California fires

[steve]

Okay, so I don't know how to post pictures and I still have "dialup" but if you want to see some interesting picture go  to "pressdemocrat.com" and click on the place for satellite image to see what the fires are doing to us.  I understand the image is from last Tuesday and its really gotten much worse now.  The biggest fire about 20 miles from my house (as the crow flies) has grown to 14,000 plus acres but they expect it to reach 35,000 acres!  It's hard to go anywhere or do anything because the air is so unhealthy.

On the bright side, my bike has passed 40k on the odometer and will soon get another set of new tires.
Steve

[Brian Moffet]

This is a photo I took at the Watsonville Airshow on Memorial Day weekend.  It was taken at night, so you can see the fires burning in the foothills behind.  The FAA established a temporary flight restriction that accidentally included the airport so planes couldn't get in and out.  Air Traffic Control was actually allowing planes in and out under strict supervision, but the TFR affected the number of planes that showed up.

[h2olawyer]

www.pressdemocrat.com  For the lazy among us.   ;D

My dad worked for the US Forest Service from the late 1940s through the end of 1976, when he retired.  He spent every summer away from home working on what are termed "project fires".  Those are large fires, exceeding 10,000 acres.  His job was to arrange for & organize the number of firefighters required, the equipment they'd need and, perhaps most importantly, the food for the firefighters to eat.  He spent weeks away from home in Montana, Idaho, Arizona, California & I forget where else.  He was the one they would call in when things weren't working well in his areas of expertise.

From 1964 until he retired in 1976, we lived in Steamboat Springs.  The town was then the supervisor's headquarters for the Routt National Forest.  There were very few fires there.  Those that happened were small & burned themselves out quickly, giving the forest the nickname "The Asbestos Forest".  However, in recent years, there have been some problems - a large area was blown down by wind & the beetle infestation have created lots of deat & fallen trees, making for lots of potential fuel.  There will likely be some large fires there in the next few years.  The forest is primarily lodgepole pine which is considered a fire species, meaning fire is a normal (though sporadic) part of the ecosystem & lodgepoles require heat for the cones to open & disperse the seeds for future tree repopulation.  The last big fires in that area were the late 1800s & the forest has matured to the point it needs to happen again.

H₂O

[inanecathode]

How many acres was the hayman fire, 350,000?

[Brian Moffet]

From 1964 until he retired in 1876, we lived in Steamboat Springs. 

Huh ???  ;D

[vadasz1]

Brian:  You forgot that he used the Delorean to go BACK and retire EARLY!! ;D ;D

[h2olawyer]

Didn't proofread.   ::)  Year now changed to 1976.  The Delorean was not yet on the market when he retired.   ;D

H₂O

[Night Vision]

I was going to say you spelled organise wrong

[h2olawyer]

I was going to say you spelled organise wrong

I beg to differ - look it up.   ;D

H₂O

[Night Vision]

I thought you changed it from ise to ize  ??? maybe I was seeing things...

either is correct, depending on what side of the pond you're on

[h2olawyer]

How many acres was the hayman fire, 350,000?

The Hayman fire -- June, 2002 was Colorado's largest fire.  The perimeter was about 138,000 acres.  A little over half the land area inside that perimeter actually burned.  However, it did have a one day spread of over 60.000 acres!

For complete info on that fire:  www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_gtr114.html

H₂O

[Ron_McCoy]

We have heavily smoke laden air in the southern San Joaquin Valley as well as in Tehachapi.  The air here in Tehachapi is known for being clean and clear. Those must be really big fire to fill the air with smoke way down here.  Two weeks ago Sharon and I took the ST1300 to the coast for three days at San Simeon and Morro Bay. In the afternoons, the sun appeared to be a bright red through the smoke high in the sky.  Where the sun shone across the waves, the red reflection actually looked like flames under the waves.

Good luck to all our firefighters battling these blazes.

[Coil Coyle]

Steve,

            Only in the wine country. http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1513658418/bctid1612731286
So, what wine will you be drinking as you wait to fight the fire?

            I rode by Konocti a couple of weeks ago, where are you at from the harbor/reservation?
Keep your roof wet.

;)
Coil

[inanecathode]

Lol, operating a fire hose under the influence. Firefighting under the influence? FUI?

[steve]

Coil,  I live at the south end of Clear Lake.  Konocti is on the west side of the lake.  The fires are starting to get under control and visibility is improving but its still hard to breathe and do anything outside.  I work in Santa Rosa which is near to the coast and the air is much much better there.