Listened to most of the game on the radio today, been up all night, busy all day; using the Truck to pull Livestock (horses, llama's [yes Alpaca's], dogs, even a fkng group of Ostrich's) out of area's near Sand Canyon's Wildfire.....(which are nastier: spitting llama's or fkng sand monkey's ie Ostrich's) they both suck, kinda like our Yanx have for the last 3 years.... 22,000 acres burned and STILL 3 days later only 10% contained....this is a mother of fires, depositing ash (like snow) at our place 19-20 miles north east of the fire(s)....and its 108 degree's out, fkng hotter than Hell, that with hot fkng furnace with blistering 20mph winds blowing off the fire, making this impossible to extinguish in many areas, ntm- its remote locations, disallowing even AC to drop retardant in many areas...its literally Dante's Inferno out here..... can't see the Sun for a good 50 miles of mountain, canyon, and desert smoke. Breathing air is extremely dangerous and beyond poor quality..... This fire was NOT attacked proper, as of the first two days, only 2 Aircraft, with 5 Chopper's were attacking flames, today 2 dozen AC are over the scene.....wtf, say WTF....wait 'til its out of control to bring in the big guns, sounds like the Yanx..... Half this fire will continue to burn a good portion of the Forest down, as Firefighters in many areas, are parked miles away, starting backfires, and clearing brush, where its flat enough to do so....hard to fight a fire on a series of sheer cliffs for terrain.... http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-santa-clarita-fire-day-three-20160724-snap-story.html 34 square miles charred already http://ktla.com/2016/07/24/destruct...ions-in-effect-as-out-of-control-blaze-rages/ http://ktla.com/2016/07/22/20-acre-...larita/#ooid=M3eTl3NDE69GcNtE1czIJNXyCYkv5q4C _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
5 bloody years of record droughts; and it looked like last winter's El Nino was gonna' change all that. It did just enough to get wildgrass, sage, creosote, tumbleweeds, and plenty of pines to grow higher than normal, only to dry up; becoming excessive kindling wood for this fire; while leaving only enough reservoir waters to put this monster out.... so much for hi elevation fishing in the High Sierra's...
Rob, kudos to you but above all else, please stay safe. Battling Mother Nature can be very stressful and risky.
That happens in Florida as well. Living in Orlando back in 01 a fire put a haze of smoke for miles and miles, could not believe that people were smoking cigarettes. Same thing in '07 wildfires sin South Ga and N Florida. When the smoke covered the Tampa Bay area it was hazy, smelly, even indoors. The rains get all that swamp growth going then when it dries and starts burning its hard to put out. Old timers tell when there was a drought in the Glades from '69 to about '76 or '77. Had a fire down there that raised hell down there. Stay safe my man!!
...^^^ to ya'll, Thanks... Ya' know Michael, it always blew my mind, watching those Florida Fires, especially with how much rainfall all those areas get. I remember February of 2000, driving from Perry, GA., to New Orleans, then Lake Charles, La., to work/transfer. Back then south of I-10 was burning out of control, more towards Jacksonville to Gainesville's surrounding wild rural areas. With all that rain, 7-8+ ft per yr??? The previous year saw major floods, and I passed through alot of those areas, after the rains subsided, on our way to Luzianna. A Hurricane was off the Gulf Coast as we skirted I-10, it was supposed to hit the panhandle, yet remained out to sea, until it hit TX. The wild grass was taller than I had ever seen it around I-10. The previous winter's flooding was outrageous a natural disaster. Seem's Floridian's no sooner cleaned up from the floods, when the fires broke out...."If my memory serves me well".... thanks brothers, and sisters, getting some shut eye, gonna' do it all over again at midnight when the winds die down. It's been a day of shock and horror. Half the people in this area use swamp coolers, and those are death traps in heavy poisoned air. (funny how many peeps I've met don't know what a swamp cooler is. death traps in this smoke). Alot of people are going to get sick with this bad of air quality, alot more than will ever be reported; many elderly living in these area's, who depend on Oxygen, (those s/b ok, if they keep it on). Right now there is still mandatory evacuations being added faster than we can respond, and most of these areas have tons of critters worth saving. Alot of Wildlife and Hollywood exotic animals, in numerous Ranches scattered across this Forest. My hats off to those firemen who wear tons of heavy gear, heavy coats, then have to face the fire's wrath. Bless 'em all....this reminds me of the Gulf War's, like G.I's, digging into sands when its in triple digits, firefighting another common enemy without bullets....
