Dramatic images from the U. S. Forest Service site manager of Hubbard Brook, Ian Halm.

 

Halm shared these photos Saturday morning, following his night shift work on what’s called the Telephone Fire in Oregon.

Halm was deployed from New Hampshire to Oregon as part of a 20 person handcrew on July 22nd, the day the Telephone Fire was sparked by a lightning strike.

Now, over 50, 000 acres in size, the Telephone Fire is estimated to be 23 percent contained as Halm’s shift ended this morning. Work has been proceeding well so far on the fire, but during a briefing this morning, Operations Section Chief Brian Tai says they’re preparing for changes that could affect the fire’s behavior. “But today we do have some extreme weather conditions as well, with a front coming in with some associated potential lightning and down drafts that could provide a different weather pattern for this fire that hasn’t been seen yet.”

While these images are full of smoke, flames, and a rather elemental feeling of danger, Khanh Ton, a University of New Hampshire student who studies wildfire and how forests respond to these disturbances, tells us wildfire is one of the ways the complex systems in a forest stay healthy and productive.

“I think the reason why recently there has been a lot of scare around wildfire is the fact that we didn’t do a really good job at, like, forest management. And so when they happen out of nowhere, the effort to put them out is very costly. Obviously, it affects all the people that live around the wildlife/urban interface.”

Halm, the Forest Service, and all the crews working on wildland fires in the Northwest are experienced and tirelessly working to protect property and lives as they make efforts to contain the telephone fire and the many other fires in the area.

Halm’s current shift is expected to end the second week of August when he’ll return to family, friends, and the Hubbard Brook Forest in New Hampshire.

Photos courtesy Ian Halm
Written and edited by Andrew Cassel, Hubbard Brook Research Foundation Director of Communications
For more information about Ian Halm’s work or to connect with UNH’s Khanh Ton contact communications@hubbardbrookfoundation.org