Tag Archives: climate

Technology, U.S.

U.S. Disaster 2025: What is PHOS-CHEK? FEMA & National Guard ops in California.

Video

PHOS CHEK is a product of a company called Perimeter Solutions. They also sell a retardant called FIRE-TROL. They claim their retardants are certified USDA “environmentally friendly”. The red color means nothing, it is one of three options for buyers, the other two are “disappearing color” and “uncolored”. Obviously the red would allow fire fighters to see where they’ve already applied the stuff.

On 12JAN2025, C-130 cargo haulers equipped with U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) get loaded with brand name PHOS CHEK, Channel Islands Air National Guard Station on Port Hueneme, California. Currently there are old C-130H Hercules operated by Colorado Air Force Reserve, Nevada Air National Guard and Wyoming Air National Guard. California Air National Guard operates the newer C-130J Super Hercules. I edited video via Technical Sergeant Nicole Wright:

California Air National Guard’s 146th Airlift Wing Super Hercules water-bombing (retardant/brand name PHOS CHEK) the mountains above Pacific Palisades. The air-horn noise is the MAFFS in operation. Video via Master Sergeant Nicholas Carzis, 11JAN2025:

On 11JAN2025, California Army National Guard’s 40th Combat Aviation Brigade arrived on Camarillo Airport, to link-up with CalFire (California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection) Fire Hawks. I edited down a video via Specialist William Franco Espinosa:

On 11JAN2025, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) began helping survivors file claims, at the Pasadena Convention Center. FEMA video via Alexis Hall:

If you are a fire survivor and have transportation, the FEMA and The American Red Cross have set up locations across Los Angeles County, to try and help you and even your pets. FEMA video via Alexis Hall, 10JAN2025:

California Army National Guard’s 40th Military Police Company on patrol in Santa Monica.  I edited video via Sergeant William Griffen, the video was recorded 10JAN2025, but not released until 12JAN2025:

U.S. Disaster 2025:USMC & Air Guard mobilized for California fires!

Technology, U.S.

U.S. Disaster 2025: USMC & Air Guard mobilized for California fires!

Video

A Presidential order, delegated through the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) and U.S. Northern Command (NorthCom), has mobilized full-time and part-time military units to fight the fires in the Los Angeles County area of California.  Those units began preparations on 10JAN2025, to be ready for action by 12JAN2025.

Marines prep a Bambi water bucket for their UH-1Y Venom.

On Camp Pendleton, California, U.S. Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367-Marine Aircraft Group 39-3rd Marine Aircraft Wing prepares Bell UH-1Y Venom for fire fighting duty.  About 5-hundred Marines will join fire fighting efforts. I edited video via Lance Corporal Jennifer Sanchez:

California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection (aka Cal Fire) and Air National Guard prepare PHOS CHEK (a brand name of a type of fire retardant) and Lockheed C-130J Super Hercules (with Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System) on Port Hueneme, California.  I edited video via Master Sergeant Nicholas Carzis:

U.S. Air Force-Reserve’s 302nd Airlift Wing loads U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) on Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado. I edited time lapse video (sent with no audio) via Technical Sergeant Justin Norton:

Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Airlift Wing personnel load a  USFS-MAFFS into a C-130H Hercules on Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado. Video (sent with no audio) via Technical Sergeant Justin Norton:

Nevada Air National Guard 152nd Airlift Wing’s Maintenance Squadron prepares C-130H Hercules with a U.S. Forest Service MAFFS.  I edited down video via Senior Master Sergeant Paula Macomber:

Idaho deploys personnel and equipment to fight California fires: https://shoshonenewspress.com/news/2025/jan/10/north-idaho-crews-deploy-to-support-efforts-in-sou/

U.S. Disasters 2024: Hawaii Fires, 4+ months on, Lithium batteries made things worse?

2023: MAFFS prepping for 2023 wildfire season!

2022: C-130 MAFFS deployed, Idaho suffers most fires/acres burned in the U.S.!

2021: California MAFFS prep.

2018: California fires make at least 1-million tons of waste!

Idaho

Suddenly, The Fog, then just as quick it was gone!

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On the eve of the Julian Christmas/New Years, an inversion suddenly descended upon Cotant Park, in Chubbuck, Idaho.

The air was still, it was eerily quiet, not even the road noise from nearby Interstates 15 and 86 could be heard.

The air temperature was between -4 and -3 degrees Celsius, but it felt warm.

Then suddenly, and unfortunately for me, just after midnight as I started taking photos the west wind blew in, sweeping the fog from the park.  If you want the weather to change around here, just wait five minutes, or drive five miles.

Where’s John Carpenter when you need him?:

USACE & Boise: It’s about water, again!

Idaho, U.S.

BSU joins forces with USACE, it’s about water!

Video

“This system has lost its channel-forming flows. Without seasonal inundation, we’re seeing a decline in riparian vegetation like black cottonwood forests and an overall loss of biodiversity.”-Marve Griffith, USACE Walla Walla District

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Boise state University (BSU) are joining forces to tackle the dying Barber Pool Conservation Area (BPCA), which is part of the Boise River system.

The claim is that the BPCA has lost its ‘natural seasonal inundation’ due to the never ending Boise Metro Area construction of buildings and infrastructure upstream. Also, non-regulated human traffic through the BPCA: “Right now, it’s a warren of little trails. If we establish good, maintained pathways, people will use them, and it’ll reduce erosion and protect wildlife.”-Alan Crockett, local taxpayer

The result is that Barber Pool is not recharging, and that plant and animal biodiversity is rapidly disappearing.  The project is not only about restoring the Barber Pool area, but, by expanding the wetland it could also lower the current level of the floodplain.

On 20NOV2024, the USACE and BSU conducted a ‘Public Scoping’ meeting at the Barber Park Education and Events Center, a fancy way a saying they collected comments about the project from concerned taxpaying citizens.

USACE video report by Marcy Sanchez:

The efforts to restore the BPCA are part of the decades old (Cold War era) National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

USACE Barber Pool project.

2024: Idaho wants to shutdown 500-thousand acres of farmland?

2023: Just revealed, Idaho got $26million in federal funding for clean-er water?

Idaho, Technology

10AUG2024: Pocatello Air Tanker Base

Video

The last time I observed DC-10 air tanker operations (ops) on the Pocatello Airport was in July 2021 (in August 2022, I observed BAE-Avro-RJ85, MD87 and Air Tractor ops).

Sometime between 11 and Noon, flying eastward over the Chubbuck Days Festival.

On 10AUG2024, I was alerted to the DC-10’s presence when they flew low over the Chubbuck Days Festival in Cotant Park.

Ex-NASA DC-8 now serving as Idaho State University’s aviation maintenance aircraft, and further down is another DC-10 being ‘bombed-up’ at the U.S. Forest Service’s air tanker base.

DC-10s and a retired DC-8 (the wind has picked up and is messing with the audio):

The Pocatello Air Tanker Base is one of several U.S. Forest Service operations covering the western United States. Upgrades to the base were completed by Summer 2022, however, the upgrades actually resulted in “minimized capacity”:

The ‘new-to-me’ location of the U.S. Forest Service’s air tanker base, on the eastern end of the airport runway. Near the dirt racing track and skeet shooting range.

The new U.S. Forest Service air base ops building versus the old building, and apparently there was a new fire near the Soda Springs area of Idaho (according to the wildfires.gov website):

Pocatello Air Tanker Base, July 2021:

K-Max & 10 Tanker, waiting for the call

DC-10 & B-17 Sentimental Journey

Wildfires 2019:

Idaho’s 911

SMOKE ’EM IF YOU GOT ’EM, 2017!: POCATELLO AIRPORT FIRE BOMBERS ARE BACK! Air Tractors, RJ85s, old outdate Neptunes, and of course DC-10s.

U.S. WILDFIRES 2016: DC-10 POCATELLO AIRPORT

IDAHO WILDFIRES 2015: POKEY AIRPORT DC-10 WATER BOMBER

Idaho Wildfires 2012, the year it got real bad: Canadian BAe 146 (RJ85) join the fight on Pocatello Airtanker Base

POCATELLO BURNING! EVACUATIONS! SOUTHEAST IDAHO BURNING! BANNOCK COUNTY BANS FIREWORKS, DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY!

To see more of my past coverage just do a search using Idaho Wildfires, or Pocatello Tanker Base, or Pocatello Airport.

Idaho

Autumn 2023, and I’m up a creek in Idaho!

Video

It has been more than a decade since I hiked up the City Creek Trails in Pocatello, Idaho. I had gotten out of shape and gained a lot of weight, but I’ve recently lost some weight and felt like getting back on the trails. Unfortunately I discovered that my favorite part of the trail is now permanently closed to allow for ‘natural restoration’:

South Trail 2024: CHERRY SPRINGS NATURE AREA, IDAHO, THAWING

Idaho, U.S.

North Trail: Cherry Springs, Idaho, March 2024 Thawing

Video

The Cherry Springs Nature Area is part of the larger multi-state Caribou-Targhee National Forest (Idaho, Montana, Utah & Wyoming), and is located in the Westside Ranger District of Southeastern Idaho.  It is two miles of hiking trails, a north trail and a south trail.

On 22MAR2024, my middle daughter Aryssa, along with my dog Struppi (and I) took a hike through the thawing Cherry Springs Nature Area.

There was a heavy-wet snow storm a few weeks prior, causing power poles and trees across the region to snap, the final spur of the North Trail was blocked by downed trees:

 

December 2020: WALKING THE DOG IN CHERRY SPRINGS, WATCH OUT FOR SNAKES!

Idaho

Xmas Lights Walk-About: Chubbuck & Pocatello

Video

Another walk-about on the Arctic cold evening of 15DEC2023, in a Chubbuck, Idaho, neighborhood near the Portneuf District Library, part-1:

Part-2:

A couple of homes in Pocatello, Idaho, 19DEC2023:

More Xmas Lights Walk-Abouts: CHUBBUCK, IDAHO

POCATELLO, IDAHO

Idaho

Xmas Lights Walk-About: Chubbuck, Idaho

Video

Checking out the various neighborhood light shows in Chubbuck, from 01DEC2023 to 11DEC2023.

Part-1:

Part-2:

Part-3:

Xmas Lights Walk-About: POCATELLO, IDAHO