Australian, New Zealand firefighters fly to US to battle massive wildfires

More than 70 firefighters will make their way to the United States to help American counterparts battle more than 100 wildfires across the country. In other words: same sad stories, new year.

Fire managers told residents near the town of Weippe late Thursday to flee the fires that have scorched 63 square miles of mostly timber and are partially contained. The 31-year-old from South Haven was a seasonal worker who hoped to become a permanent U.S. Forest Service wildland firefighter. It cobbled together troops of young men and handed out shovels, axes and orders to clear flammable material around the perimeter of wildfires.

That effort may involve crews with hand tools, heavy equipment crews spreading water to lay down “wet lines” and burning out areas to rob fires of fuel. So far, no technology has been able to replace human judgment and dexterity when it comes to culling potential kindling.

Two other wild horses were euthanized, and Tiel-Nelson said more may be found killed by the so-called Soda fire, which was nearing containment on Tuesday after burning more than 280,000 acres (110,000 hectares). In all, almost a half-million acres have burned in Washington.

With little relief for fire weather over the next week, the fires’ combined size could exceed last year’s Carlton Complex. Three of those were larger by a factor of five.

“Since 2000, at least 10 states have had their largest fires on record”, the USDA report states. One reason is that fire suppression has changed Western forests.

Calling for more funding for forest treatment and fire-prevention, state lands commissioner Peter Goldmark said the forests were unhealthy. Many of those residents don’t own cars.

Another reason is the warming climate. The extra heat wicks water away from plants, drying them out and priming the forests for fire.

“Their logistics skills will be in high demand, especially managing aircraft to fight fires and ferry supplies to remote locations”, Kevin O’Connor of New Zealand’s National Rural Fire Authority said in a statement.

The U.S. Forest Service spends more than a billion dollars each year on suppressing wildfires. California Gov. Jerry Brown has called for thousands of additional firefighters.

The firefighter who was newly admitted to Harborview is an employee of the state Department of Natural Resources, agency spokesman Bob Redling said. Recognizing when a fire has reached that point seems to be the trouble.

To the northeast, firefighters also made progress Saturday on the Grizzly Bear Complex of fires in northeast Oregon and southeast Washington.

Despite fears that the fires could spread, firefighters have seen some success in recent days.

The break in intensity on Saturday could end today with increasing temperatures.

But certain strategies can mitigate the risk.

Even if fire is not an immediate danger, some areas – including the Rogue Valley here in southern Oregon – are filled with smoke from large upwind fires, pushing air quality into unhealthy categories. Homeowners can create defensible space around their houses by using chainsaws and chippers to thin the forest near their property.

The declaration authorizes the state fire marshal to mobilize fire resources from around the state to protect homes. During the tragic Yarnell Hill Fire, ranches built with fire-resistant materials and surrounded by defensible space survived 30-foot walls of flames while the homes around them burned.