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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 23, 2017)
Wednesday, August 23, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 25 The Nugget Newspaper Crossword By Jacqueline E. Mathews, Tribune News Service PHOTO BY CODY RHEAULT An air tanker makes a retardant drop to slow the progress of the Milli Fire west of Sisters. What air power can — and can’t — do on a fire By Jim Cornelius News Editor There’s no more impres- sive sight than a heavy tanker swooping out of the smoke over a forest fire, dropping a vivid red smear of retardant. For local residents, it’s com- forting to hear the tankers rumbling over the rooftops to do battle with the smoky monster that looms on the horizon over their town. The sheer power and maj- esty of the aerial assault leads many people to believe that retardant drops can stop a raging blaze. While air power is critical to the battle, it can’t win it on its own. The key to understanding the role of retardant drops on a fire lies in the word itself: Retardant retards the prog- ress of fire — it doesn’t put it out. Sisters Ranger District Assistant Fire Management Officer Jinny Reed told The Nugget that, “Retardant is primarily utilized when life and property are threatened. Retardant can slow fire pro- gression to allow ground resources the opportunity to safely contain the progres- sion of a wildfire along the fires edge, and sometimes at the head. If applied properly, it can reduce fire intensity to a level acceptable for dozers and handcrews to contain for- ward spread.“ That’s why viewers will often see that smear of retar- dant going down out ahead of the fire instead of right in it. The retardant is being used by ground forces to help them build containment lines. “Aerial retardant is only effective when utilized in tan- dem with ground forces such as dozers and handcrews,” Reed said. In fact, retardant drops won’t be made if there aren’t ground resources available to exploit them. Retardant drops work bet- ter in some terrain than in others. “It is most effective in grass and shrub vegeta- tion types,” Reed reported. “Retardant is less effective in timber vegetation types.” Tankers are not always available. There are a limited number of them across the country and they’re allocated based on a priorty system that assesses threats to lives and property. Sometimes tank- ers working a fire in Sisters Country will be called away to a higher-priority fire. Fire conditions can also dictate whether or not retar- dant can be used. “Retardant cannot be uti- lized if visibility is poor (or) during high winds,” Reed said. So, while retardant drops from tankers are a critical — and spectacular — tool for firefighters, the battle is not won in the air. It’s fought out on the ground, by the men and women hauling hose, wielding chainsaws and cut- ting on a firebreak line. Retardant drops can also have negative environmen- tal effects, so air operations commanders have to be cau- tious about their deployment in sensitive areas. Kassidy Kern of the Deschutes National Forest reported that a retardant drop deployed near the rim of Whychus Creek Canyon to fight the Milli Fire as it roared toward the east prob- ably came in a second or two early.” As a result, she said, “up to 140 gallons of retardant probably made its way into Whychus Creek.” She said that a fisheries biologist patrolled the area to assess damage and found no fish kill or other adverse effects. — Last Week’s Puzzle Solved — This Week’s Crossword Sponsors When the going gets tough, even the tough call us. Banr Enterprises, llc Consult | Construct | Complete Earthwork • Utilities • Grading • Rock Walls • Snow Removal Residential and Commercial Contractor CCB: 165122 www.banr.net | 541-549-6977 Summer Savings* 25% OFF BLINDS! FREE Cordless Upgrade! 541-788-8444 • Free Consulting • Find us online at www.BudgetBlinds.com 30+ Years Experience | CCB Licensed #197715 Offer valid through Budget Blinds of Deschutes County only. Cannot be combined with any other offers. *On Signature Series. Expires 8/31/17 Allergies and lungs under attack from the smoke? Let us help. Sisters Acupuncture Center G Greg reg g W Wieland i ellandd L L.Ac. A c | 27 yrs. experience i 541-549-1523 | 352 E. Hood Ave., Ste. E
