BS: Montana Forest Fire Photo

Subject: BS: Forest Fire Photo
From: Alice
Date: 24 Jul 07 - 09:36 AM

This photo will only be on the newspaper's website today, but it shows
how the air here is hazy with smoke from the forest fires in our region.
Smoky sunset with mule deer... Click here

Subject: RE: BS: Forest Fire Photo
From: Sorcha
Date: 24 Jul 07 - 09:42 AM

Wyoming has been lucky.......so far.

Subject: RE: BS: Forest Fire Photo
From: Rapparee
Date: 24 Jul 07 - 09:44 AM

Yep. Just like here, too. Nothing like watching junipers and cedars and sage explode into flame -- as long as you're a safe distance off. Nevada's burning off 900 square miles in just one fire right now....

And while the Interagency Fire group has raised the fire level to 5, which permits calling on the National Guard for help, what units ARE around and not in Iraq or Afghanistan don't even have the trucks to transport their own people, much less the equipment needed for fire suppression either directly or with logistical support.

Subject: RE: BS: Forest Fire Photo
From: Alice
Date: 24 Jul 07 - 09:49 AM

What happened to Sorcha's post?

Subject: RE: BS: Forest Fire Photo
From: Big Mick
Date: 24 Jul 07 - 09:51 AM

I am not sure why Sorcha's post was deleted but I have restored it. We are under a spam attack and I suspect it was inadvertently deleted. If there are others, feel free to PM me and I will check on them.

All the best,

Mick

Subject: RE: BS: Forest Fire Photo
From: Alice
Date: 24 Jul 07 - 09:56 AM

I can smell smoke in the air. We had a fire start on the edge of town yesterday, but I think they
contained it before it swept up the mountain to the forest. The grass grew fast with early rains,
so now it has dried out in the 100 f heat and is a real hazard.

Subject: RE: BS: Forest Fire Photo
From: Midchuck
Date: 24 Jul 07 - 10:02 AM

Kris and I are gonna be out there in about 2 1/2 weeks. Would you get it cleaned up before we get there, please?

Peter.

Subject: RE: BS: Forest Fire Photo
From: Alice
Date: 24 Jul 07 - 10:05 AM

Will try! I wish it would rain. The lawn feels like walking on rice crispies, it is so bad.

Subject: RE: BS: Forest Fire Photo
From: SINSULL
Date: 24 Jul 07 - 11:00 AM

Must be scary as well, Alice. Here in Maine we have had almost nothing but rain.
I will wish some your way.
Mary

Subject: RE: BS: Forest Fire Photo
From: Donuel
Date: 24 Jul 07 - 11:43 AM

The fire west of Salt Lake City Utah was in no mans land since it is the US depository for nerve gas and chemical weapons.

We may never hear what happened there for a long time.

Naybe google earth will show the facility but often things like that are blurred out.

Subject: RE: BS: Forest Fire Photo
From: Rapparee
Date: 24 Jul 07 - 11:56 AM

It's under fire attack. And it's a training range for Mountain Home AFB; it's not Touele Army Depot.

Subject: RE: BS: Forest Fire Photo
From: open mike
Date: 25 Jul 07 - 09:38 AM

i am planning to travel from eastern nebraska to montana and oregon--
next week. perhaps i should check out the areas which are burning before deciding on the route?

Subject: RE: BS: Forest Fire Photo
From: Sorcha
Date: 25 Jul 07 - 09:47 AM

Yes, Mick, it was inadverdent. Got a PM from the One Who Did It saying Sorry.

Laurel, that might be a VERY good idea.

Subject: RE: BS: Forest Fire Photo
From: Alice
Date: 25 Jul 07 - 10:49 AM

The interstate east and west is clear, but they did have to slow down some traffic near Helena
going north and south the other day because of the smoke causing visibility problems.
I don't think you'll have any trouble if you are staying on I 90. Near West Yellowstone,
there is smoke from Idaho and fires in Yellowstone.

Subject: RE: BS: Montana Forest Fire Photo
From: Alice
Date: 13 Aug 07 - 09:30 AM

I woke up to the strong smell of burning trees. The normally deep blue sky is grey
with smoke. The front page of the paper (link in first post) is again a forest fire
photo, but this time a column of smoke from a fire called the Wicked Creek fire.
When the column of smoke first rose, it looked like a volcano plume above the
peaks. Windows are closed up now and I'm running the air filter.

Alice

Subject: RE: BS: Montana Forest Fire Photo
From: Sorcha
Date: 13 Aug 07 - 09:45 AM

How close are you to the fire? Will you need to evacuate?

Subject: RE: BS: Montana Forest Fire Photo
From: Alice
Date: 13 Aug 07 - 09:51 AM

I'm not close to flames, just a lot of smoke. It is near Livingston.

Subject: RE: BS: Montana Forest Fire Photo
From: Alice
Date: 13 Aug 07 - 09:55 AM

Fires all over the state were started this weekend by dry lightening.
There are evacuations with some of the fires near subdivisions and towns,
like Seeley Lake, where people have had to evacuate twice now.

Subject: RE: BS: Montana Forest Fire Photo
From: Alice
Date: 13 Aug 07 - 09:59 AM

Here is more news and photos.
Click here

Subject: RE: BS: Montana Forest Fire Photo
From: katlaughing
Date: 13 Aug 07 - 10:42 AM

I've been hearing about this on NPR and thinking of you, Alice. Good to know you are too near to it, though I know the smoke is no picnic. Thanks for the links and for checking in.

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Montana Forest Fire Photo
From: Bill D
Date: 13 Aug 07 - 10:44 AM

For those who are interested in keeping track of such things (and who have a broadband connection!), there is a FREE program for Windows which will track world-wide events in weather, fire, volcanos...etc.

See here...Earth Alerts

You can also enter specific locations you wish to monitor in the US and its possessions.

I got this map using it, which shows how concentrated the current fire situation is.

Subject: RE: BS: Montana Forest Fire Photo
From: rangeroger
Date: 14 Aug 07 - 12:47 AM

There are 35 large fires burning in Idaho and Montana with about 750,000 acres on fire at this time.
There are 23 fires burning in the rest of the states combined.
I recently read an article in a 2 year old copy of the American Horseman about the Flat Creek ranch in Southern Idaho. The Murphy Complex fire swept through it for a total of more than a 1000 square miles.
The owners still haven't been able to count how many thousands of head of cattle they lost.
We've been lucky up here in the panhandle of Idaho, but conditions are dry,dry,dry, and the temp is headed for the high 90's again. With thunderstorms predicted for the end of the week.

rr

Subject: RE: BS: Montana Forest Fire Photo
From: Midchuck
Date: 14 Aug 07 - 12:56 AM

I've been hearing about this on NPR and thinking of you, Alice. Good to know you are too near to it, though I know the smoke is no picnic.

Not just Alice! We're here too, right at the moment.

Very smoky in Bozeman this morning. Kris and I drove down Gallatin Canyon, to get a short hike, and it was clear down there. But coming back up, it was smoky in the northern part of the canyon and at Gallatin Gateway, but clearer in Bozeman. The whole cloud must have blown down the canyon.

Peter.

Subject: RE: BS: Montana Forest Fire Photo
From: Sorcha
Date: 14 Aug 07 - 09:12 AM

Smoke here this morning. Not sure if it's from the (small, so far) fires on Casper Mountain or from the Little Goose fire up near Sheridan/Crow Indian Reservation.

Subject: RE: BS: Montana Forest Fire Photo
From: Sorcha
Date: 14 Aug 07 - 09:47 AM

And, at least 3 under 500 acres in the Northern Nebraska panhandle, around Chadron. Bugger.

Subject: RE: BS: Montana Forest Fire Photo
From: GUEST,Alice at Butte Library
Date: 14 Aug 07 - 02:48 PM

I'm over in Butte, and this has to be the worst smoke than
anywhere I've driven through, without actually being next to a fire.
Coming in over the pass, you can't even see the town or the mountains for all the smoke.

Subject: RE: BS: Montana Forest Fire Photo
From: Rapparee
Date: 15 Aug 07 - 12:13 AM

Quite. I drove from Sweetwater to the Idaho border on I-15 today and it was smoke, smoke, smoke all the way. Butte, Helena, Dillon, Shelby -- nothing but smoke and some little bit of haze.

Not much in Alberta and not much south of (roughly) Spencer, Idaho. I'm home now and there's nearly nothing in the air at the moment.

Subject: RE: BS: Montana Forest Fire Photo
From: Rapparee
Date: 15 Aug 07 - 09:25 AM

What is going on, a satellite's perspective.

Subject: RE: BS: Montana Forest Fire Photo
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 15 Aug 07 - 09:40 AM

thanks for the image, & the reports. Best wishes to all.

We've a few months to go before our fire season starts.

Back in 1994 we had huge fires ringing Sydney & I've still got 3 carbonised leaves I found in the water at Bondi Beach, 50 miles from the main fires.

sandra