Grand Marais man providing support for Australian wildfires

Devastating wildfires continue to burn in Australia and an international effort is underway to support overtaxed Australian firefighting agencies. Joining the effort is Mike Crook of Grand Marais. Mike is a forestry tech, working in the Superior National Forest Gunflint Ranger District. His area of expertise is fire behavior analysis.
 
Mike left for Australia for New South Wales on December 22 and will be returning late January.

He has been providing fire behavior analysis on two wildfires, the Gospers Mountain Fire, which has burned 1.2 million acres and the Dunns Road Fire near Victoria, Australia, which has scorched almost another million acres.

By using on-the-ground visits, studying flame heights, fire-spotting distances, vegetation and weather data, Mike advises fire crews. His information helps fire agencies determine how fires could be attacked and helps predict areas that may need evacuation.

WTIP’s Rhonda Silence contacted Mike in Australia to learn more about this international fire suppression effort and his work there.