Incident Media Videos

Weather is always a vital concern to wildland firefighters. It’s so important that the first of ten Standing Orders all firefighters adhere to is, “Keep informed on fire weather conditions and forecasts.” One of several ways fire weather information is collected is by incident’s meteorology team is by launching weather balloons.

James White, one of the Incident Meteorologists, explained that once launched, the sensors attached to the balloon relay information such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, and wind direction, at various altitudes. Once an hour elapses, the meteorologists have enough data to add into their forecasts. In addition to information from Remote Automated Weather Stations, satellite imagery, and reports from field observers, the data from the balloon flights, the meteorologists can make better predictions. This allows fire leadership to better plan where resources may be needed, what times fire activity may change, and most importantly, act as another tool to help keep responders and the public safe.