Observations of the Coulson Martin Mars and FireWatch 76 Operations on the 2011 Wildfires in Mexico. Jim Thomasson Contract Report CR-TBD

Transcription

1 Wildfire Operations Research 1176 Switzer Drive Hinton, AB T7V 1V3 Observations of the Coulson Martin Mars and FireWatch 76 Operations on the 2011 Wildfires in Mexico Jim Thomasson 2011 Contract Report CR-TBD Reserved for FPInnovations Staff and Contract Co-Operators Copyright 2011, FPInnovations

2 Introduction The Martin Mars, with a drop tank capacity of 7200 USG (27,126 L), is the largest water scooping aircraft currently used in North America for wildfire suppression activities. The Firewatch 76 is a Sikorsky S76B single pilot helicopter capable of carrying 7 passengers. It is equipped with a gimbal mounted high definition IR and visual camera, which is linked to a geo-referencing system that can produce maps and geo-referenced video products while in flight. The Firewatch 76 is capable of sending mapping data and screenshots via in real-time, as well as streaming video. Both aircraft are owned and operated by Coulson Flying Tankers, a division of Coulson Aircrane Ltd. based in Port Alberni, BC. In April 2011 the Martin Mars and the Firewatch 76 were contracted by Mexican CONAFOR 1 to drop water-enhancing gel on wildfires burning in the Coahuila Province near the border with Texas. Coulson requested that an FPInnovations researcher accompany them to document the operations. Objectives 1. Document the changes to fire behaviour resulting from the aerial application of gel. 2. Document the efficiency and effectiveness of the Firewatch 76 information platform during fire operations. Methods The wildfires were burning in the Coahuila Province of Mexico. The Mars operated on the El Bonito, Las Sabinas, Awachilli, and Santa Rosa fires. The Firewatch 76 worked with the Martin Mars as a bird dog and as operations support. Coulson s operations were based out of Del Rio, Texas. The Martin Mars was based on the Amistad Reservoir and was allowed to scoop only from this location. The terrain was steep and rugged with low valleys and high ridge tops, ranging in elevation from feet. Target drop height was between feet AGL 2. 1 CONAFOR is the Comisión Nacional Forestal de México. 2 AGL is above ground level. Page 1 CR-0-

3 Mars Base Awachili Del Rio El Bonito La Sabinas Santa Rosa Santa Martha Gel and Fire Behaviour Figure 1. Coahuila province, Mexico and actioned wildfires. The Martin Mars dropped exclusively water-enhancing gel on the Mexican wildfires. The mix ratio was determined the day before operations began by gel representatives using their standard protocol with a modified Marsh funnel. The optimum mix ratio was determined to be 1.4% based on the water quality from the Amistad Reservoir; however, gel representatives decided 1.5% would perform better due to the high temperatures and low humidity. Local weather conditions were recorded using a handheld Kestrel 4500 weather meter. To document the effects gel had on wildfire behaviour, an FPInnovations researcher was positioned in the Firewatch 76 for each drop. The geo-referenced video system was used to mark the drop locations and record the drops for future analysis. Most of the drops from the Martin Mars were recorded. Drops not recorded were due to technical issues with the camera or difficult flight conditions for the camera operator. Analysis of the drops on video was used to verify the observations made during the missions. Firewatch 76 Information Platform Fire Information Products The type, quality and timeliness of fire information products produced while in flight were recorded. The outputs, which were primarily map products, were then assessed as to their usefulness to an incident command team based on feedback from Mexican officials. User Interviews Interviews were conducted with both the producers and receivers of the fire information products to determine how easy it was to produce the products while in flight and how useful the products were to crews on the ground. Page 2 CR-0-

4 Results The Mars operated for 15 days from 30 Apr to 14 May 2011(Table 1). Although the maximum load of the Martin Mars is 7200 USG, in Mexico, the fuel adjusted average load was 6000 USG. The Martin Mars delivered a total of 408,000 USG of gel to the wildfires. The Firewatch 76 flew with the Martin Mars on all 15 days with 2 additional missions to the Santa Martha Fire on 29 Apr and 05 May 2011 for fire perimeter mapping and reconnaissance. During the 15 days of Martin Mars operations, temperature and humidity were at or below crossover 3 during the afternoon periods. The maximum temperature recorded was 38ºC and the lowest humidity recorded was 6%. Table 1. Drop statistics for the Martin Mars on the 2011 Mexico wildfires. Date No. of Loads Awachilli Fire El Bonito Fire La Sabinas Fire Santa Rosa Fire Daily USG* 30Apr ,000 01May ,000 02May ,000 03May ,000 04May ,000 05May ,000 06May ,000 07May ,000 08May ,000 09May ,000 10May ,000 11May ,000 12May ,000 13May ,000 14May ,000 Total Loads Total USG 24,000 84, , , ,000 *Calculated at 6000USG per load. 3 A crossover condition exists when the temperature in o C is equal to relative humidity. It has been determined by wildfire operational personnel that extreme wildfire behaviour is highly likely when crossover occurs. Page 3 CR-0-

5 The turn-around times for the Martin Mars from the Amistad Reservoir to each of the fires is shown in Table 2. The results were obtained from the Latitude Satellite Tracking records and were based on a fill to fill cycle. Table 2. Turn-around times (TAT) for the Martin Mars 2011 Mexico operations. Fire No. of Loads Average TAT (hh:mm:ss) Awachilli 4 01:01:18 El Bonito 15 00:44:05 La Sabinas 20 01:18:38 Santa Rosa 29 01:30:32 Total Loads 68 All drop were conducted between feet AGL. This allowed the drops to lose forward momentum and fall like a heavy rain onto the fireline targets. Gel and Fire Behaviour Gel Drop Characteristics Our aerial observations noted that gel consistently formed a contiguous mass that held together and showed little drift as it fell to the ground. This was observed despite crosswinds of up to 20 kph. Consequently, when pilots adjusted for drift normally experienced with water drops, the target results were less accurate. More load drift was observed when drops were at a higher height, which also resulted in less accuracy. There were a few opportunities to observe water drops from other aircraft. These drops appeared to experience increased drift and evaporation resulting in less of the load reaching the fireline. Gel drops however appeared to be less affected by the low humidity (<10%) and high temperatures(>35c) resulting in the more of the load reaching the target. Comments and images from ground crews indicated that coverage of forest vegetation was up to ¼ inch thick and evenly coated (Figure 2) within the drop area. Page 4 CR-0-

6 Figure 2. Close up of gel coverage (photo courtesy of Miguel Valles). Gel Effects on Fire Behaviour Aerial observations, reports from ground crews, and analysis of HD and infrared video footage indicated that gel consistently reduced fire behaviour. We did find that heavier fuel accumulations would continue to burn, but fire did not spread into adjacent unburned fuels that were coated with gel. Hotspots were observed in the drop area between 30 and 60 minutes after the drop. Fire spread was most effectively reduced when gel was placed directly on or immediately adjacent to the advancing fireline. The even coating of gel on the forest vegetation made it immediately unavailable for combustion. Las Sabinas Fire (04May) Unpredictable wildfire behaviour was expected to threaten valuable ranch land. As the fire climbed toward a ridge, the Martin Mars conducted multiple drops on the fire (Figure 3). The drops reduced fire intensity which allowed ground crews to action the fire directly (Figure 4) and the fire was prevented from advancing up the ridge. Page 5 CR-0-

7 Figure 3. Drop area immediately before the drop showing intense surface fire climbing toward the ridge. Figure 4. Drop area (blue) after the drop showing reduced fire behaviour. Note the smoke colour has turned from grey to white Las Sabinas Fire (06May) A finger on the Las Sabinas Fire was burning along a ridge line and threatened valuable ranch land below (Figure 5). Two gel drops were placed directly on the head (Figure 6) and stopped the fire (Figure 7). This bought valuable time for ground crews who were working their way along the ridge. Page 6 CR-0-

8 Figure 5. Drop area before showing fire beginning to run. Figure 6. Mars dropping directly on the head of the fire. Figure 7. Post drop with flames gone and steam rising. Note the gel on the ground to the left blocking the escape path of the fire. Page 7 CR-0-

9 Awachilli Fire (12May) The Awachilli Fire was burning across rolling landscape in light fuels with rapid rates of spread. The fire had jumped a roadway which was serving as a fuelbreak (Figure 8). The Martin Mars laid the gel along the fire front; half on the fire and half off. Forward fire spread was stopped immediately. The fire burned along the gel line and burned itself out within minutes (Figure 9 and 10). From aerial observations conducted the next morning, there was no visible smoke and no further fire spread. Figure 8. Drop area in the Awachilli Fire five minutes before the gel drop. Figure 9. Drop area in the Awachilli Fire one minute after the gel drop. Page 8 CR-0-

10 Figure 10. Ground view of Awachilli Fire ten minutes after the gel drop. This area was engulfed in flames when the drop occurred. Santa Rosa Fire (06May) A crew was working on the fire when a surface fire escaped and raced up the hill (Figure 11). The gel drop knocked the fire down which allowed the crew to regain control of the area quickly (Figure 12). The crew stated that the gel covered vegetation uniformly and dripped for about 15 minutes (Figure 13). Figure 11. IR image of escape fire (red) and Mars drop (blue). Crew was working along the top edge of the fire to the right when the escape occurred. Page 9 CR-0-

11 Figure 12. Image from the ground minutes after the drop showing flame elimination and overall coverage of 1/8 (photo courtesy of Miguel Valles). Figure 13. Gel accumulation on aerial fuels. The gel dripped for about 15 minutes after the drop (photo courtesy of Miguel Valles). Page 10 CR-0-

12 Santa Rosa Fire (09May) The fire was burning on a plateau and headed toward a ridge. Two gel drops stopped forward spread. IR images taken at 1.5 hours after the drop indicated much less intense fire behaviour (Figure 14). These images also showed that the fire did not spread through the gel line. Figure 14. Visual and IR image of drop #2 showing reduced fire behaviour (blue) and line straightening. The fire did not burn through the gel. Santa Rosa Fire (14May) The fire was burning along the surface underneath a canopy of Douglas fir and oak. The drop was placed along a hillside (Figure 15). The IR images show the heat produced by the surface fire before (Figure 16) and after (Figure 17) the gel drop. Figure 17 shows the residual heat along the edge of the fire. Visual inspection from the aircraft showed that the area was well-covered in gel and that the surface fire was mostly eliminated where the IR image had showed the greatest heat. Figure 15. Drop along hillside on 14May. Page 11 CR-0-

13 Aircraft Gel drop in motion Figure 16. IR image of the drop along the hillside on 14May. Figure 17. IR image showing immediate cooling of fuels (red arrow). Page 12 CR-0-

14 Firewatch 76 Information Platform Aerial Mapping and Video Products The Firewatch 76 was tasked to map the fire perimeter and perimeter hotspots on the Santa Martha Fire on 29Apr. The Santa Martha Fire perimeter was mapped again on 05May (Figure 18). Mexican fire officials indicated they found the map products extremely useful for strategic planning and a great improvement over their current mapping capabilities. The Incident Commander, who accompanied the flights, found the platform and its products useful for observing aerial operations and general reconnaissance. Figure 18: Example of map product produced by Firewatch 76 (Santa Martha Fire 05May). The map products produced by the Firewatch 76 are standard ESRI shapefiles. Google Earth.kmz format was also produced due to the Mexican familiarity with that format. Video stills were in standard.bmp or.jpg format for viewing on any computer. These products were produced in flight and delivered upon landing or via . The HD video footage had to be converted to.avi or.mpg format for viewing and thus required a few hours to produce a product in a deliverable format. Page 13 CR-0-

15 User Interview Responses When possible, immediate feedback from the ground crews after the drop was obtained by the Air Attack Officer and relayed to the researcher. Due to the difficulty of translation, direct interviews were only conducted on two occasions. Valuable information and pictures were provided by Miguel Valles (Figure 19), a division supervisor on the Santa Rosa Fire. All reports from the ground crews regarding gel s effect on fire behaviour were positive. In most cases, respondents felt that the gel significantly improved their ability to control the fire. Mexican forestry officials and firefighters were confident that gel was the main factor in controlling the fires in these areas. The following is a summary of comments from ground crews and the incident command team: drop accuracy was good gel reduced fire intensity extinguished majority of the fire everything was well coated in drop area of 40m x 100 m eliminated visible flames easy to work in controlled the fire better than water gel began to dry after approximately 60 minutes; smokes began to appear drops need ground support to be most effective gel was more effective than water drop came down like a heavy rain a gel drop was like cutting line, could skip over drop area and continue line Figure 19. Miguel Valles, Division Supervisor, Santa Rosa Fire. Page 14 CR-0-

16 Discussion During the 15 days of the Martin Mars operation, researchers observed 68 drops of gel. From these observations it was evident that gel was most effective when applied along the fire s edge (direct attack). Gel stopped fire spread and resulted in an immediate reduction in fire intensity. Drops placed away from the fire s edge began to evaporate minutes after the drop and may not have been able to influence fire behaviour. Gel dropped directly on the fire eliminated flames in the drop zone and gel-covered vegetation was unlikely to reignite, especially if ground crews were available to address the few remaining hotspots. Although the size of the Martin Mars allowed it to deliver large volumes of gel to the fireline, the Mexico mission was somewhat limited by the long turn-around times, and the inexperience and limited training of Mexican Air Attack Officers with large air tankers. The mission was also limited by local fuel availability for the Firewatch 76. Using infrared images for gel evaluation proved to have limited value under operational wildfire conditions. After a gel drop, the residual heat in the fuels remains even though combustion may have stopped. An IR image will pick up this heat signature and it will appear as though the drop was not effective. IR images are useful for assessment of drop accuracy but only in the moments following the drop. In addition, reference points are not visible in an IR image making it extremely difficult to relocate drops for further observations and measurements. Mapping products produced by Firewatch 76 were an improvement over the mapping products currently available to Mexican fire officials. The Firewatch 76 mapping products provided near real-time information about the fires to the incident command team. Video products were used for post drop analysis and documentation purposes. The Firewatch 76 was shown to be a capable information platform: it has the ability to take up to 7 passengers; the IC, Plans Chief and Operations Chief regularly rode in the helicopter and gave advice to the air attack officer sitting in the front, providing strategic and tactical focus to the operation it can land at a drop site or command post to pick up/drop off personnel; it can land between drops reducing the overall flight time it can hover over the drop target allowing the Mars to pick its own path into and out of the target range it has the speed to lead or follow the Mars as an air attack platform it can record video in visual and infrared for target selection, post flight analysis and quality control it can communicate with the ground over a loud hailer and be understood it can be used for other fire purposes such as IR scanning, fire mapping and intelligence, geo-referenced video or medical-evacuation Page 15 CR-0-

17 It was also noted that there are some disadvantages of the Firewatch 76: situation awareness of the fire is limited when setting down between drops; the fire must be re-assessed on each takeoff for a suitable drop target as conditions may have changed fuel range is limited; refuelling spots need to be identified pre-mission the Mars pilots reported that the helicopter is sometimes harder to see than a fixed wing birddog drop run setup procedure can affect the accuracy and placement of the drop without leading the Mars. Conclusions Based on the video footage, aerial observations, and reports from ground crews, gel delivered from the Martin Mars effectively reduced fire behaviour. Gel eliminated most surface fire within the drop area and allowed ground crews to access areas previously too intense for direct attack. Reports and feedback from the Mexican forestry officials were favourable on the use of the Mars as a gel delivery platform and the use of the Firewatch 76 as an information gathering platform. Page 16 CR-0-