Hwy 2 in New Halem was closed for a fire there, not sure it is still closed. Vids on Face Book made it look fairly good sized.
Fire
- Thread starter Gologit
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I just got called by Cal Fire to provide a faller module on the Cuesta fire. I would have jumped on this but I have two very important Scout functions tomorrow. If you are a Scouter then when I say I will be undergoing Vigil ordeal then you will know why I do not want to miss this event.
Something to do with Eagle innit?
No, it's the highest honor Order of the Arrow, Scouting's honor society. It's a bigger deal than Eagle.
350X
ArboristSite Lurker
Good stuff 2Dogs. Congrats! Eagle and Brotherhood here. If Im correct and memory serves me right Vigil is by nomination by peers only?
Joe46
ArboristSite Guru
I believe I still have my Order of the Arrow sash stashed away somewhere!
I spent the weekend at a pickerfest, got home and filled out their application. I can't do line work, but could be a camp slug--(support). I think they want equipment operators.
It was a sad day yesterday. I bought a paper and one of the names was familiar. I worked with his parents a long time ago. Sigh...
I'm getting a smoke headache.
Been over 20 years since I had anything to do with scouting other then the occasional lend a hand stuff, and the Darrington troop was less then functional... hit second class and stalled for lack of adult support to get any merit badges to make 1st, let alone anything else... so I got a job and moved on.
Yes
Similar here. Went to board for First Class, and the scoutmaster, a retired Nazarene minister, asked me to prove "reverence". Well, I'm not a religious fellow, so he denied me my promotion. I quit right then and there. Woulda stayed but I was just not gonna get into a religious argument every time I tried to advance at the age of 15. Oddly, that experience has been repeated a few times in my life, though it wasn't always about religion. I've often chosen to abandon plans rather than principles.
Wow, pretty much my story, too, but add a couple of decades.
"Prove" reverence? Urgh. Somebody should have smacked him upside the head. You can do a lot of things, but it's pretty tough to "PROVE". Ooops, this isn't the place/forum for a religious discussion.
Back on track, we had a little roadside fire last night, alder tree fell on a powerline, snapped it off, and the arc started a fire right next to the State Highway. The end of the line was hanging just above the ground, not arcing by the time we got there, it must have started it while it was swinging. 70% slope, heavy brush, duff/leaf litter, some timber, several houses at the top of the slope. Not much of a fire when we got there, but it tripled in size before PUD got the line de-energized. We made pretty short work of it after that, but the potential was there. I was sure glad the east wind had calmed down, and you could feel that the temps had dropped and humidity had gone up. So many things went in our favor, or we would be on the news this morning.
WSP wasn't happy that I had the road closed for so long. We had a great detour, so I wasn't concerned. I asked for WSDOT, never got them. Too many radio channels going, two dispatch channels and two tactical channels, I should have clarified with my dispatch what I needed. We had a leaner tree that was growing off of a nurse stump, the roots and rotted stump were done after the fire. Luckily PUD had a heavy crew out, they chunked it down to protect the power lines. It was off of the narrow right of way, really would have been a bear to fall. The exposed roots were about 3 feet above the soil line. The property owner would have been willing to let us take it, but the B Fallers on scene just looked at each other. I know it was WAY outside of my pay grade. The PUD guys, from their quick response to getting the power off to the work they did after the fire were our saviors.
Pretty sure all he wanted was for me to join his church. I wouldn't have done that, either, but at least it would have been an honest demand instead of a passive-aggressive one.
yup quit jobs more then once, walked out on former friends, left several bands, walked out on shows I was headlining, lots of different stuff, they call me arrogant or an *******... whatever, just certain things I won't stand for, usually based on lies, stealing or abuse...
Luckily the Scout troop I was in never pushed religion much, would have been the end for me.
Odog
ArboristSite Operative
I was in scouts for awhile too, made it to first class, then our scout master bailed. He shaved his head and moved up north to join the Arian Nation. We joke about him as the scout Nazi now.
This is why if you want to be a forefighter, stick with wildland.: Cats in trees.
Squad 31 responded like this:
Then we were sent to the wrong address by chief, and the truck and squad companies are similar in size but not in turning radius so it was funny to watch their chauffeur try to make it out of the little crappy driveway we were originally dispatched to.
After that, I don't have any more photos, but we then hiked back about a quarter of a mile with a 35' extension ladder, and our very own intrepid Catbuster (that's where I got my nickname, actually. My very first call was a cat in a tree which I quite literally busted out of the tree.) climbed that unstable SOB up the full 35' and then coaxed the useless hunk of purring fluff out.
Squad 31 responded like this:
Then we were sent to the wrong address by chief, and the truck and squad companies are similar in size but not in turning radius so it was funny to watch their chauffeur try to make it out of the little crappy driveway we were originally dispatched to.
After that, I don't have any more photos, but we then hiked back about a quarter of a mile with a 35' extension ladder, and our very own intrepid Catbuster (that's where I got my nickname, actually. My very first call was a cat in a tree which I quite literally busted out of the tree.) climbed that unstable SOB up the full 35' and then coaxed the useless hunk of purring fluff out.
Since last night? Nope.
We have a three day waiting requirement for cats in trees. If they are still there on the 4th day, then we go get them. Really cuts down on the number we actually have to rescue.
My cat rescue attire also includes helmet with face shield down and eye protection, collar up and fastened. Always structure gloves.
We have also rescued two citizens out of trees that have tried to rescue their cats. Both times the cat climbed down while the human was stuck. Had one young lady standing on the top rung of a 20' extension ladder, with the base of the ladder way too close to the tree. She had her arms wrapped around the tree so tightly, I had trouble slipping the sit harness on her. We lowered her with ropes anchored in the tree above her.
We have a three day waiting requirement for cats in trees. If they are still there on the 4th day, then we go get them. Really cuts down on the number we actually have to rescue.
My cat rescue attire also includes helmet with face shield down and eye protection, collar up and fastened. Always structure gloves.
We have also rescued two citizens out of trees that have tried to rescue their cats. Both times the cat climbed down while the human was stuck. Had one young lady standing on the top rung of a 20' extension ladder, with the base of the ladder way too close to the tree. She had her arms wrapped around the tree so tightly, I had trouble slipping the sit harness on her. We lowered her with ropes anchored in the tree above her.
That's an excellent idea, and yeah, the helmet went on- our SOG says no helmet is to be worn while the rig is moving. Dispatch, however, had different plans for us, apparently. It probably didn't help that it was at the board chair's residence. But what I want to know is why they dispatched the squad from the other side of the district when there's a staffed rescue in the station with the truck company.
Because CAD doesn't have a response plan stored for cat Rescues.
Never seen a cat skeleton in a tree.
I have been on a seagull rescue though. We took our half million dollar 104' ladder truck out to rescue a seagull tangled in fishing line and stuck on the side of a building. I was the engineer and there was only two of us on the truck that day. The captain was not going to go up so it was up to me. I fought that stupid bird for several minutes before I got my arms around it enough to get my knife out. The gull was sqwakking like crazy and flapping its wings against me. It was a battle but I finally won and cut the line. When I got down there was an animal rescue guy screaming at my captain about how he was going to sue the City because I touched the bird and cut the line without bringing the bird to him. I broke the truck down and climbed in the cab. This rescue interrupted my breakfast. When we left he was still screaming. A few hours later the fire chief came up and interviewed us since the City manager had called him. That was the last we heard.
I have been on a seagull rescue though. We took our half million dollar 104' ladder truck out to rescue a seagull tangled in fishing line and stuck on the side of a building. I was the engineer and there was only two of us on the truck that day. The captain was not going to go up so it was up to me. I fought that stupid bird for several minutes before I got my arms around it enough to get my knife out. The gull was sqwakking like crazy and flapping its wings against me. It was a battle but I finally won and cut the line. When I got down there was an animal rescue guy screaming at my captain about how he was going to sue the City because I touched the bird and cut the line without bringing the bird to him. I broke the truck down and climbed in the cab. This rescue interrupted my breakfast. When we left he was still screaming. A few hours later the fire chief came up and interviewed us since the City manager had called him. That was the last we heard.
tramp bushler
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wow , the extent of my public service is fighting fotest fires for good pay, movaing a blown tire carcass off the highway, my time in the Coast Guard . Where I actually did save a few lives. And what ever good samaritan
