xj-grin
NAXJA Member #1096
- Location
- Colorado Springs, Colorado
I know it looks like there is a flare up on the WP side from over here -- big column of smoke near the peak over Cascade, maybe... I just drove by on the I25 side.
another fire
- Thread starter in4aride
- Start date
riverfever
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Woodland Park, Colorado
They are having a lot of issues with that area by Cave of the Winds. I wonder if that flared up? I have two friends fighting up there and one just told me thngs are still lookin' good for WP right now.
This morning the Mayor said (in one press conference) that there is NO timeline on when the evacuations would reverse. He did say that there would be no fireworks in Woodland on Monday evening but that the town would do it's normal thing at the city park (BBQ, music and the like). Then he made a comment about how great it would be to use that event as a way to celebrate our nations independence as well as our community coming back together and getting through this tragedy. The only thing I kept thinking about after he said that was what a great political move that is for him as well as the rest of the elected officials that, ultimately, make that decision. A nice play.
This morning the Mayor said (in one press conference) that there is NO timeline on when the evacuations would reverse. He did say that there would be no fireworks in Woodland on Monday evening but that the town would do it's normal thing at the city park (BBQ, music and the like). Then he made a comment about how great it would be to use that event as a way to celebrate our nations independence as well as our community coming back together and getting through this tragedy. The only thing I kept thinking about after he said that was what a great political move that is for him as well as the rest of the elected officials that, ultimately, make that decision. A nice play.
- Location
- Torrance, CA
I wonder if he'll set up a "Kiss the mayor's ring!" booth while he's at it?
riverfever
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Woodland Park, Colorado
Good to be home. Still on standby but good to be home. Thank you fire fighters!
- Location
- Colorado Springs, CO
All right. They have done a good job.
Frank Z
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Colorado Springs
Gonepostal
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- WY
We had another blow up today here in Northern Wyoming and Southern Montana. Two new fires east of me now and the Ashland fire now on it's way to 200,000 acres is causing more evacuations as I write this note. They were also expecting the Dahl fire to explode again today. Looking like I will be getting called in on a support crew soon.
Check this quote out from one of the FS overhead staff regarding the fuels on the Ashland Fire. This is in today's Billings Gazette online. I am sure Colorado is dealing with the same short sighted environmentalist crap.
"The 157,000-acre Ash Creek fire burning northeast of Ashland is heading straight for a region of the Custer National Forest that, for almost a decade, the agency has wanted to log to lessen the intensity of just such a wildland fire.
"Had we been able to move forward with the project, the management action could have helped," said Marna Daley, a public affairs officer for the Gallatin and Custer national forests. "But it's impossible to predict to what degree."
The project was repeatedly appealed by environmental groups, forcing the Forest Service to rewrite the plan three times.
The most recent incarnation of what the Forest Service calls a "vegetation management plan" would have removed "ladder fuels," spreading out the canopy between mature trees, and eliminated dense understory. The Beaver Creek project, approved in the spring of 2011, proposed to commercially log 1,487 acres, and set prescribed fire to 8,054 acres.
But a federal judge ordered the agency to go back and rework its proposal to address stormwater runoff concerns regarding road building and road density. The Ashland Ranger District is conducting a supplemental environmental impact statement to address the judge's ruling.
The fire may make the vegetation management project moot.
"Once the fire is under control we'll have to determine how to proceed," Daley said. "The assessment will have to include a much larger area, too, because the effects are much larger."
The plan was proposed to deal with just such a fire. Thinning trees and understory could have meant the fire would have dropped to the ground, rather than race across the tree crowns.
"The project would not have prevented a fire from occurring," Daley said. "That was not the purpose of the project. But it could have moderated the fire behavior. I say 'could' because with the extreme fire activity and behavior we're seeing, it's unknown."
Definitely thank a wildland firefighter or anyone out there you see that has been on the lines so far. This is just going to get uglier.
Check this quote out from one of the FS overhead staff regarding the fuels on the Ashland Fire. This is in today's Billings Gazette online. I am sure Colorado is dealing with the same short sighted environmentalist crap.
"The 157,000-acre Ash Creek fire burning northeast of Ashland is heading straight for a region of the Custer National Forest that, for almost a decade, the agency has wanted to log to lessen the intensity of just such a wildland fire.
"Had we been able to move forward with the project, the management action could have helped," said Marna Daley, a public affairs officer for the Gallatin and Custer national forests. "But it's impossible to predict to what degree."
The project was repeatedly appealed by environmental groups, forcing the Forest Service to rewrite the plan three times.
The most recent incarnation of what the Forest Service calls a "vegetation management plan" would have removed "ladder fuels," spreading out the canopy between mature trees, and eliminated dense understory. The Beaver Creek project, approved in the spring of 2011, proposed to commercially log 1,487 acres, and set prescribed fire to 8,054 acres.
But a federal judge ordered the agency to go back and rework its proposal to address stormwater runoff concerns regarding road building and road density. The Ashland Ranger District is conducting a supplemental environmental impact statement to address the judge's ruling.
The fire may make the vegetation management project moot.
"Once the fire is under control we'll have to determine how to proceed," Daley said. "The assessment will have to include a much larger area, too, because the effects are much larger."
The plan was proposed to deal with just such a fire. Thinning trees and understory could have meant the fire would have dropped to the ground, rather than race across the tree crowns.
"The project would not have prevented a fire from occurring," Daley said. "That was not the purpose of the project. But it could have moderated the fire behavior. I say 'could' because with the extreme fire activity and behavior we're seeing, it's unknown."
Definitely thank a wildland firefighter or anyone out there you see that has been on the lines so far. This is just going to get uglier.
- Location
- Torrance, CA
BTDT Dude, California's firestrom in, what, 2006 or so was helped out by the USFS being denied the right to fell a lot of dead and dying hazard trees (killed from Bark Beetle). Now all the sudden they're allowed to get rid of the hazard trees.
It's so infuriating when feel-good rules rule roost. I'm all for not letting logging companies go clear cut our forest but not allowing any logging doesn't work, especially when the mixture of wilderness and urban is so close.
It's so infuriating when feel-good rules rule roost. I'm all for not letting logging companies go clear cut our forest but not allowing any logging doesn't work, especially when the mixture of wilderness and urban is so close.
xj-grin
NAXJA Member #1096
- Location
- Colorado Springs, Colorado
I was just talking to a friend in middle park (Fraser Valley, CO) about this a few weeks ago -- that particular forest is 90-95% dead from beetle kill, and 5 years ago multiple lumber companies were chomping at the bit to log it, and willing to limit their efforts to meet environmental concerns -- 5 years later the EIS is finally complete and timbering will be allowed, but now that it is 5-year old standing dead, noone is intersted in logging it any more. Now it stands there as a tinder box waiting for a lightening strike to absolute decimate the valley, just like the firestorm that has raged in the Poudre canyon and surrounding for a month now. Stupid.
dannanw
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Colorado Springs
http://youtu.be/AZei9lJ2G1k
My building in the beginning...
My building in the beginning...
DrMoab
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- The Utah Backwater
Is the fire dept there catching grief for not protecting more houses? In that video it sure seems like they are on the defensive. If so that's just nuts.
Gonepostal
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- WY
Holy Crap! As a former wildland firefighter that is tragic and frightening.
YELLAHEEP
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Littleton, Colorado
I'm just amazed they had the water volume and pressures available to them in order to combat that many structure fires at once in a neighborhood..... I would have thought that after 5 or so hydrants being tapped that they'd have struggled alot more with water availability.
If any of that seemed to be defensive rather than offensive firefighting...... I sure wasn't seeing it. With that kind of spark and ember activity in those winds..... that's like playing Tetris at full speed......
God bless those guys and the efforts they put in. :thumbup:
If any of that seemed to be defensive rather than offensive firefighting...... I sure wasn't seeing it. With that kind of spark and ember activity in those winds..... that's like playing Tetris at full speed......
God bless those guys and the efforts they put in. :thumbup:
Having run some equipment up to those guys i can tell you it was so scary. literally felt like it was raining embers. just crazy. the wind was so erratic and profound it was numbing. Those guys are rockstars for being in there like they were. after just a few minutes in the area i was so overwhelmed i don't know how they do it. amazing what they accomplished.
DutchVDub
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Milliken, CO
The trucks are what make the pressure, not the hydrant. Still, it is amazing they had enough volume coming from that many open hydrants.
DrMoab
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- The Utah Backwater
when I said defensive I meant the attitude of that video. Almost like he was trying to defend the FD's actions.
I could totally understand lashing out and blaming anyone you could find if you had just lost everything you owned. I'm sure firefighters get that a lot. Just like cops. I just hope the rest of the city isn't trying to find fault with them. There is only so much you can do under those circumstances.
xj-grin
NAXJA Member #1096
- Location
- Colorado Springs, Colorado
Just the opposite, actually -- there are literally hundreds of people hanging out on the travel in/out routes for the firefighters with "thank you" signs. I'm sure the folks who lost everything wish they could have saved just one more house, ya know, but generally fire fighters are currently held in very high esteem around here right now.
riverfever
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Woodland Park, Colorado
Agreed. I just got back from Safeway where 4 truckloads of fire fighters were doing some shopping after their shift. It was unbelievable how many people stopped to say thank you to all of them. I did as well but then I almost felt badly because I'm sure they just wanted to get their stuff and go clean up and rest. Also crazy how many signs are all over town.
DrMoab
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- The Utah Backwater
Awesome! That's the way it should be.
afbond03
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Cheyenne Wyoming
Most of the electronic billboards here in Cheyenne are displaying a picture saying Thank You to The Firefighters. Pretty cool stuff.
