Author: Rick James

  • Red Flag Warnings

    Red Flag Warnings (RFW) are put out by the National Weather Service (NWS) when certain weather conditions are met – usually a combination of wind & dryness. The conditions that trigger a NWS vary by region and forecast office. Without going into all the details, RFWs are not consistently applied nor scientifically developed to help…

  • The Double-Myth of “Fire Season”

    It’s now a cliché in the fire world to say there is no fire season. Let’s back up a bit. A fire season was used for the fire suppression agencies to staff their facilities properly. Because of the seasonality of wildfire, it didn’t make sense to keep a full set of crews in stations and…

  • What is Fire Weather?

    “Fire Weather” is a term that is used in the industry, and likely has different meanings for everyone. To the officer with a low risk appetite, it’s any time it’s not raining. To a seasoned fire fighter, it’s those days where the hairs on his neck stand up. PyroRisk uses that term to capture weather…