Wildfire 2023

[bodywhomper]

Y’all, please keep in mind that the smoke is more than just from burning vegetation. All smoke is toxic, but the smoke from burning homes, cars, boats, industrial areas, etc. is much more toxic. N95 particulate masks can help a lot with filtering the carcinogens. Hepa filters or inexpensive and diy corsi-rosenthal boxes help a lot with filtering indoor.

[alive]

Yeah, crazy weekend here in Kelowna, and looks even worse up there in the Shuswap. Stay safe.

Couple of pics from town here

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...2023-1.6941780

Some crazy pictures of the devastation in the Shuswap.

[Bunion 2020]

BZN: 60s, OC and a gentle rain that began very early this morning. Can't really tell its there is much smoke.
The leftovers from Hillary are supposed to being impacting the area late tonight but it looks like they will enter Canada too far East to be much help. We could see 1+" of H2o the next 2 days which just might carry us through the remainder of fire season.

Vibes to all those impacted and big thanks to all the FFs. This shit is happening all around the world.

[Meadow Skipper]

Ironic signage.

[alive]

Ironic signage.

Yeah, I was going to post some of those pictures, but it wouldn’t let me. The puddle of aluminum rims beside the car were crazy. Sad but striking image of the scotch creek, fire department burn to the ground as well.

[Meadow Skipper]

Yeah, I was going to post some of those pictures, but it wouldn’t let me. The puddle of aluminum rims beside the car were crazy. Sad but striking image of the scotch creek, fire department burn to the ground as well.

[Bunion 2020]

Well built and placed signage.

[TBS]

Bunch of firefighters hoping they get sent anywhere but Happy Camp right now.

[Meadow Skipper]

^ Brutal.

In 87 the fire camps in and around Happy Camp set up tents with filtered air and oxygen to give ffs some (temporary) relief.

[TBS]

I didn’t know the scale went that high

[grinch]

Fire moves far and fast when the wind pushes it. It's not just your home, but also your exit route you gotta watch.

Too many urban/suburban fires recently, where cars couldn't get everyone out. I decided a few years ago to note nearby less bad options - large grassy sports fields. Also the nearest multistory concrete buildings since it's probably safe in one of those for a while.

Dying in a suburban wildfire is so rare it's probably not worth thinking about too much. Right?

A friend sent me some pics from revy. I was surprised how visible the fires were this year.The escape routes being very limited was always my main concern. With one in each direction(east,west,n,s) all having fires that reached the highway i was beginning to wonder if we'd be trapped. And thats in an area that traditionslly didnt have much of a worry about fires.
Looks like a bit of precip for you guys. I hope its more than forecasted. Fingers crossed for all of you there. Be safe

Sent from my SM-A536W using TGR Forums mobile app

[oldnew_guy]

The inciweb fire perimeters between I-5 and the Coast along/near the OR/CA border are....interesting. Going to be alot of fire on the ground in that neck of the woods until the rain falls.

[TBS]

Yeahhh, Interesting in the Chinese curse context…
The Six Rivers and Klamath NFs are playing a giant game of wack-a-mole. Across really rugged country (as Meadow Skipper and Oldnewguy can attest).

And it’s not just the complexes at Happy Camp & Gasquet. There’s major fire almost to the Mendocino county line.
All from one lightning storm.

Question for the folks who’ve spent multiple seasons in fire camp. At what point does living in hazardous air conditions like that (965 in Happy Camp!) cause irreversible damage to lungs?

I’m watching our HOA landscapers mow the common areas in AQI ~275 and feeling really bad for them. I’d tell them wait a week, it’s bad enough inside an A/C’d house with a new HEPA filter and no door/window opening allowed.

[oldnew_guy]

Question for the folks who’ve spent multiple seasons in fire camp. At what point does living in hazardous air conditions like that (965 in Happy Camp!) cause irreversible damage to lungs?

Fire camp is sort of an issue, but fireline exposure is just as bad if not worse most of the time.

I don't know if they got it, but there was a push to get a presumptive cause designation applied (and thus workers comp treatment) for certain kinds of cancer.

[TBS]

^^^Yeah, fire camp was short hand for being on/near the line. Figured most people who’ve spent time in camp here spent major portions on the line. No doubt folks on the line get it the worst, but I’m guessing the ICs and staff get a lungful too, especially as the seasons accumulate

[TBS]

No place like home


Lookout, Bedrock, maybe Klamath/Smith River

[Meadow Skipper]

Fire camp is sort of an issue, but fireline exposure is just as bad if not worse most of the time.

I don't know if they got it, but there was a push to get a presumptive cause designation applied (and thus workers comp treatment) for certain kinds of cancer.

^ This.

To an extent it depends on the individual and exactly how much exposure they have. I’ve been lucky I guess, but you never know.

I also worry about the 2,4d and 2,4,5t I got roped into spraying on SoCal chaparral to maintain fuel breaks. But that’s a different story.

[bodywhomper]

My first volunteer rx burn was at a Berkeley forest station. One of the directors was the burn boss. He donned a respirator mask before ignition. There were many other volunteers with a lot of wildland firefighting and rx burning experience, but he was the only one donning inhalation ppe. We were all working and patrolling in heavy smoke. We all had other ppe. His actions made me wonder.

[oldnew_guy]

My first volunteer rx burn was at a Berkeley forest station. One of the directors was the burn boss. He donned a respirator mask before ignition. There were many other volunteers with a lot of wildland firefighting and rx burning experience, but he was the only one donning inhalation ppe. We were all working and patrolling in heavy smoke. We all had other ppe. His actions made me wonder.

It's almost impossible to perform at the level a WFF is performing at on the fireline and wear a respirator. Maybe while doing certain non-strenuous work. Maybe holding a road or something.

It's obvious they should be wearing one from an exposure standpoint, but there is no practical way to do it.

Even mop up you are working a tool, walking up and down steep slopes, etc.

They already know if causes increased cancer incidence: https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/61522

WFF Exposure study: https://www.fs.usda.gov/t-d/pubs/pdf...1803dpi100.pdf

[bodywhomper]

I was sharing an observation.

I’ve read that U of Montana has been working on some sort of ppe for wildland firefighters for smoke for a while but has not moved forward with getting things approved for use.

[LongShortLong]

There's powered respirators. And that means there's probably a business in integrating those into the other fire PPE so that it all works together. In theory, the powered respirator could move enough air to provide both slight positive pressure and some face cooling, and thus improve work performance.

[Norseman]

got smoked out here for a couple days in w.wa but now back to marine fresh norm. looks like a reach-around smoke will spin back with the low for a bit.

dramatic sat imagery with tropical storm remnants and smoke

[TBS]

WFF Exposure study: https://www.fs.usda.gov/t-d/pubs/pdf...1803dpi100.pdf

Thanks for this.
The recommendation to minimize mop up ops sort of surprised me until I re-read and noticed that silica exposure was a concern as well. The study talked about exposure from road dust, but IIRC from my wood chemistry classes a gazillion years ago, there’s a shitload of silica in softwood ash.

Here’s a photo of mop up on Bedrock fire.


Two things jumped out at me
1. The amount of ash
2. The amount of unburned vegetation. Looks in need of a thinning even after this fire. Must have been an overgrown mess prior.

[oldnew_guy]

There's powered respirators. And that means there's probably a business in integrating those into the other fire PPE so that it all works together. In theory, the powered respirator could move enough air to provide both slight positive pressure and some face cooling, and thus improve work performance.

From 2007:

https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/e...07511301hi.pdf

TLDR: weight, exposure to non-filter particles and gases, access to hygiene (need to shave to wear a respirator), cost are al issues with respirators and they impact work output.


Maybe the future:



https://www.dhs.gov/science-and-tech...ter-respirator

[LongShortLong]

https://www.dhs.gov/science-and-tech...ter-respirator

Yeah, like that! Dang someone stole my idea. And Hooray, someone's already working on this!