of 04/11/2009 4:15 pm
Personnel: 31
Size: 1,305 acres
Percent Contained: 80%

Costs to date: $20,000

Structures Destroyed: 13 PRIM , 5 COMM

No reports of injuries at the time of this report.

Smoldering and active fire in unburned islands of fuel.

Choctaw Fire

Location: Midwest City, Oklahoma Co. OK
Specific Location: 1/8th mi E of Post Road and SE 29th. Lat 35° 26´ 6″; Lon 97° 21´ 3″

Date of Origin: 04/09/2009
Cause: Human

Situation as of 04/12/2009 6:00 pm
Personnel: NR
Size: 3,495 acres
Percent Contained: 90%

Costs to date: NR

Structures Destroyed: 50 PRIM

The fire area received significant rainfall over the last 24 hours.

Loco/Healdton Fire

Location: 5 mi. E of Loco, Stephens Co. OK
Specific Location: Lat 34° 20´ 0″; Lon 97° 38´ 0″

Date of Origin: 04/09/2009
Cause: Under investigation

Situation as of 04/12/2009 6:30 pm
Personnel: 17
Size: 56,833 acres
Percent Contained: 90%

Costs to date: NR

Structures Threatened: NONE Structures Destroyed: NONE

Significant rain fell across the fire area today.

Cement Mountain Complex Fire

Location: 4 mi. ENE of Graham, Young Co. TX
Specific Location: Lat 33° 7´ 59″; Lon 98° 29´ 41″

Date of Origin: 04/09/2009
Cause: Under investigation

Situation as of 04/12/2009 6:00 pm
Personnel: 11
Size: 27,876 acres
Percent Contained: 75%

Costs to date: NR

Structures Destroyed: 19 PRIM , 46 OUTB

Increase in residences destroyed is a result of loss assessment completed.

Montague County Complex Fire

Location: 3 mi. south of St. Jo, Montague Co. TX
Specific Location: Lat 33° 39´ 1″; Lon 97° 31´ 33″

Date of Origin: 04/09/2009
Cause: Under investigation

Situation as of 04/17/2009 6:00 pm
Personnel: 5
Size: 31,419 acres
Percent Contained: 100%

Costs to date: NR

Structures Destroyed: 69 PRIM , 1 COMM , 61 OUTB

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Situation as of 04/12/2009 6:00 pm
Personnel: 5
Size: 26,783 acres
Percent Contained: 50%

Costs to date: NR

Structures Destroyed: 69 PRIM , 1 COMM , 61 OUTB

Increased acreage is a result of GPS helicopter mapping mission flown 4/11; no actual fire growth today. Sixty-one out-building/other structures lost include 19 barns and 42 outbuildings.

Observed Fire Behavior: Interior smoldering.

Beard Mountain Fire

Location: 45 mi. west of Ft. Stockton, Pecos Co. TX
Specific Location: Lat 30° 47´ 19″; Lon 103° 38´ 6″

Date of Origin: 04/11/2009
Cause: lightning

Situation as of 04/12/2009 6:00 pm
Personnel: 56
Size: 2,600 acres
Percent Contained: 15%

Costs to date: NR

Structures Threatened: NONE Structures Destroyed: NONE

High winds grounded SEATs late morning. TFS Resources: TF1, AA-90K, T-402, T-424, T-441, T-446, T-00, T-45DIVS, SOFR, RFC. Sacramento IHC, Los Diablos Type 2 HC.

Observed Fire Behavior: Active ROS at 2 MPH with wind gusts.

Electra West Fire

Location: 1 mi. northwest of Electra, Witchita Co. TX
Specific Location: Lat 34° 2´ 7″; Lon 98° 56´ 22″

Date of Origin: 04/09/2009
Cause: Under investigation

Situation as of 04/12/2009 6:00 pm
Personnel: 3
Size: 4,500 acres
Percent Contained: 95%

Costs to date: NR

Structures Destroyed: 3 PRIM , 2 COMM

Interior smoldering. Continue efforts toward containment.

Magic City Fire

Location: 8 mi. southwest of Wheeler, Wheeler Co. TX
Specific Location: Lat 35° 21´ 24″; Lon 100° 23´ 40″

Date of Origin: 04/04/2009
Cause: downed powerlines

Situation as of 04/11/2009 6:00 pm
Personnel: 3
Size: 17,000 acres
Percent Contained: 100%

Costs to date: NR

Structures Destroyed: 8 PRIM , 26 OUTB

Fire declared contained at 1800. Minimal interior smoldering. Local FD to patrol and monitor.

Two Mile Hill Complex Fire

Location: 8 mi. southeast of Holliday, Archer Co. TX
Specific Location: Lat 33° 42´ 37″; Lon 98° 36´ 20″

Date of Origin: 04/09/2009
Cause: Under investigation

Situation as of 04/12/2009 6:00 pm
Personnel: 6
Size: 21,525 acres
Percent Contained: 95%

Costs to date: NR

Structures Destroyed: 3 PRIM

Increased acreage due to GPS helicopter mapping completed 4/12; no actual fire growth today.

Cedar Mountain Fire

Location: 5 mi. north of Cisco, Eastland Co. TX
Specific Location: Lat 32° 28´ 43″; Lon 98° 58´ 26″

Date of Origin: 04/07/2009
Cause: Under investigation

Situation as of 04/12/2009 6:00 pm
Personnel: 6
Size: 18,405 acres
Percent Contained: 90%

Costs to date: NR

Structures Threatened: NONE Structures Destroyed: NONE

Interior smoldering. Continue with efforts toward containment.

Brushy Mountain Fire

Location: Oswalt, Love Co. OK
Specific Location: Lat 34° 3´ 39″; Lon 97° 20´ 21″

Date of Origin: 04/09/2009
Cause: Human

Situation as of 04/12/2009 11:00 am
Personnel: 26
Size: 8,500 acres
Percent Contained: 80%

Costs to date: NR

Structures Threatened: NONE Structures Destroyed: 1 OUTB

Heavy rainfall has greatly aided in fire suppression.

Post-Fire Vegetation Conditions on the National Forests

The USFS RAVG interactive website [here]:

… offers an initial description of post-fire vegetative conditions using the Rapid Assessment of Vegetation Condition after Wildfire (RAVG) process. RAVG analysis looks at fires that burn more than 1,000 acres of forested National Forest System (NFS) lands, beginning with fires that occurred in 2007. These fires result in direct losses of vegetative cover and many of the benefits associated with forested ecosystems.

NFS lands experience thousands of wildfires every year, most of which are relatively small. The largest fires typically account for 90% of the total acreage burned. RAVG analysis provides a first approximation of areas that due to severity of the fire may require reforestation treatments. These reforestation treatments would re-establish forest cover and restore associated ecosystem services. This initial approximation could be followed by a site-specific diagnosis and development of a silvicultural prescription identifying reforestation needs.

Search for RAVG wildfire summaries using the Select Wildfires… “By Year…”, “By State…”, or “By National Forest/Grassland…” menus (does not allow multiple criteria selection) to produce lists of wildfires; or, you may select an individual wildfire using the “By Wildfire…” selection menu. You may also select a Forest Service Region on the map below to display a wildfire list for that region of the United States.

Juniper Springs Fire

Location: 9 Miles East of Silver Springs, Marion Co. FL
Specific Location: Ocala NF, Lat: 29° 11´ 31″ Lon: 81° 41´ 50″

Date of Origin: 03/10/2009
Cause: Human, escaped campfire

Situation as of 03/22/2009 6:00 pm
Personnel: unknown
Size: 10,022 acres:
Percent Contained: 100%

Cost to Date: $1,404,000

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Situation as of 03/16/2009 8:00 pm
Personnel: 132
Size: 10,022 acres:
Percent Contained: 85%

Estimated date of containment: 03/18/2009

75 homes threatened, none destroyed. Successful burn-out along FR 10 and around Sweetwater Cabin. Numerous spot fires were contained. Two spots across Juniper Run. Kept in check by aerial water drops. 20-40 foot flame lengths in sandpine scrub, significant short range spotting and some long range spotting.

Planned Actions: Send crews by canoe down Juniper Run to contain spots East of Juniper Creek. Burnout interior along Forest Road 65 and 10. Mop up and patrol previous burnouts.

Tuscola Fire

Location: 15 Miles S of Abilene, Taylor Co. TX
Specific Location: Lat: 30° 14´ 3″ Lon: 99° 45´ 52″

Date of Origin: 03/05/2009
Cause: Under investigation

Situation as of 03/06/2009 11:45 am
Personnel: 12
Size: 300 acres:
Percent Contained: 75%

Structures Threatened: 70+ PRIM , 150 OUTB

Evacuations. Two homes and one outbuilding destroyed. US highway #83 and 84 were closed.

Over 70 homes and 150 outbuildings were saved. The air tanker made a direct drop on one residence saving it. Volunteer departments were on this fire all night. Started in the median of a 4-lane road and subsequently jumped that road plus another highway. Fire in heavy grass, brush, and mesquite. One firefighter was treated for smoke inhalation and released. A FEMA Management Assistance Grant was received for this fire.

Wilderness Ridge Fire

Location: 33 Miles SE of Austin, Bastrop Co. TX
Specific Location: Lat: 30° 5´ 30″ Lon: 97° 12´ 6″

Date of Origin: 02/28/2009
Cause: Under investigation, possibly downed powerline

Situation as of 03/03/2009 8:00pm
Personnel: 34
Size: 1,491 acres:
Percent Contained: 85%

Structures Destroyed: 29 homes , 12 businesses , 13 outbuildings

Losses include 29 homes, 12 businesses and 13 other buildings, with an additional 200 homes, 5 businesses and 30 outbuildings saved. Despite diminished winds yesterday the fire remained active in heavy fuels including timber, brush and grass. Some evacuated residents were being allowed to return to their homes yesterday. A downed power line is believed to be the cause.

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Situation as of 03/01/2009 6:00pm
Personnel: 34
Size: 1,200 acres:
Percent Contained: 70%

Structures Destroyed: 28 homes , 12 businesses , 13 outbuildings

Active fire behavior in heavy fuels

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Situation as of 02/28/2009 6:00pm
Personnel: 12
Size: 400 acres:
Percent Contained: 10%

Structures Destroyed: 12 residences , 3 commercial buildings , 13 outbuildings

Note: the Austin American-Statesman reports on 03/01 that 23 homes have been destroyed, and the fire was 650 acres [here].

At one point, more than 200 homes were threatened. One firefighter was treated for smoke inhalation, but no other injuries were reported Saturday night.

Portions of Texas 71 between Bastrop and Smithville were shut down as crews from at least four firefighting airplanes, three helicopters and a host of emergency vehicles toiled to keep the fast-moving fire, fed by gusty winds and parched conditions, at bay.

County Judge Ronnie McDonald declared Bastrop a disaster zone, opening the way for state or federal help. It’s the second time in less than two weeks that the judge has declared a disaster. McDonald recently wrote Gov. Rick Perry asking for help because of record dry conditions.

The area struck by the fire is home to Bastrop’s piney woods and some of its agriculture. It is also dotted with subdivisions. Sandra Taylor, a spokeswoman for the Texas Forest Service, which was assisting Bastrop County with the fire, said officials did not know the names of the destroyed businesses.

As night fell, officials said the fire was 40 percent contained and said they were hoping to make a stand along the Colorado River.

Observed Fire Behavior: Running fire with flame lengths to 40′ and ROS of 1-2 mph. Long distance spotting.

Note 2: as of 6:00pm Mar 1 news wires are reporting 25 homes destroyed, 1,000 acres, 70% contained.