Wild Fires

[mite5255]

I see on the news there is a few wild fires around California, Oregon and Washington State, I hope any members that we have in any of those areas are staying safe

[dallen]

Harry's in southern California I don't think there are any in his area.

Frank is in Washington not sure where, but he hasn't said anything about one being close to him.

don't know about any others.

[Jammer]

Frank might be close, he's just north of the Oregon boarder east of Portland.

[dallen]

pretty sure that it there was a fire in the area he would say something, at least say he didn't cause it while melting aluminum for a pour.

that's been the one good thing about all the rain that we've gotten this year is the grass is harder to set on fire. Not saying it can't be just that I haven't as of yet this year, I've had a couple of years that got pretty dicey specially with trying to knock C/I slag off of skimmers.

[F.C.]

I didn't say nuth'n 'cause I hate to raise any panic and have everyone chime'n in voicing concern. I'm an OPTOMISTIC with regard to life, especially when my own is concerned. YES, the Cougar Creek fire (one of the biggest) is VERY NEAR and as of Saturday has breached its containment and moving toward us again. The wife and I went camping close to the Oregon Coast and even there you couldn't appreciate the scenery due to the intense smoke EVERYWHERE. Burn Bans are all across both states at the present. Couldn't even use charcoal briquettes (although we did and just played dumb). We told them we thought it meant having a wood fire. Got, at least, the first night's meal and next morning's breakfast cooked. Spent last night swill'n beer, wine, alcohol, and eat'n chips and crackers. Packed up this morning and headed back home stop'n off at a Denny's Restaurant for a good hot meal. The smoke was even worse the entire way back home. By the time we pulled into our driveway we got the news that the fire got more outta hand and is now surfaced in an area very near here called Rim Rock... I'm talk'n a VERY short distance from us. Fortunately they got it stabilized and very near OUT. Pray'n the lack of breeze stays as is and it'll completely die out and give the firefighters ability to squash it's advance. Heard on the news, too, that there are some Ausie volunteers head'n here to combat the fires. My heartfelt gratitude and appreciation goes out to our mates from down under. If I see any in this area take'n a break I'll be sure to give'em all a hearty meal and a couple cold pints.

What's concerned me the most of late is that the town of Glenwood (a little dinky inhabitance) has been on alert to be ready to evacuate. Tonight's news informs us they've been given the vacate order. If it hit Glenwood, the next good breeze to kick up will head it straight at us. Pray'n for a NE breeze... that'll push it around to our North, then on to Bickelton (another teeny suburb). This whole area has been dry as a popcorn fart for several months. So much as a cigar ash drop in any vegetation it'll cause it to light up like it was doused with friction powder. There are decades of dried pine needles nearly a foot thick all over this area. When that shit lights up it's like gasoline take'n off. To date, most of the fires that reach into the pine forests goes so rapidly that the trees literally EXPLODE from the intensity of the heat causing burning embers to rise up with the flames, smoke and heat and are carried ahead with the winds to ignite more woods on fire. Those fuck'n fires are roaring at speeds close to a mile an hour when the winds flare up, make'n it near impossible to restrict it even with repetitive air dumps of retardant and millions of gallons of water dumped by aircraft.

Tomorrow I'm call'n up some tree cutting services to see about costs on drop'n about fifteen ancient pine trees around my shop and home in hopes to create a fire break. May also see if I can find someone to loan me a farming furrow I can modify a hitch for and use my ATV to till under all the dry grass and low brush a full acre around my home and shop. Somehow I'm of the opinion whomever might be willing to help may do it with intent to rape me, financially, seeing how this community's been near bankrupt for many decades. I still have to investigate and see what options I have. Like I said, if it overtakes Glenwood, and a typical wind kicks off (which is generally 35 mph gusts) (plus this fire's been creating it's own weather due its intensity, lately) it's gonna look pretty grim for our property cause we have the greatest amount of pine forest in this immediate area. The only thing that'll save us is a NE wind that'll push it around us and hopefully the weather it creates, on its own, don't cause it circle back or throw such massive amounts of embers in the air to cause it to land in our midst causing total devastation.

Suffice to say it's pretty much in God's hands at the moment how this will pan itself out. I'm committed, though, to try hard to stay optimistic.

[mite5255]

Stay safe Frank... Every year there is volunteer fire fighters that travel from Australia to the USA and Canada for your fire season, then we have volunteers from the USA and Canada come out here for our fire season , its called watching each others backs and I wish there was more of it. I would think that fire fighters are a special breed and they know what others around the world are going through so they pitch in and help when they can

Where my Daughter and son in-law work they have three choppers on the USA east coast and one somewhere in Canada, if you happen to see one of these choppers in this web site on the ground just wonder over if you can and say hi, http://www.mcdermottaviation.com.au/

[dallen]

like Mike said stay safe and out of the fire.

[Jammer]

Don't work too hard Frank, be safe and do what you can. Prayers for you and everyone in the line of fires.

[F.C.]

Wind gusts of 35 mph have kicked up again... blow'n NE as I hoped which is a good thing. Smoke is thick in the neighborhood and throughout this entire region at present, like a thick blue'ish fog rolling through. They're predicting rain showers by this weekend (mostly in the Portland area which is closer to the coast). Scary part of that is it generally brings with it more dry lightening strikes which could spark off even more fires to contend with. That lightening generally rolls ahead of the low pressure move'n in and when they say "showers" it's never enough to really effect any wet-down of the terrain behind it. I know that doesn't sound very optimistic but it is what it is and all we can do is hope and pray the wind gusts continue on the Northern track to keep the fire contained behind the Simco hills which stands as a barrier between us and the fire. The good part of that is that the hills are all part of 600K acres of commercial forest land which has numerous logging roads already punched in throughout the area which would make it more accessible for the fire crews to do their work.

What's gotten the fire, thus far, so far out of hand is that it's mostly contained on the Yakima Indian reservation land. This is another area of over 700K acres but solely raw land with no road access and the Indians "will not" allow the government to disturb it bull dozing in road assesses to fight it so all we can do is watch it burn and pray it continues in a northerly manner which may allow it to circle around our area and spare all of us who inhabit this location. I swear, the Indians are being royal pricks about all this, especially when you consider they've recently "demanded" the government to step up their efforts to limit the fire's progress into their lands (as if we were at fault for starting the damn fires, yet knowing full well it was lightening strikes that did it all). The government, though, will only allow their efforts to protect homes and commercial properties this side of the boundary (fuck the Indians) and limit fighting the Indian's raw land with added air drops of water and retardant... but private and commercial properties take priority. I've heard talk on the news the Indians are already petitioning the government for relief funds for the loss of their timber resources even though them fucktards don't do any logging and never have. Kinda gives one the impression the Indians would just as soon prefer all us Whites get burned out. You dont' and WON'T see the Indians fighting these fires around these parts. Not so in Alaska where the bulk of the fire fighting forces are from villages all over the State. They believe in protecting the land regardless who's property it belongs to. And the Alaskan natives are tireless compared to the bulk of the white population that volunteers to assist.

Gonna be an interesting week ahead... will keep y'all posted.

F.C.

[dallen]

freaking stupid of them to not try to protect their forest even if they don't do management harvesting of the trees to manage it.