The recording of the Southern Fire Exchange webinar from Thursday, February 11th “COVID-19 Impacts on Southeast Prescribed Fire and Strategies for Keeping Fire on the Ground” is now live on the SFE YouTube webinar archive. This webinar featured a research presentation on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Southeastern prescribed fire as well as a fire manager panel discussion that covered strategies for managing prescribed fire programs in 2020 and 2021. Webinar presenters included: Benjamin Poulter, Ph.D., NASA Earth Sciences Division and Morgan Varner, Ph.D., Tall Timbers Research Station. The webinar fire manager panelists included: Greg Titus, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Brett Williams, US Air Force Wildland Fire Branch, and Sasha Ernst, Florida Park Service
Click here to view the archived webinar
Click here to download the webinar slides
coronavirus
NASA Documents Fewer Prescribed Burns During the Pandemic
A new research data dashboard from NASA shows the changes in prescribed fire use during the COVID-19 pandemic. The satellite derived images show the temporal and spatial changes in the amount of fire on the southeastern landscape from March through August of 2020. You can explore the data and then visit the Tall Timbers Research Station online FireTrendR application to for more information about the NASA MODIS and VIIRS Active Fire datasets.
For an in-depth discussion of this project, followed by a panel discussion with regional prescribed fire managers, register for the free Southern Fire Exchange, NASA, and Tall Timbers webinar on February 11th from 1:00 – 2:30 PM ET. The webinar panel discussion will include fire managers from Eglin Air Force Base, the Florida Park Service, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Continue ReadingSFE Webinar: COVID-19 Impacts on Southeast Prescribed Fire & Strategies for Keeping Fire on the Ground
Hosts: NASA, Tall Timbers Research Station, Southern Fire Exchange, Joint Fire Science Program, and the University of Florida
Presenters: Benjamin Poulter, Ph.D., NASA Earth Sciences Division
Morgan Varner, Ph.D., Tall Timbers Research Station
Greg Titus, US Fish and Wildlife Service
Brett Williams, US Air Force Wildland Fire Branch
Sasha Ernst, Florida Park Service
Webinar Description: The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has altered the use of prescribed fire on hundreds of thousands of acres of public and private lands across the Southeastern United States. In this special two-part webinar, scientists and fire management program leaders will discuss both the measurable impacts of the pandemic on prescribed fire use, as well as successful strategies for managing fire during the time of COVID-19. In the first presentation, NASA research scientist Ben Poulter, Ph.D., will discuss the results of a project with Tall Timbers Research Station that identified changes in the pattern and frequency of fire across the region in 2020. In the second half of the webinar, a panel of prescribed fire managers from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Eglin Air Force Base, and the Florida Park Service, will discuss their experiences, lessons, and strategies for managing prescribed fire programs in 2020 and 2021. Following the research presentation and panel discussion, there will be time for audience Q/A.
Registration is required. Register here.
Continue ReadingNew CDC Resource: Public Health Strategies to Reduce Exposure to Wildfire Smoke during the COVID-19 Pandemic
The CDC has released a new resource with guidance on public health strategies for minimizing wildfire smoke impacts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Topics discussed include creating safe spaces indoors, considerations for face masks, and planning for wildfire and extreme heat. The new guide “Public Health Strategies to Reduce Exposure to Wildfire Smoke during the COVID-19 Pandemic” should also be used with the CDC “Wildfire Smoke and COVID-19: Frequently Asked Questions and Resources for Air Resource Advisors and Other Environmental Health Professionals” guide.
Continue ReadingNew NWCG COVID-19 Briefing Checklist
Make sure that your briefings are now including important health and safety considerations for working wildland fire during the time of COVID-19. The new “Fire and COVID-19 Briefing Checklist Decal” from the NWCG can be printed at home / work or ordered from NWCG in mid-July. Visit the NWCG download page to choose a color and download the decal pdf to stick on your IRPG.
Continue ReadingBLM Fire and Aviation Social Distance and Hygiene Tips for Firefighters
The Bureau of Land Management Fire and Aviation Directorate issued an “Operations Alert” memo on March 24, 2020 that contains recommendations and guidelines for wildland fire programs during this time of the coronavirus. See the full memo here (pdf) and consider sharing it with your colleagues working in prescribed fire and wildland fire management.
Continue ReadingNWCG Infectious Disease Guidance for Wildland Fire Incidents
Planning for the impacts of the novel coronavirus on wildland fire operations has been a hot topic lately. See this guide (NWCG Infectious Disease Guidance for Wildland Fire Incidents) from the NWCG Emergency Medical Committee for recommendations and considerations when planning for wildland fire incident management activities. Remember that this guide:
Continue Reading“…does not supersede the guidance or direction of local health authorities but supplements existing direction from them.”