Columbia Helicopter's Chinook Is In Our Area

[slowp]

Yup. We have a little fire up in the higher country that has half a dozen smoke jumpers on it. Since current temp is 102 with 20% humidity (low for here) and there may be winds coming up, Columbia arrived with their Chinook.
I saw them fly out with a bucket while I was driving home.

We are having a record setting heat wave, and logging is now in full hootowl.
No yarding using blocks, no chainsaw falling in yarder units, skidders have to shut down at 1 PM as well as everything else.

 

[oregoncutter]

same here it's ugly

We hit 108 yesterday, 106 tuesday, and 104 monday with around 16% humidity and a decent wind. Last day I worked was Monday, shut us down til further notice cutting. Have one 400 acre fire going about 20 miles from home. Some of those columbia pilots are insane, we had on barely clear our skyline years ago the riggin crew about $hit themselves, then to top it off when he came back up the canyon he buzzed our lines again, I''ll say this they got balls.

 

[Rookie1]

Slowp I have to ask what is Columbia? Remember some of us lead sheltered lives back here on the east side of the country.

 

[stihlloggin]

Hey slowp, The last i heard we were still on 1:00 shut down on cuttin. Do you know if the hoot owl is state wide or not.

 

[deeker]

The Columbia Chinook that slowp referred to is a model, of the Chinook.

 

[slowp]

Columbia is a very large, maybe the largest? Helicopter company based in Portland, Oregon. They do logging, fire stuff, heavy lifting and even have contracted with the govt. to deliver food and supplies to starving folks in Chad? Somewhere in Africa. They make a lot of their money during fire season.

I don't know who else is in hootowl. It isn't done statewide, it is done by regions. We are 659 South. The state and private lands are in a logging shutdown. The DNR has a website and the Forest Service here has a phone number, which was not updated this morning.

Right now I'm hearing some thunder boomers. I'm sitting in front of a fan in an 87 degree house. Still cooler than outside. Maybe I'll get an air conditioner next year!

 

[slowp]

Here's the DNR website and map.
http://fortress.wa.gov/dnr/ifpl/IFPL.aspx

 

[Rookie1]

Thanks for the answer Slowp. Sounds like a interesting company.

 

[2dogs]

In Collyfornia the high fire danger condition days are called Red Flag days.

The boss, if he is still my boss, has the yarder working with a crew that does not include me. I don't know if I'm fired or replaced but I guess I no longer have a job with him. I like the work but not the lack of communications.

 

[380LGR]

Man if I could only give you guys some of this f&%*#@g rain we got here its bad bad bad!!!!! I swear it only stops for about 10 hrs,that would be the only dry spell we have had for about 6 weeks....

 

[Greystoke]

Columbia

Slowp I have to ask what is Columbia? Remember some of us lead sheltered lives back here on the east side of the country.

Here is Columbiahttp://www.colheli.com/colheli.htmlThey are a Big outfit! I fell timber for them for about 7 years...a lot of traveling...good outfit to work for if you can handle being a gypsy...tough to have a family, which is why i quit. Their helicopters are awesome, and when it comes to maintenance, they are top notch. I miss all the people that I used to work with for Columbia

 

[hammerlogging]

The boss, if he is still my boss, has the yarder working with a crew that does not include me. I don't know if I'm fired or replaced but I guess I no longer have a job with him. I like the work but not the lack of communications.

Bummer. Or, PITA. Hope it works out.

 

[slowp]

Man if I could only give you guys some of this f&%*#@g rain we got here its bad bad bad!!!!! I swear it only stops for about 10 hrs,that would be the only dry spell we have had for about 6 weeks....

We are built more for that than this heat. Just saw where Seattle is worried about a bridge expanding, a couple sidewalks have buckled, and only12% of the population has airconditioning. I only have in in my car and pickups. Cranky and Whiney, that's what we are.

I have to go up and look at landing locations. And I don't feel like eating anything. Maybe I'll shrink.

Back on the topic, we got more thunder yesterday, and I will see if there's a city in the hayfield. That's where the Chinook is based.

 

[Ironbark]

Man if I could only give you guys some of this f&%*#@g rain we got here its bad bad bad!!!!! I swear it only stops for about 10 hrs,that would be the only dry spell we have had for about 6 weeks....

Same here 3000 miles east in England. The jet stream has got stuck over us like last year and it's cool, wet and windy. Looking out of the window right now it's as black as the ace of spades. Still my lawn is looking very very nice, but I have to cut it every other day

Hope your weather doesn't affect your wild berry harvest this year Slowp.

 

[slowp]

As I drove down the hill, there was quite a bit of smoke to be seen. Not the hot white stuff, but brown. Then I saw the Payson (AZ) hotshots had been eating at the cafe, so looks like we have berry habitat in the making. We're supposed to cool down a bit as of tomorrow and I can't wait. I wonder if the fire t-shirts are already made?

 

[HS Climber]

We are getting alot of smoke here in astoria from that fire. with that north northwest wind.

You can barely see the washington side from here in Orygon.

 

[Hddnis]

We went from rain and cool, wearing a swearshirt till mid-afternoon, kind of weather to this freaking record breaking heat. Temp at the house hit 108 in the shade. Inside was a cool feeling 95. I fixed the A/C yesterday, that kept it a nice 80 inside in the afternoon.



Mr. HE

 

[AZLOGGER]

Here is Columbiahttp://www.colheli.com/colheli.htmlThey are a Big outfit! I fell timber for them for about 7 years...a lot of traveling...good outfit to work for if you can handle being a gypsy...tough to have a family, which is why i quit. Their helicopters are awesome, and when it comes to maintenance, they are top notch. I miss all the people that I used to work with for Columbia

:agree2:

I worked for them also, as a shovel operator, sorting & decking logs, & loading log trucks. One day I loaded 87 loads of logs, no breaks or a lunch break that day. I enjoyed working for them, and my co-workers were a productive but fun bunch to be around.

 

[AZLOGGER]

As I drove down the hill, there was quite a bit of smoke to be seen. Not the hot white stuff, but brown. Then I saw the Payson (AZ) hotshots had been eating at the cafe, so looks like we have berry habitat in the making. We're supposed to cool down a bit as of tomorrow and I can't wait. I wonder if the fire t-shirts are already made?

slowp;
You guys take care of my hotshot crews up there, I supply 4 hotshot crews from here around the Globe area, 2 of them are out on the San Carlos reservation cutting 8 miles of handline on a fire that was supposedly under control last Friday, but blew out Monday with the 40mph wind gusts we had.

 

[slowp]

Maybe I should put on my old Heber Hotshot t-shirt and stroll around.

Nope I've not been a hot shot, but they gave us the t-shirts for filling in for them on the Special Olympics Torch Ride--it got bicycled across the Mogollon Rim.

I was a Randle Mop Shot though...:biggrinbounce2:

Here's how the fire looked at 10AM. There were 20 some fires going. At 10 the Langille Fire was 50 acres and spotting ahead a bit. The lookout/ incident commander was saying it was going to be an interesting afternoon. I was up OKing landing locations for the next round of yarder settings.

Also, there was a crazy wind that went through in places and took down a lot of cottonwood trees and branches. Strange times here!