Firefighting

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/16394712

> Over 70 firefighters and 38 fire trucks are on the scene of the ongoing blaze at the Temple Court Apartments, according to Miami Fire Rescue. > > A massive three-alarm fire broke out at a Miami apartment building Monday morning and an employee of the building was found shot at the scene, officials said. > > The fire at the Temple Court Apartments erupted at around 8:15 a.m. on the third floor and is still ongoing, Miami Fire Rescue said a little after noon. > > "On arrival, multiple residents were rescued and evacuated," Miami Fire Rescue said in post on X. Some were rescued from their apartments and others from their balconies.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/1944942

> Greece is bracing for more intense heat this weekend, with meteorologists warning that temperatures could climb as high as 45C (113F). > > People have been advised to stay home, and tourist sites - including Athens' ancient Acropolis - will be shut during the hottest parts of the next two days. > > It could turn into Greece's hottest July weekend in 50 years, one of the country's top meteorologists says. > > Meanwhile, firefighters are continuing to battle dozens of wildfires. > > Emergencies and civil protection officials are warning of a very high risk of new blazes across the country. > > Western Attica - just west of Athens - is among the worst-hit areas, along with Laconia in the southern Peloponnese and the island of Rhodes. > > Greece's EU partners have provided help, including firefighting planes from France and Italy and more than 200 firefighters from Poland, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria. Neighbouring Turkey is also sending some aircraft to help. > > Greece - like a number of other European countries - saw a prolonged spell of extreme heat earlier this month. > > The latest heatwave comes at one of the busiest times for the country's tourism industry. > > In its latest bulletin, the Hellenic National Meteorological Service (HNMS) warns that central and eastern regions of Greece are likely to see temperatures reaching 44C on Saturday. > > And it forecasts an even hotter Sunday, with 45C possible in central Greece. > > "This weekend risks being the hottest registered in July in the past 50 years," said Panagiotis Giannopoulos, a meteorologist with state broadcaster ERT, quoted by AFP news agency. > > "Athens is going to have temperatures above 40C for six to seven days, through to the end of July," he added. > > After a slight drop on Monday a new heat surge is expected on Tuesday. > > Officials fear this could be the worst heatwave since the summer of 1987, when hundreds of deaths were linked to the extreme weather. > > Across Greece, a number of people have already lost their homes to wildfires. In one region, several villages have been consumed by the blazes. > > One man told the BBC he did not even have a bed to sleep on anymore, and was now living in a hotel. > > Climate change increases the risk of the hot, dry weather that is likely to fuel wildfires. The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to carbon emissions. > > Spain and Italy are among the Mediterranean countries which have also experienced intense heat this week, while parts of the US are also seeing records broken. > >

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/2038783

> A new exoskeleton to support workers in railways maintenance and renewal operations::A back support exoskeleton has been developed at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italian Institute of Technology—IIT) to improve railway workers' safety and conditions for heavy manual material handling during maintenance ...

We seem to keep seeing videos of US firefighters ventilating before they have fire control and either having a near miss, getting injured or dying.

The overwhelming majority of my department and most in my area are very Right and far right politically. To each their own, I always steer away from political conversations at station. I always found it funny because their politics actively go against their own wages and benefits.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.kensand.net/post/19521

> # Young firefighter killed as Canada battles wildfires > Devyn Gale, 19, was struck by a falling tree while clearing brush near Revelstoke, British Columbia.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/1913383

> Archive: https://files.catbox.moe/kop4o5.mp4

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.kensand.net/post/14223

> # Cargo ship fire in Newark is contained days after 2 firefighters died and 6 were injured, officials say > The New Jersey cargo ship fire that killed two firefighters at Port Newark has been contained to one section of the vessel as firefighters continue to battle the blaze Saturday.

cross-posted from: https://kbin.social/m/washington/t/141126

> Firefighters in southwestern Washington were working on Tuesday to extinguish a wildfire that has destroyed 10 homes and burned more than 530 acres since it broke out on Sunday, the authorities said.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/1022760

> Some 150 firefighters from South Korea touched down in Ottawa Sunday afternoon as part of their journey to northern Quebec to fight dozens of wildfires still raging there.

cross-posted from: https://aussie.zone/post/269995

> Australia is set to burn if El Nino returns as predicted, bringing hot and dry conditions. > > While a official declaration of an El Nino event for Australia is yet to take place, the Bureau of Meteorology last week enacted an alert. > > Scientists are tipping it could be "The strongest El Nino ever measured". > > While El Nino is a worldwide phenomenon, Australia is the most vulnerable nation in the developed world because it raises the risk of drought, heatwaves and bushfires in the east of the country. > > Greg Mullins, an internationally recognised expert in responding to major bushfires and natural disasters, predicts an above normal fire season for the year ahead. "We're set for a bad year," Mr Mullins told a Climate Council media briefing on Monday.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/989620

> As the first heat wave of summer plunges California into yet another wildfire season, some environmental groups are taking aim at a commercial fire retardant that most residents have grown all too familiar with during recent, devastating fire years. > > Phos-Chek, that neon-pink goo that airplanes dump over wildfires, is a sticky slurry of ammonium phosphate designed to coat vegetation and other fuels to deprive advancing flames of oxygen. Fire authorities swear by the product, calling it indispensable. > > But critics argue that officials are overlooking the product’s ecological risks. Studies have shown the retardant can harm plants, fish and other species, including steelhead trout and Chinook salmon. It can also act as a fertilizer that grows more vegetation, which can later act as fuel for fires. > > “Fire retardant has more adverse effects on endangered species than any other thing the federal government does, and there’s not even a close second,” said Andy Stahl, executive director of Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics, an advocacy group that recently sued the U.S. Forest Service over its use of aerial retardant. > The pool area of a residence is covered with red fire retardant. > > The pool area of a residence is covered in fire retardant in the Fairview fire burn area near Hemet in 2022. > > (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) > > Experts say the idea of preventative spray is compelling, particularly given the severity of the West’s worsening wildfire crisis, but worry that there’s “no such thing as a free lunch.” > > “This is one proposed solution to that problem — at least a partial solution — which is to render the vegetation less flammable, and that’s pretty cool,” said Hugh Safford, a researcher at UC Davis and former ecologist with the Forest Service. > > “But given that we know that ammonium phosphate has effects, particularly in aquatic systems, and given that we don’t know much, if anything, about turning this into a roadside application that then lasts on the vegetation for a year, I would assume that anyone who has issues with aerial application is going to have the same issues with roadside spray.” > > Perimeter Solutions, the Clayton, Mo.-based manufacturer, said its newest product, Phos-Chek Fortify, offers long-term protection against against wildfires. In promotional videos, crews are seen spraying the material along roadsides and on the grounds of the Santa Barbrara County ranch and “Western White House” of former President Ronald Reagan. > > Jeff Emery, the company’s president of global fire safety, said in an email that ground-applied roadside applications have “proven to measurably reduce the frequency of new ignitions, preventing fires in high-risk areas while also protecting potential evacuation routes away from impacted communities. > > “The use of ground applications for retardant allows more precise delivery to ensure avoidance of waterways when applying this life-saving tool along roadways,” Emery said. “Perimeter Solutions is proud of the role we are serving to protect vulnerable communities from risk and to act as stewards to the environment to minimize the impact of fire on our forests, wildlife, and communities.” > Joshua Trees, cactuses and grasses are stained red. > > Joshua Trees, cactuses and grasses were stained red from fire retardant drops during the 2020 Bobcat fire in Juniper Hills. > > (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) > > Critics aren’t convinced. > > When it comes to preventative spraying along roadsides, Timothy Ingalsbee, a former wildland firefighter and executive director of the nonprofit Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology, argued that resources would be better spent hardening homes and communities and conducting controlled burns, which are “more effective and actually less damaging than chemical warfare.” > > Ingalsbee has long been critical of how fire authorities use air-dropped retardant in wilderness areas, saying the material is overused and frequently dropped in areas where its effectiveness is limited. The new product, he said, will only help the manufacturer earn even more profits. He calls the use of both materials “a government boondoggle.” > > “It is true that a lot of ignitions do start along roads, but how many roads do we have?” he said. > > Stahl, of the FSEE, said the product’s fertilizer qualities also made it a particularly bad choice for such applications. > > “Although you may retard an ignition or a fire spread for this season, what you’ve done is grown a lot more biomass to burn in the next year,” he said. > A white horse sticks out its tongue in a yard that bears a pinkish hue. > > A horse stands in a yard that is colored pink from retardants drops in Hemet during the Fairview fire in 2022. > > (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) > > The debate over the environmental effects of retardant reached a fever pitch recently when a Montana judge ruled partly in favor the FSEE on its charges that the Forest Service was violating the Clean Water Act with its use of aerial retardant. The Clean Water Act prohibits the discharge of pollutants into U.S. waters without a permit. > > U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen agreed that dumping the chemical retardant from planes is a violation of the nation’s clean water law. > > However, Chistensen stopped short of preventing the Forest Service from using the material, noting that doing so “could conceivably result in greater harm from wildfires — including to human life and property and to the environment — by preventing the USFS from effectively utilizing one of its fire fighting tools.” > > The judge instead ordered the Forest Service to obtain a permit from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to cover its discharge of retardant into waterways, a process that could take up to three years. The Forest Service must provide the court with status reports on its progress toward that permit every six months, but can continue to use the retardant in the meantime. > > Many who fight fires said banning the use of retardant would be catastrophic for California and the West, where wildfires are burning larger, hotter and faster than ever before. > > The judge’s call was “absolutely the right decision,” said Ken Pimlott, former director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. “If the ability of the Forest Service to utilize that product had been hampered, it would have had cascading impacts.” > > While water cools fires, Pimlott said, it often evaporates so quickly that it doesn’t provide ground crews with enough time to build containment lines to stop the blaze. Retardant, on the other hand, coats the vegetation and slows the spread of fire, allowing crews more time to move in. > > “Retardant plays a key role,” he said. “It’s just one of the tools in the toolbox for fighting fires, but it’s an integral piece.” > > Indeed, crews in California are increasingly turning to the material. Over the last three years, Cal Fire dropped 45 million gallons of aerial retardant, compared with 32 million gallons of water, according to agency data. > > Safford, of UC Davis, said longer-term studies are needed to fully understand the ecological effects of the roadside spray. Though Phos-Chek’s negative effects on aquatic environments are well established, less is known about its effect on microbiology, insects, soils and plants, including the ability of leaves to photosynthesize or transpire water while covered in the material, he said. > > Still, the ability to apply the product with some precision is a benefit. “Many, many ignitions start in dry vegetation next to roads,” he said. “Spraying on and around powerlines and telephone poles is a great idea, because telephone poles and powerlines and telephone systems go down when fire burns through them.” > > When asked whether the products encouraged grasses and other vegetation to grow, Emery said the amount of phosphate included in Phos-Chek is “not as high as what you would find in a direct fertilizer application,” and is further diluted after it rains. > > He noted that all Phos-Chek retardants are included on the U.S. Forest Service Qualified Product List, meaning “the product has gone through stringent testing protocols administered by the Forest Service and that it meets all performance, mammalian and fish toxicity and environment safety requirements.” > > Meanwhile, dozens of California government organizations, as well as private and commercial landowners have begun using Phos-Chek Fortify. > > The California Department of Transportation is currently conducting a study of the roadside spray as a “potential tool for future use,” the agency said. > Large pink stones rise in the foreground while a slightly stained home can be seen in the background. > > A house and yard near Hemet are covered in pink fire retardant in the Fairview fire burn zone in 2022. > > (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) > > In 2019, Phos-Chek Fortify was sprayed along a four-mile stretch of Route 118 through Rocky Peak in the Santa Susana Mountains, near the border of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, where 37 wildfires were recorded the year prior, Emery said. No fires were recorded there in 2019. > > In 2021, it was applied along Lake Nacimiento Road in San Luis Obispo County, where “no fires were recorded in the treated area the rest of the summer,” he said. > > And last year, the retardant was applied along the roadside in Wildcat Canyon in San Diego County, where a wildfire did ignite. “What was projected to be a half-acre to one-acre fire was reduced in size 99% due to the proactive application of Phos-Chek,” he said. > > That application came soon after the San Diego County Board of Supervisors awarded a contract to Perimeter Solutions to apply Phos-Chek Fortify along 260 miles of roads in key evacuation corridors. > > San Diego resident Sandra Martinez expressed concern about the decision during the board meeting. > > “Water does make things run downhill,” she said. “The toxicity will affect things that are not in the area where it is deposited, and possibly end up in our oceans, affecting our ocean life, so it will affect everything in its pathway.” > > Chuck Westerheide, a spokesman for the county, said San Diego is continuing the program this year and has already applied Phos-Chek Fortify to 20 miles of roads, with plans for 20 more. The material is not applied within 100 feet of any waterways, he said. > > “The mix may not stop a fire from starting, but it will slow the growth of the fire, allowing Cal Fire crews more time to arrive and contain it,” he said. > > ! > > ! > > ! > > Source > > [[[[[[Links](https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/research-innovation-system-information/documents/preliminary-investigations/pi-0284-a11y.pdf)](https://www.fs.usda.gov/rm/fire/wfcs/products/)](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-07-13/california-fires-are-burning-hotter-faster-than-even-putting-them-out-if-getting-harder)](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-03-29/u-s-forest-service-defends-use-of-pink-wildfire-retardant)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24880550/)](https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/nps/docs/wqmp_forests/comments/stahl_fsee_comments_capelli.pdf): > > [YouTube] > > YouTube2

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/1113278

> “The fire is still in progress and it looks like it will take out our entire Charleston residence,” said Dan Markham, communications director for Skiing Louise.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/972728

> U.S. Forest Service > > A helicopter makes a drop on a fire burning in the Angeles National Forest on Sunday, July 2, 2023. > > Firefighters were battling a wildfire in steep and rocky terrain in the Angeles National Forest above Arcadia as a heat wave gripped the region Sunday. > > The so-called Chantry Fire near Santa Anita Canyon had burned at least 3 acres with 50 percent containment by 7:30 p.m., the U.S. Forest Service said. > > An evacuation warning was issued for recreational cabins and other buildings in the area. > > More than 200 firefighters and heavy machinery, including two air tankers and five helicopters, were dispatched to the scene. Fire crews from Los Angeles County, Sierra Madre and Arcadia were also assisting. > > The first heat wave of the year brought triple-digit temperatures and excessive heat warnings to parts of Southern California. > > > Youtube > > source

The ‘FireDrone’, a possible new firefighting technology, can go into burning buildings, scope out fires, and deliver real-time data on people inside