# Presentation: 446980

## National Association of State Foresters & Wildland Fire Weather

- by
**Wayne Mitchell**
**California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection**
**1416 9****th**** Street**
**Sacramento, CA 94244-2460**
**(916) 653-6031**
**wayne.mitchell@fire.ca.gov**
- Washington, D.C.
**January 25, 2006**

- NWS - 10/27/98

## Objectives

- Describe the State Foresters needs for the National Fire Weather Program
- Describe Cooperative Wildland Fire Protection as it relates to Fire Weather
- 			Local, State, National

- NWS - 10/27/98

## Wildland Fire Community

*Plus many others. . .*

- NWS - 10/27/98

## Wildland Fire Workload1990s Average Annual

**Wildland Fire Workload****1990s**** ****Average Annual**

**Number of Fires**
**Federal - 13,800**
**State & Local - 52,400**
**Acres Burned**
**Federal - 1,980,000**
**State & Local - 874,000**

- NWS - 10/27/98

## Wildland FireProgram Expenditures

- NWS - 10/27/98

- Millions

- * Estimated annual expenditures 1990s

- *

## Who Really Pays for Wildfires?

- Initial Attack

- Major

- Disaster

- Analysis  of 1994 California fire activity

## Jurisdiction and Agreementsfurther integrate responsibilities

## For Example: San Diego County, CA

## Public and Fire Fighter Safety Depend on Good Weather Forecasts

- Standard Fire Orders for Firefighter Safety
*“**Initiate all actions based upon current and expected fire behavior”*
*“**Recognize current weather conditions          and obtain forecasts”*

## Serving Our Public

- Anticipating of future conditions is critical
- efficient resource use
- public safety
- fire fighter safety
- Knowledge of current and expected weather is the key to anticipating future conditions

## Wildland Fire Command  Structure

- Strategic

- Tactical

- Who
- Decisions

- Where
- Decisions

## Remote Automatic Weather Stations

## Satellite Data Delivery

## An Interagency RAWS Network

## National Weather Information Management System (WIMS)

## Use of Fire WeatherProducts and Services

- Planning

- NWS - 10/27/98

## WIMS provides daily fire danger information

## Current Products & Services

- NWS - 10/27/98

- Alpha/Numeric Forecasts
- Graphical Products

## Use of Fire WeatherProducts and Services

- Use of Fire WeatherProducts and Services

- Planning
- Preparedness

- NWS - 10/27/98

## Alpha/Numeric Forecasts

- Current Products & Services

*Fire Wx Narrative Fcsts*
*Fire Wx Zone Fcsts*
*Fire Danger Rating       Index Fcsts*
*Fire Wx Watches &          Red Flag Warnings*
*Transport & Stability Fcsts*
*Site Specific (Spot) Fcsts*

- NWS - 10/27/98

## Fire Danger Pocket Card

## Use of Fire WeatherProducts and Services

- Use of Fire WeatherProducts and Services

- Planning
- Preparedness
- Operations

- NWS - 10/27/98

- Photo courtesy of: Larry Haftl, Wildland Firefighter Magazine

## NWS Mission

- The NWS is the *sole* OFFICIAL voice for issuing warnings in life threatening weather situations
* **The wildland fire agencies believe this is critical, and puts the NWS squarely behind the fire weather forecasting program!!!*
- Critical information and forecasts are provided to emergency managers and local decision makers to support evacuations and other safety measures in response to toxic spills, *wildfires*, and technological hazards.

- NWS - 10/27/98

## Incident Command SystemA Team Approach

## Alpha/Numeric Forecasts
Graphical Products
Briefings

- Graphical Products
- Briefings

- Current Products & Services

- NWS - 10/27/98

## Alpha/Numeric Forecasts
Graphical Products
Briefings
Consultation

- Graphical Products
- Briefings
- Consultation

- Current Products & Services

- NWS - 10/27/98

## Alpha/Numeric Forecasts
Graphical Products
Briefings
Consultation
Incident Meteorologists

- Alpha/Numeric Forecasts
- Graphical Products
- Briefings
- Consultation
- Incident Meteorologists

- Current Products & Services

- NWS - 10/27/98

## Alpha/Numeric Forecasts
Graphical Products
Briefings
Consultation
Incident Meteorologists
High Resolution -       High Frequency Data

- Graphical Products
- Briefings
- Consultation
- Incident Meteorologists
- High Resolution -       High Frequency Data

- Current Products & Services

- NWS - 10/27/98

## Change in Wildland Fire

- Workforce reductions
- Interagency
- Hazardous fuels
- Higher suppression costs
- Larger fires
- Greater resource damage
- Higher risk to firefighters

- People moving into the wildlands - *Interface*
- Increase reliance on non-fire personnel
- T & E species
- Significant organizational change
- Contractor resources

- NWS - 10/27/98

## Future Needs

- Broad spectrum products
- Text & graphical to frequent high resolution data
- Large spatial variation
- Site specific to Regional/National scale
- Forecasts - probability & confidence
- Expertise improving the science of fire weather and complex terrain meteorology
*Operational research - Locally & Nationally*

- NWS - 10/27/98

## Future Needs

- Technical advice, briefings & consultation
- On-site fire weather expertise
- Weather station data monitoring
- Smoke management - air quality support
- Service to all wildland fire agencies including State Agencies
- Mid to long range forecasts
- Training cadre

- NWS - 10/27/98

## What About Air Quality?

- Air Quality standards, driven by EPA, are getting more restrictive.
- Prescribed fire is a service increasingly demanded of Federal, State, and Local Fire agencies.
- Weather is a KEY component of smoke management plans.
- The NWS has limited authority to provide smoke management forecasts.

*Thank you for listening*

- NWS - 10/27/98

## Questions

- ?

- NWS - 10/27/98