And So They Continue........................Fires

Smokecreek1 said:
Camper still loaded and ready to go, so anyone ready to run over to the Monitor Range/Austin area next week if the smoke has cleared a tad-give a pm.
Enough talk--back to the tv :rolleyes:!

Smoke
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Smoke- Don’t forget the PurpleAir website where you may be able to see air quality near your trip destination.
 
This isn't about fires per-say but sorta related.
In Yellowstone due to high water temps and low flow
fishing in all rivers/creeks only allowed from sunrise to 2PM.

Seems the water temp is around 68* and very stressful for the native fish.

Drought has many effects other then fires.

Not a good time in the west.
Frank
 
fuzzymarindave said:
Smoke- Don’t forget the PurpleAir website where you may be able to see air quality near your trip destination.
Click to expand...
There are big holes in Nevada where there is no monitor stations, so it always looks great in central Nevada :)

NDOT has traffic cameras one can get a view across Nevada. https://nvroads.com/
 
Evacuations for the Topaz Ranch Estates and Topaz Lake are lifted as of 2 p.m. on Sunday. Residents are allowed to return to their homes, according to Douglas County officials in a news release. Non-mandatory evacuations remain in place for the Holbrook Junction/Highlands area and Spring Valley areas.
Earlier, Lyon County announced that it has rescinded its warning to evacuate in the Smith Valley area.


Good news, the winds have died down and they are able to make some progress on the Tamarac fire. We are between the Tamarac and Dixie fires and that is bringing us smoke from both fires. Our current PM2.5 value is 286 - Very Unhealthy at 3 pm.
 
Still not fire related, Oregon has implemented the same fishing restrictions for a lot of the state. Here they call it “Hoot Owl” restrictions. They have also flat out recommended curtailing ones targeting trout and such, and focus on bass and warm water game fish. As of this posting the various info and media outlets are still waiting for comment from the bass, crappie, and perch committees, also known as the Lilly Pad and Log Party.

To get us back to the original topic:

https://www.nifc.gov/nicc/sitreprt.pdf
 
Mandatory evacuations for Taylorsville and Genesee Valley. Can't go much further without running into one of the burns thats ravaged that area in the past couple year.
 
The Tamarack is close to 60% containment and fire activity is down as a result of moisture moving into the area. We drove north through Walker around 9:00 am on Monday shortly after 395 was reopened. We entered the burn on the north edge of Topaz - ringed with multiple lines of retardant drops. Most of the homes on the west side of Holbrook Junction were saved by retardant lines along the edge of the mountains. We saw - from the highway - only one or two structures lost. The power line along the west side of 395 was devastated. A massive effort with incredible numbers of crews and pole trucks were staging and getting to work out on the still smoldering terrain. A lot of out of area crews are making money.
 
teledork said:
Hey Ski - do you ever think of moving? I was at a friend's house the other night. Retired Battalion Chief, Los Padres NF. He saved his house in the Mountain View fire. 10 hours. Just him and a shovel. We are getting sick of it but where to go? ( where can we afford) We were discussing. Tornados would be a firm no.
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Teledork, please forgive my tardiness as we were away for a few days.

Do we ever think of moving? Probably everyday. First off, it's just fun to dream. But, more critical, it's important to face the reality of living here. It is inevitable that everything will burn here. It is deep - all the way to your bones - frightening to realize what a death trap this area is poised to be.

Our home lot is as cleared and safe as we can make it. We have a fire hydrant 35 feet from where I sit. It is our neighbors that will take most everything we own and possibly kill us. Neighbors below us live in thickets of fuel and have failed their CalFire inspections. They do nothing. Below us is a large forested subdivision - once private timberland now dense second or third growth - quarter acre lots with intertwining "greenbelts". For the over 30 years we've lived here the infighting among the residents have stopped any moves toward making it fire safe. They still squabble. The smart ones are selling. Home prices are booming and homes sell within days. Do the new buyers even investigate the cost of fire insurance? Ours has gone up 350% in the last three years.

The county's not much better. They try. We live just off the major county road here. It will be THE evacuation route. It needs massive clearing on both sides. The canopy over the road is scary. We have only a half mile to the big highway. It is scary to think of the hundreds who could die in their cars in the chaos of being overrun with fire. Our local USFS National Forest is doing a better job of turning major forest roads into possible fuel breaks. The private owners and the county are not.

Do we ever think of moving? Yes.
 
Every time I pass Pollock Pines and Placerville I wonder when, not if, those communities will burn. I see the same things Ski does. Scary is right.

Good to see the Tamarack fire seems to be, mostly under control. Still crossing my fingers the Dixie fire doesn't go any further east. One thing about watching this fire is I've realized how little I know about the country on the West end of the fire. I've been meaning to explore the Highland country but haven't gotten around to it. I guess I'll put that off another year.
 
For the 30 years we had our cabin in Dorrington we would be asked by friends that question.
Now we didn't live there full time.My answer is that the place is insured and other than that
I just kept the lot as safe as possible

I think one thing in it's favor is that the Ebbetts Pass FD is VERY strict.At least yearly inspections
and noncompliance would get you a big quick ticket for each issue.

Cal Fire there doesn't mess around. Since 1984 until we sold in 2014 we were very fortunate
to not have any major fires.But that still leaves the problem,if there's a fire up or down the hill only
one way out.

Frank
 
ski3pin said:
We drove north through Walker around 9:00 am on Monday shortly after 395 was reopened. <snip>The power line along the west side of 395 was devastated.
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I was headed into Gardnerville for groceries and an oil change - was probably just ahead of you going north.

And we are still waiting to hear what is happening with the multiple generators set up on the N end of Walker. We were supposed to be hooked up last night or this morning but it didn't happen. When it heats up again and if they do not have this auxiliary power and everybody starts to crank up their AC we will not have enough juice. Another line comes in from Wellington, NV but we are dependent on that line that burned.
 
ski3pin said:
Teledork, please forgive my tardiness as we were away for a few days.
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I don't think you need to apologize for being out somewhere.

I fell into a complacency about fire here on the edge of the desert after I moved from the Sierra foothills, elevation 1500. That place burned less than a year after we moved. But especially after two fires last "season" I hear you about the all the way to the bones fear. And I don't feel I am in as much danger as those of you who live in the middle elevation forests - which is why I asked you.

I also do not have the evacuation fears that the middle elevation - or God forbid the Tahoe basin - could engender. But I also had the good fortune to be upwind of the Mountain View fire last November.

Your neighborhood sounds scary, Ski.
 
I wonder about the people who don't clear their property. Do they think the fire departments aren't serious when they say they won't protect uncleared properties? I really suspect its more of "it won't happen to me" kind of thinking.
 
We live among a bunch of little children in the school yard screaming, "You can't tell me what to do! You can't make me!"

They will do nothing to help themselves or others.
 
Dixie fire has broken containment in two spots. One threatening Greenville, another to the West.
 
Yep, and Susanville is right in the path of the smoke a good part of the time. Around 4pm every day the ashes start to fall and the smoke clouds begin to form in the west, the sun if it is not covered by the usual overcast, turns red, and I button up the house, turn on my air purifier and get ready for some more of that unhealthy air! 97 degrees, our there now and unlike allot of folks out here in the west at least I have a house to go hide in! Last night had real light show with clouds turning red with a nice black background too. Every ones phone around here connected to the local sheriff's dept so you can get all the evac alerts and last night it rang allot with what was going on over in the Greenville area. My truck loaded and "Go bag" all packed and ready to go. That fire will not just lay down and the winds just gets it going faster. Any way I will not worry until they evacuate Westwood. Another day in the new west!

Smoke
 
Pays to be prepared. Chester is evacuating again. Just the other day they went back to a warning. I'm really surprised the fire hasn't come off Mount Hough and into Taylorsville. Impressive view from the Indian Ridge cam.
 
Julie and I drove over Monitor Pass from Antelope Valley yesterday (Tuesday August 4th) and through Markleeville to Woodfords. Downtown Markleeville was so lucky. The Tamarack Fire was right to edges. A helicopter LZ is still established on Monitor Pass. The homes, small communities, structures along 89 north of Markleeville were also incredibly lucky. Massive amount of electric line and pole repair is on going. All trees within the power line corridor are felled. I expect along the highways will be next. In the Carson Canyon the fire came down to 88. In many areas the fire went through very fast. Toasted needles are still on the pines.
 
I read where the Dixie fire has destroyed the "ghost town"Rich Bar along the Feather river.
Isn't that the one posted a few years back for sale on our site?

It's all gone.What a loss.
Frank
 
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