Jim Whittington🔥
@jimwhittington.bsky.social
Retired BLM/NPS/USFS - Courtesy faculty with Oregon State's College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences. Interested in wildland fire, incident management, climate change, history, public health, & crisis comms. Texas expat. Birthday: 318.51
Oregon says hello.
November 7, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Oregon says hello.
Friday's fire photo is of a reseeding plane flying over the Cerro Grande Fire burned area near Los Alamos, NM. We tried to get grass growing ASAP to stabilize the soil and prevent erosion even though there was a lot of hydrophobic soil.
November 7, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Friday's fire photo is of a reseeding plane flying over the Cerro Grande Fire burned area near Los Alamos, NM. We tried to get grass growing ASAP to stabilize the soil and prevent erosion even though there was a lot of hydrophobic soil.
Vista Fire, 2001 I believe. Yes, the photo is mine. Here's another:
November 7, 2025 at 5:13 AM
Vista Fire, 2001 I believe. Yes, the photo is mine. Here's another:
Today's photo is an aerial shot of a Los Alamos, NM neighborhood after the Cerro Grande Fire of 2000. Note the green trees and yards--many of the homes were burned by wind-blown embers finding a receptive fuel bed in or near the structures and not from a flaming front.
November 6, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Today's photo is an aerial shot of a Los Alamos, NM neighborhood after the Cerro Grande Fire of 2000. Note the green trees and yards--many of the homes were burned by wind-blown embers finding a receptive fuel bed in or near the structures and not from a flaming front.
This is from the oughts. I'm almost certain it was taken with this camera.
November 6, 2025 at 3:52 AM
This is from the oughts. I'm almost certain it was taken with this camera.
Today's fire pic is a nice little flank of a managed fire creeping along on the North Rim:
November 5, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Today's fire pic is a nice little flank of a managed fire creeping along on the North Rim:
Day Three: Here's a Skycrane dipping out of a lake near Grants, NM. I don't know much about this helicopter, but I think it's a boy.
November 4, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Day Three: Here's a Skycrane dipping out of a lake near Grants, NM. I don't know much about this helicopter, but I think it's a boy.
And as an extra added bonus, here's a shot from a helicopter above Navajo Mountain looking across Lake Powell towards Bull Ridge. Rainbow Bridge is somewhere down there on the near side of the Colorado. Note the retardant drop in the foreground.
November 3, 2025 at 2:34 PM
And as an extra added bonus, here's a shot from a helicopter above Navajo Mountain looking across Lake Powell towards Bull Ridge. Rainbow Bridge is somewhere down there on the near side of the Colorado. Note the retardant drop in the foreground.
As a bonus, here's the same fire at night. (I can't remember who took these, but it wasn't me.) Best fry bread I ever had came from two older ladies who spoke little English but had the greatest smiles. I do love that country and the people who call it home.
November 3, 2025 at 2:34 PM
As a bonus, here's the same fire at night. (I can't remember who took these, but it wasn't me.) Best fry bread I ever had came from two older ladies who spoke little English but had the greatest smiles. I do love that country and the people who call it home.
Day 2: Fire on Navajo Mountain, 2006. IIRC, this was the first time an IMT had been invited onto Navajo lands and it was a long ride from the main Arizona highway into Utah. We set up ICP at the Navajo Mountain High School.
November 3, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Day 2: Fire on Navajo Mountain, 2006. IIRC, this was the first time an IMT had been invited onto Navajo lands and it was a long ride from the main Arizona highway into Utah. We set up ICP at the Navajo Mountain High School.
OK, every weekday in November I'll try to post a fire photo. Here's one of a Shot crew getting geared up and ready to hike into the fire. I can't remember which fire this was, but I'm fairly certain it was in New Mexico.
November 2, 2025 at 7:00 PM
OK, every weekday in November I'll try to post a fire photo. Here's one of a Shot crew getting geared up and ready to hike into the fire. I can't remember which fire this was, but I'm fairly certain it was in New Mexico.
Meanwhile, on the south side of the resort down towards the poor neighborhood of mere $3 million vacation homes, we only had about a mile of line to close before a front changed the wind direction on us. It blew the fire through our gap. 9/
October 25, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Meanwhile, on the south side of the resort down towards the poor neighborhood of mere $3 million vacation homes, we only had about a mile of line to close before a front changed the wind direction on us. It blew the fire through our gap. 9/
Which was not many. I never made that mistake again though.
Side note #2: On many fires, there are accusations that firefighters play favorites and put more resources in the wealthier parts of a community. This one played out similarly, but with a twist. 7/
Side note #2: On many fires, there are accusations that firefighters play favorites and put more resources in the wealthier parts of a community. This one played out similarly, but with a twist. 7/
October 25, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Which was not many. I never made that mistake again though.
Side note #2: On many fires, there are accusations that firefighters play favorites and put more resources in the wealthier parts of a community. This one played out similarly, but with a twist. 7/
Side note #2: On many fires, there are accusations that firefighters play favorites and put more resources in the wealthier parts of a community. This one played out similarly, but with a twist. 7/
Back in the day, I was working a fire near a fancy ski resort. This was when $30 million homes were still unfathomable to me. This guy, who kept bragging that he had the President's personal phone number, came up and said he was going to write a check to pay for all the firefighter meals. 1/
October 25, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Back in the day, I was working a fire near a fancy ski resort. This was when $30 million homes were still unfathomable to me. This guy, who kept bragging that he had the President's personal phone number, came up and said he was going to write a check to pay for all the firefighter meals. 1/
When I do candy corn I only do the Autumn Mix. Got to have those little pumpkins.
October 24, 2025 at 11:14 PM
When I do candy corn I only do the Autumn Mix. Got to have those little pumpkins.
Once clutch, always clutch. Once an Astro, always an Astro.
The one-time World Series MVP gets a chance to make it two and I'm a Canadian for the rest of the baseball season.
The one-time World Series MVP gets a chance to make it two and I'm a Canadian for the rest of the baseball season.
October 21, 2025 at 4:05 AM
Once clutch, always clutch. Once an Astro, always an Astro.
The one-time World Series MVP gets a chance to make it two and I'm a Canadian for the rest of the baseball season.
The one-time World Series MVP gets a chance to make it two and I'm a Canadian for the rest of the baseball season.
Sengun, Amen, and the Rockets play basketball today, and boy, do I need the escape that good hoops brings. Oh, that Slim Reaper guy is also playing.
October 6, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Sengun, Amen, and the Rockets play basketball today, and boy, do I need the escape that good hoops brings. Oh, that Slim Reaper guy is also playing.
Turned on the heat for the first time this morning. There was enough of a chill in the house that these old bones did not want to get out from under the covers. Thus marks my official start of Fall.
October 5, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Turned on the heat for the first time this morning. There was enough of a chill in the house that these old bones did not want to get out from under the covers. Thus marks my official start of Fall.
What about BLM, USFWS, and BIA? All the NOAA agencies?
September 29, 2025 at 5:19 PM
What about BLM, USFWS, and BIA? All the NOAA agencies?
Injuries, free agency, & time finally caught up with my childhood team. I'm not sure any team could overcome more than 2,000 games lost to injury but still, the #Astros were in it until the end.
2017-2024 was a hell of an 8-year run & the little kid in me really enjoyed it.
Now, let's go Rockets.
2017-2024 was a hell of an 8-year run & the little kid in me really enjoyed it.
Now, let's go Rockets.
September 28, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Injuries, free agency, & time finally caught up with my childhood team. I'm not sure any team could overcome more than 2,000 games lost to injury but still, the #Astros were in it until the end.
2017-2024 was a hell of an 8-year run & the little kid in me really enjoyed it.
Now, let's go Rockets.
2017-2024 was a hell of an 8-year run & the little kid in me really enjoyed it.
Now, let's go Rockets.
In war ravaged Portland, Fort Powell still stands.
September 27, 2025 at 8:48 PM
In war ravaged Portland, Fort Powell still stands.
Not unusual, though this year in this month, it seems the wet season has not come in on time, leaving fuels drier than average.
pubs.usgs.gov/of/2015/1034...
pubs.usgs.gov/of/2015/1034...
August 21, 2025 at 3:05 AM
Not unusual, though this year in this month, it seems the wet season has not come in on time, leaving fuels drier than average.
pubs.usgs.gov/of/2015/1034...
pubs.usgs.gov/of/2015/1034...
And where do most wildland firefighters live? In rural areas where health care and hospitals are being stressed and closures are on the rise. 5/
August 17, 2025 at 7:10 PM
And where do most wildland firefighters live? In rural areas where health care and hospitals are being stressed and closures are on the rise. 5/
If I was evaluating them in a class, I'd offer a gentle ding for not wearing polos & not having a solid PIO--but they did recover from the one big media flare-up. I'd definitely sign off on their task books, which is not my usual reaction to superheroes. Oh, and the movie was pretty good too. 5/5
August 10, 2025 at 3:48 AM
If I was evaluating them in a class, I'd offer a gentle ding for not wearing polos & not having a solid PIO--but they did recover from the one big media flare-up. I'd definitely sign off on their task books, which is not my usual reaction to superheroes. Oh, and the movie was pretty good too. 5/5
Reed even discussed how difficult it is to think through worst-case scenarios and then plan for them. Anyone who responds to large and complex incidents knows how that can eat at you. 4/
August 10, 2025 at 3:48 AM
Reed even discussed how difficult it is to think through worst-case scenarios and then plan for them. Anyone who responds to large and complex incidents knows how that can eat at you. 4/