The Hotshot Wake Up

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I cover the wildfire technology summits I attended in both Nevada and Boise. I sit down with Chief Mark Niemeyer to discuss what the Western Fire Chiefs Association is doing to bring together Agencies, wildland firefighters, and technology companies to facilitate a proactive approach to tech adoption in the wildfire world.
They are taking a four-phase approach to address the following strategic mission outcomes developed in the Phase 1 Summit with Agency leadership.
Interagency coordination and common operating picture

Strategic planning, funding, and workforce development

Cultural shift to proactive wildfire management

Technology and data integration for intelligence

Community and landscape resilience and hardening

Post-fire recovery and adaptation

The next phase will take place in Salt Lake City in October. If you want to know where the wildfire tech revolution is headed, this is well worth the listen.
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Today, the Forest Service officially announced its reorganization plans. I interviewed Deputy Chief of Fire and Aviation Management, Sarah Fisher, and Associate Chief of the Forest Service, Chris French, to get the details of the plan.
There is a lot that is taking place, including the relocation of the Forest Service headquarters, and Research and Development will be moved as well. They are moving away from their Regional model and will transition to a more state-based model.
This reorganization will take place in phases, and all Regional Offices will be closed. Some will be repurposed, including Juneau, Alaska, Vallejo, California, and Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Wildfire operations will continue to operate mostly as is, and Sarah Fisher provides those details as well.
I thank the Deputy Chief and the Associate Chief for their time in explaining this process to the listeners.
THE HOTSHOT WAKE UP — Thank you to all of our paid subscribers. Your support allows us to donate generously to firefighter charities and supports all of our content. You also receive all of our article archives, more podcast episodes, Monday morning workouts, and also entered into our giveaways, plus more.

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It was revealed in court documents this week that a helicopter pilot tried to take down a hobby drone over a wildfire with bucket drops. The pilot was between drops, protecting homes, when he spotted the drone.

The judge in the case fined the drone operator $5K, well below the recommended amount, set forth in the Wildfire Act. The drone pilot argued he didn’t know firefighters and pilots were engaged in the massive inferno.

A conversation about the growing issue of hobby drones over wildfires, and the lengths firefighters and pilots are forced to take to mitigate them.

Forest Service Chief Schultz sends out a memo declaring an end to red tape and cumbersome mandates, and putting decision-making back in the hands of operators on the ground.

Europe launches new wildfire center and is working to expand funding for mitigation, aviation, and training. Huge wildfire aviation conference in Rome.

California HOA sues homeowners for $23,000 and tries to foreclose on properties burned down in the Eaton Fire.

A full operational update and a rant.

THE HOTSHOT WAKE UP — Thank you to all of our paid subscribers. Your support allows us to donate generously to firefighter charities and supports all of our content. You also receive all of our article archives, more podcast episodes, Monday morning workouts, and also entered into our giveaways, plus more.

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As we head into crews coming on, a conversation about pre-season jitters.

I talk about how I and others trained for the season, the first day on a Hotshot crew, and what was expected versus the reality. The jitters are normal; it means you care.

A Minnesota woman was fined $150,000 for not calling in a wildfire that started on her property. The MN DNR doesn’t usually fine large amounts, maybe this is their way of setting an example? Full story.

Fires are popping up across the western United States. Multiple new starts in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Arizona, and New Mexico.

Full Operational Update as we increase to a PL2.

THE HOTSHOT WAKE UP — Thank you to all of our paid subscribers. Your support allows us to donate generously to firefighter charities and supports all of our content. You also receive all of our article archives, more podcast episodes, Monday morning workouts, and also entered into our giveaways, plus more.

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Wildfires in Nebraska have burned nearly 700,000 acres this week, with the Morrill Fire now the largest in the State’s history. Full update.

South Dakota got a wake-up call with the Qury Fire, now 7,200 acres. The fire’s management has already expressed a shortage of aviation resources due to the ongoing fires in Nebraska.

The Southwest is expecting a critical fire weather event pushing in early this week, with temperatures above 100 degrees. Fire managers and Incident Management Teams are prepping for a possible wildfire outbreak.

Elected officials in Colorado sent a letter to Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz, asking for more prescribed burns and forest mitigation work due to concerns over record-low snowpacks. But asking Agencies and Firefighters to put more fire on the ground in these conditions is a big ask… and still no hazard pay for these increasingly hazardous operations. A full discussion on this.

When do you declare an escaped burn a wildfire? A new report from the Klamath National Forest.

Plus more.

THE HOTSHOT WAKE UP — Thank you to all of our paid subscribers. Your support allows us to donate generously to firefighter charities and supports all of our content. You also receive all of our article archives, more podcast episodes, Monday morning workouts, and also entered into our giveaways, plus more.