Sorry gang...

 

I've got to keep this short and say I'm fighting a local fire near my home. It started in the Hazard drainage and now is heading north threatening Elk Lake Road homes. I've got to be back on the fire line at 7am. I'll report more by tomorrow night.

Seeing a story about a concret dome house that was burned over w/o damage...  pretty incredible.

 

http://abcnews.go.com/US/mans-concrete-home-survives-raging-wildfire-washington/story?id=33286398

Another long day of heavy smoke and fire. We all got a bit worried for a Fire Chief today he now stuck up on the fire with 7 other engine crews till morning. There is a segment of road with rock slides and then the French creek is closed from fire. So there is homes in there he's protecting. I know he's OK and got food and place to stay. So we bailed out late last night, none of wanted to leave till we were sure he's got a plan.

 

For AH64ID...

 

Then my 2 Cummins...

We're going to get significant rainfall this weekend here. Like 1". Maybe you'll get some too.

 

Hope not it would create serious issues with mudslides. Bad enough with rock slides and log fall out right now...

Those sky cranes are impressive machines!

It's RAINING!!!!! Started gently this afternoon and it is still coming down softly.  Looking down canyon (to the North) 'd say that Michael & crew are getting wet....Love Rosalie moparmom

I'll post a loonger story later. But I got to admit being in the middle of a wind storm with fire coming is rather spooky. I'll post more pictures later. I'm tired. We ended our day with a serious down pour and thunder storm. I'm pretty sure we'll get demob'ed after tomorrow. I was thanked by the Carlson Family for being there and protecting their homes. Then our crew was thanked from Eng 622 for supporting them with 2 engines and water tender during a back burn and quick thinking and good planing.

 

Oh... It's still raining off and on yet...

 

Here is one of my crewmen (Dalton) supporting my water tender during a fire storm... That orange color is the thick choking smoke.

The specks are bits of ash on the camera lens when the flash fired it showed up. This was still early in the day and you'd swear it was night fall. The winds picked up and was pushing smoke down on us so hard there was no light. There was a wind gust that pinned me to the back of my truck. Dalton Ray Silva got sand blasted being down on the river bank he was manning the trash pump filling the water tender. We were staged at Carlson's Sheep Ranch.

 

I have to say yesterday was a good day. Carlson Ranch thank Salmon River Rural for being there and protecting their home. We've been staged along there property area for some time and doing what we could to protect barns and outbuildings. Servicing other truck by keeping them filled with water.

 

The end of the day USFS wanted to do a back burn behind the Carlson Ranch to clean it up. Both Engine 3 and Engine 4 were staged at homes near the fire line and Water Tender 3 was brought in to support the engines with water during the back burn. Our SRRFD was thanked highly for quick thinking, planning, and executing the plan fast and being setup well before the fire became a issue. I would like to return the Thanks back to USFS Engine 622 for working with us.

That is some pretty spooky stuff there Mike. Happy to hear you are getting some rain, hopefully it helps out and you don't get to much. Nothing better than having appreciative people who recognize what you are accomplishing. You have my respect. Be safe.

I hope it rained all night for you and everyone. Thank God

I'm demob'ed for the time being and back home safe and sound. Might go again but unknown.

 

Just for fun here is my full picture pile...

http://mopar1973man.com/Tepee%20Fire.zip

Just to let you all know what still going on. I'm still at home but the fire continues to burn.

 

or...

http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/photos/IDPAF/2015-08-14-1651-Teepee-Springs/picts/2015_09_03-13.39.56.584-CDT.jpeg

Mike... 

 

Some cool stuff.  From the AF side of the house.  I wish there were more air assets to go around.  Although like you've mentioned, it seems like the USFS (Fed) calls the shots. 

 

https://vimeo.com/user12946941/review/138043670/71e169e7cb

Edited September 9, 20159 yr by CSM

So how long did it end up burning for?