Department of Natural Resources – Wildland Fire Management
- Issuer
- Congressional materials
- Document type
- 2024 01 12 A31582 D264324 Dnr And Wsp Wildfire Preparedness Response And Recovery
- Date
- 2024-01-12
- Case
- 2024 01 12 A31582 D264324 Dnr And Wsp Wildfire Preparedness Response And Recovery
Summary
Briefing slides presented January 12, 2024 to the House Innovation, Community and Economic Development, and Veterans Committee by the Department of Natural Resources Wildland Fire Management division and the Washington State Patrol. The DNR portion, presented by the Washington State Forester, describes the agency's fire roles, the 2023 fire year, key statistics such as 170,000 acres burned, grant programs, and preparedness for the 2024 fire year. It also lists items of interest including HB 1168 investments and proposed Smokey Bear license plate legislation. The Washington State Patrol portion, presented by an Assistant State Fire Marshal, explains the Washington State Fire Services Resource Mobilization Plan and reports 27 wildfire mobilizations and a $20 million estimated cost to date for the 2023 fire season.
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Cite this document
“Department of Natural Resources – Wildland Fire Management.”
Original at app.leg.wa.gov, dated 2024-01-12. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2024-01-12-2024-01-12-a31582-d264324-dnr-and-wsp-wildfire-preparedness-response-and-recovery/
, SHA-256 17e1db4b8f1278da02ca84a9a186d055e8fd09a08ec11427ceb97fdd65453b28.Full text
Department of Natural Resources – Wildland Fire Management
Briefing to the House Innovation, Community and
Economic Development, and Veterans Committee
January 12, 2024
George Geissler
Washington State Forester
Deputy Supervisor, Wildland Fire Management
Department of Natural Resources – Wildland Fire Management
• Direct charge of and supervision of all matters pertaining to forest fire
service of the state.
• State signatory to Federal Master Cooperative Wildland Fire Management
ROLE AND and Stafford Act Response Agreement
• Administers National Interagency Resource Ordering System (IROC)
RESPONSIBILITI • State Foresters are primary link nationally to National Interagency Fire
ES Center (NMAC, NWCG, etc.) and establish Federal Interagency Guidelines
and Policies.
• Maintains and administers Northwest Forest Fire Compact and State-to-
State Response Agreements (CA, FL, NC, GA, etc.)
• Provides direct response and mutual aid at the local, state, regional,
national levels.
• Ground resources – Engines, Hand Crews, Heavy Equipment, DOC
• Aviation resources – Rotor, Fixed-Wing, Air Attack, Multi-Mission
• Logistics – Cache, Kitchens, Communications, IMT support, etc.
• Type 1 and 2 (CIMT) Incident Management Team support
• Contract resources – Private Contractors
• Community Preparedness and Resilience Assistance
• Forest Health and Resilience
Department of Natural Resources – Wildland Fire Management
• Early season. Driven by long-term drought and Canadian wildfire
response. Initial attack mostly successful.
• May – June. Western WA fires such as Shannon Lake (Skagit),
2023 Fire Year Sutherland (Clallam) and McEwan (Mason). Significant utilization of
ground and air resources. Complexity of Wildland Urban Interface.
• August 18th. Oregon Rd and Gray Fires (Spokane) with passage of cold
front.
• September-November. Several wet lightening events. Initial attack
mostly successful. Southeast US wildfire response (NC, KY, GA, VA)
mobilizing DNR, fire service and contract resources.
Key Statistics
• 1900+ Ignitions
• 170,000 Acres Burned (10-year average 472,812)
• Event of Record – Grey and Oregon Road Fires (366 primary
residences, two civilian fatalities)
• Of note – Greater number of fires west of Cascades than east of
Cascades.
Department of Natural Resources – Wildland Fire Management
• Initial Attack Heavy Equipment (HB1168) proved very effective.
• Fire District Aviation Assistance (HB1498) allowed for fire districts
2023 Fire Year direct request for aviation response.
Takeaways • Detection System Pilot Project shows promise but was not fully
operational in 2023. System now fully operational for 2024 fire year.
• Prepositioning of resources and use of mobile air tanker base improved
response.
• Multi-Mission and UAV programs demonstrated potential and to be
further integrated into interagency response.
• Existing IAA/FLRAs should be expanded to encourage fire district use of
prescribed fire and response through IROC.
• Westside fires are becoming more prevalent and preparedness actions
may look different
Department of Natural Resources – Wildland Fire Management
• Local Fire Protection District Assistance and Funding
• PPE/Equipment Grants (State HB1168 and Federal BIL)
• Operational Grants (State HB1168)
Wildland Fire • Surplus Engine Program (State HB1168)
Assistance • Wildland Fire Training Academies and Courses (State and Federal
Programs Funding)
• Community Resilience Assistance and Funding
• Wildfire Ready Neighbors (State HB1168)
• Firewise Community Grants (State HB1168)
• Administer Federal Community Wildfire Defense Grants (Federal BIL).
For community wildfire protection plan development and
implementation. Round 1 - $23 million /Round 2 – Announcement in
March
• Administer and deliver Federal Cooperative Forestry and Fire Grants
(Forest Stewardship, Forest Health, Urban and Community Forestry,
State Fire Capacity, Volunteer Fire Capacity)
Department of Natural Resources – Wildland Fire Management
• Preparedness for 2024 fire year began in November 2023. Contracts and
agreements are being updated. Staffing for seasonal firefighter positions has
already begun. Resources availability expected to be at or slightly above 2023
2024 levels.
• Season Ahead
• Transition to El Niña weather pattern began last year. Current temperature
and precipitation forecasts are consistent with a mature El Niño.
• Spring conditions are uncertain. A weak snowpack could produce an earlier
start to 2024 fire activity, particularly from the Cascades westward. Above
normal potential may develop earlier in the season depending on remaining
winter month snowpack development and spring rainfall.
• Major Items
• Transition to new national business model for incident management teams.
• Update to all IAA/FLRA with fire districts
• Renegotiating Federal Master Agreement
• Smoke management (HB1578) resources for wildfires and fire use
Department of Natural Resources – Wildland Fire Management
Wildfire and Forest Health Resilience/HB 1168 Investments (GF-S $23.41M)
Funding to meet the Legislature’s $125 million biennial commitment in the passage of
DNR Legislative HB 1168 (2021). Funding will continue the forest health and wildfire resilience work
Items of Interest that began last biennium. These critical investments were on the ground to help
mitigate the damage and cost of wildfires in 2023. Failure to receive full funding will
result in loss of funding for grants and funding to fire districts, forest health
contractors, and communities.
Smokey Bear License Plate
Legislation establishing a Smokey Bear license plate. Revenue from Smokey Bear
license plates would be devoted for wildfire prevention programs administered by
DNR. This would be the agency’s first license plate, the only state license plate for
wildfire prevention, and is the symbol of support for wildland firefighters.
Department of Natural Resources – Wildland Fire Management
Questions?
Washington State Fire Services
Resource Mobilization Plan
Innovation, Community and Economic Development, and Veterans Committee
January 2024
Presented by:
Melissa Gannie
Assistant State Fire Marshal
• Provides statewide personnel, equipment, and other logistical resources
when a wildland fire or other emergency exceeds the capacity of local
jurisdictions.
What does • Names the Chief of the Washington State Patrol as the authority to
authorize a state-declared mobilization.
the plan do? • Directs the Washington State Patrol, Fire Protection Bureau, Office of
the State Fire Marshal to coordinate statewide fire service resources by:
o Providing onsite staffing and financial support at each incident
that supports the local jurisdiction
o Executing reimbursements for all fire service personnel
(volunteer and career) and equipment that are mobilized under
the plan
RCW 43.43.960, 43.43.961, 43.43.962, 43.43.963, 43.43.964, and 43.43.965
www.wsp.gov/all-risk-mobilization
How Does All-Risk Mobilization Work?
2023 Fire Season
• 27 Wildfire mobilizations
• 101-day Fire Season
• 1 Pre-Positioning (Weather Event)
• $20 million estimated cost to date
• No All-Risk mobilizations in 2023
Historical Perspective:
• Since 1992 there have been 346
mobilizations
• Since July 2003, approximately
$201,757,335 in cost.
• Biennial appropriation is $8 million.
2023 Responders and Payments
2023 Responder Breakdown 2023 Total Payments
1,267 1,273
39%
61%
799
Career Volunteer Career Volunteer Other
2023 Largest Fires
Newell Road Gray Fire Oregon Road
Mobe Duration- 10 days Mobe Duration-18 days Mobe Duration- 18 days
Mobilizations:
• Provide local jurisdictions with outside resources
Helping and funding to mitigate the incident/threat
local • Assist with the return to normal operations and
delivery of community services
jurisdictions • End when there is no longer a threat to local
jurisdictions
Community Risk Reduction (CRR)
CRR Week is January 15 – 24, 2024, kicking off on Martin Luther King Day
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- SHA-256
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- Original
- app.leg.wa.gov