BY BRETT M. MARTINEZ AND EDWARD C. SCHNEYER
August 2005 marked the 10-year anniversary of the largest wildland fire in Suffolk County, Long Island (LI), New York, history (and the largest mutual-aid fire in New York State history). Since that time, the county has had two seasons (Summer 1999 and 2005) when the weather conditions were similar to those faced in August 1995. In fact, the weather conditions this past year were more severe than the conditions faced in 1995. So why did the east end of New York’s LI not burn as it did during that tragic year, and why should it concern you? As population and building construction expand beyond the major metropolitan hubs, more and more communities are beginning to resemble the suburban communities that surround the New York metro area (see the sidebar “A Quick History of the 1995 Campaign” for further details). With this increased growth, the wildland/urban interface (WUI) will become a greater challenge every day.
We in Suffolk County have been dealing with this issue for decades, and based on the fact that our housing boom has built up to the limits of our protected lands (which by law will never be anything but protected preserves), we have a need for better prevention and suppression tactics. With a population of 1.4 million occupying an area of only 914 square miles, the concept of “let it burn” is not an option.
WILDLAND/URBAN INTERFACE
Prior to the building codes of the 1980s and the increased awareness of the environment, many prospective homeowners preparing to build a private residence on a plot of land would simply clear the entire lot of all trees and shrubs, build a home, and relandscape the property with grass and flowers. Homes and green lawns make up the major portion of residential communities on LI. However, with ecological and environmental concerns in mind, we now find that the lots for residential development are being cleared for the footprint of the home and room for construction equipment only. The remainder of the lot is left with existing trees and shrubs, leaving much less room for green lawns and creating more privacy for the homeowner. Although environmentally positive, serene, and private, these landscapes are compounding the WUI problem, especially when they are built in the areas abutting a large tract of woodland. Homeowners need to be taught about the dangers the WUI presents and how to mitigate those dangers through property management. Likewise, firefighters need to be trained and educated in the tactics necessary to protect structures in the WUI from the ravages of wildland fires.
WHAT HAS CHANGED?
So, why have there not been more catastrophic fires in LI like those that occurred 10 years ago? It is not because of a lack of wildlands, dry weather, or fire activity. Something has changed. But, what? From a fire prevention and suppression standpoint, we would like to offer this consideration. Over these past 10 years, the public safety community (including the fire services) has been proactively focusing on all aspects of wildland fires. Following are some of our successes and lessons learned.
 This bulletin is distributed to all fire suppression, fire prevention, and law enforcement agencies and protected land managers within the Pine Barrens region of Suffolk County. |
• Communications. As a U.S. Navy captain stated in the late 1900s when explaining naval fleet tactics, “Technology dictates tactics.” The same can be said for firefighting. The technological advancements in firefighting have benefited all levels of operation, first among them communications. Communications will always be among the top three critical issues in any major incident. The simple fact is that the highest potential for critical component failure during a large-scale event has always been communications. The chance for completely solving this problem is minimal. It would take columns to explain why this is so, and this is only an article. The military refers to this problem as “the fog of war” (Influence of Sea Power on History, 1600-1783, Alfred Thayer, 1890). It is unrealistic to believe that we will be able to totally remove that fog. But ignoring the communications problem or accepting that nothing can be done is not an option either, and persistence in the belief that some improvements could be accomplished made it possible for LI to alleviate some issues.
Some of the first advancements involved improvements in general communications. Adding more wireless phones and cellular receiving towers has helped to minimize nonessential fire band radio traffic and also has improved the public’s ability to report emergencies to 911 at the onset of fire incidents. Although this technology was available in 1995, it was not as widely in use and was much more susceptible to failure. Through the cooperative efforts of wireless phone companies and the emergency services, we now have access to mobile wireless towers that can be set up in close proximity to incident sites, making it possible to have more phones operating without losing service. The additional cell phones have helped reduce the time between the public’s discovering a fire and notifying the fire department and have also decreased radio traffic for nonessential operations.
 (1, 2) Signs posted for general public during fire season and extreme fire conditions. (Photos by Brett Martinez.) |
In addition, individual agencies and municipal governments have acquired more radio frequencies. These additional frequencies have improved tactical control and decreased communications logjams. To assist with strategic planning, all county coordinators have been assigned 800 MHz frequency radios that allow for uninterrupted communications throughout the county and can be reprogrammed to establish communications with agencies beyond our county borders. This effectively improves agency interoperability through a common radio frequency.
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• Daily fire weather index. In 1998, LI began posting a daily fire weather index (Figure 1). This has been a standard tool on the West Coast for some time. Originally forecast by members of the National Fish and Wildlife Service, the index is now produced by members of the Pine Barrens Commission, who have been trained by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG). Recently, a collaborative effort was begun to incorporate the National Weather Service products and expertise. The fire index is based on two Remote Automated Weather Stations (RAWS) located in the heart of the Pine Barrens; it is distributed by e-mail and fax.1 The weather index (low, moderate, high, and extreme) is posted by 1400 hours every day of the wildland fire season. It is sent to all the concerned fire suppression, fire prevention, and parks managers; law enforcement agencies with environmental jurisdiction; and local and state emergency managers. For the general public, the index is posted along highways throughout the Pine Barrens and the Pine Barrens Commission’s public Web site.2 The index is used by all the agencies to not only preplan but also prevent future fire incidents. This is accomplished through a committee made up of all the recipients of the fire weather index. This committee meets during the fire season to discuss fire threat potential based on the monitoring of the recent fire activity and the weather index. The committee will make recommendations on methods to help limit exposure to the immediate fire threat to the municipal governments and state agencies within the Pine Barrens.
• Global Positioning System (GPS). This technology has only begun to be fully used in the fire service. For most other industries, this technology has become commonplace. The military and the aircraft and marine industries have been using it for two decades. Auto manufacturers have even made them available in many vehicles. Technology has improved to the point where GPS units are now available in small, portable handheld units or large color-display mapping units. This very same GPS information is now supplied through cell phones, wristwatches, and pagers.
For some in the fire service, GPS equipment has become a necessary tool for wildland firefighting. Its uses include locating a fire (especially during a mutual-aid response to an unfamiliar area), mapping the size of the burned area, tracking fire activity, mapping out trails or access roads not shown on local maps, marking hazards, and-most importantly-preventing crews from getting lost or disoriented in the woods.
Used properly, GPS units can greatly enhance any wildfire operation. However, as with any tool, users must be adequately trained in this technology to be able to employ all its functions to the maximum.
To ensure that crews do not get lost or disoriented in the woods, GPS units are now mounted in many fire apparatus that operate in wildland environments. Tracking capabilities allow the operator to mark on a GPS map where they entered the woods; the unit leaves a “bread crumb” trail on the display screen, which provides a guide to follow when exiting the woods. The GPS unit also makes it possible to spot a fire that is deep within a large, wooded area and difficult to find. During these conditions, a helicopter can be used for reconnaissance operations. The helicopter crew can easily locate the fire and give the coordinates to ground crews, who enter the coordinates into their GPS units and proceed directly to the fire.
THE “WORKHORSE”
Fighting wildfires in the Pine Barren regions necessitates different equipment from that used in other areas of the country. The reasons for this are simple. Topographically speaking, LI is basically flatlands with a few hills. The majority of the trees that make up the Pine Barrens are typically less than eight inches thick at the trunk and are of the soft pine and small oak variety. Subsequently, we used a truck that can drive through the woods traversing rough terrain, brush, and trees to reach the fire. The truck knocked over trees (when necessary), creating fire breaks and providing quick access to the fire (without entering on foot), resulting in faster knockdown and often preventing a fire from gaining momentum and becoming a crown fire. We have had great success using this specially designed brush truck that has come to be the “workhorse” of our wildfire operations.
This apparatus is commonly referred to as a “stump jumper” or a “GI.” It is typically built on a military type 2 one-half-ton chassis or similar style frame with four- or six-wheel-drive capability, high ground clearance, protective brush bars and skid plates, 400- to 600-gallon water tanks, small skid mount type pumps and auxiliary motors, preconnected 3⁄4– or one-inch booster lines, and an operating area from which the crew can work. This configuration permits pump-and-roll capability, which allows the crew to drive through the woods directly to the fire, apply water, and exit the woods without requiring the firefighters to disembark. With this ability, the crew can refill quickly from a tanker or hydrant, thereby increasing its turnaround time. These stump jumpers usually work in teams of two or more.
More recently, the stump jumper has evolved into many newer units built on a larger five-ton military chassis. This upgrade increases the vehicle’s payload and generally means it has the capacity to carry larger water tanks (up to 1,000 gallons in many cases). The vehicle is powered by a diesel motor and has increased ground clearance and six-wheel drive, which makes the larger capacity water tank possible. Additionally, other technological advances in the vehicle’s design have added to its effectiveness. Some of the modern additions include larger protective brush cages, more effective push-bar designs, Class A foam injection pumps, GPS units, headset radio communications between crew members, increased lighting, and winches in the front and rear. These changes make the working environment safer for the crew and the operation more efficient.
The county recently upgraded its mobile command vehicle. Since 1995, Suffolk County has maintained a mobile communications vehicle that can serve also as a command post. Currently, an advance unit capable of satellite communication, Internet access, direct video, and infrared camera feeds from internal telescoping towers or aviation assets is at the fire scene. When necessary, the vehicle’s radio frequencies can be patched into one talking group. Before using these technologies, firefighters must fully understand the capabilities of all these devices not only for optimal functionality but also for crew safety. The New York State Wildfire and Incident Management Academy was established in 1997 to provide instruction/training for LI firefighters in the latest technologies, tactics, and strategies for combating wildland fires. Academy classes are taught by local and out-of-state instructors, who bring to the students a variety of knowledge. The academy is also open to firefighters and emergency responders from all over the country.3
• Improved command and control. Prior to the 1995 event, nearly every agency used some form of incident command system (ICS) to some extent or level; however, few had the need for or training to accommodate events of this magnitude. Since that time, many departments have expanded their training to include structured ICS courses through New York State, local fire academies, and the New York State Wildfire and Incident Management Academy. The use of the ICS has become widely accepted by many agencies and is being employed on daily routine alarms regardless of their size. This frequent use of the ICS will prove rewarding when large-scale incidents occur because it will prevent surprises and lay the foundation for dealing with the “big one.”
Along these same lines, the Presidential Order of the Homeland Security Act mandates that the National Incident Management System (NIMS) be implemented. The objective of using this Joint or Unified Command, among other things, is to provide the best possible decision making through knowledge and information. The success of any large event (emergency or nonemergency) requires the command and control of personnel and resources to achieve a specific common goal, and the ICS provides the structure necessary to accomplish this.
• Prevention. In the area of prevention, efforts have been made to educate the public through the Pine Barrens Commission’s Web site as well as associated sites. (2) Additional efforts include public announcement broadcasts on local cable access channels and information booths established annually at camping grounds. Events in local and state parks have been effective. Public notification of park closings and burning restrictions because of fire threat is accomplished by local media outlets and posted signs.
In addition, in an effort to further protect the environmentally sensitive Pine Barrens from soil erosion, the destruction of rare and endangered plant species, and the disturbance of wildlife, more restrictive laws and heavier fines have been implemented, including prohibiting motorized recreational vehicles such as 4 × 4 vehicles. When not properly maintained or modified, motorcycles and all terrain vehicles (ATVs) are known to be a leading cause of wildland fires.
To assist in this effort, several of the law enforcement agencies that provide protection in the Pine Barrens region formed a joint task force. They have effectively teamed up to create strike teams, which are used to enforce the laws against motorized vehicles through the imposing of fines and impounding of vehicles. These actions have had a major impact on the reduction of ATV use within the Pine Barrens and have helped reduce the threat of fire from mechanical malfunctions.
All these individual efforts and technologies are now combined to form a proactive response to fire threats throughout the Pine Barrens and the WUI. How this is accomplished is best explained by considering the 1999 season. During the summer of 1999, it was noted that the fire weather index was the highest it had been since 1995; consistent days of high and extreme ratings were recorded. In addition, this information combined with a noted increase in manmade nuisance fire activity worked to trigger a series of responses. First, the Fire Weather Subcommittee began to recommend closing all unattended government lands, including all nature trails, conservation land, and sportsman properties that operated without oversight. The committee also recommended that no open burn permits be issued and no camp fires be allowed in any parkland. All public safety officers were encouraged to increase patrols of government lands and warn trespassers of current fire/burn restrictions.
For fire service incident commanders, it was time to consider activating rapid mutual-aid preplans. Fire activity was now tracked, and aggressive patrols were established in active fire areas by law enforcement and fire prevention officers. Additional signs were posted, and public service announcements in local media were increased. In total, these efforts helped to record one of the least active fire seasons within the Pine Barrens, whereas areas to the west noted extremely busy wildland fire activity.
But the real proof has always been in the facts. In the five years prior to 1995, the average number of reported brush fires in Suffolk County was approximately 4,200 per year. Immediately following the 1995 wildfires, the total for the year 1996 dropped to 1,450. The annual totals since then have hovered around 2,000 per year, with the years 2003 and 2004 being the lowest on record with 988 and 1,166, respectively.
Interestingly enough, during that same period the total number of ALL reported fires increased by 25 percent (11,000) while the total number of reported brush fires decreased by 78 percent (3,500). These facts speak for themselves and help to prove that the efforts undertaken should be continued for the foreseeable future. ■
Endnotes
l. Remote Automated Weather Stations (RAWS) are a network of strategically located stations that allow the fire service and the public to analyze current weather conditions within any region of the United States. Many agencies document these data and use them for a host of fire-related issues, including forecasting and historical analysis. The Web site is at www.fs.fed.us/raws or www.fs.fed.us; enter RAWS into the search site box.
2. Pine Barrens Commission Web site, http://www.pb.state.ny.us/wtf/fire_land_status.htm/.
3. Web site for New York State WFIM Academy: fireacad@gw.dec.state.ny.us, Charles Hamilton, (631) 444-0270.
■ BRETT M. MARTINEZ, a veteran of the fire service since 1983, is a fire marshal for the Suffolk County (NY) Fire Rescue and Emergency Services. He is a state of New York-certified level II fire investigator and peace officer and an ATF-certified accelerant detection canine handler. He is a member of the U.S. Attorney’s Anti-Terrorist Advisor Council (ATAC). He has an associate’s degree in fire science from Suffolk County Community College and is the author of Multiple Fire Setters: The Process of Tracking and Identification (Fire Engineering, 2002).
■ EDWARD C. SCHNEYER is a 24-year veteran of the fire service and a fire marshal with the Suffolk County (NY) Department of Fire Rescue and Emergency Services. He is a past chief of the Eastport Fire Department and the East Brentwood Fire Department. He previously worked in the Fire-Rescue Communications Center for 19 years. He has an associate’s degree in business administration.
A Quick History of the 1995 Campaign
The historic wildfires of 1995 included two large fires that occurred within the protected Pine Barrens region of Long Island (LI). The Pine Barrens, located on the east end of New York’s LI, consist of approximately 100,000 acres of woodlands geographically located and concentrated in the center of Suffolk County and sitting directly above the ground water aquifer that supplies the county’s 1.4 million residents with drinking water. These wooded areas contain a variety of trees that are unique to this climate, terrain, and sandy soil, which are essential to this ecosystem. Sandwiched primarily between the county’s two main highways (the LI Expressway and the Sunrise Highway), this natural barrier essentially splits the county’s western suburban and urban communities from the eastern rural, suburban, and resort communities. The woodlands are comprised of pitch-pine trees, dwarf pitch-pine, scrub oaks, oak trees, and assorted underbrush. To prevent upsetting this balanced ecosystem and pollution, no new building is permitted within the controlled area, and building near the outer boundaries is strictly governed. The primary purpose of enforcing this control is to protect the future of the ground water aquifer.
The first fire took place in Rocky Point and burned an area of approximately 1,800 acres. Nearly 100 volunteer fire and EMS agencies were used to control and extinguish the fire over several days. During the final stages of extinguishment (a few days later), a second and ultimately larger fire broke out in Eastport (approximately 20 miles away) in another section of protected Pine Barrens. This fire grew rapidly in intensity and eventually consumed approximately 3,800 acres and successfully cut off the county’s eastern resort communities from doing business.
LI’s East End is one of the playgrounds for the East Coast’s rich and famous; it is also a large economic revenue generator for Long Island and New York State. In addition, many of those who generate capital for the global economy not only work at the New York Stock Exchange, Bond and Commodities Market, they also maintain residence on the East End of LI. Interrupting any one of these revenue streams would create an economic disaster on top of any other tragedy. This fire required the assistance of almost 200 volunteer fire and EMS agencies, including nearly every fire department in Suffolk and Nassau counties and engine companies from the Fire Department of New York, along with state, federal, and private support air operations and ground crews.
In all, approximately 6,000 acres were scorched with flame heights reported to be 100 to 200 feet and fire fronts moving at 650 feet per hour. The fire also occurred during the height of the East End’s summer tourist season, which had a negative economic impact on the area. Combined, the two events lasted for two weeks. Entire communities were spared from certain destruction, and only minor damage occurred to a few structures.
Many homes were expeditiously evacuated to ensure the safety of the residents. There was no loss of human life; however, several firefighters were injured in the battle. Approximately 200 residential and commercial structures stood directly in the destructive path of the rapidly advancing fire. The firefighters hunkered down, dug in their heels at the WUI areas, made a stand, and effectively minimized structural damage. The success of the 1995 wildfires is a tribute to the firefighters who participated in those events and is a direct result of teamwork, cooperation, and experience.
This bulletin is distributed to all fire suppression, fire prevention, and law enforcement agencies and protected land managers within the Pine Barrens region of Suffolk County.
