Fires in California

[Torch]

Man this one is nasty, been thru a couple here in Colorado and it's amazing how helpless you feel sometimes. Found a quick way to grab thing was lay a blanket down and throw items on that and carry out, one trip versus many in and out of the house. Also purchased a very good safe. Also used rubber maid containers for files which we dropped off at a friends house just in case...Good luck

 

[evangilder]

The Evergreen 747 tanker got involved yesterday too. 8)

747 Supertanker makes drops on southern California fires

 

[Torch]

Impressive, finally they decide to use it? Think the Russians have a jumbo version also, they have offered the use of it in the past but the US govt said no...

 

[davparlr]

Amazing close to the truth. Then those guys want the state to bail them out!

 

[comiso90]

Amazing close to the truth. Then those guys want the state to bail them out!

Lets hope karma doesn't get me and the hurricanes stay away from FL.

Its does seem like a yearly ritual...

Stay tuned for the sequel "MUDSLIDE"..... after the fire comes the mudslide.

 

[GrauGeist]

The Evergreen 747 tanker got involved yesterday too. 8)

We had Evergreen's DC-10 over-fly the area last year, doing a survey, but it was decided as being too risky. The Mars was almost called off due to the risks, but it remained in service here until September.

Impressive, finally they decide to use it? Think the Russians have a jumbo version also, they have offered the use of it in the past but the US govt said no...

Not sure that the Feds would not allow the Russian tanker, I think it would be more along the lines of need versus cost. We have Canadian tankers assist on fires up here on occasion, matter of fact, the Mars is operated by Coulson out of B.C.

 

[Erich]

Eric how is visibility for you folk, or is the grey/brown smut down at ground level ?

any of you guys remember what happened to us in 03 ? Bisquit/florence and dip-Sh*t fires, the largest ever in the states.

one of the stupidest cockamamy controlled fires ever in the history of mankind, due to lighting storms that caused two small fires, and due to the approx in a so-called protected area the forest servie decided to let the burn go.........idiots ! it ripped up 10,000 acres plus that evening and was totally out of control all summer into the November rainy season. over 500,000 acres was toasted.

Lets hope that whatever-or whom here in So. Cali gets caught and the fires get under control soon. I have a relative fighting in the mess right now

 

[pbfoot]

Wouldn't be surpreised to see the CL215's and 415"s head down but there from Ontario and Quebec if they still aren't being used in British Cloumbia which has also had a bad fire season. There was I heard a small problem with some folks down there not wanting Canadian Tankers as they are not "buy american"

 

[GrauGeist]

Wouldn't be surpreised to see the CL215's and 415"s head down but there from Ontario and Quebec if they still aren't being used in British Cloumbia which has also had a bad fire season. There was I heard a small problem with some folks down there not wanting Canadian Tankers as they are not "buy american"

You won't hear that from us around here, pb!

Always a welcome sight to see the Canadians jumping into the fray!

Same goes for the Australian firefighters that have come over to fight fires in the past. Heck, last year, we even had some Greek firefighters out on the lines.

We're always grateful for all the help we can get and you know that a large majority of American firefighters that go abroad to help other countries with thier wildfires are West Coasters

 

[comiso90]

California burning: 'Angry' Station Fire inches closer to Los Angeles as two firefighters die | Mail Online

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/wor...ches-closer-Los-Angeles-firefighters-die.html


.

 

[RabidAlien]

Wouldn't be surpreised to see the CL215's and 415"s head down but there from Ontario and Quebec if they still aren't being used in British Cloumbia which has also had a bad fire season. There was I heard a small problem with some folks down there not wanting Canadian Tankers as they are not "buy american"

Idiots sayin that are usually the ones sitting safely in their condos a hundred miles away from the action. Pop a small grass fire a mile from their doorstep, and they'll be screaming for every civilized nation on the face of the planet to save their precious arses.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Folks, Denver is covered in haze from the California fires and from one in the south west portion of the state. I went out flying with a student in the late after noon - haze 4 to 6 miles visibility. There were times at certain altitudes we were in "the soup." Great for IFR training!

 

[davparlr]

I wonder how much CO2 is being generated.

 

[evangilder]

4 to 6 miles of visibility, Joe? That's damn good compared to what we have right now. Even in my neck of the woods, quite a distance from the fire, we had a blood red sunset and a lot of smoke. We are getting some falling ash at the office.

The good news is that the fire only grew another 6,000 acres today. While no small number, that is a big victory for the firefighters, who also now have 22% containment. They have cut over 50 miles of fire break and plan to do 93 more miles of it.

It's one big bad mother, but the firefighters from all over, with the help of air support from all over the state and from Canada with the super scoopers and the Martin Mars, they are starting to make some headway. After a week+ of 100+ degree heat and firefighting, my hat goes off to the firefighters.

Mt Wilson has been the scene of a flurry of activity today with backfires and some Mars passes. Looks like they may save it after all, thankfully.

 

[evangilder]

Great news from Mount Wilson! From the MWO site blog:

Tuesday, 1 Sep 09, 7:21 pm PDT - Much to report! I just got off the phone calling Larry Webster's office on the mountain hoping to confirm his arrival. Instead of Larry, the phone was answered by LA County Deputy Fire Chief Jim Powers who is in charge of protection for structures at the Observatory. Wow, do I feel much better. First, Larry, Dave Jurasevich and John Harrigan arrived safely on site. When I identified myself, Chief Powers asked if I would like a briefing. You can imagine my answer. Here's what I know.

Fire fighters arrived earlier than I previously reported and by 8:00 am they had started their prep work. They began at the northeast corner of the Observatory using drip torches all along a line from that point traversing the northern perimeter to the boundary of the antenna areas. They are currently applying the same treatment to the east and southern boundaries of the site and expect to complete that this evening. These fires will clear ground debris and burn down slope with the intention of meeting any approaching fire with depleted fuel. Many of you watched the Super Scooper drop a major load of water, which was deposited downslope from the backfires and not on the Observatory grounds. That has been supplemented by other aerial tankers and helitankers for more precision dropping at crucial locations. The goal is to slow down encroaching fire, disperse it and make it more manageable.

Chief Powers expressed his absolute confidence that they will save the Observatory. He said that while it may have appeared over the last day or so that the Observatory was being neglected, that they never lost sight of the importance of Mount Wilson's preservation and it is now their highest priority. He flew up to the mountain yesterday, was delighted with what he found and knew they could achieve success here. There are now 150 fire fighters on Mount Wilson. Not only are the crews from Calaveras County (Cal Fire) back up there, but there are Los Angeles County fire fighters and even a crew from Helena, Montana. They have eight engines equipped to spray fire retardant on structures in addition to the crew engines. Chief Powers told me this army of fire fighters is "not going anywhere. They are very hard working and talented people who will get the job done."

After this uplifting briefing from Chief Powers, Dave called me from the CHARA conference room where he will be bunking down for the night. He filled in with some other information he'd learnd from the Chief prior to my own briefing.

The fire is slowly coming up to the mountaintop through the canyon containing the remnants of the old Strain's Camp. Mountain water wells are located above the old tourist camping site. They are also anticipated as coming up the steep eastern canyon located between the Berkeley ISI facility and the CHARA machine shop - due east of the 100-inch telescope. The back fires will burn all the way down this canyon to disable this approach. Dave reported seeing fire on the way up at Eaton Saddle down towards Camp High Hill.

There is no structural damage on the mountain. A short in a pull box produce by old flimsy splicing was compromised by the back fires and power lost to the high pressure fire pump system. (We have also obviously lost our internet connection to the mountain.) John Harrigan and Larry Webster were shopping at "Mount Wilson Depot" - the electrical storage area in the 100-inch telescope building - for materials to construct a new power line to the fire pump building. This should present no difficulties at all for those guys.

Our facility is in great shape for defensibility and in the hands of a group of enthusiastic, highly experienced and absolutely devoted fire fighters. I want to acknowledge my predecessor Bob Jastrow for initiating a brush clearing program that we have continued, and I thank folks like the W. M. Keck Foundation for helping us a few years ago with funding for that activity. Chief Powers assured me that there is never a need to fully evacuate our site and it is essential that we leave knowledgeable personnel on site to assist them and ensure that our fire fighting and support infrastructure is functional. "They are as essential to your protection as smoke alarms," Chief Powers said. That makes me feel so much better about letting Dave, Larry and John go back on site.

Hearing the absolute confidence and expertise in Chief Powers' voice has given me great optimism for, what the Chief said himself, would be "another hundred years for Mount Wilson Observatory."

 

[Heinz]

Keep safe guys!

 

[vikingBerserker]

The Evergreen 747 tanker got involved yesterday too. 8)

747 Supertanker makes drops on southern California fires

WOW, I'd heard on the news they were using 747's but I figured they were wrong.

 

[magnocain]

Yeah, the smoke and heat is not only oppressive, it's a dangerous combination.

Our only salvation last year, was the extreme smoke (solid from June until September) actually lowered our average summer temps by almost 10 degrees.

Redding is known for it's triple digits, I've even seen it over 115°, but I'd take the heat over the smoke any day!

True. IMO last year was worse, at least in this area. From the north bay I haven't noticed much smoke or haze.

 

[Erich]

interesting guys, if you would google :

national forest fires and find the link at the top: the Interagency and sublink they report from the official Angeles site that the fire now is over 140,000 acres and 22 % contained..........lets hope so

you guys need some thumping rain to clear that stuff out and burn back on itself. 26 days of 100F and over here we are so surprised we have not been burnt to a cider up this way

 

[syscom3]

Erich, part of the problem here is decades of fire control have left us with an intolerable amount of hot burning fuel laying around.

We have to pay the devils his due on this one.

Better to let this fire clear out the brush and fuel while the wind conditions are good, than have to revisit this under Santa Ana winds that will make it impossible to control.

BTW, 140,000 acres = 218 square miles.