Off to a fire

You may have heard that there's been a drought across the southeast, extreme by any measure, and the inevitable result is wildfires. As a part of my job, I am an Incident Meteorologist (IMET) available to be sent to these fires to provide weather for planning and the safety of personnel on the fire. So, I was called to the Rock Mountain Fire in extreme northeast Georgia around the middle of November, and now at the beginning of December I'm finally getting ready to head home.

A "portable" weather station set up
for the fire.

The fire started small, as they all do, but quickly spread in the extreme drought, burning freshly fallen oak leaves and small brush through the hardwood forest. It quickly became larger that the local authorities could handle so state and national resources were called in. A fellow IMET, who was being  released from another nearby fire was diverted to this one. After two weeks of service we normally "time out' and as he did I was called to relieve him.

As a part of my IMET job, I go out to survey the perimeter of the fire, and even took a helicopter flight to see the fire from above. This help familiarize me with the fire and the terrain, which in turn assists me in forecasting wind, temperature and humidity, critical element in fire behavior and growth.

My days are long. Generally wake up around 5 AM to get to my desk at 530 AM. I check current weather and any updates I may need to make to my forecast that I wrote the night  before. Then I'm off to brief fire staff and firefighters on what to expect out of the weather for the day. After that, it's numerous meetings, briefings and monitoring the weather through the day. Most days end around  9 pm. The good news is that this is the first fire where I've actually been given a motel room. Most fires I bring a tent and sleep on the ground each night. Also, I've been able to eat in local restaurants and have a real roof over my head.

My view of the morning briefing.

So, the work is tiring but very satisfying. It really feels like you are helping a community and providing vital information. It's nerve wracking too. A mistake can endanger lives, and the firefighters and managers are quick to tell you when you're wrong.

The small town we are in is about the friendliest place I've ever seen. The local townsfolk are truly gracious and appreciative of the hundreds of us that have invaded their town and took over their church. They cooked us all Thanksgiving dinner, and it's damn near impossible to buy a cup of coffee anywhere in town.

Helicopter selfie, My monstrous head is exaggerated  by the
big white helmet. Really.

All in all though I'm ready to get home. I missed Thanksgiving dinner with the family and miss my lovely bride. I missed a big snowstorm too, and a big thanks goes out to friends who pitched in and helped Cindy shovel. I owe you one.  I'm looking forward to getting home and putting up the Christmas tree and decorating the house. More than anything, I'm looking forward to getting a fire going in the fireplace and watching a few Christmas movies from the couch with Cindy.

On the home front, I order six windows from Home Depot before I left and hope they'll soon be in. I'd hate to have to install them in the dead of winter, but don't want to delay too long since I'm counting on them to lower my heating bill. Otherwise I need to button up some of the drafts in the basement and better secure our home for the winter.