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Onsite portable Weather station.  May 2011 (photo: Larry Nixon)

2011 Research activities

Kerry McLaven, Theresa Friesen, Colleen Mooney, Steve Hvenegaard & Rex Hsien

Researchers and support staff from NWT, BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan arrived in Ft Providence starting June 20^th and were on site until June 29^th 2011.

Planned research (details in Operations plan) included:

FPInnovations website links

http://wildfire.fpinnovations.ca/Research/NWTProject.asp

http://wildfire.fpinnovations.ca/index.asp

http://wildfire.fpinnovations.ca/Research/Research.asp

Western Willow Ventures Inc. (WWVi) Model UAV Lab: http://lab.westernwillow.com

Unfortunately, the weather did not co-operate. Rather than the rain of the year before, the conditions were very warm and dry and the NWT was experiencing a building fire load. An attempt to burn a Survival Zone plot was made on June 24^th but was cancelled due to problems with the ignition device. After this date, resources were being reserved for suppression activities and so apart from small test burns, no burns at the site were carried out

All was not lost however. Plot assessments and preparation for future research burns were completed and some testing was conducted at an active wildfire - ZF012 – which had crossed highway 3 90km north of the site. After conferring with Territorial, South Slave and North Slave Duty officers as well as the IMT based out of Franks channel, the group moved up to a spot just off the highway on June 26^th and were able to test out new cameras and collect data.

As well, a helicopter was made available which allowed two researches to recce and drop of two data recorders ahead of the main fire and recover them the following day

The following is a brief summary of daily activities from the daily reports.

Summary of activities for Monday June 20  & Tuesday June 21 2011

• Staff, Researchers and Fire Crews arrive onsite.

• Briefings

• Initial equipment move and set up

• Liaison with local fire base and authorities

• Check of onsite WX Station

Summary of activities for Wednesday June 22 2011

• No burns

• SS7 crew onsite

• Survival zones readied for burn 95% complete

• Water source inspected by crew

• “Pine Beetle” plot examined Determined ready to burn Prefer SE/S wind

• Windthrow plot examined Ready, prefer S wind

• Equipment trailer on way from Ft Smith

Fire shelters set up in survival plot (photo: Larry Fremont)

Summary of activities for Thursday June 23 2011

• Test burns P2B2 10’ x 8’ Flame ht 1-2’, creeping ground fire which started to climb Pj bark , extinguished (Jon)

• Examine community protection plots 9 & 10 in Blk 2 Determined to be too wet (Jon & Dave)

• SS7 set up water for survival and I4 plots in Blk 2, sump has to be improved

• Survival zones setup, mapped, instrumentation points selected, fire shelter sites selected (Greg & Rex & Mark)

• cabin in I3 Blk 1 Prepared for burn (N wind) , fuel loading assessed (Gary & Rex)

• Sat phones tested (Larry & Ray)

• Equipment Set up and checked over for burns (Gary & Roy)

• Examined blowdown plots (Steve & Dave & Colleen)

• Examined regen in Blk 1, Will require strong winds in order to burn (Colleen & Dave)

Wx information

Observations and data from onsite Wx Stn on June 23 @ noon

Overcast to south moved over site by day’s end (1700) bringing isolated showers as crew left

Mark Ackerman (UofA) and Rex Hsien (FPInnovations) (photo: Larry Nixon)

Test burn (Photo: Dave Schroeder)

Summary of activities for Friday June 24 2011

• Burn Survival sites burn cancelled due to equipment issues Retry on Saturday if equipment repaired

  • 2^nd crew and heli onsite

  • Crew finalised sump/ hose lays and filled bladder for burn

  • Instrumentation and research set up completed for Survival plots

  • Process halted at ignition supervisor check

• Ft Prov office arranging to supply ATV for crew use (onsite Saturday?)

• rabbit researchers left site at noon

• Test burns on west side of blowdown plots (Dave)

• successful test burns & fuel samples in P2B2 (Jon)

• blowdown site reviewed for future burns in blowdown/mulch/grey attack simulation (Dave)

• Western Willow onsite with ARDi

• Three additional personnel on site (Sask, ENR, FPInnovations)

• Successful ignition tests in mulch

• Fuel sampling in P2 & 12 B2 (Colleen & Jon)

Wx information

Observations and data from onsite Wx Stn @ noon

Fire proof camera and instruments on edge of survival plot (photo: Larry Nixon)

Ft Providence fire crewmembers assessing boundary of Survival plots prior to ignition (photo: Larry Nixon)

Summary of activities for Saturday June 25 2011

• No burns conducted Cancelled due to NWT fire requirements

• One crew onsite (SS7) with ATV

• Bladder and hose lays for plot I3 in place

• Repair of Terra Torch successful

• ARDI tests

• Check comms from site with throw up antenna not successful Unable to contact Ft Prov fire base

• Testing of handheld IR cameras at Fire ZF012 just off roadside

• Plot assessments

Wx information

Observations and data from onsite Wx Stn @ noon

Steve Hvenegaard (FPInnovations)and Larry Nixon testing out hand held IR cameras for hotspotting (photo: Kris Johnson)

Kris Johnson and Steve Hvenegaard assessing handheld IR cameras for hotspotting (photo: Larry Nixon)

Summary of activities for Sunday June 26 2011

• Contacted TDO, SSDO ,NSDO & IMT about doing research at fire ZF012 – given OK

• Crew went to fire ZF012 Located a spot off a gravel pit and set up instruments in an area which burnt off

• Three researchers used Heli to locate a clearing ahead of the fire and dropped off two data loggers to be picked up after fire passage

• One crew onsite (SS7) with ATV Rechecked layout and filled bladders

• Bladder and hose lays for plot I3 in place

• ARDI tests at edge of burn and recce of fire

• Plot assessments

WX information

Spot forecasts issued for CBCFS and Fire ZF012

CBCFS Site expected to get rain Tues eve/Wed morning

Fire ZF012 (crew is actually farther back from fire than it appears) Assessing location for suitability.

ARDI remote being used to look at site from air

Heidi Selzer, Kerry McLaven, Theresa Friesen, Ray Ault, Kris Johnson, Larry Fremont, Mark Ackerman, Rex Hsien (photo: Larry Nixon)

Briefing at Fire ZF012: Rex Hsien, Roy Campbell, Kerry McLaven, Theresa Friesen, Kris Johnson, Mark Ryans (photo: Larry Nixon)

Fire ZF012 new camera enclosures set out in front of approaching fire (photo: Larry Nixon)

Fire ZF012 testing new camera enclosures at fire edge (photo: Larry Nixon)

Summary of activities for Sunday, Monday, Tuesday June 27/28/29th 2011

• Fire activity in NWT precluded any further ignition attempts at the project site. Fire Crews and helicopters were devoted to suppression activities.

• Researchers and crews spent these two days assessing and preparing plots for future research activities

• Data loggers dropped off on 26^th recovered.

• Debrief held with attendees evening of 27^th.

• Bulk of staff & researchers headed home June 28^th

• Final site inspection and wrap up on 29^th.

Jon Large, Kris Johnson and Gary Dakin walking new plots south side of Block 1 (photo: Larry Nixon)

Getting plot ready for future burn (photo: Dave Schroeder)