Lessons Learned
“Safety
Zone” newsletter, July, 2004
Lessons Learned —
author, date unknown
One-Year Anniversary Letter
by Kelly Close, FBAN
Declaration on Cramer
Redactions, by James Furnish, April, 2005
FSEEE v. USFS, FOIA
Civil Lawsuit Order,
December, 2005
FOIA
Request to USFS, December, 2005
FOIA Appeal to USFS,
February, 2006
Management Evaluation Report
Investigation Team Information
Synopsis of the
Cramer Fire Accident Investigation
Causal Factors
Contributing Factors
Addendum
Factual Report
Executive Summary
Narrative
Background
(facts 1 - 57)
Preaccident
(facts 58 - 201)
Accident
(fact 202)
Postaccident
(facts 203 - 237)
Findings
Appendix A
Resources on the Fire
Appendix B
Cramer Fire Timeline
Appendix C
Fire Behavior and Weather
Prior Conditions
Initial Phase
Transition
Phase
Acceleration
Phase
Entrapment
Phase
Appendix D
Equipment Found at H-2 and the Fatalities Site
Appendix E
Fire Policy, Directives, and Guides
OIG Investigation
OIG FOIA Response,
February, 2005
2nd FOIA Request to OIG,
April, 2006
2nd OIG FOIA Response,
August, 2006, (1.4 mb, Adobe .pdf file)
OSHA Investigation
OSHA Cramer Fire Briefing Paper
• Summary and ToC
• Sections I-IV
• Sections V-VII
• Section VIII
• Acronyms/Glossary
OSHA South Canyon Fire
Briefing Paper
Letter to District
Ranger, June 19, 2003
OSHA Investigation Guidelines
OSHA News Release
• OSHA Citation 1
• OSHA Citation
2
• OSHA
Citation 3
USFS Response
OSHA FOIA Letter
Adobe PDF and Microsoft Word versions of documents related to
the Cramer Fire can be downloaded from the U.S.
Forest Service website.
|
Note: This document was released as part
of the OSHA Cramer Fire inspection file.
United States
Department of
Agriculture |
Forest
Service |
Salmon-Challis
National Forest
Supervisor’s Office |
50 Hwy 93 S
Salmon, ID 83467
208 756-5100 |
File Code: 5100/1230
Route
To:
|
Date: June 19, 2003 |
Subject: Wildland Fire and Aviation Management Responsibilities
and Delegation of Authority
To: Patty Bates, Middle Fork and North Fork District
Ranger
As the District Ranger for the Middle and North Fork Ranger Districts,
your specific responsibilities for Wildland Fire and Aviation Management
and the delegations of authority are described in the paragraphs that
follow.
1.) Provide leadership, management and supervision for all aspects
of wildland pre-suppression and aviation operations on your district
to include: utilization of standard or other appropriate position descriptions
for all fire and aviation personnel; hire PFT, WAE and temporary fire
positions as described in NFMAS/Forest Fire Plan: develop and implement
performance standards for fire and aviation personnel; encourage fire
career path development; conduct and/or arrange for fire training for
both fire and non-fire personnel; administer the Work Capacity Test
(WCT); assure certification of fire Red Card qualifications; approve
Red Cards for fire line positions below Crew Boss and other functional
positions below the unit leader as well as all temporary positions;
manage the preparedness budget and fire program property/vehicles; implement
fire prevention and public education programs; determine the need for
and implement fire restrictions and closures in accordance with the
Southern Idaho Restrictions and Closures Procedures Plan; provide for
fire detection; utilize and operate both fixed and rotary wing aircraft
in accordance with the Forest Aviation Plan; and operate and maintain
assigned fire facilities. Provide oversight by conducting and/or participating
in fire readiness inspections on your district.
2.) Conduct initial, reinforced and extended attack fire suppression
operations on incidents that occur on National Forest Lands within or
adjoining your district, on state owned and private property within
the forest boundary and on fires outside the boundary that are a threat
to National Forest Lands. Implement suppression actions as provided
for in Interagency Fire Protection Agreements with cooperating federal,
state and local governmental agencies. Utilize the Incident Command
System to manage emergency operations to include All Risk as well as
fire incidents. Assure fire equipment and personnel are available to
support large fire activity both on and off the forest.
3.) Conduct a risk assessment and a complexity analysis on all fires
to determine incident management requirements. Determine the most appropriate
management response. Assign qualified Type 3, 4 or 5 Incident Commanders
(IC's) for each incident. Initiate orders for Incident Management Teams
(IMT's) as needed to meet complexity requirements. Provide your expectations
and a Line Officer Briefing for all IC's or IMT's assigned to your incidents.
Prepare and sign Delegations of Authority to Type 2 and 3 Incident Commanders.
Prepare and approve Wildland Fire Situation Analyses (WFSA's) for all
fires that escape initial attack and that are transitioned to a Type
2 or 3 IMT. All WFSA's will include a least cost option as part of the
analysis and your approval authority is up to 2 million dollars in total
suppression cost. Recommend to the Forest Supervisor the need to order
a Type 1 IMT or an Area Command Team. Prepare WFSA's on Type 1 incidents
for approval by the Forest Supervisor (cost authority 10 million dollars)
or the Regional Forester (cost authority 50 million dollars). Any incident
cost expected to exceed 50 million dollars must be approved by the Chief.
4.) As District Ranger you are the designated Line Officer for all
fires on your district. For large fires with IMT's assigned, your direct
involvement with the Incident Commanders and their teams will be required.
Assign Resource Advisors and Technical Specialists to fire incidents
as needed. There maybe some instances where you determine that an ICS
qualified Agency Representative (AREP) or a Cost Apportionment Team
is required.
5.) Personally visit and conduct supplemental health and safety inspections
on 10% or more of your District's Type 3, 4 & 5 fires. Participate
in fire reviews, after action reviews and fire team closeouts. Review
and implement the Direction on Incident Management, 30 Mile Abatement
dated May 29, 2003.
6.) Review and implement as applicable the additional guidance sent
by the Washington and Regional Offices: Fire and Aviation Management
2003 Operations Action Plan dated April 1, 2003 (WO); Aviation Operations
Plan 2003 dated April 22, 2003 (WO); Chief's Incident Accountability
Report and 2003 Action Plan dated March 19, 2003 (WO); and the Large
Fire Cost Reduction Plan dated April 3, 2003 (RO).
Prescribed Fire Management.
1.) Plan for and implement prescribed burns for fuel reduction and
other resource program purposes. The priority should include projects
that are collaborative, reduce fuels near the urban interface and have
potential for contracting.
2.) Develop prescriptions to meet project objectives. Review and recommend
Prescribed Burn Plans. Approval authority for all burn plans remains
at the Forest supervisor level.
Wilderness Fire Management
For the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness (FCRONR) you are delegated
the following additional authorities:
1.) During periods that I am off of the forest or otherwise not available
and to assure that timely decisions are made in regard to emergency
incidents (All Risks) in the FCRONR, you are delegated special authority
as Acting Forest Supervisor. You may determine the need for and authorize
the use of motorized/mechanized equipment for the duration of the emergency.
This authority cannot be redelegated to an acting District Ranger nor
a staff/sub-staff on your districts.
2.) For wildland fire incidents in the FCRONR you are authorized to
determine and implement the most appropriate management response to
place a fire in either a suppression or a fire use status. Utilize the
Wildland Fire Implementation Plan (WFIP) Stage I checklist to document
the decisions. Prepare and approve Stage II and Stage III plans as needed
to manage fire use incidents. Assign a qualified Fire Use Manager for
Stage II and III WIFP actions. As needed, order Fire Use Teams for Stage
III incidents. Coordinate fire use decisions with the Forest Fire Staff
and/or the Forest FMO.
3.)You are authorized to determine the need for and implement fire
restrictions and closures for the FCRONR and the Salmon River corridors.
This should be accomplished in concurrence with the appropriate Line
Officers with FCRONR responsibilities from the Payette, Nez Perce and
Bitterroot National Forests.
This letter shall replace any earlier delegations and shall remain in
effect until updated.
/s/ George Matejko
GEORGE MATEJKO
Forest Supervisor
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