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

Now we have the river fire. Going to be tough one burning in a populated area near Colfax. The dixie fire continues to rage out of control. Might be a good thing for Smoke to be ready though it will have to burn through the moonlight fire burn to reach Susanville. Hard to believe its only the beginning of August :(

The river fire looks pretty ugly on the jonesridge cam.
 
Julie's knee rehab therapy was this afternoon. On the way home we stopped at the orchard on Union Ridge for peaches and apples. I stopped in my tracks exiting the car. The column from the River Fire was new and scary. No one at the orchard had noticed it yet. I guessed I-80 corridor above Auburn.

As Craig says, it is just the beginning of August.
 
I was at work in Grass Valley, but my view is west and north, so I didn't notice anything until 4:15pm when I looked out the front, south-facing window. Callie was with me today and heard me exclaim an expletive. She's just turned nine and still comes to work most days with me.

I sent text to my crew on a job off Hwy 174 in Peardale, near the source of the fire. They had been monitoring the fire and were packing up their work trucks and the owner was packing to leave. I got confirmation they had left.



Time to leave work! The Tundra is now my daily driver, again. The Hawk is at home on the Big Truck.



This was taken at 423pm from our hospital, overlooking Hwy 49 looking south.



The fire went from 10 acres to 100 acres, then 500 acres and finally 1400 acres. They reported plumes of flame up to sixty feet. It was breezy as I locked up at work.

SR left work after checking with her coworker and commissioner who both live nearby the Bear River, off Hwy 49. Accidents had Hwy 49 stopped to a stand still. Later tonight, scofflaws are driving thru barricades..

We both went through some evacuation checklists while large chunks of ash-fall landed on our decks, cars and garden. There were 1-2" chunks of charred leaves from oaks and bayleaf falling with the general white ash, but nothing hot, thank goodness. I tanked up the Hawk with fresh water.


Bombers were running from the Grass Valley Air Attack Base until 745pm. We can watch them as they
prepare their last turn before landing from our deck. Tonight they are running dozers and hand crews to establish a fire line in very steep terrain. It's calmed down and temps are dropping. God bless our firefighters.
 
Red Flag Warning
URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Boise ID
234 PM MDT Wed Aug 4 2021

...LOW HUMIDITY AND GUSTY WIND EXPECTED ACROSS EXTREME
SOUTHEASTERN OREGON ON THURSDAY...

...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS REMAINING AREAS OF EASTERN
OREGON AND IDAHO MOUNTAINS ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

.The incoming trough remains generally on track to impact the area
on Thursday and Thursday evening. Areas of southeastern Oregon can
expect a critical combination of gusty winds and low humidity
during the afternoon. Meanwhile, scattered thunderstorms will be
possible across the remainder of the warned area. Gusty winds of
40 to 50 mph could be possible with any storm development on
Thursday.

ORZ646-052200-
/O.UPG.KBOI.FW.A.0007.210805T1800Z-210806T0600Z/
/O.NEW.KBOI.FW.W.0011.210805T1800Z-210806T0600Z/
Baker Valley-
134 PM PDT Wed Aug 4 2021

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 11 PM PDT THURSDAY
FOR...LIGHTNING FOR BAKER VALLEY...WHICH IS FIRE WEATHER ZONE
646...

The National Weather Service in Boise has issued a Red Flag
Warning, which is in effect from 11 AM to 11 PM PDT Thursday. The
Fire Weather Watch is no longer in effect.

* THUNDERSTORMS...Scattered thunderstorms expected for the across
the area for Thursday afternoon and evening. Storms could
produce brief periods of heavy rain, abundant lightning, and
gusty and erratic winds.

* OUTFLOW WINDS...Thunderstorms may produce outflow winds of 40 to
50 mph.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions
are either occurring now, or will occur shortly.
 
Lighthawk said:
We both went through some evacuation checklists while large chunks of ash-fall landed on our decks, cars and garden. There were 1-2" chunks of charred leaves from oaks and bayleaf falling with the general white ash, but nothing hot, thank goodness. I tanked up the Hawk with fresh water.
Click to expand...
I experienced that last year during the Slink fire - both ash and burnt sagebrush twigs made a real strange sound falling through the trees. And then the Mountain View fire. My camper and go-bags have been packed since May and the wind puts us on high alert (AKA PTSD)

I don't want to insult you by saying "be careful" or anything else inane so I won't. I'll just be here worrying. I used to live in Yuba County - still have some good friends in the area.
 
Sky is red, smoky and unhealthy -just like last year and very dark out and my house lights are on. Red Flag condition s and 40 mph winds driving fire real fast- latest update on Dixie Fire according to local radio station at 200pm. Last fire engines pulled out of western end of Chester along with last diehard residents' . Silver Lake area, Lassen NP evacuated Westwood and Clear Creek and mountain meadows Res. area evacuated and a new north end fire command will be relocated at the Susanville Fairgrounds and they request that we keep off HW 36 as evacuees and fire personnel come here. New evac centers opened at local High School and expanded at the Lassen College. I went down to store around noon, roads packed with cars, campers, fire equipment. Again sounds like last year with fire fighters getting ready to make a stand to the west of here and no where to go, but charging camper in case we lose power again or I decide to head our but right now with all the fire folks here in Susanviille this could be the safest place around for now-. yep another interesting year and it is only August! Until next update!

Smoke
 
Smokecreek1 said:
Sky is red, smoky and unhealthy -just like last year and very dark out and my house lights are on. Red Flag condition s and 40 mph winds driving fire real fast- latest update on Dixie Fire according to local radio station at 200pm. Last fire engines pulled out of western end of Chester along with last diehard residents' . Silver Lake area, Lassen NP evacuated Westwood and Clear Creek and mountain meadows Res. area evacuated and a new north end fire command will be relocated at the Susanville Fairgrounds and they request that we keep off HW 36 as evacuees and fire personnel come here. New evac centers opened at local High School and expanded at the Lassen College. I went down to store around noon, roads packed with cars, campers, fire equipment. Again sounds like last year with fire fighters getting ready to make a stand to the west of here and no where to go, but charging camper in case we lose power again or I decide to head our but right now with all the fire folks here in Susanviille this could be the safest place around for now-. yep another interesting year and it is only August! Until next update!

Smoke
Click to expand...
Glad I canceled our reservations next week for Lassen.
Actually canceled the whole trip up the coast to Vernonia,Or west of Portland.

Between Covid and possible smoke from fires it was the smart move for us.

Smoke stay safe and ready to move out.

Frank
 
The sun is setting after several hours of thunderstorm over the Elk Horn Mts. I’m saying my prayers that I’m smelling soggy sagebrush and not wildfire smoke. Hopefully everyone here in the West is safe and sound.

gallery_4841_711_2049596.jpeg
 
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