Events and News

If you are planning to burn units at least 20 acres in size during the late growing season, your smoke could help contribute to science.

Currently, a NASA DC-8 is stationed in Salina, Kansas, for the FIREX-AQ project. "Our science goals are to understand the large diversity of fires, including those that are often underrepresented -- prescribed and cropland fires (rangelands, grasslands, etc.). We want to understand and characterize the differences in emissions between large wildland and smaller fires," explained Dr. Amber J. Soja in a recent email update about the project. Soja is an Associate Research Fellow at the National Institute of Aerospace. "FIREX-AQ goals require sampling a diverse array of fires in order to best inform the science," she said.
 
That may still beg the question - won't a grassland growing season burn in the Midwest be too small? Dr. Jessica McCarty, a co-investigator at Miami University, clarified the scale of interest. "We want to fly small fires (several 20-80 acre fires) to as large as 8,000 acres (lit as 500-600 blocks)." A flight on August 21 sampled eight 40 acre cropped fields in Louisiana and Arkansas, she said. If weather conditions lead to several burns occurring nearby on the same day, the mission may may be able to pick up burns in the Corn Belt region.

NASA's Joe Atkinson posted a story about that flight on the NASA Earth Expeditions blog. Atkinson's story noted that researchers on that flight spotted and sampled a fire in northern Texas that hadn't been picked up by satellites. “This goes back to the question of, are we seeing these small fires?” asked Jim Crawford, FIREX-AQ mission scientist from NASA’s Langley Research Center.

If you are planning a burn and would like to get involved, please contact one of the regional team members:

croplands, ag lands
Jessica McCarty, Miami University - mccartjl@miamioh.edu (502) 415-1628
prescribed wildland burns:
Carol Baldwin, Kansas State University - carolbaldwin@ksu.edu (785) 532 - 0416

Air Resources Specialist (Physical Scientist)
GS-1301 -13
Bureau of Land Management
Alaska State Office
Anchorage, Alaska
 
A new air resource specialist position with the BLM in Alaska is now advertised and posted to USAjobs.gov for three weeks, August 27 to September 18.

This position will be located in the Alaska State Office, Division of Resources, in Anchorage Alaska. The employee serves in a professional capacity as a senior staff expert for air resource activities, providing advice and support to the State Directorate, Deputy State Directors and District and Field Managers. The employee is responsible for the technical adequacy of air resources program development and management, primarily for Bureau Land Use Plans and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) related impact assessments, and serves as an expert consultant in coordinating activities between other agencies, universities, and research institutions.
 
The air resources specialist supports BLM’s multiple use mission by developing and implementing air resource projects to fulfill the full suite of the BLM activities and use authorizations. In Alaska, these actions and authorizations could include, but are not limited to, energy development, subsistence, recreation, forest management, noise impacts, and smoke management. Additionally, as the only US Arctic state, air quality issues in Alaska are different from the Lower 48 and offer unique challenges.
 
BLM Alaska is looking for someone with strong experience in conducting and reviewing air dispersion modeling, as well as thorough understanding and experience of technical 'state-of-the-art' advances in air resource and noise impact management. This position will present both challenging and rewarding opportunities in the great state of Alaska!
 
Since this is the first Air Resource Specialist for BLM Alaska, the incumbent has the opportunity to develop this position and demonstrate its importance and usefulness. The demand for air expertise has been growing steadily in recent years all across the country as well as Alaska, both due to increased workloads and the diversity of air resources related issues.

As a member of the Prescribed Fire Team within the Wildlife Program, the employee participates in providing statewide fire management implementation services on wildlife areas including fire dependent fish and wildlife habitat restoration and maintenance using prescribed (Rx) fire. Additionally this position is a member of a Prescribed (Rx) Fire Burn Team to help implement projects for fire-dependent dry forest ecosystems with an initial focus in Eastern Washington but may include any region in Washington State. The employee supports/contributes to the mission of WDFW of preserving, protecting and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats by restoring fire as a disturbance agent at the appropriate frequency to fire dependent ecosystems/habitats sustaining and perpetuating the plants and animals dependent thereon.

If you haven't had a chance to submit your oral presentation or fire circle abstract for the 8th International Fire Ecology and Management Congress, you still have time to do so! They are extending the deadline to accommodate summer schedules and those in the field. See the link below for details and submit your abstracts no later than Thursday, August 15.

Abstracts for poster presentations and attached meetings will be accepted until August 30, with no extensions.

The US Air Force Wildland Fire Branch at Eglin AFB, FL is seeking qualified applicants for a GS-7 wildland firefighter position at Eglin AFB through direct hire authority. This direct hire position is open to external hires.

The Eglin Wildland Support Module (WSM) completes approximately 90,000 acres of prscribed burning each year in the Florida panhandle, provides fire suppression to Eglin AFB  and works with a variety of interagency partnerships. Basic qualification requirement is FFT2, but higher fire quals, Class B CDL, and heavy equipment experience are desired. The position is a secondary fire position, covered by firefighter retirement for those who qualify, and duties will include prescribed fire prep, planning, and implementation, wildfire response, equipment repair and fabrication, and fire effects monitoring with an expectation that the hire would gain a Class B CDL and become qualified as a tractor-plow operator within the first 6 months of hiring. It is also important to note that our crew works shifts that require some weekend work as part of a normal shift.

Interested applicants should send an email with resume directly to Brett Williams, Eglin WSM Lead by July 12th.

The Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) has released its 2019 Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs):

The Graduate Research Innovation (GRIN) announcement FA-FOA0019-001 has one task statement. Proposals must address one or more of the following topic areas:

• Fuels management and fire behavior
• Emissions and air quality
• Fire effects and post-fire recovery
• Relative impacts of prescribed fire versus wildfire
• Human dimensions of fire

The primary announcement FA-FOA0019-002 has two task statements:

1. Effectiveness of fuel breaks and fuel break systems
2. Reducing damages and losses to valued resources from wildfire

The Regional Fire Science Exchange announcement FA-FOA0019-003 has one task statement focused on leading and executing a regional fire science exchange in the following two regions:

1. Great Plains
2. Southern Rockies

Position Overview: Serves as the agency’s lead expert on prescribed fire – use, application and implementation. The primary purpose of the position will be to provide leadership in the use and applicability of prescribed fire in Washington, develop a prescribed fire program within the agency and develop a prescribed burn certification program for those who practice prescribed burning in the State of Washington (see RCW 76.04.183). This position serves as a mid-level manager providing oversight and program advocacy for the appropriate use of prescribed fire as well as long-term growth and viability of the program.

The position will provide support for the successful operational use of prescribed fire in helping to achieve the goals of the agency’s 20-year Forest Health Strategic Plan for Eastern Washington (https://www.dnr.wa.gov/ForestHealthPlan). Additionally, the position will be expected to collaborate with other prescribed fire experts within the region and regularly report on the use, application, implementation and effects of prescribed fire in Washington with an emphasis in forested ecosystems.

Required Education & Experience:
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in fire science, fire ecology, forestry, other applicable field.
• Minimum 10 years of experience as a wildland firefighter with experience in PNW or similar fuel types and use of prescribed fire.

Required Qualifications:
• Knowledge of forest & fire ecology in the PNW or similar ecosystems and successful management strategies to address those issues.
• Demonstrated successful experience with fuels & vegetation management, fire management, and prescribed fire plans.
• Proven skills in the development and/or implementation of a similar program at the local, state or federal level.
• Prescribed fire and fuels management - experience in activities such as:
    o Professional forest or range inventory methods and procedures (e.g., Brown's planar intercept for dead and down fuels; fuel loading assessments)
    o Analysis of fuel loadings and determination of appropriate fuel treatment methods
    o Evaluation of prescribed burn plans or fire management plans
    o Conducting surveys before and after prescribed fires to determine attainment of resource objectives
• One year of experience in successfully administering contracts, interagency agreements, grants, or other partnership agreements.

Preferred Education/Certification:
• Currently qualified as NWCG RXB2 or higher OR RXM2 or higher.

Working Conditions & Special Position Requirements:
• Travel is required including overnight travel – lodging/meals covered.
• Must have valid Washington driver’s license; this position requires driving as an essential function. Employees who drive for state business, whether in a state or privately owned vehicle, are required to possess a valid driver’s license as defined in agency policy
• Use/application of prescribed fire which will require ability to navigate on foot varying & diverse terrain; ability to work in smoke filled environment.

As a member of the Prescribed Fire Team within the Wildlife Program, the employee participates in providing statewide fire management implementation services on wildlife areas including fire dependent fish and wildlife habitat restoration and maintenance using prescribed (Rx) fire. Additionally this position is a member of a Prescribed (Rx) Fire Burn Team to help implement projects for fire-dependent dry forest ecosystems with an initial focus in Eastern Washington but may include any region in Washington State. The employee supports/contributes to the mission of WDFW of preserving, protecting and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats by restoring fire as a disturbance agent at the appropriate frequency to fire dependent ecosystems/habitats sustaining and perpetuating the plants and animals dependent thereon.

Job Knowledge: Fire ecology; fire effects and by-products and their ecosystem actions; fire weather; fuel types; fuel conditions; fuel assessment; smoke management; NWCG standards; knowledge of tools and techniques used to prepare for and implement Rx burns.

Incumbent will be a member of the Vandenberg Wildland Support Module for the U.S. Air Force Wildland Fire Branch based at Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA. The Wildland Support Module is responsible for implementing prescribed burns and responding to wildfires on Air Force property throughout the area of responsibility and the U.S.

The primary purpose of this position is to serve as a Team Lead and to provide operational oversight and planning of wild land fire suppression/non-suppression activities and specialized expertise. The incumbent is also responsible for preparedness, prevention, prescribed burning, monitoring, hazardous fuel reduction within assigned area of responsibility. The incumbent also assists in writing and executing wildland fire management plans, prescribed burn plans, and preparedness plans.

To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 11:59pm (MT) on 03/04/2019

Incumbent will be a member of a Wildland Fire Support Module for the U.S. Air Force Wildland Fire Branch based at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The Wildland Fire Support Module is responsible for executing prescribed fire projects, mechanical fuel treatments, and assisting with wildfire suppression on numerous Air Force installations within the area of responsibility.

To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 11:59pm (MT) on 03/04/2019