Loggers and Logging Equipment to Fight Wildland Fires

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• Loggers and Logging Equipment to Fight Wildland
  Fires
• Issues and Opportunities in Oregon (USA)

Chris Bielecki M.F. Candidate Forest Engineering
Department Oregon State University
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Introduction

• Forest Engineering at Oregon State University
• Originally Logging Engineering
• Has grown to include multiple aspects of forest
  management
• Including
• Forest operations
• Hydrology
• Harvesting technologies silviculture
• Soil science

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Introduction

• Forest Engineering at Oregon State University
• Forest Operations Fire Operations
• Recent trends of the last decade highlight the
  expanding range of logging equipment
• Decrease in logging activity

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Initial Reactions

• There is something to be learned from initial
  attack systems used by private contractors and
  landowners
• Machines have been recognized and used in
  battling wildfires on public lands however,
  there is a need for more knowledge

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Introduction

• Logging trends in Oregon and the world
• Increases in
• mechanization technology
• utilization
• safety
• fire suppression efficiency within the private
  industry

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Introduction
Vs.
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Project Objectives

• Goals
• define the issues
• coordinate with current participants
• provide additional research
• Oregon/PNW fire situation over the last few
  summers supports the need for improvement!
• Biscuit Fire
• B B Complex
• Fawn Creek Complex

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Project Objectives

• Initial focus points
• Safety regulations for workers
• Training concerns
• Developments in logging machinery for fighting
  fires

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Project Methodology

• Participate in OR-OSHA safety code review (fire
  regulations)
• Conduct Interviews with experienced machine
  operators
• First hand observation of machines in use at
  wildfires
• Interaction with the Society of Automotive
  Engineers Forest Machinery Sub-committee
• Engineering analysis regarding modified machine
  stability
• Assessment of related Rules and Regulations
• Review of related research

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Related Research

• Northern Rockies area (Montana, USA)
• Big Iron project
• US Forest Service, Montana Department of Natural
  Resources and Conservation, Private industry
  (Plum Creek Timber Co.)
• Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada
  (FERIC)
• Wildland fire operations group
• Includes water transport project
• Roscommon Equipment Center (Michigan, USA)
• US Forest Service, San Dimas Technology and
  Development Center
• Equipment inventory

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Safety Regulations

• Oregon Occupational Health and Safety
  Administration
• Has recognized wildland firefighters since 1988
• Covers the range of firefighting levels
• Logging crews
• Contract firefighters
• State firefighters
• Also covers other areas involved with forest
  activities (training, machinery use, safety and
  health program)

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Safety Regulations

• Oregon Occupational Health and Safety
  Administration
• Firefighting regulations are currently under
  review
• Participants include
• OR-OSHA, Oregon Department of Forestry, Bureau of
  Land Management, logging industry, contract
  firefighters, US Department of Labor, OSU

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Other Policies

• Oregon Revised Statutes
• (ORS) 477
• Currently holds the landowner/operator
  responsible for fires occurring on the operation
• Includes having firefighting resources on site

"Every reasonable effort" means the use of the
reasonably available personnel and equipment
under the supervision and control of an owner or
operator usually and customarily used in the
forest industry to fight fire, which are needed
to fight the fire and which can be brought to
bear on the fire in a timely fashion.
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Other Policies

• Issues
• Transitions
• Initial attack to extended attack
• Jurisdiction
• Need to eliminate inefficiencies
  inconsistencies
• Ex ordering wrong machines nomex
• Better knowledge of machine type and capability
• What additional training is required?

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Training

• Training is currently is based on
• Company policy and experience
• OR-OSHA
• Associated Oregon Loggers
• Provides the most common format used by the
  industry
• 1 day session
• Includes video w/ interaction and review test

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Equipment

• Some examples of equipment used in logging with
  proven applications in firefighting

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Equipment

• Skidders
• Skidgine skidder engine
• Up to 1600 gallon capacity

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Equipment
Skidgine
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Equipment
Skidgine This particular machine follows
feller-bunchers with hot saws on logging
operations
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Equipment
Forwarder Up to 3000 gallon capacity
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Equipment
Forwarder
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Equipment
Feller-Buncher Some can handle trees up to 3
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Equipment
Excavators Loaders Harvester/Processors Combi-mach
ines (harvester forwarder)
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Equipment

• Important points with regard to equipment
• OR-OSHA briefly mentions machines used in
  firefighting

437-007-1399 Machine Operation. Machines
(tractors, skidders, or excavators) used for fire
trail construction or fire fighting, may be
operated on slopes in excess of 50 percent
provided measures are taken to assure the
stability of the machine by (1) Using the blade,
or (2) Tying to stumps, anchors, or other
machines, or (3) Excavation to limit the
effective slope under machine, etc.
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Equipment

• Important points with regard to equipment
• Most machines are unique
• Innovated by operator based on individual needs
  and resources
• Standardization is difficult and should not be
  over-simplified
• Operator skill level has large effect on
  capability
• Accidents have been documented!

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Equipment

• Research
• Observation of equipment (first-hand) to
  determine some guidelines for
• slopes, vegetation, suppression tactics
• machines are commonly used in mop-up situations
• Operator interviews
• SAE expert input
• Is the manufacturer aware of the extent of
  machinery use?
• Stability and gradeability analysis for modified
  machines
• Example

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Equipment

• Research
• How does a load of water differ from a load of
  logs?
• Dynamic factors
• Gravity adjustments
• Acceleration
• Sloshing
• The full weight of the water is supported by the
  machine, which is sometimes different from logs

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Conclusions

• This presents an opportunity for separate areas
  of forestry to work together towards achieving a
  common goal
• Safety is the number 1 priority
• Efficiency is the number 2 priority
• More and more advanced machines will continue to
  influence the management of fire suppression!

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References
Bielecki, C. 2003. Slope stability model for
wheeled forest machines with supplementary water
tanks. Department of Forest Engineering, Oregon
State University, Corvallis, Oregon. Available
from the author. Driscoll, R. Wood River Timber
Inc., Klamath Falls, Oregon. August 28th, 2003.
Personal interview. Federal Occupational Safety
and Health Act. Available at http//www.osha.gov/
Kendrick, K. The Collins Companies, Lakeview,
Oregon. August 28th, 2003. Personal
interview. Kuehn, S. Plum Creek, Missoula, MT.
November 10th, 2003. Personal Interview. Legislati
ve Counsel Committee of the Oregon Legislative
Assembly. 2001. Oregon Revised Statutes, Chapter
477 Fire Protection of Forests and Vegetation.
Available at http//www.leg.state.or.us/ors/477.ht
ml Mangan, D. Blackbull Wildfire Services, LLC,
Missoula, MT. November 10th, 2003. Personal
Interview. Olson, K, J. Hansen, P. Unken.
Montana Logging Association. Kalispell, MT.
November 11th, 2003. Personal Interview. Oregon
Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
2003. Division 7 Forest Activities Code.
Available at http//www.cbs.state.or.us/external/
osha/ Sessions, J, R. Buckman, M. Newton, and J.
Hamann. 2003. The Biscuit Fire Management
Options for Forest Regeneration, Fire and Insect
Risk Reduction and Timber Salvage. College of
Forestry, Oregon State University, Corvallis,
Oregon. Sessions, J. Logging Mechanics course
notes. College of Forestry, Oregon State
University, Corvallis, Oregon. Steele, J.
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Northern Rockies
Coordinating Group, Missoula, MT. November 12th,
2003. Personal Interview. Townsend, E. Townsend
Machine and Repair, Kalispell, MT. November 11th,
2003. Personal Interview. Veal, M., S.E. Taylor,
and R.B. Rummer. 2003. Modelling rollover based
behaviour of excavator-based forest machines
(poster). Auburn University, Auburn, AL.
Available from the author. Wampler, M. Wampler
Logging Co., Inc., Klamath Falls, Oregon. August
27th, 2003. Personal interview. Windell, K.
United States Forest Service, Missoula Technology
and Development Center, Missoula, MT. November
12th, 2003. Personal Interview.
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Questions?