Big Fires Around Halifax

[kratz]

NS issued an Emergency Alert province wide this evening, banning all open fires--including campgrounds--until June 25.

I agree restrictions are required, yet I am still asking, what is going to improve in 3.5 week's time? This is still spring , the amount of deadfall and underbrush will remain throughout the summer. I am trying not to jump to how restrictive the province was during another recent emergency, because in that scenario the province extended restrictions 48 times in a row, 2 weeks at a time.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Taken yesterday by a buddy…Barrington fire.



And Halifax one…

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Jeezus…I’m guessing this kind of a wildfire isn’t very common in the Maritimes? I know they have crews and tankers there, but I never hear about big fires in that part of the country.

Godspeed to everyone in the area and my heart goes out to those affected.

Way more common in New Brunswick. We have a number of water bomber bases in New Brunswick. Irving owns much of the woodlands and maintains their own protection teams as well.

We've had huge fires before, there was one when I was a child in Northern NB, you can still see where it happened when you drive by the site on the highway.

These things tend to happen in waves and then not happen again for many years afterwards.

 

[Spencer100]

Way more common in New Brunswick. We have a number of water bomber bases in New Brunswick. Irving owns much of the woodlands and maintains their own protection teams as well.

We've had huge fires before, there was one when I was a child in Northern NB, you can still see where it happened when you drive by the site on the highway.

These things tend to happen in waves and then not happen again for many years afterwards.

Is it because we "manage" the forest and don't let "nature" take it's course?

But also people have pushed farther and father into forested areas.

 

[QV]

Is it because we "manage" the forest and don't let "nature" take it's course?

But also people have pushed farther and father into forested areas.

After a prairie grass fire, ever notice how green and healthy the next year growth is on the previously burnt area? Burns are a part of nature and we should be managing them somehow.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Is it because we "manage" the forest and don't let "nature" take it's course?

But also people have pushed farther and father into forested areas.

Forest Fires generally happen when we stop managing the forest.

Irving runs a very comprehensive Forest Management program:

https://www.irvingwoodlands.com/jdi-woodlands-healthy-forest-forest-protection-forest-fire.aspx

The New Brunswick Government, due to the importance of the Forestry Industry here, also runs and operates an impressive aerial forestry management fleet.

It's actually the largest water bomber and aerial fleet in Eastern Canada:

Aerial Forest Firefighting

Forest Protection’s firefighting services are essential to protecting the life, property, and forests in New Brunswick to cultivate to strong forests.

forestprotectionlimited.com

 

[foresterab]

Jeezus…I’m guessing this kind of a wildfire isn’t very common in the Maritimes? I know they have crews and tankers there, but I never hear about big fires in that part of the country.

Godspeed to everyone in the area and my heart goes out to those affected.

Nova Scotia has a small wildfire section (apparently they work with municipal fire fighters alot), some overhead staff, and a relatively small number of firefighters. They're good and have exported to alot of other provinces in past years so they have experience on larger fires but nationally there is very little to offer with BC, AB, SK, MB, NWT, and ON all with fires active. USA is partially tapped out and international resources are here or enroute (Aust/NZ/S.Africa)

In regards to tankers Nova Scotia has 1? 2? contract helicopters but no air tankers. New Brunswick used to have some via Irving (TBF Avengers) but I'm unclear on what they have currently. Newfoundland has CL-415 (also PQ/ON/MB/SK). CL-215's are run by NWT and AB. And then you get into the other models of planes which range from Coulson's C-130 to Ontario's Twin Otters.

 

[foresterab]

Forest Fires generally happen when we stop managing the forest.

Irving runs a very comprehensive Forest Management program:

https://www.irvingwoodlands.com/jdi-woodlands-healthy-forest-forest-protection-forest-fire.aspx

The New Brunswick Government, due to the importance of the Forestry Industry here, also runs and operates an impressive aerial forestry management fleet.

It's actually the largest water bomber and aerial fleet in Eastern Canada:

Aerial Forest Firefighting

Forest Protection’s firefighting services are essential to protecting the life, property, and forests in New Brunswick to cultivate to strong forests.

forestprotectionlimited.com

I'm not sure on FPL's actual fleet size. I would have said ON and PQ (who also contract to California in the off season) would have had much larger fleets. Newfoundland has 4? CL-415's.

The Airtractor 802's are a decent airframe and very used to them locally. Unfortunately they are small capacity and require numbers to be as effective as some other airframes...but you're trading a multiple airframe nimble group (so a single plane maintenance issue is not crippling) vs. a single airframe with more drop capacity but less maneuverability. Never a perfect solution but definitely beats packing water by hand.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

I'm not sure on FPL's actual fleet size. I would have said ON and PQ (who also contract to California in the off season) would have had much larger fleets. Newfoundland has 4? CL-415's.

The Airtractor 802's are a decent airframe and very used to them locally. Unfortunately they are small capacity and require numbers to be as effective as some other airframes...but you're trading a multiple airframe nimble group (so a single plane maintenance issue is not crippling) vs. a single airframe with more drop capacity but less maneuverability. Never a perfect solution but definitely beats packing water by hand.

They have 15 AT-802s. All staged out of Fredericton with 11 forward operating bases spread around the Province.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

DNRR has some helos, as well.

https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4037978

 

[foresterab]

DNRR has some helos, as well.

https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4037978

Thank you Eye in the Sky. Been a couple seasons since I've worked with NS resources so appreciate the intel update.

 

[foresterab]

They have 15 AT-802s. All staged out of Fredericton with 11 forward operating bases spread around the Province.

Roger. Bigger fleet than I would have thought initially. I've never worked with FPL or seen their airframes so definitely out of the loop there.

Ontario appears to run 9x CL415's, 5x Turbo Beavers for support/logistics and 6x Twin Otters which may or may not be set up for water bombing depending on gear profile. Unclear how many helicopters they have. I've only worked with the CL-415's out west as the smaller airframes they tend to keep in province. Aviation services


Quebec has 14? tankers...looks like 8x CL-415's (which I've worked with) and another 6x CL-215 (which I didn't know about). Fighting forest fires: Quebec spends $42M to upgrade water bombers

There would also be air attack officer platforms not counted but also adding to the fleet sizes for each area. Cessna Caravan 208's are popular but by no means the only air frame.

 

[lenaitch]

I remember vacationing in St. Andrews NB when a fire broke out just outside of town (apparently there is another currently) and watching the Avengers in action.

Ontario appears to run 9x CL415's, 5x Turbo Beavers for support/logistics and 6x Twin Otters which may or may not be set up for water bombing depending on gear profile. Unclear how many helicopters they have.

Apparently they have 7 Eurocopter EC130-B4's and 1 Eurocopter AS350-B2. As far as I know they also contract out for more in-season as well as contract out their 'birddog' aircraft services. As far as I know the Twin Otters are all rigged for bombing; I'm not sure about the Beavers.

NS issued an Emergency Alert province wide this evening, banning all open fires--including campgrounds--until June 25.

I agree restrictions are required, yet I am still asking, what is going to improve in 3.5 week's time? This is still spring , the amount of deadfall and underbrush will remain throughout the summer. I am trying not to jump to how restrictive the province was during another recent emergency, because in that scenario the province extended restrictions 48 times in a row, 2 weeks at a time.

Activity restrictions cut down on the number of people in or near the bush doing potentially risky activity or, if something does start, needing evacuation.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

It’s not getting better



There is a no burn, no woods access restriction across the province. The number of illegal burns being responded to is infuriating. It’s time to start hitting people with bats and pipes.

 

[foresterab]

It’s not getting better

View attachment 77854

There is a no burn, no woods access restriction across the province. The number of illegal burns being responded to is infuriating. It’s time to start hitting people with bats and pipes.

At least it's a white column (i.e. lower intensity burn) and not developed yet into full nasty crown fire sucking air into the top. Down side is that column is laid over which tells me winds are at play and fire is being fanned, Hopefully it stays at that level and doesn't grow more powerful/destructive.

Really growing to hate the site of fire smoke columns this year...bad things come of them.

 

[Quirky]

It’s not getting better

View attachment 77854

There is a no burn, no woods access restriction across the province. The number of illegal burns being responded to is infuriating. It’s time to start hitting people with bats and pipes.

How good is the infrared system on the P3s? Time to go hunting for a different kind of criminal.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

How good is the infrared system on the P3s? Time to go hunting for a different kind of criminal.

I’ve followed footprints to sentry positions…

 

[Eye In The Sky]

At least it's a white column (i.e. lower intensity burn) and not developed yet into full nasty crown fire sucking air into the top. Down side is that column is laid over which tells me winds are at play and fire is being fanned, Hopefully it stays at that level and doesn't grow more powerful/destructive.

Really growing to hate the site of fire smoke columns this year...bad things come of them.

They just evacuated that area for fire and an ammonia leak…

 

[DBNSG]

I’ve followed footprints to sentry positions…

WOW, that is a capable piece of Kit

 

[Eye In The Sky]

WOW, that is a capable piece of Kit

the newer ones are much better.