Drier than a popcorn fart...

[hex0rz]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1gsCMs6eF0

 

http://www.khq.com/story/29478269/cape-horn-fire-burning-near-bayview

 

Well, guess I had to have my fun. The eery thing about this is, I was on that very mountain last night to watch the fireworks in the bay. I'm currently about 12 miles away as the crow flies. Don't think I'll have much to worry about. The area is being evacuated so I'm seeing an influx as people take shelter near me.

 

Washington is going up in smoke with all their fires, guess we had to contribute with some smoke, too...

[CSM]

Needs more MAFFS C130 herks. Good luck man. I've dealt with this in CO and it's no joke.

[JAG1]

No joke is right. I keep watching the satilite animation which is showing constant flow up from the equator. I pray that our Lord will end it soon as this will be an explosive fire season without rain.

I've never seen Mount Hood in Oregon so dry. Nor so dry around my place in western Oregon too.

[joecool911]

you and me both, brother!

[Wild and Free]

The fires in Northern Canada have had us so thick with smoke haze here in ND the last week you can't see a mile some times, smoke is so thick you can taste it some days. The area where all the fires are is so remote and dry Canada doesn't fight them, they started naturally by lightning so they will let them burn naturally, some meteorologists say the thick smoke haze with stick around all summer here if conditions do not change, plus with the NW US and northern US rockies being dry and if fire get roaring out there we in the northern plains will all have black lung by this fall.

[Mopar1973Man]

Knowing Hex has been a firefighter once before he understand the difference from a spectator to front line fighting a fire. Form a spectator view its sad to see homes lost, forest burned out and things altered for long time to come. Now being on the front line and struggling to alter this monster path of destruction is a hard battle. I've had my fair share of up close and personal fire fights. I'm as ready as I possibly can be. But don't get me wrong I'm still freaked out.

[Me78569]

It is crazy how quickly it can change.  

 

Last 5 years or so have been bad drought here in colorado, but this is is %100 flopped this year.  Everything is wet.  I feel for you guys up there, it sucks to have to worry about someone doing something that is normally considered "kinda dumb, but not a huge issue" and accidentally lighting the place ablaze.  

 

Problem I see is in the scar of the event that causes huge political issues in the future.  Just an example, since the pass burned up a couple years ago here "waldo canyon fire"  we have had some bad flash flooding.  Well this year they put in a HUGE amount of coin to fix the drainage in that area.  Even with the record setting rains this year we haven't had hardly any flooding as a result.  Regardless of that CDOT closes the pass everytime a somewhat heavy rain storm pretends comes through.   I have been stuck at the top of the pass for hours on end waiting for the light drizzle to let up multiple times.

 

Maybe I am young and dumb, but it drives me crazy when all these laws and policies get put into place to try and prevent stupid.  

 

 

 

As for fighting the fires, it is hard to weight the cost to each of the families that loose everything, but fire is something we have to deal with it.  To me nothing is worth the lives of guys getting burned up.  If the conditions permit then sure try and save a home or what not, but it isn't worth risking lives.  Fires CAN be a good thing for the landscape.  

 

A section of the San de Cristo mountains burned up a few years back, now you go up there and everything is alive and growing like you wouldn't believe.  

 

 

I guess all you can do it pray that some water comes your way to helps you guys out.    Sucks when all you see on the news is a fire here or there and nothing but windy, dry, hot weather to come.

[IBMobile]

It gets real nerve racking for people when their house is threaten and they have to flee. A view from my house last year. The fire was set by a 14 year old girl.                                 

[Me78569]

I can't imagine going through that.  

[hex0rz]

Updates, fire has grown to 2k acres overnight and destroyed 6 homes. The seat of the fire occured on the shoreline, ago they think it was from an idiot with a camp fire. The mountain is extremely steep and accelerated quickly. We had strong winds yesterday which didn't help.

Passing through town, had a dozen or so vehicles from different agencies and districts going to the fire. I'm shocked they haven't gotten any smoke jumpers inn the fire.

This area of land burning is a logistical nightmare. One road in and out and the cliffs have been giving of rock slides because of the heat from the fire. Half the mountain it's burned up now and they are evacuating the whole town of bay view.

Pray for some rain without lightning!

[Mopar1973Man]

Sorry to say but I've lost my faith in USFS fire fighters. I've seen way too many times where they use back burns too much or incorrectly. I've seen where they do more damage than good. I've actually see commander till crew to stand down and watch because it dangerous. Fire fighting is a very dangerous job but if done correctly you can gain control very rapidly. The biggest thing that scare to me death is the lack of water. My own creek that supplies water here is dry up rather quickly. When it does that it no more water for fire fighting here other than what is captured in my pond. That being said its just a matter of time before something happens here. When it does I hope that we are near a water source for fire fighting.

 

Just remember... Salmon River Rural Fire Dept is the Largest Fire District in the State of Idaho. We are the 5th largest fire district in the Nation. 67 Road miles long and 20 miles wide for the main area but now cover all the side roads with the same 10 miles on either side or 20 mile width.

[dorkweed]

Not around my area of the country.....................NE Illinois/SE Wisconsin.  This has been a relatively cool and wet (rain) summer so far.  Only a few hot/humid days so far.

 

All that said;  this is what happened at my "humble little dump" 3 days ago, July 18, 2015..............................IMHO, all township caused.

 

The 1st 2 pix are taken from the NW side of my house while standing in ankle deep water on my street.  The 2nd 2 pix are taken from the SW side of my house standing behind my neighbors mailbox in shin deep water.  The 3rd 2 pix are taken from my backyard kind of in the SE corner but facing 2 different directions.

 

 

[War Eagle]

Looks really close to the house.  Did you get any water inside?  Hope not.

 

Looks like you had a gulley washer.  Good old mid west downpour!

 

Now if the ducks would fly in then you wouldn't have to travel so far to shoot them.

[dorkweed]

Looks really close to the house.  Did you get any water inside?  Hope not.

 

Looks like you had a gulley washer.  Good old mid west downpour!

 

Now if the ducks would fly in then you wouldn't have to travel so far to shoot them.

 

 

Nope;  only about 3 inches over about 2.5 hours.  Totally;  IMHO, caused by the township that has been systematically redoing ditches and storm sewers "UPHILL" of me.  I'm in on of the highest areas of the neighborhood, but am in a slight depression on the "high spot".  Water flows toward me................but they've increased the rate of that flow with the improvements uphill of me.

 

 

No damage in the house.  I'm on a crawl space.  The sump pump was running continuous for over 4 hours even with my little 1/6hp little kicker pump in the pit with the garden hose attached to it running out the office window helping it. Crawl never flooded though.

Edited July 22, 2015 by dorkweed

[Mopar1973Man]

What a mess DW... Time for some sand bags...

[dorkweed]

Tell you what guys;  with that flooding 5 days ago, it's amazing how dry my lawn is now.  I mowed the lawn on Tuesday afternoon, because it needed it after the rain and such.  But yesterday afternoon (Wednesday), walking around the yard (still doing some clean up from the flood) I was amazed that there are cracks in the ground already!!!

 

Lake Michigan is approaching all time high water levels.

[Mopar1973Man]

Like our river. Take a peek at the flow.

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/id/nwis/uv?site_no=13316500

 

The little triangles are the normal average flow rate.

[dorkweed]

Like our river. Take a peek at the flow.

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/id/nwis/uv?site_no=13316500

 

The little triangles are the normal average flow rate.

 

 

Twas just saying of course.

 

Don't want to infuriate the "commander in chief" with my/our lowly requests.

[Mopar1973Man]

Twas just saying of course.

 

Don't want to infuriate the "commander in chief" with my/our lowly requests.

 

I'll take donations in water just hitch up a trailer and haul it out here.

[dorkweed]

I'll take donations in water just hitch up a trailer and haul it out here.

 

 

Trade water for firewood??!!