America Burning: The Yarnell Hill Tragedy and the Nation’s Wildfire Crisis
The 2013 Yarnell Hill Fire is one of the most historic fire tragedies since September 11, 2001 when it comes to the loss of firefighters. This event sparked a realization among officials that wildfires are only getting bigger and stronger. The events of the Yarnell Fire occurred on June 30, 2013. The Granite Mountain Hotshot crew, local to Prescott, Arizona, were one of the main crews fighting the fire that day. They were following all tactics and procedures until the conditions suddenly changed and the fire started moving in their direction. The crew entered a canyon to reach their safe house and the fire rushed towards them at 12 miles per hour and the crew ended up in front of the fire. Tragically, 19 of the 20 crew members were lost. There were several incidents that went wrong, such as the crew moving out of a protected area, the fire moving so quickly, communications issues, etc. The tragedies of the Yarnell Hill fire bring into question an environmental issue: have forests become more dangerous from us fighting the wildfires?
Cow Fire: Proactive Fire Management in Action
The tactics and strategies of the 204 Cow Fire were proactive and allowed fire crews to manage the lightning-caused fire and help reduce the build-up of underbrush, restoring overall forest health. That specific area of forest had been dominated by beetle-killed trees where fire had not occurred for 30 years. Instead of a direct attack, crews surrounded the fire with containment features such as existing roads and construction lines. The fire lines built were strengthened by burn outs that eliminated fuel between the wildfire and the constructed lines. Officials working on this fire state that fire footprints, prescribed burns and other fuel-reducing techniques are the key to containing new large fires.
Cohesive Strategy Stakeholders Perspectives
No matter how much research is done, fire behavior will continue to be uncharacteristic in specific circumstances. Congress created the FLAME act to address these issues. This action led to the Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy, which focuses on a resilient landscape, fire adapted communities, and safe and effective wildfire response/operations. Fires cannot be avoided as it is a natural process. The end goal of this strategy is to reduce the impacts of wildfires on ecosystems and within communities through fire response and all-hands collaboration.
3 replies on “Shaping Wildfire Suppression Tactics”
Hi Tristyn, fantastic post outlining current events in wildfire. Its terrifying that events such as the incident that overtook the Prescott IHC can happen so quickly, taking hold of our firefighters, and their community. However, it is a positive start that more agencies and regions are beginning to implement not only prescribed fire, but wildfire for resource benefit. Such tactics that were implemented on the Cow fire are a positive example of how we may better utilize fire on the landscape. However, I know and understand that it will take a lot longer for such tactics to be utilized across the nation. Many regions are FAR behind on land management and allowing all fires to burn under any conditions would be likely be catastrophic in many areas. However, if plans were made up, similar to prescribed fires on when and under what conditions we may allow natural fires to burn I believe we would be moving in a great direction…now to only get the public on board!
Again, great post! I like how you added the youtube videos to supplement your writings.
Tristyn,
I really enjoyed your post discussing the tragic events that occurred on the Yarnell Hill Fire in 2013. I think about this fire a lot because of the issues you raised – lack of fuels management in the area, fire suppression policy, etc. But this incident also makes me think about the predicament in which firefighters currently find themselves.
On one hand, we are asking these folks to light prescribed fires to reduce fuel loading – with potentially devastating impacts to their career and their safety (Cerro Grande). And on the other hand – they are the first to be placed in harm’s way when wildland fires threaten communities.
The health, safety, and job security for these folks should be at the front of the mind of every decision-maker and manager as they implement whatever fire policy is decided upon – Because without wildland firefighters, the policy is not even worth the paper on which it is written.
Thanks again for your thought provoking blog!
Hi Tristyn,
I enjoyed reading your post! I chose the same three videos to write about for my own blog, and it was interesting to see another person tie the same material together in a different way! I appreciate how you brought up the question, “have forests become more dangerous from us fighting the wildfires?” regarding the Yarnell Hill Fire. I read that the area surrounding Yarnell hadn’t burned in the 50 years prior to that fire (Mockenhaupt, 2014). Those 50 years of suppression, in addition to the weather changing, made me reflect on the factors and fuels involved that added to the severity of the fire. You made a great comparison to the 204 Cow Fire, the containment features, and the eliminated fuels which helped them contain the fire. My answer to your question is, yes, historically forests have become more dangerous from us fighting wildfires, but hopefully the times are changing and we can manage and prevent fires in a smarter and safer way.
References
Mockenhaupt, B. (2014, June). Fire on the mountain. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/06/fire-on-the-mountain/361613/