How meteorologists are helping fire crews battle Arizona wildfires

PHOENIX (AZFamille) — As the number of wildfires continues to grow across Arizona, we're taking a closer look at the work of an IMET, or incident meteorologist, whose job is to forecast the weather from the fire lines and help fire crews make the best decisions. .

Currently, there are no IMETs on wildfires in Arizona, but they are ready to report at any time.

There are 88 iMETs across the country.

There are four in Arizona. When called to a fire, they look at things like temperature, wind direction and relative humidity, all factors that could contribute to the spread of a wildfire.

They help firefighters on the ground and in the air decide where and how to attack the flames.

Robert Rickey is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. He works in this office every day until his help is needed along the firing lines.

“We have to make very, very precise forecasts and that can be very difficult,” he said. “You really have to be ready at all times. I always have my bags packed.

IMETs are called nationwide if a wildfire is growing or is near homes and buildings. They generally work 16 hours a day and can stay on site for two weeks, sometimes more or less.

“In the morning, I will see the crews before they leave for the day. I will give them a briefing on the weather and also give them an idea of ​​the forecast for the following days,” Rickey said.

He says having an iMET on the ground means they can better understand what fire crews are facing.

“It gives me the opportunity to go out in the field and see the terrain and the activity of the fire, and it helps me make a forecast that is very tailored to the fire itself,” he said. declared.

Larry Van Bussum works at the National Weather Service in Boise, Idaho, where they manage the IMET program.

“We put them through 225 hours of specialized training on fire weather, how to predict weather conditions and fire behavior,” Van Bussum said.

He says there is no iMET on the Arizona fires at the moment, but there is an Arizona IMET currently helping fight a fire in New Mexico.

“Sometimes we are so busy that we deploy people from Hawaii to put out fires on the West Coast of the United States,” Rickey said.

Last year, paramedics were called to fires, including the Grapevine Fire near Prescott Valley and the Diamond Fire in north Scottsdale; both fires forced people to evacuate. Rickey says it's an important job that has its challenges.

“That's a lot of baggage that incident meteorologists or pretty much anyone who works on wildfires is going to carry with them. Knowing that they are facing fire and fire can take a heavy toll in human lives,” Rickey said.

Similar to the surge crews on these fires, IMETs typically sleep in tents or in their cars because they are typically in rural areas where hotels are not an option. They also work with tankers to plan the safest times to fly with the best visibility to fight the fire.

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