Wildfire Locations in 8 States

Some 14,000 mountain residents evacuated and hundreds of buildings destroyed

From an Article by Lorraine Chow, EcoWatch.com, December 1, 2016

Wildfires have devastated eastern Tennessee. The blaze has claimed seven lives, forced about 14,000 people to evacuate and destroyed hundreds of buildings in Sevier County.

The wildfires started Sunday from the Great Smoky Mountains and was carried by nearly 90mph winds into the city of Gatlinburg by Monday. Making matters worse, the strong winds also knocked over power lines, sparking even more fires. National Park Service spokeswoman Dana Soehn told CNN that investigators believe the fire started on a mountain trail and was “human caused.”

As of Wednesday night, the main fire has only been 10 percent contained, fire commanders told NBC News. More than 17,000 acres in the Great Smoky Mountains have been scorched, causing untold damage to wildlife and other natural resources.

“The Great Smoky Mountains are one of the most biologically diverse places in the United States, partly due to the geologically ancient nature of the landscape, as well as the wet and humid forests covering their slopes and hollows,” Bruce Stein, associate vice president for conservation science and climate adaptation at the National Wildlife Federation, said.

“While fire is a natural phenomenon in Appalachian forests, these extreme, drought-fueled fires are not,” Stein continued. “Rather, they are a glimpse into what many southeastern forests and communities will experience as climate change continues to intensify.”

Indeed, much of the southeastern U.S. has been inundated by wildfires in recent weeks. Record-breaking drought and unseasonably warm temperatures have fueled the region’s devastating wildfires.

As the New York Times pointed out, there’s a clear connection between the wildfires and an ever-warming planet:

“The fires spread through Tennessee as much of the South has been enduring a crippling drought, even though rainfall this week offered some relief. The United States Drought Monitor reported last week that 60 percent of Tennessee was in ‘exceptional’ or ‘extreme’ drought, the two most severe ratings.

“Wildfires, once a seasonal phenomenon, have become a consistent threat, partly because climate change has resulted in drier winters and warmer springs, which combine to pull moisture off the ground and into the air.”

A study in Nature Communications revealed that from 1979 to 2013, wildfire season has lengthened and the global area affected by wildfire has doubled. CNBC also reported that we are entering an era of “super fires” due to climate change causing hotter and drier weather.

“Based on what we know and in which direction the climate is going, yes, we can expect more frequent super fires,” Marko Princevac, a fire expert at the University of California at Riverside, told CNBC. “There is scientific consensus that climate change will lead to much more intense fires, more dry areas.”

The Tennessee wildfires have crept to Pigeon Forge, the home of singer and actress Dolly Parton’s Dollywood. While the theme park was not damaged, Parton released a statement saying that she was heartbroken about the fire damage and had been “praying for all the families affected.”

On Sunday, the Sevier County native released a public service announcement with Smokey Bear to promote wildfire preparedness amidst troubling drought conditions. “This extended drought has resulted in high wildfire danger,” Parton said. “As dry as it is, please help fire fighters avoid wildfires.”

See also: www.FrackCheckWV.net

1st Annual Shale Safety Institute, Nov. 2014

Shale drilling spawns need for safety training

Article by Casey Junkins, Martins Ferry Times Leader, November 28, 2014

As the Ohio Department of Natural Resources continues issuing permits for Utica and Marcellus shale oil and natural gas drilling, firefighters and emergency responders across the region realize they need to learn the proper manner for dealing with potential problems at well sites.

“Energy development in the Ohio Valley has presented many great opportunities, including a stronger local economy and incredible advancements and research,” Belmont College President Paul Gasparro said. “With this development has also come a heightened awareness regarding safety issues. Through the Shale Safety Institute, first responders and emergency service personnel are receiving the highly relevant training and education they need to be able to respond to oilfield related incidents and keep our communities safe.”

Recently, the college partnered with New York City-based driller Hess Corp. to welcome more than 250 local first responders today to the Shale Safety Institute 2014. Sixty-six fire and EMS stations sent representatives to participate in the training.

“Hess holds its commitment to social responsibility as one of its top values as a company,” Rob Williams, Hess manager of Operations in the Utica field, said. “Hess is dedicated to developing trusted partnerships to build programs like the Shale Safety Institute 2014 that can make long-lasting positive impacts in the communities where we work and live.”

A mass casualty session taught triage methods where participants practiced their skills on mannequins altered to represent emergency victims. During a foam application course, responders simulated spraying firefighting foam firsthand from a fire engine. Participants also practiced establishing a landing zone as a helicopter flew into the site.

“Training events, such as the Shale Safety Institute, are highly relevant to our local first responders. It is important to have hands-on instruction to familiarize ourselves with the necessary equipment and guidelines in case of an emergency situation,” Curtis Kyer, Belmont College Assistant EMS and Fire Coordinator, added.

Also, the Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program recently completed its fall firefighter training series. First responders from the Barton Volunteer Fire Department, Brookside Fire Department, Cumberland Trail Fire District, Neffs Volunteer Fire Department, Sunset Heights Fire Department and Wolfhurst Volunteer Fire Department recently completed the training course.

“I learned a wealth of information that I will take back to my department,” said Lt. Robert Ice from the Wolfhurst VFD upon completing the training.

“As someone who works with the industry and the fire service, this training was very helpful,” said Lt. Charles Thompson II from the Barton VFD. “It provides a great overview of what could happen in the field and I think every firefighter should take the course.”

Those completing the course gain information in Ohio oil and gas activity and development, differences between emergencies and non-emergencies or common oilfield practices, common terminology and types of equipment used during oilfield activity, and hands-on techniques for responding to potential incidents, including live demonstrations.

Since 1999, the organization has trained more than 1,200 firefighters from Ohio and seven other states. The training curriculum was collaboratively developed by the group, the oil and gas industry, regulatory agencies, firefighters and emergency response experts and meets state and federal fire safety standards.

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Noble County sheriff identifies dead worker from oil well explosion

By Bob Downing, Associate Press,  November 13, 2014

Summerfield, Ohio (AP) — Authorities say a worker at an eastern Ohio oil well has died in an explosion at the facility. Noble County Sheriff Stephen Hannum said in a statement Thursday that 48-year-old Norman Butler of Virginia died in the accident Wednesday afternoon near the CONSOL Energy well pad, about 40 miles north of Marietta.

Authorities say the explosion occurred near an oil well head and caused a fire, which was contained but continued to burn Thursday. Rescuers were also still on the scene late Thursday morning attempting to recover Butler’s body from the site.

A spokeswoman with Blue Racer Midstream, which owns and operates the facility, says all production wells and pipelines at the site have been secured. She says the company will continue to work with authorities to investigate the accident.

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Another Man is Dead Following a Well Pad Accident

From RESQ_WV, WTRF 7 News, November 29, 2014

Tyler County, WV – WTRF 7 News has learned one man is dead following an accident at an Antero Resources gas well pad in Tyler County. The accident happened around 2 p.m. Friday November 28th at the well pad on Braden Hill Road.

The victim’s name is not being released at this time. The Tyler County Sheriff’s Department, Middlebourne Fire Department, Shirley Fire Department, and Middlebourne EMS were all on scene.

The details of the accident are not being released, but the investigation is being handled by the Tyler County Sheriff’s Department.

NOTE: The Shirley Volunteer Fire Department of Tyler County has issued an appeal for money to purchase a new or used tanker truck.  This would replace the tanker that became damaged beyond repair at a gas well pad fire earlier this fall in Tyler County.

See also:  www.FrackCheckWV.net

Regulators have fined Jay-Bee Oil & Gas more than $73,000 after finding the same kinds of violations in Harrison County that inspectors found a year ago when they visited the site.  The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued 10 repeat citations, three serious citations and four other citations last week for problems at a drilling site near Salem.

“This company’s failure to correct previously cited violations means that it continues to place workers in harm’s way,” said Prentice Cline, director of OSHA’s Charleston area office. “It is vital that the company address these hazards to protect its employees.”

The repeat citations are based on an OSHA inspection conducted in February. They included the lack of guardrails or barricades around drilling pits, tripping hazards on walkways and the lack of first-aid equipment and training at the operation. OSHA inspectors also found that the company did not provide workers with required information or training about the hazardous materials used at the operation.

Jay-Bee Oil & Gas of Union, New Jersey,  has drilled dozens of wells in West Virginia.  The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, ask for an informal conference with OSHA’s area director or contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

At least four workers have died at Marcellus Shale sites in Pennsylvania since 2008, including Kerry Duncan of Roane County, WV, who died on July 22nd. And, two of the three workers burned on February 10th at a Chesapeake drilling site in Washington County, PA, were West Virginians. In fact, there have been around 50 emergencies reported at Marcellus shale gas operations in Pennsylvania since 2008.  OSHA and the various companies of the natural gas industry are including safety training in many cases for their employees, given the dangerous nature of the work involved.