Delaware wildfire crew returns after successful trip

Delaware’s wildland fire crew has returned safely to the First State after successfully battling wildfires in Colorado and Wyoming. The team arrived by bus early Friday morning at Blackbird State Forest near Smyrna just after 7 a.m.

The Delaware Forest Service dispatched the firefighters to Colorado on July 25. Their first assignment was assisting Colorado’s Bureau of Land Management on the 492-acre Milk Fire near Craig, Colorado. Next, they were sent by the Rocky Mountain Geographic Area Coordination Center to the 1,287-acre Tokewanna Fire near Mountain View, Wyoming. Finally, on August 4, they were dispatched to the 12,276-acre Whit Fire, located east of Yellowstone National Park near Cody, Wyoming. On the Whit Fire, Delaware’s team worked with more than 600 personnel as they constructed hand line, patrolled fire lines, and protected structures. As of August 10, the fire was at 85 percent containment.

 

Front Row: (left to right) Todd W. Shaffer of Smithsburg, MD; (with chainsaws) Jeffrey A. Wilson of Clayton; Bartholomew D. Wilson of Dover; Adam N. Keever of Newark; Zachary R. Brown of Harbeson; and Monica Testa of Newark; Back Row: (from left) Christopher R. Valenti of Dover; Daniel A. Mihok of Camden; Charles D. Collins of Newark; Alexander J. Jenks of Rehoboth Beach; Scott A. Veasey of Millsboro; Todd D. Gsell of Townsend; Christopher S. Riale of New Castle; Nathaniel J. Sommers of Smyrna; William T. Seybold of Dover; Laura K. Yowell of Trappe, MD; Michael L. Krumrine of Magnolia; Spencer F. Valenti of Dover; and crew boss Samual L. Topper of Federalsburg, MD.
Delaware wildfire crew in Wyoming: Front Row: (left to right, holding tools) Todd W. Shaffer of Smithsburg, MD; Jeffrey A. Wilson of Clayton; Bartholomew D. Wilson of Dover; Adam N. Keever of Newark; Zachary R. Brown of Harbeson; and Monica Testa of Newark.  Back Row: (from left) Christopher R. Valenti of Dover (back); Daniel A. Mihok of Camden (front); Charles D. Collins of Newark (back); Alexander J. Jenks of Rehoboth Beach (front); Scott A. Veasey of Millsboro; Todd D. Gsell of Townsend; Christopher S. Riale of New Castle; Nathaniel J. Sommers of Smyrna; William T. Seybold of Dover; Laura K. Yowell of Trappe, MD; Michael L. Krumrine of Magnolia; Spencer F. Valenti of Dover; and crew boss Samual L. Topper of Federalsburg, MD.

Delaware has been dispatching a crew almost every year since 1998. Last year, Delaware sent a team to battle the 36,500-acre Fork Complex Fire in northern California. Firefighters are a mix of public agency employees, recruits from volunteer fire companies, and private citizens with a keen interest in fighting wildfires. This year, four are from the Delaware Forest Service, two from DNREC Division of State Parks, one from U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s Prime Hook Wildlife Area, and one from New Castle County. Six crew members are “rookies” – i.e., marking their first assignment on a wildfire crew.

 

Delaware's wildfire crew on the Tokewanna Fire in southwest Wyoming: (left to right): Michael Krumrine, Laura Yowell, Daniel Mihok, Christopher Valenti, and Nathaniel Sommers,
Delaware’s wildfire crew work on the Tokewanna Fire in southwest Wyoming: (left to right) Michael Krumrine, Laura Yowell, Daniel Mihok, Christopher Valenti, and Nathaniel Sommers. (Photo by InciWeb.)

 

A photo of the Delaware wildfire crew on Wyoming's Tokewanna Fire was posted on Instagram today by crew representative Nikki Testa. Pictured are (from left to right) Todd Shaffer, Sam Topper, Daryl Trotman, Spencer Valenti, and Bart Wilson. Firefighters continue to make good progress on the fire. Crews are continuing to mop-up and remove hazard trees in and around structures in the Tokewanna Estates subdivision and beginning the process of back-hauling firefighting equipment from the area. (Photo by Nikki Testa, DFS)
A photo of the Delaware wildfire crew on Wyoming’s Tokewanna Fire taken on August 2. Pictured are (from left to right): Todd Shaffer, Sam Topper, Daryl Trotman, Spencer Valenti, and Bart Wilson. Firefighters made good progress as they continued to mop-up and remove hazard trees in and around structures in the Tokewanna Estates subdivision. (Photo by Nikki Testa, Delaware Forest Service)

 

Firefighters must prepare both mentally and physically for the annual fire season and achieve certification by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group. In addition to annual training courses held in the spring, crew must complete a rigorous work-capacity test by carrying 45-pounds over a three-mile course in less than 45 minutes. Although compensated by federal funds, all members volunteer for what could become a perilous mission. Crews also helped hurricane relief efforts for the FEMA when Hurricane Irene swept through New England.

Contact: Kyle Hoyd, Delaware Forest Service, kyle.hoyd@delaware.gov or 302-698-4548.


Delaware wildfire crew headed to Rocky Mountains

SMYRNA, Del. (July 25, 2016) – The Delaware Forest Service is sending a team of 20 wildland firefighters to the Rocky Mountain region for a scheduled two-week assignment to battle wildfires for the National Interagency Fire Center. The crew departed Blackbird State Forest this morning and is headed to Denver, Colorado to be “pre-positioned” for a specific assignment. On July 25, the NIFC’s National Preparedness Level was increased to 3 on a 5-point scale, a reflection of increased fire activity nationwide as well as hot and dry weather conditions across most of the West. Currently, 26 large fires have burned more than 232,000 acres in 12 states. Four new large fires were reported yesterday in Arkansas, Colorado, Florida and Wyoming.

 

Preparedness Level 3 means that “two (2) or more Geographic Areas are experiencing wildland or prescribed fire activities requiring a major commitment of National Resources. Additional resources are being ordered and mobilized through NICC. Type 1 and 2 Incident Management Teams are committed in two (2) or more Geographic Areas and crew commitment nationally is at 50%.” Currently, the Great Basin Area is at a “4”, the Rocky Mountain Area is at “3”, and Southern California is at “3”. The Rocky Mountain Area reported 20 new fires, two new large incidents, and five uncontained large fires. It currently has one Type 1 incident management team in place along with two Type 2 incident teams. Type 1 is the team that handles the most complex and challenging types of wildfires, including those that pose the greatest threat to lives and property.

 

 

 

 

Delaware has been dispatching a crew almost every year since 1998.  Last year, Delaware sent a team to battle the 36,500-acre Fork Complex Fire in northern California. Firefighters are a mix of public agency employees, recruits from volunteer fire companies, and private citizens with a keen interest in fighting wildfires. This year, four are from the Delaware Forest Service, two from DNREC Division of State Parks, one from U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s Prime Hook Wildlife Area, and one from New Castle County. Six crew members are “rookies” – i.e., marking their first assignment on a wildfire crew.

Firefighters must prepare both mentally and physically for the annual fire season and achieve certification by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group.  In addition to annual training courses held in the spring, crew must complete a rigorous work-capacity test by carrying 45-pounds over a three-mile course in less than 45 minutes. Although compensated by federal funds, all members volunteer for what could become a perilous mission.  Crews also helped hurricane relief efforts for the FEMA when Hurricane Irene swept through New England.

 

Contact: Kyle Hoyd, Delaware Forest Service, kyle.hoyd@delaware.gov or 302-698-4548.

Delaware Wildland Fire Crew Members and Hometowns

Name Hometown
Samual L. Topper (Crew Boss) Federalsburg, MD
Todd W. Shaffer Smithsburg, MD
Michael L. Krumrine Magnolia
Scott A. Veasey Millsboro
Todd D. Gsell Townsend
Bartholomew D. Wilson Dover
Jeffrey A. Wilson Clayton
Adam N. Keever Newark
Daryl D. Trotman Milford
William T. Seybold Dover
Nathaniel J. Sommers Smyrna
Daniel A. Mihok Camden
Alexander J. Jenks Rehoboth Beach
Laura K. Yowell (R) Trappe, MD
Christopher R. Valenti (R) Dover
Spencer F. Valenti (R) Dover
Zachary R. Brown (R) Harbeson
Christopher S. Riale (R) New Castle
Charles D. Collins (R) Newark
Monica L. Testa Newark


21st Annual “Fire Camp” set for April 23 at Redden State Forest

 

The Delaware Forest Service’s 21st Annual Fire Camp will be held on Saturday, April 23, 2016 at Redden State Forest from 6:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. The intensive, one-day seminar is the capstone of the agency’s wildfire training program to certify its emergency firefighters to meet National Wildfire Coordinating Group standards.

In addition to completing an arduous “work capacity test” – which involves carrying a 45-pound pack over a three-mile course in less than 45 minutes – crew members will receive hands-on instruction in several key areas: wildfire suppression, the effect of weather on fire behavior, crew mobilization, water pump and chainsaw usage, and culminating with a “live” controlled burn fire situation.

Delaware’s wildfire program has achieved a well-regarded reputation on the national firefighting scene and has dispatched crews almost every summer to fight forest fires in the western United States. In 2015, more than 9.2 million acres burned nationwide, making it one of only four years since 1960 to see more than 9 million acres burn, but still short of the 9.8 million acres burned in 2006. Other years topping the 9 million acre mark were 2007 and 2012. In August of 2015, as the National Preparedness Level hit its maximum of “5” on a five-point scale, Delaware’s crew headed to the West to battle the Fork Complex Fire near Hayfork, California – a blaze that burned more than 36,000 acres in the vicinity of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.

For the news media:
This event offers excellent opportunities for journalists to capture photographs and video footage of actual wildland firefighting. Firefighters and instructors will be available for interviews; however, media who plan to capture footage of the live burn are advised to arrive on-site on Saturday, April 23 by 12 noon.

  • Event and Media Contact: Kyle Hoyd, Assistant Forestry Administrator, Delaware Forest Service
    Email: kyle.hoyd@delaware.gov
    (302) 943-7869 (mobile)
    (302) 698-4548 (office)

* The timing and location of the “live burn” is subject to change based on actual weather conditions.

 


Delaware Forest Service seeks trainees for wildfire classes

The Delaware Forest Service (DFS) is seeking trainees for its annual wildfire training classes at the Delaware State Fire School. No previous experience needed. Applicants should be over 18 years old, physically fit, motivated, and willing to travel for at least two weeks (usually during the summer) on out-of-state fire assignments.  Interested candidates should contact Kyle Hoyd, DFS Wildland Fire Program Administrator, at (302) 698-4548 or kyle.hoyd@delaware.gov  to register.  The deadline to sign up is February 17, 2016.

All trainees must complete the following courses on two separate weekend sessions:
1)  S-190: Intro to Wildfire Behavior – March 5 and 6 (Sat. and Sun.) – 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day
2)  S-130: Basic Wildland Firefighting – March 19 and 20 (Sat. and Sun.) – 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day

Courses are at the Delaware State Fire School, 1461 Chestnut Grove Road, Dover, DE 19904 (302) 739-4773.  

Both S-190 and S-130 are required for prospective firefighters to attain “red-card” certification from the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG), the lead agency for wildfire training in the United States.   In addition to the basic coursework, candidates must also complete an arduous “work capacity” or “pack test,” which involves carrying a 45-pound pack over a three-mile course in less than 45 minutes.

The capstone of the Delaware Forest Service’s annual wildfire training is its 21st annual “Fire Camp,” held this year on Saturday, April 23, 2016 at Redden State Forest in Georgetown, Sussex County. The intensive one-day seminar includes hands-on training across a range of wildland firefighting tools and strategies, culminating in a “live-burn” exercise designed to simulate conditions on an actual fire assignment. Last year’s camp was featured on the WHYY-TV news program “First.”

In 2015, Delaware mobilized a 20-person crew to the National Interagency Fire Center that battled the 36,500-acre Fork Complex Fire  in Northern California. The Delaware crew served at a time of intense need for firefighting resources, coinciding with the period when the National Preparedness Level hit a maximum of 5 on a 5-point scale.

Delaware has been mobilizing crews to serve on out-of-state assignment since the late-1990s. The crews have battled fires in Alaska, California, Georgia, Idaho, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, South Dakota, Nebraska, Utah, Virginia, and Washington.

The First State has also sent personnel to aid in national or regional emergencies, such as hurricane relief efforts in Florida in 2004 and New York in 2011.

Trained and dispatched by the Delaware Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, wildfire crews are comprised of men and women of varying ages and backgrounds who represent a mix of public agencies, nonprofit groups, volunteer fire companies, and private citizens—all with an interest in firefighting and a desire to help their communities.

Despite its small size, Delaware has earned an outstanding reputation on the national firefighting scene and has been honored by Governor Markell and state legislators for the crew’s efforts.


Update: Delaware crew in California as officials increase “National Fire Preparedness Level” to maximum of 5 on a 5-point scale

A wildfire crew led by the Delaware Forest Service is near completion of a two-week assignment on the Fork Complex Fire, a 28,736-acre blaze near Hayfork, California in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Almost 2,400 personnel are battling the fire that is currently 26 percent contained. The Fork Complex is one of several large wildfires in Northern California that together cover more than 223,000 acres, one of the major factors that prompted the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) to increase its National Preparedness Level today to the maximum of 5 on a 5-point scale, which means that “geographic areas are experiencing major incidents which have the potential to exhaust all agency fire resources. Eighty percent (80%) of Type 1 and Type 2 Incident Management Teams and crews are committed, as well as the majority of other National Resources.” According to Aitor Bidaburu, chair of the National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group (NMAC), “A significant amount of initial and extended attack and large fire activity has occurred over the past several days as a result of lightning storms that have intensified local and geographic response,” said  “Given the continuing hot and dry weather and the increase in fire activity in the western U.S., the decision to move to Preparedness Level 5 depicts the complexity that fire managers are encountering to assure that adequate firefighting resources are available for protection of life, property and our nation’s natural resources.” According to the latest NIFC situation report, as of August 13 there were 73 uncontained large fires burning nationwide, of which 34 were located in Northern California.

DFS Assistant Forestry Administrator Kyle Hoyd filed this report from the Fork Complex on Wednesday evening: “Yesterday we held line during a burnout operation. Burnout was a success and we are holding it today. If all goes well today, it will be a win.” Fire officials on the scene report that Delaware’s team has “excellent crew morale.” With an increasingly high demand for firefighters and resources, Delaware state forester and veteran crew boss Michael Valenti of Dover will be leading a crew from Maryland that will mobilize Saturday morning and is expected to be assigned to fight fires in Montana in the Northern Rockies fire region. Valenti will be accompanied by his son Nathan, who will be on his first firefighting assignment. Delaware’s team could return to the First State on August 16 or August 17, depending on travel arrangements and flight times. Keep up with latest news on the wildfire crew on the Delaware Forest Service Facebook page.