California is Burning (Again)

[bodywhomper]

The sunrise was pretty too. They mapped this morning at 1500ac. Smoke not too bad where im at, yet. The forecasted winds are gonna dictate a lot over the next few days. Currently the area is remote and lots of dependence on air support. A vlat flew over my place a few 100 ft up yesterday evening. Apparently, two are part of the team. Pge de-energized a transmission line when the fire started which led to some general confusion in the area until power came back on. We have a genie and hand crank radio and were able to stay informed. Our docs, backup drives, and photos are gonna live in a vehicle until this thing is more under control. Gonna cut out some simple covers for attic and crawl space vents today.

[Meadow Skipper]

Bombadier CL-415 Scooper ship based in South Lake Tahoe:

http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/ltbmu/...STELPRD3846586

[Meadow Skipper]

... Gonna cut out some simple covers for attic and crawl space vents today.

You're running a little behind the curve.

[bodywhomper]

You're running a little behind the curve.

Thanks. My perception is that people do not know to cover their vents if they have time before evacuating. Also, closing all windows, moving furniture away from windows, etc. My place has meshing on the vents, but its to an old code.

I haven't seen that new-to-the-area super scooper plane yet.

[LightRanger]

4 guys injured and airlifted to UCD last this afternoon. One with serious burns.

[bodywhomper]

at today's morning briefing for the lowell fire, the hazard to firefighters from encountering booby traps at large marijuana grows was discussed and recognized. in this linked map, the grow at the south end of the image is inside the fire perimeter while the grows a few hundred feet to the north are immediately north of the perimeter: https://goo.gl/maps/UeB04

here's a photo from a few days ago from the lowell fire:

[LightRanger]

Fire near Clearlake torched 8,000 acres in its first six hours:
http://wildfiretoday.com/2015/07/30/...first-6-hours/

[PB]

Very impressive - the Wragg fire near Berryessa took over a week, with a surprise flare-up, to hit the 8,000 acre mark.

[2FUNKY]

60 lightening fires started the other day in Trinity Co. Town of Hayfork looking like it might go up. Massive evacuations under way. Ruth, Mad River area burning big as well. Good god! I grew up in Trinity, mom lost her home to fire several years ago. Sucks to see this.

[old goat]

RIP David Ruhl

And screw the people who are upset about having to pay their Cal Fire assessment. I think they're getting their money's worth.

[LightRanger]

Curious what happened on that fatality. He was missing and they found him the next day. Isn't the buddy system pretty paramount for wildland crews? Meadowskipper?

[Meadow Skipper]

Curious what happened on that fatality. He was missing and they found him the next day. Isn't the buddy system pretty paramount for wildland crews? Meadowskipper?

I'm curious too. It's mysterious. Fireline supervisors (A friend of mine knew him, and the guy was a crew captain and operations supervisor) routinely break off solo to scout line, or mark work locations, or act as a lookout, etc. And sometime a guy's just gotta shit or something and needs a little privacy. Why he would be alone is less of a mystery than when killed him.

[Meadow Skipper]

This shot taken over NorCal on the smokejumpers_on_ig Instagram feed blew me away: https://instagram.com/p/53di21k_Rn/

Things are gonna be busy there for a while.

[LightRanger]

Such an amazing shot. Seriously looks like another planet or something. Like the thread in the Dragonriders of Pern.

[LightRanger]

So. Much. Acreage.

And growing fast.

http://yubanet.com/fire.php


https://twitter.com/MayacamasVFD/sta...67318949801984

[Meadow Skipper]

Curious what happened on that fatality. He was missing and they found him the next day. Isn't the buddy system pretty paramount for wildland crews? Meadowskipper?

Here's one account. Keep in mind it's just one news outlet account, but it doesn't seem implausible:
http://www.krcrtv.com/firefighter-di...blaze/34495382

[LightRanger]

Yeah, definitely sounds plausible. Major bummer.

[HansJob]

Major bummer.

So unfortunate. My condolences for the loss of your colleague.

[Lone Star]

Understand the need for privacy but the veil of secrecy from the USFS/NIFC is a bit disturbing. I know the area of the Frog Fire fairly well and it's difficult for me to put together a picture of a burnover scenario in that terrain and vegetation and road density. Flat terrain but with a lot of 30 ft tall lava rubble piles, lots of open Jeffrey/Pondo stands, some thick chaparral in areas but not many places you can be where there isn't fast egress. I know speculation isn't worth shit but I'd go with a snag or heart attack as opposed to entrapment.

[Meadow Skipper]

I know speculation isn't worth shit but I'd go with a snag or heart attack as opposed to entrapment.

Totally. That was my thought when I cautioned about the first report in my earlier post. I'm still open to possibilities like you listed.

This agency reticence about open disclosure got started - IMO - back with the Thirtymile fire when the IC ended up getting prosecuted for the deaths of his crewmembers. Which was pretty fucked up. I also blame John Maclean for his take on the South Canyon fire before that.

Caveat: I probably have a little too much skin in the game for unbiased comment on that stuff. History and shit.

[rideit]

We started getting the haze here today, made me think good thoughts for y'all out there...

[LightRanger]

Some solid writing and photos here:

http://weather.blogs.pressdemocrat.c...re-apocalypse/

http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/08/01/...re-lake-county

[LightRanger]

[LightRanger]

[The Dad]

60 lightening fires started the other day in Trinity Co. Town of Hayfork looking like it might go up. Massive evacuations under way. Ruth, Mad River area burning big as well. Good god! I grew up in Trinity, mom lost her home to fire several years ago. Sucks to see this.

Two of my kids go to camp up there. One came back Saturday with pictures of the nearby mountains on fire. Scary stuff.