March fires are stressing fire fighting resources in Madison County
A fire weather watch is forecast for March 25 with low humidity, record high temps and strong winds
Over 91 acres have already burned in Madison County this year according to the Madison County fire warden and director of emergency management Joe Brummel.
“To date, we have had a total of 91.76 acres burned within Madison County. It may not sound like much but having numbers like this, as well as large numbers in surrounding counties, the outlook for the season is not looking very good,” he said in an interview with The Madisonian.
Madison County and the surrounding areas were largely missed by the storms that dumped significant amounts of snow around the state earlier in March. The result is dry conditions and some alarming snow pack numbers from around the county.
The Short Creek Station located at 6,990 feet of elevation in Madison County near the Gravelly Mountain Range is reporting just 8% of the 1991-2020 snow water equivalent median according to the National Water and Climate Center SNOTEL station. The Clover Meadow SNOTEL station also in the Gravelly Range at 8,770 feet in elevation is reporting 68% of the median snow water equivalent. The Tobacco Root Mountains are better off, with the Lower Twin SNOTEL Station at 7,920 feet reading at 76% and the Albro Lake SNOTEL Station at 8,500 feet showing 88%. The Lone Mountain SNOTEL Station at 8,800 feet in the Madison Mountain Range is also reading at 88%.
While the mountains are reporting snow water equivalents that are well below average, little to no snow has accumulated in the valleys leading to numerous fire events in and around the county.
On March 19, the human caused Hayden Fire between Sheridan and Twin Bridges burned almost 70 acres and came dangerously close to homes and propane tanks according to the Madison County Department of Emergency Management. Responders from Twin Bridges, Sheridan, Alder, Virginia City, DNRC and the United States Forest Service were able to get the blaze under control and limit the damage to Northwest Energy utilities, a couple of out buildings fences and land.
The early fires put an extra burden on local responders due to state and federal Summer wildfire firefighting staff still being a couple months away from full deployment according to Brummel.
“Our state DNRC and USFS partners currently are operated with their permanent fire staff, with a limited ability to respond with an engine and maybe a support vehicle,” said Brummell. “The seasonal workers, who make up the bulk of wildland firefighters, won’t become active for a couple more months.”
Even the local staff is not quite up to full force.
“We are currently in the process of our spring training where new fire fighters are required to attend a comprehensive wildland fire training course where they will become certified to fight fires,” he explained. “For the veterans, they are required to attend an annual wildland fire refresher course.”
The fire last week occurred during a fire weather watch and this week another is expected on Wednesday and Thursday.
“A Fire Weather Watch is where the relative humidity will be below 20%, record high temperatures, and high winds. All are a very bad combination concerning wildland fires,” said Brummell. “But we are hoping for a wet spring!”
More information about the NWCC SNOTEL reports can be found at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/sswsf-snow-survey-and-water-supply-forecasting-program/national-water-and.
