Every weather station company has their own stories about equipment caught in wildfires, to which we add our own.
USDA-ARS deployed a Dyacon weather station in the Red Cliff Reserve, a protected area near St. George, Utah. The weather station was located at a research plot used to study methods for replanting vegetation following damage, such as wildfires.
Well, the time to apply any lessons learned may be now.
I received a call from the principal researcher one morning, indicating that the weather station was sending erroneous data. He indicated that the weather station was likely caught in the wildfire that was reported in the area.
The following pictures indicate the damage.
Salvageable
The plastic components are all burned. However, the fiberglass enclosure for the weather station controller (data logger) may be reusuable and the circuit board was operating until the battery ran down.
The field tripod is battle scarred, but can be re-used.
The rain gauge leveling bracket and mounting post may be the only things that can be recovered from that instrument.
The anemometer cups are melted, but the anodized aluminum construction makes it very robust. Changing the cups and cable should be all that is required to put it back in service.
