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
Episode 1: Hometown Prison
November 23, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Episode 1: Hometown Prison
Your 11/18 fire photo is a zoom looking across to the Bull of the Woods Wilderness in the Mt. Hood National Forest. In 2011, my IMT was working several lightning-caused fires on the Mt. Hood that made up the View Lake Complex.
November 18, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Your 11/18 fire photo is a zoom looking across to the Bull of the Woods Wilderness in the Mt. Hood National Forest. In 2011, my IMT was working several lightning-caused fires on the Mt. Hood that made up the View Lake Complex.
Today's years-ago fire photo is of a night burnout operation from a dozer line on the 2008 Piute Fire, which was on the Sequoia National Forest in California.
November 17, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Today's years-ago fire photo is of a night burnout operation from a dozer line on the 2008 Piute Fire, which was on the Sequoia National Forest in California.
Friday's photo also comes from the Castle Rock Fire and shows firefighters on a ski slope (IIRC).
November 14, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Friday's photo also comes from the Castle Rock Fire and shows firefighters on a ski slope (IIRC).
And since I'm still one day behind for the week, here's another photo from the Castle Rock Fire. Night operations are always tough on crews and they often don't get the accolades they deserve. Night crews often make the difference.
November 13, 2025 at 10:43 PM
And since I'm still one day behind for the week, here's another photo from the Castle Rock Fire. Night operations are always tough on crews and they often don't get the accolades they deserve. Night crews often make the difference.
Today's photo is from the Castle Rock Fire at Sun Valley/Ketchum, ID in 2007. This is a burnout operation--note the firefighters looking for any spots that might cross the road and the three in the lower left who were likely doing the lighting.
November 13, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Today's photo is from the Castle Rock Fire at Sun Valley/Ketchum, ID in 2007. This is a burnout operation--note the firefighters looking for any spots that might cross the road and the three in the lower left who were likely doing the lighting.
Here's a smoke in the trees photo from the same fire. I had to go home for a day during this roll & planned to be back the next. However, the Iron 44 helicopter crash happened & 7 firefighters from SW OR died, as did two pilots. I never made it back to the Plumas.
November 12, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Here's a smoke in the trees photo from the same fire. I had to go home for a day during this roll & planned to be back the next. However, the Iron 44 helicopter crash happened & 7 firefighters from SW OR died, as did two pilots. I never made it back to the Plumas.
Missed yesterday because of the holiday, so I'll make up for it today. Here's a nice flame shot from the Rich Fire on the Plumas NF in 2008. That Feather River country is not an easy place to work.
November 12, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Missed yesterday because of the holiday, so I'll make up for it today. Here's a nice flame shot from the Rich Fire on the Plumas NF in 2008. That Feather River country is not an easy place to work.
No doubt. Man, whenever I fly into PHX/Tucson, I find the CAP & look to see how much growth has occurred, think about my fire experiences in the SW, remember my years living in AZ--& then there is western water law. I am not bullish about any place on this map.
November 11, 2025 at 8:10 PM
No doubt. Man, whenever I fly into PHX/Tucson, I find the CAP & look to see how much growth has occurred, think about my fire experiences in the SW, remember my years living in AZ--& then there is western water law. I am not bullish about any place on this map.
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.