Wildfires, aka "forest fires", 2013

MarkBC

MarkBC

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Looking at my favorite visible satellite view of the West today, I noticed a huge area of smokiness in SW Oregon and NW California, mostly from the Douglas Complex fire, located NNW of Grants Pass, Oregon. (there are several other smaller fires within that circle, too)

VIS1EKA_20130805-1.gif


I've been hearing about this fire and its affect on air/breathing quality in SW OR for a few days, but this is the first time I noticed it visually. :(

I always say "The West is best!"...but I guess the widespread forest fires out here every summer are one aspect of the West that isn't quite "best".
 
I wholeheartedly agree that for certain styles of outdoor travel and recreation, the "West is the best". Fire season adds another layer of complexity to travel planning. For that reason, and given that I must dedicate a full week to simply getting to and home from MT, ID, and WY, I always have a roughed-in "Plan B and Plan C" in the event of forest fire closures.

In late July 2000, we departed Rock Creek, MT for Missoula, turned in our (badly thrashed) Dodge Durango, and flew home. Two days later all of Rock Creek and much of the Lolo NF and Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF was closed to all camping and recreational use due to an extreme outbreak of fires. Had we been headed IN for our trip then, all of our plans would have had to change. By the way, we had NOTHING to do with the fires. Dry lightning storms had passed over a wide area during our final night at the Stony Creek cabin, and as we drove the final 35 miles out of the Canyon to I-90, we saw several smoke plumes along the ridges, choppers dipping water out of Rock Creek, and an army of firefighters headed up the canyon.

In that part of the West, there is a "sweet spot" roughly mid-June to mid- late July, when the rivers and streams have fallen back below peak runoff stage (so are more likely fordable and fishable) and before the annual fire problems are so widespread.

Foy
 
We had a couple days of breathing Oregon smoke until the winds shifted. I did a quick overnighter last weekend up to the ENF. I saw a smoke plume from highway 50. Got on the 2 meter and heard it just happened to be right where I was going. Fortunately it turned out to be only 15 acres and a bit south of where I was going. I did get to see a helicopter dipping into Jenkinson Res on the way in. We've been lucky here with no big fires yet.
 
Well, I just came back from a quick stop at Soup Springs CG on the Modoc( running from the heat, smoke and winds) :oops: , it was smoke all the way up and back on 395 and windy, hot and unconfortable everywhere :oops: ---and I forgot my camera so I couldn't record camping in the Red Flag zone :eek: ! Soup Springs is a horse camp and starting point for both backpacking and horse riding in the South Warners Wilderness area. I was surprised that it was not a bad place-I was the only camper for the last week and stayed on the side away from the corrals and those folks were okay--campers one side, horse people on the other. The camp is at 6700' in the lodgepole and aspens and is a good location if you want to back pack in and fish. I was originally heading up to Cave Lake (fishing was supposed to be great there) in the northern Warners, but I ran by the CG's in the South Warners just to check them out & found no one at Soup Springs so stayed, the horse folks arrived later with lot's of beer!. Planned to leave yesterday for the Cave Lake then over toward the Steens, then south, but my dog "Bob" got into something (dead rat??), got sick and crapped all over the inside of the FWC :mad: one midnight-(glad no camara ).Bob doesn't do those things and actually seemed embarassed by it all-I had to keep cleaning him up-his long hair no help, and yestertday he got better and ready to play, but boy, I couldn't get the FWC cleaned out so I'm home again to clean it up-in the smoke, wind and heat! Hope to leave soon again-with camera, but despite the bad weather it was not that bad at Soup Springs CG! Last night up there had lot's of thunder and lightning, and some rain-another reason to come home!

Smoke and Bob :D !
 
I was on top of Steens Mtn (9700') over the weekend and the views in all directions were a little hazy but not too bad overall. Could be worse by now but seems like the winds are kicking up a bit which is not good for the fires....
I remember one trip in the late 80's when the view from Steens summit was like being in a fog bank, could not even see the Alvord Desert, a mere 5000' below.
 
It's like the end of the world here-dark skys, lot's of wind, hot, a trace of smoke smell in the air-some thunder rumblings and lightning here and there, yep, a threat of rain, must be fire season again :unsure: ! But where to go? I was thinking of meeting a buddy out near Austin early next week, but the red flag warnings are still about, so anyone have any ideas :giggle: of where it's safe to run with out fighting fire----shark week will be over so got to find a place go with my clean and nice smelling FWC camper :D !!!

Smoke
 
Wondering the same thing Smoke. Three days off and thunderstorms in the forecast. Makes me glad I have good shelter. I think I'll make up my mind once I hit the road.
 
You guys out there in the west have my sympathy. No fire danger around these parts, everything is nice and green. But we do have bugs to contend with- not the same as fire, I know.
 
TONS of smoke and in some places ash in the Reno/Tahoe/Carson area from the Rim fire. Currently at approximately 100K acres and 1% containment, it was at ~14k acres yesterday morning...
 
LT Traveler said:
...and in some places ash in the Reno/Tahoe/Carson area from the Rim fire...
Click to expand...
Wow -- being in ashfall really is bad :eek: (short of being on the fireline).
I've only experienced that at my house a couple/few times, in almost 30 years here living next to dry fire-prone forests.
(that's not counting the "ash" we received from Mt. St. Helens...that's different)
 
LT Traveler said:
TONS of smoke and in some places ash in the Reno/Tahoe/Carson area from the Rim fire. Currently at approximately 100K acres and 1% containment, it was at ~14k acres yesterday morning...
Click to expand...
Rim Fire: From the satellite view, smoke looks bad over a large area, spreading into Nevada:

VIS1RNO_20130823-1.jpg


:(

The plume of the American Fire can be seen west of Tahoe.
 
We were camping a couple nights,beginning of the week at Union Res off hwy 4,saw some low smoke to the west but non at camp. Returning to out cabin in Dorrington we had smoke (that's about 60 miles north from the fire) and decided to head home instead of spending a couple nights with the smoke.
Most of the way to Merced we were out of the smoke but got a good view of the fire to our east.
This one looks like it's going to burn for some time.There are lots of big homes right near the main fire area.
This is a bad fire year.Hope everyone who lives in forest area is safe.
Frank
 
I see this stuff and I wish I was back on the fire line. Not for long though, its young mans game. Nothing like having a tanker drop phos chek on ya to know you're in thick of things.
 
craig333 said:
I see this stuff and I wish I was back on the fire line. Not for long though, its young mans game. Nothing like having a tanker drop phos chek on ya to know you're in thick of things.
Click to expand...
Just a heads up. Craig,hope you make it up hwy 4.Friends in Dorrington said the smoke is getting to them.
Enjoy your trip.
Frank
 
Wow -- look at this morning smoke plume -- stretching from California to Montana:

VIS4_20130824-1b.jpg


A plume from several fires...it seems to start from the Rim fire, but when it reaches southern Idaho it's definitely added to by the Elk, Pony, and Beaver Creek complex fires...and others. Or maybe a lot of it is from southern ID, spreading south into NV...? (InciWeb)
I call it a "morning smoke plume" because, as a frequent follower of my favorite satellite view, I've noticed how more-visible wildfire smoke plumes become in the early morning. I think it's because, overnight, winds die down and so the smoke is less-dispersed and so less-diluted and so more-visible, generally spreading and settling into basins. Less-dispersed, but even the light winds of night time disperse it a long way.
 
That rim fire is amazing in its rate of spread. Its probably hopeless to think I'll be able to avoid smoke.
 
Actually Dorrington should be ok. It is veering off to the east. I am in Twain Harte and work in Chinese Camp. Everyday I get a great side view of the fire, clear as a bell, and then have to climb up into the smoke. They closed all the ranger district up the 108 corredor, but I haven't heard anything about Hwy 4. Guess I will be doing some preliminary packing today since they keep moving the evacuation warnings closer and closer.
 
Bseek said:
Actually Dorrington should be ok. It is veering off to the east. I am in Twain Harte and work in Chinese Camp. Everyday I get a great side view of the fire, clear as a bell, and then have to climb up into the smoke. They closed all the ranger district up the 108 corredor, but I haven't heard anything about Hwy 4. Guess I will be doing some preliminary packing today since they keep moving the evacuation warnings closer and closer.
Click to expand...
Hope you and Twain Harte fare well. Stay safe.
 
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