EASTERN AREA

FIRE MANAGER’S BRIEFING

Saturday July 24, 2004

Summary for the Week of July 19 to July 23, 2004

“Tactical Watch Outs”: Building fire line down hill.

National PL Eastern Area PL

III I

Eastern Area Fire Activity Highlights for the week beginning 7/19 to 7/23:

Light initial attack activity across the Eastern Area. Most of the activity was reported by USFS and State agencies in Minnesota. The US Drought Monitor is showing abnormally dry conditions in the coast of Maine, northern Wisconsin and the arrowhead portion of Minnesota. Observations for 1000 hour fuel moisture is showing 16-20% and >20%.

http://www.nifc.gov/sixminutes/dsp_sixminutes.php

Eastern Area Forecast for the week beginning 7/23 to 7/30:

A broad area of high pressure at the surface will continue settling southeast into the Eastern Area through the early part of the week. This should keep much of the region mainly dry along with moderate temperatures. The exceptions will be on the southwestern and southeastern edges of this high pressure. Showers and thunderstorms are expected through Sunday over southern Missouri as a weak low moves east out of the Southern Plains. Further to the east showers and thunderstorms will affect the eastern Mid-Atlantic and southeastern Northeast states along and northwest of a stationary front running through the Mid-Atlantic states. This rainfall, heavy at times, will push further west and north into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states Monday into Tuesday. As the Southern Plains low weakens early in the week the rainfall will diminish quickly across the southern Big Rivers. A trough of low pressure will then advance into the western Great Lakes from the middle to later part of this week and will create scattered showers and thunderstorms over this region. Temperatures and humidity levels will increase over the western compacts as southerly flow increases ahead of the trough. High pressure over the remainder of the Eastern Area will produce mainly dry conditions across rest of the region. Temperatures will also moderate somewhat over the rest of the Eastern Area as the week progresses.

National Fire Activity for the Week beginning 7/19 to 7/23:

National Preparedness Level 3, initial attack activity was moderate across the nation this past week with the majority of Initial Attack and large fire activity occurred in Alaska and Southern California. The previous week 1,119 new fires for 488,498 acres were reported nationally. The national priority remains with fires in Alaska. The Northwest Area is experiencing hot and dry weather with poor humidity recovery with record high temperatures in western Washington and southwest Oregon and east of the Cascades. The respective geographic areas are currently meeting suppression resource needs. Year to date National fires and acres are at 44, 338 fires for 4, 882, 628 acres. Check the following link for information about the accident that occurred on the Boundary Fire in Alaska http://fire.ak.blm.gov/news/news_1.htm

Eastern Area Resources:

AVIATION:

Eastern area aviation totals: 2 Minnesota CL-215’s moving from Alaska to Montana, MN-SUF (CWN) CL-215 in Alaska, MN-SUF T1 Helitanker on Severity, OR-WIF-6.

CREWS:

Midewin IHC (t) committed to Pot Peak Fire, WA.

NOTE: The SIT Reporting Program http://famweb.nwcg.gov/

Provides a timely and simple process for relaying all unit activity to EACC and the Eastern Area community. Contact Karma at EACC with questions or concerns utilizing the SIT system. Intel e-mail address: mneac_nwcg.gov

EACC Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday: 0700-1800

Saturday through Sunday: 0700-1800

EACC Staffing: Dave Boyd, Center Manager

Laura McIntyer-Kelly, Deputy Center Manager

Ann Stegmaier, Logistics Coordinator, Aviation

Scott Swendsen, Logistics Dispatcher

Karma Kanseah, Intelligence Coordinator

Stephen Marien, Fire Weather Program Manager

Gloria Pellin, Administrative Officer

Rob Jamieson, Computer Specialist

Dispatchers Assigned:

Tom, MI-HMF, EDSD (t)

Debra-Ann, PA-PAS, EDRC (t)

Susan, PA-DWP, EDRC (t)

Reminder: EACC updates its Availability List as Eastern Area units submit information. It is important to submit any updates or changes in your unit’s list to EACC particularly before the weekend, and as activity levels increase.

The Eastern Area Manager’s Briefing is produced to assist fire managers in the Eastern Area community. It is produced on a weekly basis and at more frequent intervals as activity warrants.

Your EACC Team

HELPFUL WEB SITES:

SSD Fire Detection Program:

http://www.firedetect.noaa.gov/viewer.htm

NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVELS, PAST 15 YEARS