NWS Bismarck meteorologist deployed to front lines of Oregon wildfire to assist firefighters

OAKRIDGE, Ore. (KFYR) – We've been battling wildfire smoke in Oregon, Idaho and other states across the Western U.S. this week. Meteorologists have been dispatched to those areas to help firefighters get the upper hand.

This year, more than 250,000 hectares of land across the country have been devastated by forest fires.

A meteorologist from the National Weather Service in Bismarck was recently deployed to Oakridge, Oregon, to assist authorities there in fighting fires such as the Willamette Complex.

“And at some point it actually got a little more aggressive. We had relative humidity below -10 degrees, temperatures up to 90 degrees, not much wind, but it still got a little more severe,” said Nathan Heinert, senior meteorologist at NWS Bismarck and event meteorologist (IMET).

He has been volunteering as an IMET for seven years, contributing to the safety of firefighters who set up temporary camps in these remote locations.

“One of the biggest challenges in wildfire forecasting is the terrain. And even once the fires start, they create their own fire weather environment,” Heinert said. “Sometimes fires just do what they want, no matter what the crews do or what the weather is like. If they get into the right fuels, they explode.”

Dry thunderstorms can cause a fire to escalate quickly, so it's important to keep everyone informed.

“And just communicate that to the firefighters on the ground and say, 'Hey, there's a storm coming, there's cloud-to-ground lightning, the possibility of gusty and erratic winds.' And then they take the appropriate precautions to be safe,” Heinert said.

Satellite and radar data are valuable, but they are also launch their own weather balloons and conduct ground observations.

“We use remote observation systems to help us with forecasting,” says Heinert.

The emergency teams know how important it is to have meteorologists on site.

“They can get the information through an app, they can get the information online, but it's enough to have someone on site because we hold several meetings a day. In the morning we inform several hundred firefighters. I like talking to these people because you know they're committed,” said Heinert.

Teamwork pays off, even if you sometimes work 16 hours a day.

“It's very exhausting, but when you sit at the airport at the end of the day after a two-week deployment, it's such a rewarding experience to know that you've helped a lot of people,” said Heinert.

Heinert is typically dispatched to a few wildfires per year and enjoys seeing different parts of the country and working with other meteorologists.

To learn more about the IMET program, click here.

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