2004 Fire Season in the U.S. and Canada

Subject: RE: BS: California Mudcatters okay with fires?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 09 Aug 04 - 04:02 AM

Well, we're back in the middle of fire season. We've had planes overhead for two fires in the last month. They're frightening - flying very low over the house, one after the other.

I got an e-mail earlier this evening from a friend in Sacramento, asking whether we were affected by the fire she heard about on television. At the time, I wasn't aware of the fire, which is about five miles away from us. About 11 PM, we started smelling smoke. We went outside, and could hardly see anything - the smoke wasn't all that heavy, but it blocked out most light. The animals outside in the forest are making unusual sounds, and it's somewhat difficult to breathe. I guess we're in no danger, but it's scary. I suppose the planes will start early tomorrow morning - they don't fire at night, and the terrain is too rugged for ground-based firefighters to work in the dark. Wish us luck.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: 2004 Fire Season in the U.S. and Canada
From: Billy the Bus
Date: 09 Aug 04 - 04:24 AM

Best wishes Joe - I've done a bit of bush fire fighting - but nowhere near on the scale you folk experience. Don't let the fire-bombers get yau down.... unless the fire gets real close and you need a quick shower!

Cheers - Sam

Subject: RE: 2004 Fire Season in the U.S. and Canada
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 09 Aug 04 - 04:59 AM

The Aussie Fire Season has started early this year.

Robin

Subject: RE: 2004 Fire Season in the U.S. and Canada
From: SINSULL
Date: 09 Aug 04 - 08:19 AM

Joe,
It must be scary for you to start a BS thread. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers and hopefully send you some of the rain we have had in Maine all summer.
SINS

Subject: RE: 2004 Fire Season in the U.S. and Canada
From: GUEST,John O'Lennaine
Date: 09 Aug 04 - 09:10 AM

Best wishes Joe.
There aren't many things more terrifying than a bushfire.

John

Subject: RE: 2004 Fire Season in the U.S. and Canada
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Aug 04 - 09:56 AM

Joe,

If you haven't removed all of the fuel (trees, shrubs, tall grass) from a reasonable distance around your house and other structures, this is your wakeup call to get it done. Do you have a well, a pump, a storage tank or stock pond to draw water from? (Some friends in Idaho were told when they moved to 5 acres outside Moscow that they must put in a holding pond--most of the time it looks like an attractive water feature at the bottom of the yard, but it is there by ordinance).

Good luck. You've done the drill before. It seems to be getting started a bit late this year, so perhaps it won't be as bad as some years. Though it has been many years since my Forest Service fire fighting days, I still feel a slight adrenalin rush when I start reading about the fires out there. (It's how I paid for college, all of that overtime and hazardous duty pay).

SRS

Subject: RE: 2004 Fire Season in the U.S. and Canada
From: Metchosin
Date: 09 Aug 04 - 11:33 AM

Good Luck Joe, my heart's with you and yours. Up until a couple of days ago, when we finally got some measureable precipitation, the fire hazard rating here has been extreme again this year since early June. It has heated up again, so our reprieve will be short lived.

Subject: RE: 2004 Fire Season in the U.S. and Canada
From: Peace
Date: 09 Aug 04 - 11:38 AM

Joe,

SRS's advice is very good about clearing the area near your house. You might also keep a few shovels handy to beat out the leading edge of and stubble that burns towards your house--if the fire people are not there to handle it. Few folks realize the amount of heat generated by grass or forest fires. LOTS.

One of oue guys just got back from two weeks in near Lac LaBiche, Alberta. We have our ususl going on, too. The interface of urban/rural areas is always hard to deal with in terms of fire control. People will erect $300,000 houses and surround themselves with trees and brush. Leads fire to the house.

Take care, Joe. I will keep you in my thoughts. If evacuation becaomes necessary--and I pray it doesn't--travel light. Medications, water, a bit of food and the family cat.

Bruce M

Subject: RE: 2004 Fire Season in the U.S. and Canada
From: Amos
Date: 09 Aug 04 - 02:15 PM

Ship your val docs out or put them in a fireproof safe -- policies, titles, photos, inventory...whatever is worth keeping. If there is any chance you may have to evacuate, get your readiness drill in order so you know what to grab fast if the event arises, and what NOT to.

A

Subject: RE: 2004 Fire Season in the U.S. and Canada
From: open mike
Date: 09 Aug 04 - 08:36 PM

yes defensible space is a must...they say 30 feet, but 100 is much safer..i live in the woods and trees are my air conditioners...
so am loathe to remove any. but better a few trees sacrificed....
and the photograph negatives are what one person i know said to
include in evacuation plans if that (god forbid) becomes necessary!!
and for those who do not live in california...it almost never rains
in june july august sept oct here....there may be some rains in Late november, but not enough to actulayy douse a fire!
infact the lightning that accompnies rain is often the cause of fires..
but we have bben lucky to have a cooler than usual august..and humidity and lower temps help to control fires.
yes--a b.s. thread for joe....must be serious...stay safe and if
you need to bail...you are welcome here!! we have 50 acres and a
pond to jump in...a couple of hours north of you...

Subject: RE: 2004 Fire Season in the U.S. and Canada
From: open mike
Date: 09 Aug 04 - 08:38 PM

fire info site here

Subject: RE: 2004 Fire Season in the U.S. and Canada
From: Rapparee
Date: 09 Aug 04 - 09:51 PM

We've had about 50 acres burn so far, compared to over 3,000 at this time last year.

Come on up, Joe. You can visit Yellowstone and the Tetons.

Subject: RE: 2004 Fire Season in the U.S. and Canada
From: Ebbie
Date: 10 Aug 04 - 01:08 AM

Alaska has had/is having a fairly bad fire season. We've had an official 4.5 million acres burn off so far. The danger has abated at this point, due to higher humidity, but the real fire season hasn't yet begun, I understand.

They say the fire fighting budget is $14 million but they have used up most of it already, because we've had to hire so many firefighters from other states. (Thanks, Rapaire!)

Keep safe, Joe.

Subject: RE: 2004 Fire Season in the U.S. and Canada
From: Janie
Date: 10 Aug 04 - 09:36 AM

Be safe, Joe, and all others. Lots of good advice, most of which I bet you had already taken.

Janie

Subject: RE: 2004 Fire Season in the U.S. and Canada
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 10 Aug 04 - 10:03 AM

best wishes from another drought & fire-plagued country.

We has a strong smell of smoke in our CBD office today & it ain't even fire season yet. Some boys from the very expensive Cathedral school upstairs had been setting fire to paper in the fire stairs, & the smell went thru the ofice, causing some concern.

Boys will be boys?? or is this the same attitude that starts bush fires? I can only hope the very 1950's teacher was the one who found them & roared at them & gave them what for.

sandra

Subject: RE: 2004 Fire Season in the U.S. and Canada
From: open mike
Date: 10 Aug 04 - 10:09 AM

was any one else wondering what are "val docs"?
i decided it is sh9ort for valuable documents..

Subject: RE: 2004 Fire Season in the U.S. and Canada
From: Rapparee
Date: 10 Aug 04 - 10:11 AM

Ebbie, my friend Mary, who lives in the Chicago orbit, told me a few weeks ago that the news there had reported that even though wildfires were close to Fairbanks, there was no danger to the state capitol.

My friend Dana in Anchorage was glad to know that, too.

Subject: RE: 2004 Fire Season in the U.S. and Canada
From: mg
Date: 10 Aug 04 - 12:59 PM

roared at the boys? How about calling the police. that is arson, unless they were five or six years old. Also sounds like elitism that protects the upper crust from consequences that would be dealt out to the less fortunate. mg

Subject: RE: 2004 Fire Season in the U.S. and Canada
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Sep 04 - 05:23 PM

An interesting photo in the Seattle P.I. photo section today:

An airplane drops retardant on a wildfire in the Cajon Pass, south of Victorville, CA..

Good shot! (both by the pilot and the photographer!)

SRS

Subject: RE: 2004 Fire Season in the U.S. and Canada
From: Ebbie
Date: 08 Sep 04 - 06:53 PM

You're right, Rapaire, threre has been no fire threat in southeast Alaska and I never meant to imply otherwise. The fires have all been in the interior of Alaska- which as you know is vast. More than 5 million acres this year have burned off.

In Juneau, the only indication we have had of nearby (relatively) problems is of smoke that from time to time has been pushed - or pulled - in from the Yukon Territory and from British Columbia.

Subject: RE: 2004 Fire Season in the U.S. and Canada
From: Hrothgar
Date: 09 Sep 04 - 05:53 AM

The eternal cynic - Idyllic bushland setting = fire trap.