Rapid Response Field Data

2008 Northern California

Deployment Period: June 30th - Sept 16th (79 days)

Number of monitoring sites: 7 Sites

Type(s) of monitors: EBAMs - measures PM2.5 concentrations (using beta-attenuation), wind speed/direction, temperature, and relative humidity.

2008: Regional fire outbreak in California  An unprecedented lightening strike event occurred in northern California on June 21, 2008 sparking more than 2000 fires in the region.  The fires were in general in remote locations and in terrain consisting of narrow valleys with steep valley walls, conducive to deep inversions that broke late in the afternoon due to heavy smoke near the valley floor.  Although the fires were largely in remote locations, the size and number resulted in large amounts of smoke throughout the region. 

To observe regional smoke concentrations, seven monitors were deployed along to parallel north-south transects ranging from Redding, CA in the south, along freeway I5, to Weed, CA in the north.  The second, parallel transect started in the south in Whiskeytown, CA and ran along highway 3 to Fort Jones in the north.  The monitors were deployed on June 30 and were removed on September 16.  All deployed monitors were E-BAMS and the monitors ran for majority of their deployment period.

2007 Montana

Deployment Period: Aug 28th - Sept 26th (30 days)

Number of monitoring sites: 5 Sites

Type(s) of monitors: EBams - measures PM2.5 concentrations (using beta-attenuation), wind speed/direction, temperature, and relative humidity.
                                 ESamplers - measures PM2.5 concentrations (using light-scattering), wind speed/direciton, temperature, and relative humidity.
                                 DataRams - measures PM2.5 concentrations (using light-scattering).
                                 Dusttrak - measures PM2.5 concentrations (using light-scattering).

2007: Regional fire outbreak in Montana and Idaho In August 2007, lightening strikes sparked several fires in the states of Idaho and Montana.  Most of the fires were located in complex mountainous terrain or narrow river canyon lands. 

The smoke generated from this regional wildfire event heavily impacted the urban communities of western Montana.  Twelve monitors were deployed in western Montana.  3 monitoring sites were placed along a north-south transect in towns on highway 93 with Arlee as the northern most site and Hamilton as the southern most site. A perpendicular east-west transect was set up with 2 sites along the I90 freeway ranging from Frenchtown as the western most site and Clinton as the eastern site.  At the monitoring sites, two to four monitors were placed together and PM2.5 concentration data were collected side-by-side.

Arlee – Ebam, ESampler, DataRam, DustTrak.
Stevensville – Ebam, DataRam.
Hamilton – Ebam, ESampler, DataRam.
Clinton – Ebam, DataRam. Frenchtown – Ebam. 

This was done to help give us an expected relative range of variability from instrument type to instrument type.  The monitors were deployed for one month, starting August 28 and operating until September 25.  Most of the monitors functioned for ten or more days and several operated for more then twenty days.

2006 Eastern Washington - Tripod Fire

Deployment Period: Aug 4th - Oct 6th (64 days)

Number of monitoring sites: 12 Sites

Type(s) of monitors: EBams - measures PM2.5 concentrations (using beta-attenuation), wind speed/direction, temperature, and relative humidity.
                                 ESamplers - measures PM2.5 concentrations (using light-scattering), wind speed/direciton, temperature, and relative humidity.
                                 DataRams - measures PM2.5 concentrations (using light-scattering).
                                 Dusttrak - measures PM2.5 concentrations (using light-scattering).

2006: Tripod Complex Ignited by two lightening strikes on July 24, 2006 in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, near Winthrop Washington, the Tripod fire complex burned approximately 175,000 acres before fall rains and snow eventually extinguished the fire.  The fire was located in complex terrain with slope drainage flows funneling the smoke down the valleys into the urban communities located on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains.  The fire burned through various fuel types ranging from heavy timber, to old growth timber, to fuel treated timbers (both mechanical and under-burned).

To monitor PM2.5 in the eastern part of Washington State, twelve instruments (8 DataRAMs, 1 E-Sampler, and 3 E-BAMs) were deployed along the north-south highway 97 and parallel to the west at sites on the Sinlahekin Rd.  Two perpendicular transects going east-west were created by placing instruments along highway 20 in the towns of Republic and Kettle Falls, and in central Washington in the towns of Nespelem and Fruitland.  The monitors were deployed into the field on August 1, 2006 and were retrieved October 10, 2006.  Visits were made to the sites for maintenance throughout deployment.  Some monitors shutdown due to high concentrations of particulate matter and power supply issues.  Seven of the twelve monitors ran for a month or longer.

2005 Idaho / Montana - Frank Church Fire

Deployment Period: Sept 3rd - Sept 18th (16 days)

Number of monitoring sites:  13 Sites

Type(s) of monitors: EBams - measures PM2.5 concentrations (using beta-attenuation), wind speed/direction, temperature, and relative humidity.
                                 ESamplers - measures PM2.5 concentrations (using light-scattering), wind speed/direciton, temperature, and relative humidity.
                                 DataRams - measures PM2.5 concentrations (using light-scattering).
                                 Campbell Sci Weather Stations - measures wind speed/direction, temp., and relative humidity (co-located with DataRams).

2005: Frank Church Complex  The 2005 Frank Church wildfire complex, located in the Payette National Forest, between McCall and Salmon Idaho, was ignited by lightening on August 11, 2005 and was allowed to burn for control purposes.  The complex consisted of six larger fires and several small ones with an approximate total of 54,843 acres burned before fire season ending weather set into the region on September 14, 2005.  The fire complex was located in complex terrain and burned through different fuel types ranging from grass and brush, to timber, to beetle-killed timber. 

PM2.5 monitors were deployed for ten days and placed along highway 93, the main north-south highway for eastern Idaho that services Salmon, Idaho and runs parallel to the Salmon River, and two parallel smaller highways (28 and 278) both to the west of 93.   The instrumentation consisted of ten DataRAMs, one E-Sampler, and two E-BAMs.  The monitors collected PM2.5 concentration data over three to ten days, depending on power at the deployment site or robustness of the instrument; a large portion of the monitors collected data for six days or more.

Acknowledgements:

Andy Trent - FS, Technology & Development Program, Missoula, MT (loaned instrumentation, technical support)

Kristi Savig, Jered Merek - Air Resource Specialists, Fort Collins, CO (FS instrument cache)

Cole Morton, Vince Von Dehlen – Airsis Inc., San Diego, CA (technical support for satellite telemetry)

Paul Schlobohm – BLM, Boise, ID  (loaned instrumentation)

Chris Hall – EPA, Seattle, WA (loaned instrumentation)

Tom Robinson – FS, Forest Hydrologist, Water & Air Program Manager, Okanogan-Wenatchee NF, Wenatchee, WA (Assist in Tripod deployment)

Jim Russell – FS/BLM, Air Resources/Smoke Mgmt. Program Manager, Portland, OR (Assist in Tripod deployment)