Blacksburg meteorologist helps fight Montana fire

A specially trained Blacksburg meteorologist is in Montana helping crews fight a massive wildfire that has been burning for nearly a month.

The incident meteorologist is one of 85 similarly trained forecasters nationwide who respond to emergencies on behalf of the National Weather Service. Incident meteorologists provide microscale forecasts for crises such as wildfires, hazardous materials spills and earthquake recovery efforts.

Mike Sporer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Blacksburg office, declined to identify the scientist out of fear that someone might break into his house while he’s away. He said the forecaster is spending about a week at the Gold Pan wildfire near Conner, Mont., a lightning-caused blaze that has grown to approximately 16,342 acres.

Sporer said the forecaster is a 25-year veteran of meteorology and is “one of the best in the business.”

Incident meteorologists deploy with a laptop and specialized electronic gear that enables them to create forecasts for a very specific area, rather than a broad region, Sporer said. The meteorologist also uses weather balloons that help with more precise forecasts.

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