Fire

[slowp]

Jesus. Did you get any details? And now they're sending military guys with no experience heading into the worst part of the season. That scares me.

When I used to go to fires, the military was not put in the worst places. They did mop up or line improvements not to mention hauling us around. Those are necessary jobs to do so they will be a great help.

Reports from various places have the dead folks as being from Twisp and Winthrop and Forest Service.

 

[catbuster]

When I used to go to fires, the military was not put in the worst places. They did mop up or line improvements not to mention hauling us around. Those are necessary jobs to do so they will be a great help.

Reports from various places have the dead folks as being from Twisp and Winthrop and Forest Service.

I know and agree, but then you have to put the guys who would otherwise be doing mop up and hauling gear into, quite frankly, the rough ****, that they may not have the skill or experience to handle, it's another bad situation. But hey, I'm not one to armchair quarterback. I was told on no uncertain terms that I am not headed West this year.

 

[slowp]

http://q13fox.com/2015/08/19/entire-washington-town-remains-evacuated-but-still-standing/

There is an error on their tweets. Salkum is about 200 miles from the Methow and is in a totally different part of the state...30 miles from me. Don't know why they have it on that report.

The wind is really picking up here so I hope the guys with the big yellow equipment have our local fire well controlled. It might be a sleepless night here in the temperate rain forest.

 

[madhatte]

Jesus. Did you get any details? And now they're sending military guys with no experience heading into the worst part of the season. That scares me.

The military guys are coming from my command. There's 200 of them, as I understand, and they're training now, and should be deployed by this weekend. The higher-ups are hemming and hawing about supervision. It may be my group. They'll likely be tasked with mopup. It's likely to be interesting.

 

[Gologit]

The wind is really picking up here so I hope the guys with the big yellow equipment have our local fire well controlled. It might be a sleepless night here in the temperate rain forest.

How's that fire that's just down the road from you?

 

[slowp]

How's that fire that's just down the road from you?

I have no idea. It smells like it is winter and there is an inversion trapping the woodstove smoke. I trust that the guys with the big yellow chunks of equipment have a good line around it, since they also live close to it. I don't think I will sleep much tonight though because the wind is blowing pretty good and I am downwind from it. The facebook report shows it to be in a clearcut that was logged a couple years ago. They (Port Blakely) piled and burned slash all the way along the road so there shouldn't be too heavy of a fuel load on the roadside. This is from somebody else's facebook page. You are looking west.

There is another fire about 30 miles to the west and a facebook report said they burned up a firetruck on it. That one has the highway closed and an area evacuated. Unlike the Methow Valley, we have quite a few options besides Hwy 12.

 

[slowp]

The military guys are coming from my command. There's 200 of them, as I understand, and they're training now, and should be deployed by this weekend. The higher-ups are hemming and hawing about supervision. It may be my group. They'll likely be tasked with mopup. It's likely to be interesting.

They seemed to be enthusiastic about it all, when we had them. I seem to recall them doing exercises the first morning, but then they found out it was hard work and quit doing that. They were easy to spot. Their nomex was brand new and very clean.

That was 1987 which was a very busy year. I arrived on one fire to do something overfedish and we were a last priority camp so could get no showers or much of anything. Then the National Guard arrived and things became quite civilized. They brought in two busses and ran them on a schedule back and forth to the local school, where we could take showers. Meanwhile, they brought in a big tent and turned it into a shower tent--kind of like MASH.
They also ran the busses one night so we could go and support the teeny town's football team. I think it was the biggest crowd they'd ever had there.

 

[madhatte]

They seemed to be enthusiastic about it all, when we had them. I seem to recall them doing exercises the first morning, but then they found out it was hard work and quit doing that. They were easy to spot. Their nomex was brand new and very clean.

That was 1987 which was a very busy year. I arrived on one fire to do something overfedish and we were a last priority camp so could get no showers or much of anything. Then the National Guard arrived and things became quite civilized. They brought in two busses and ran them on a schedule back and forth to the local school, where we could take showers. Meanwhile, they brought in a big tent and turned it into a shower tent--kind of like MASH.
They also ran the busses one night so we could go and support the teeny town's football team. I think it was the biggest crowd they'd ever had there.

I have a feeling that your prescience would be worth money if you set up a tent just outside of camp and pretended to be a fortune-teller. Every detail rings true. I want a cut for this suggestion if you do strike it rich. Just sayin'.

 

[slowp]

I have a feeling that your prescience would be worth money if you set up a tent just outside of camp and pretended to be a fortune-teller. Every detail rings true. I want a cut for this suggestion if you do strike it rich. Just sayin'.

I still can't remember what I was doing there. I had blown out an ankle earlier in the year on a fire so no more fire crewing that season. I seem to recall making several trips and one flight up and down the I-5 corridor. Tiller and Canyonville come to mind but the football game was in Riddle.

I do wish you would speak with your Army folks about flying their helicopters. They came over low last night just when I'd finally started to doze off.

 

[slowp]

https://www.facebook.com/Okanogan.County.Emergency.Management?fref=ts

Sounds like all of the rural area of the county, and the Methow Valley are in evacuation mode. That's a real neat county even though it now has 3 stoplights.

 

[Gologit]

I do wish you would speak with your Army folks about flying their helicopters. They came over low last night just when I'd finally started to doze off.

They fly low because it's not so far to the ground when parts start falling off and they need to land fast. Remember, everything on that bird was built by the lowest bidder.
It's gotta be true, a helicopter pilot said it.

 

[madhatte]

I do wish you would speak with your Army folks about flying their helicopters. They came over low last night just when I'd finally started to doze off.

That's the sound of Freedom.

 

[slowp]

That's the sound of Freedom.

Been wondering who would be the first.

 

[Gologit]

That's the sound of Freedom.

That's the sound of several million dollars worth of spare parts flying in close formation.

 

[madhatte]

Sometimes I have to go for the easy yuks. I can't be all sophisticated 24/7, y'know.

 

[tramp bushler]

I know those Blackhawks can put the hurt on a fire if they can reload the bag close by . we had them on the Tetlin Hills fire. When pushing with the 5 and a pair of them would roar past @ 200' . It would kinda put the fear into me. I was VERY GLAD THEY WERE PACKIN WATER , Not Cannons !!!!

 

[madhatte]

Sometimes we get air support. It's usually more for show than anything, though. The public loves to see water shows.

 

[northmanlogging]

helicopters 10,000 loose nuts and bolts, piloted by 1 loose nut.

 

[2dogs]

They seemed to be enthusiastic about it all, when we had them. I seem to recall them doing exercises the first morning, but then they found out it was hard work and quit doing that. They were easy to spot. Their nomex was brand new and very clean.

That was 1987 which was a very busy year. I arrived on one fire to do something overfedish and we were a last priority camp so could get no showers or much of anything. Then the National Guard arrived and things became quite civilized. They brought in two busses and ran them on a schedule back and forth to the local school, where we could take showers. Meanwhile, they brought in a big tent and turned it into a shower tent--kind of like MASH.
They also ran the busses one night so we could go and support the teeny town's football team. I think it was the biggest crowd they'd ever had there.

1987. I went from the Summit Fire here in Santa Cruz to the Las Palitas fire in SLO county. I was just a contractor (runner) for the state. That was a busy year

 

[Joe46]

Interesting article on the state asking for volunteers. Stated it was the first time ever. When I got off active duty from the Navy in "67" They were posting pick up points for volunteers to fight fires. I fortunately ran into a buddy that told me Kenworth was hiring. I went there instead!