2012 ISSUE 7 AUGUST 10, 2012

Some fire worksites may look chaotic at first glance,

until you realize that they are actually well-organized.

Everyone has a job to do and everyone is trained to

prepare for and carry out that job.

If you are required to be present at a fire for any

reason, here are a few things you need to understand:

1) If you do not have specific instructions about where

you need to be and what you need to do, get them!

On any fire, the first place to go for instructions and

directions is the Plans centre. If you’re still unsure or

if you get disoriented, go back to Plans and ask

again. Do not simply wander around the site, since

you may walk into a dangerous area.

2) Many people are curious about what we do, but their

presence may create a hazard or a distraction

(especially around helicopter bases).

3) If you are a member of the public, do not drive to a

fire to take a closer look. Please stay well back and

let our crews do their work.

4) If you see an airtanker or helicopter working where

you are, leave the area immediately. The aircraft

cannot drop their loads if they know that people are

in the area, since a drop may cause branches, snags

or rocks to fall. We do not want to see anyone get

hurt.

Please stay back and let us do our job!

“Skids Down” is a term that most people in the

aviation world understand, but sometimes find hard to

articulate. At the Coastal Fire Centre, the term is used

to describe the time of day when a helicopter must have

its skids on the ground (i.e. land for the remainder of

the day).

Any aircraft operating for the Wildfire Management

Branch must be on the ground one half-hour before

“evening grounding time”. Evening grounding time is

determined by an algorithm that Transport Canada

provides to pilots that identifies hours of daylight.

The reason that WMB aircraft are required to be

back at base earlier is to provide a longer buffer period

should any unforeseen event occur. The Ministry of

Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations

(FLNRO) has opted to risk-manage flight operations

by adding this extra 30 minutes to the buffer period and

giving the flight manager latitude to continue flying

into that buffer time should the need arise. If there’s an

emergency and someone is hurt, an hour is a more

reasonable amount of time to get first aid into the area.

Helicopters can not operate without risk after dark

and that risk does not outweigh any potential benefit

from flying at night. Remember that fire behaviour

generally drops off as temperatures drop at night.

Helicopters

See detailed weather forecast

page 6

In this Issue:

Restricted Areas

Keep Yourself Safe

At Coastal

Page 1

Helicopters are multifunctional tools for the

Wildfire Management Branch. They’re used to

dump buckets of water onto fires, transport crews

and cargo, evacuate injured people in

emergencies, and perform aerial reconnaissance.

In planned burn operations, a “heli-torch” can be

affixed to a helicopter and used as an aerial drip

torch.

In the Coastal Fire Centre, helicopters are

particularly useful since the terrain is often

mountainous and hard to access. Landing areas

are purpose-built to allow helicopters to land in

difficult locations. These sites are constructed by

experienced fire crews and are referred to as

helispots, helipads or heliports.

The sites must be built to exact ministry

specifications and maintained (despite their often

precarious positions) at a high safety standard.

They must also be kept clear of debris and wet

down regularly. Safety clearances are maintained

and danger trees and snags are removed within

two tree-lengths of the landing pad.

From Left to Right:

Rob Fraser—Senior

Protection Officer—

A v i a t i o n , L o r n a

W o l l n e r — A v i a t i o n

Operations Assistant,

Toni Large—Forest

Protection Assistant—

Aviation, Temporary

Assignment.

Our Aviation Management Philosophy is based on

the following facts:

Use of aircraft is considered a high risk activity

and safety considerations must be addressed in all

aspects of flight planning and operations;

Aircraft are an integral and substantial part of our

wildfire management activities;

Cost effective use of aircraft should be of primary

consideration

Aircraft are a finite resource, both in number and

type, and;

Aircraft must be managed by trained specialists

that are current in their role.

Coastal’s Aviation Team

Are You in the Way? ‘Skids Down’

In some circumstances, it is important to limit public

access to a particular area so that work can be carried out

safely by the Wildfire Management Branch. According to

the Wildfire Act, the government may restrict access under

specific conditions:

(1) If the minister considers it necessary or desirable to

limit the risk of a fire, to address a public safety concern

or to avoid interference with fire control, the minister by

order may designate a specified area as a restricted area

for a specified period.

(2) During the specified period under an order under this

section, a person must not remain in or enter the area des-

ignated by the order as a restricted area, unless the person

(a)first receives the written authorization of an offi-

cial, or

(b)Enters the area only in the course of

(i) travelling to or from his or her residence,

(ii) using a highway as defined in the Highway

Act, or

(iii) travelling to or from

(A)an operation, or

(B)An activity

Of a type that the minister may specify in the

order.

(3) An order under subsection (1) or an authorization un-

der subsection (2) may be different for different

(a) types, categories or subcategories of operations

or activities,

(b) categories of persons, places or things, or

(c) circumstances

(4) For the period during which an area continues as a

restricted area under this section, a person is relieved from

any fire control obligation for that area.

Restricted Areas—The Wildfire Act

NOTAM is an acronym for “Notice to Airmen”. The

NOTAM system was officially adopted in 1947. A

NOTAM is filed with an aviation authority to alert

personnel to “the establishment, condition or change in any

aeronautical facility, service, procedure or hazard en route

or at a specific location.”

NOTAMs are issued and reported for a number of

reasons, including:

establishment, withdrawal or significant changes

to procedures for air navigation services

establishment, closure or significant changes to the

NOTAM

Restrictions apply to aircraft flying near a fire. Under

Section 601.15 of Transport Canada’s Canadian Aviation

Regulations, “no unauthorized person shall operate an

aircraft over a forest fire area”.

No notification is necessary unless the Wildfire

Management Branch extends its operational airspace with

a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) to conduct fire control

activities, as was the case in Bella Coola in 2009. That

allowed air operations to remain unimpeded by non-fire

air traffic, but allowed regular air traffic to continue to fly

through a specified corridor at particular times.

In some cases, an airport must be shut down

completely and regular air traffic gets rerouted. At other

times, it is simply a matter of working with local

authorities to come up with a co-operative solution, as was

the case in 2005 when a fire broke out in Burns Bog. The

Vancouver International Airport (YVR) authority worked

with the Wildfire Management Branch to keep air traffic

moving by restricting regular airport traffic to the north

side of the Fraser River and conducting fire operations

south of the river.

NOTAMs are not automatically instituted unless there

is a need to do so. A notice is only issued (in addition to

airspace restrictions) when normal air traffic is in danger

or that traffic could potentially endanger WMB personnel

working on a fire.

Remember: If there is a fire in the area, pilots

should avoid it if at all possible.

Restricted Areas—Aviation

The area around a forest fire; even with no fire

suppression aircraft activity, is considered to be

flight restricted under the authority of CAR 601.15

(over a forest fire area, or over any area that is

located within 5 nautical miles of a forest fire, at an

altitude of less than 3000 feet at ground level).

To Report a Wildfire

1-800-663-5555

operation of aerodrome or runways

changes in the level of protection normally

available at an aerodrome for rescue and

firefighting purposes

inoperable radio navigational aids

establishment or discontinuance of areas or routes,

or portions thereof

implementation of short-term contingency

measures in cases of disruption, or partial

disruption, of air traffic services and related

supporting services

Page 2

Page 3

Plane Spotting

With Floats

Page 4

Bell 204/205

Hughes 500

Bell 407

Sikorsky Aircrane S64

Martin Mars

Used with a belly tank and/or nozzle

Hazard, Incident and Accident—Aviation

The Wildfire Management Branch trains staff to

be professional passengers. A professional passenger

is someone who takes an active role to ensure that a

flight is conducted as safely as possible. Although

the pilot is ultimately responsible for the safe

operation of the aircraft, there are many ways that

our staff contribute to a safe flight as a passenger.

Be a proactive passenger:

Look — Stay focused. Don’t distract the

pilot, but be aware of your surroundings and

help spot any potential hazards.

Listen — Follow the pilot’s orders and be

an active participant in the flight.

Remember to pay attention to radio traffic

and dialogue going on around you.

Report — If you see something unusual,

report it to the pilot immediately. Be sure

that others in the aircraft are aware of any

danger.

Transport Canada has mandated that every flight

must begin with a safety briefing. Allow the pilot to

deliver his briefing and save any questions until the

end. Then it is your responsibility to brief the pilot on

the purpose of the flight and what tasks are to be

carried out. Page 5

See detailed weather forecast

page 6

With the fire season upon us, the public is out in the

backcountry in ever-increasing numbers. If you are inad-

vertently caught in a helicopter or airtanker drop zone, it

is important to keep yourself safe.

If possible, leave the area immediately if you see an

airtanker in the area. Airtanker crews must cease opera-

tions if they become aware that people are in the area.

If you are inadvertently caught in a drop zone during

a drop:

Stay calm. Stay clear of snags and loose rock.

Lie face-down with your head toward the drop area.

Cover your head. (If you are cycling, leave your

helmet on.)

Hold on to a stable object (preferably a rock) to

reduce the chance that you being moved by the

force of the drop.

After the tanker has dropped its load:

Avoid breathing in the mists that are created by the

drop. Allow the fire retardant to settle before get-

ting up.

Leave the area immediately.

Watch your footing, since some fire retardants can

be slippery.

Rinse the retardant off your skin at the first oppor-

tunity. Try to keep the retardant away from your

eyes or any cuts. If there is contact, rinse the af-

fected areas immediately.

10

Accidents

30

Incidents

1

Fatality

A hazard is any source of potential damage, harm or adverse

health effects on something or someone under certain conditions.

An incident is any aviation occurrence, other than an accident that

affects or could affect the safe operation of an aircraft.

An accident is where a person receives any injury or an aircraft

sustains any major damage requiring replacement or repair.

Professional Passenger Ground Safety

600 Red Flag

Hazards

The Heinrich Pyramid is a visual tool used to show the correlation between hazards, incidents, accidents and

fatalities. The pyramid was first developed by Herbert Heinrich, an accident investigator, in the 1920s and is

still used in aviation circles today. In today’s aviation industry the equation Heinrich developed largely

holds true. The general aviation ratio is 8.6:1 but in areas with mountainous terrain like the coastal region

the ratio is adjusted to 4:1. The Wildfire Management Branch works hard to mitigate any danger; all unsafe

situations are reported and immediate action is taken to correct potential hazards. Reporting is mandatory!!

See detailed weather forecast

page 6

To Report a Fire 1-800-663-5555

Or *5555 on your

cell

Situational awareness is “a

p i l o t ’ s ( o r a i r c r e w’ s )

continuous perception of self

and aircraft in relation to the

dynamic environment of flight,

threats, and mission, and the

ability to forecast, then execute

t a s k s b a s e d o n t h a t

perception.” (Carol, 1992 ).

Situational awareness (SA)

is a skill that pilots continually

develop and is essential for flight safety. It is, as

Carol notes, “problem-solving in a three-

dimensional spatial relationship complicated by the

fourth dimension of time compression, where there

are too few givens and too many variables. It

encompasses the individual’s experience and

capabilities, which affect the ability to forecast,

decide and then execute. SA represents the

cumulative effects of everything an individual is and

does as applied to mission accomplishment.”

Although this concept may have first developed

in aviation, it is applicable to a wide variety of jobs

— p a r t i c u l a r l y f i r s t

responders. The concept

addresses how a person has to

think to develop situational

awareness, but it also deals

with the consequences of not

using that skill properly (and

how to prevent that from

happening).

Inattention, distraction,

overload and disinterest may

threaten an individual’s ability to take in all aspects

of a situation, but a solid grounding in best

practices, training and good reflexes may help

reinforce situational awareness.

Continuous training and reinforcement can help

an individual perform appropriately in a difficult

situation and not feel overwhelmed. If pilots or

firefighters are bombarded by a lot of information,

this type of training allows them to deal with new

information more efficiently.

- Carol, L. A. (1992). Desperately seeking SA. TAC Attack

(TAC SP 127-1), 32(3), 5-6.

Situational Awareness

The Coastal Fire Centre’s activity has picked up

substantially this week as lightning moved through

the region on August 7, 2012. Twenty-eight fire

starts resulted from this weather front. Most fires

discovered were spot size and were dealt with

quickly. Thirteen fires are actively being worked on

today, August 10, 2012. We expect to have more

reports of lightning-caused fires as more strikes be-

come visible with the warm weather forecasted for

the weekend.

We are asking that if you see a fire please report

it. We rely on the public to report fires and would

like to thank the loggers, pilots and citizens who

help when these events occur.

Please remember that there is still a Category 2

Open Fire ban in place, which means no backyard

burning, no burn barrels and no fireworks. Camp-

fires are still allowed within Coastal Fire Centre

jurisdiction but check with your local government as

you must abide by local bylaws. For more informa-

tion go to: www.bcwildfire.ca.

SYNOPSIS: Little change is expected in the pattern over

the next couple of days with a fairly dry, stable, and mild

westerly flow in control over the coast allowing the

warming and drying trend to continue. Patchy moisture

entrained in the upper flow should maintain partly cloudy

skies over Haida Gwaii and parts of the Mid Coast today,

likely clearing somewhat on Saturday allowing

temperatures to rebound a few degrees.

OUTLOOK (days 3-5): The gradual warming and

drying trend continues on Sunday while a fairly dry

westerly flow remains in control over the region. A

frontal system and associated upper trough that approach

from the northwest on Monday should bring increasing

winds, cooler temperatures, and the potential for isolated

showers to Haida Gwaii and northern sections of the Mid

Coast while areas to the south likely see another warm

and dry day with a few bands of cloud. As the weakening

system advances southeastward across the region

Monday night, isolated showers and gusty winds are

possible. Tuesday should be a transitional day with skies

clearing from north to south as a drier northwesterly flow

gains control in advance of the next Pacific ridge.

6 TO 10 DAY: A more significant warming and drying

trend is expected Wednesday through Friday as a large

Pacific ridge drifts eastward across the fire centre.

To Date in

Coastal

Fires to Date

Person Caused 46

Lighting Caused 45

Total Number of Fires

91

Hectares burnt 22

Number of Incidents Responded to

296

Fire Danger Rating

As of August 10, 2012

Predominantly Moderate/High

Page 6

Weather Today At Coastal

Diagram from Airbus