Fires in the west

[Wags]

The ocean effects a great deal of our weather patterns. If we don't make a committed effort to taking care of it this dry winter cycle may continue.

There's definitely mismanagement to blame for CA's issues as well. The fact that our water districts allow our lakes to dump the amount of water they do throughout the winter is disgusting. Instead of using the dams to slow the flow and fill the lakes they simply leave the gates open and pour it right back out. Couple that with our lack of forest management and hot temps with lots of people and it's proven to be a fatal issue. Hopefully no more lives are lost.

 

[manitou1]

So much smoke, I can't even see the mountains five miles away today.

 

[justin davis]

It is the new normal.

It’s been the normal since the beginning of time. There’s been fires going on every year for thousands of years. Every year the fire activity seems to move around and affect a different region. We had a lot of fires last year in Colorado. This year it’s raining like crazy. Never seen the green grass so tall. I’ve been fighting fires since 2004. Same thing just different year and different part of the country.

 

[Britt-dog]

I've had two fires close to home that went to level 2 evac. The blue mountains of Washington may not exist after this year, well over 100K acers burned there so far. Made a quick run to Missoula yesterday and everything was smoky. Don't know where the fires are but there were six Helos on the runway in Superior. They could be fighting fire in both Idaho and Montana.

Its only July 20th, two months of fire season to go. Hold on to your A$$

 

[Crghss]

While sitting in my camp chair at a local mountain lake, a team of helicopters were taking turns dropping their buckets and taking trips to a little lightning start about 10 miles away. I sat there thinking - Bezos, Branson, and Musk are going to outer space and here we are fighting fires with a bucket of water. And humans digging fire lines. Wow how much do we need some modern breakthroughs in fire fighting capabilities!

Absolutely, between Drones, robots, AI or something totally new. There has to be a better way.

 

[Warmsy]

The ocean effects a great deal of our weather patterns. If we don't make a committed effort to taking care of it this dry winter cycle may continue.

There's definitely mismanagement to blame for CA's issues as well. The fact that our water districts allow our lakes to dump the amount of water they do throughout the winter is disgusting. Instead of using the dams to slow the flow and fill the lakes they simply leave the gates open and pour it right back out. Couple that with our lack of forest management and hot temps with lots of people and it's proven to be a fatal issue. Hopefully no more lives are lost.

We can't really go anything about the oceans, can we?

My understanding of letting water run through the dams is so the fish can swim upriver? I find the fact that water in one watershed gets diverted to another, or another county, or to LA the most upsetting.

What are the shortfalls in forest management?

 

[Wags]

We can't really go anything about the oceans, can we?

My understanding of letting water run through the dams is so the fish can swim upriver? I find the fact that water in one watershed gets diverted to another, or another county, or to LA the most upsetting.

What are the shortfalls in forest management?

Dumping human waste into the ocean isn’t helping. Overfishing isn’t helping. The destruction of coral and ecosystems has changed the health and temps of the oceans. The list goes on. There are plenty of studies and films on it if you give it a google search.

As far as the mismanagement goes. Here in CA PGE was denied the ability to cut trees in areas to clear lines. Our underbrush is a huge tinder box because of the lack of strategic logging and clearing. That list goes on as well. There’s a lot that can be done but paying firefighters is cheaper than fixing the issues & cutting the red tape.

 

[Cowbell]

I've never seen a burned mountainside that didn't green back up...

 

[Deadfall]

I agree that everyone should turn in their tags. Yall should also stay tuned to this forum and I'll post pictures of how the season goes.
2015 was a terrible fire year in montana. We also had 3 years of flooding.
Climate always changes. Right along wth everything else in this crazy world.

Watching weather it looks like July and August switched rolls. Sounds like it gonba cool off a bit in August. Which probably means rain...If not, I'll be hunting in smoke. Wont be first time. Maybe it'll drive out the others....haaahaaahaa. if not maybe will have a tough winter and the tenderfoots will go away. If not, we'll it'll be fun watching the wrecks.

Anyway point is.....it'll all work out just as it's supposed to. So take a breath and keep shooting

P.s. where I'm at in montana, we had a touch of rain last night and this afternoon.

 

[Wags]

I've never seen a burned mountainside that didn't green back up...

its not mountains and trees I worry about as much as the homes, communities and lives that are lost. We’ve had whole communities destroyed every year for some time now. It’s sad & hopefully the firefighters get a break from Mother Nature soon. But unlike Montana it doesn’t rain here in the summer.

 

[String&stick]

its not mountains and trees I worry about as much as the homes, communities and lives that are lost. We’ve had whole communities destroyed every year for some time now. It’s sad & hopefully the firefighters get a break from Mother Nature soon. But unlike Montana it doesn’t rain here in the summer.

Sadly a lot of houses and communities have been built in California and other states where fire historically comes through every 10-15 years. . . Then people are horrified when these areas burn again. Maybe FEMA needs to start burn maps like they do flood maps, if your in a 50 year burn area. . . Pay up for extra insurance.

Yes the planet is getting hotter, has been since we left the last ice age. but a lack of management (some logging, some grazing, some untouched), and a piss poor management of water, doesn't help a thing. These things come in cycles. Read The Big Burn about Roosevelt and the fires of 1910, huge fires raged virtually unchecked. . . It happens.

Nebraska's largest reservoir has been close to minimum pool twice since being constructed, both times everyone said "it will never be full again in my lifetime". Both times it took a little over a year and it was so full they had to dump water to prevent over topping.

Weather is cyclical. . . In the 70s they were talking about global cooling. . .look how that turned out for them!

 

[journeyman713]

Fires are not just out west. Here in Wisconsin visibility was less than a mile, do to a smoke filled cold front coming in from Canada yesterday, 500 miles away.

 

[Wags]

Sadly a lot of houses and communities have been built in California and other states where fire historically comes through every 10-15 years. . . Then people are horrified when these areas burn again. Maybe FEMA needs to start burn maps like they do flood maps, if your in a 50 year burn area. . . Pay up for extra insurance.

Yes the planet is getting hotter, has been since we left the last ice age. but a lack of management (some logging, some grazing, some untouched), and a piss poor management of water, doesn't help a thing. These things come in cycles. Read The Big Burn about Roosevelt and the fires of 1910, huge fires raged virtually unchecked. . . It happens.

Nebraska's largest reservoir has been close to minimum pool twice since being constructed, both times everyone said "it will never be full again in my lifetime". Both times it took a little over a year and it was so full they had to dump water to prevent over topping.

Weather is cyclical. . . In the 70s they were talking about global cooling. . .look how that turned out for them!

Check, so everyone stop worrying about it and do nothing to improve these issues, it’s all part of the plan.

 

[S.Clancy]

Feels like the end of the world is coming in Montana. Never seen it so dry. We have rivers that are going dry and i bet most will be closed to fishing. So tired of the smoke and we have at least 6 weeks to go.

Why live in Montana if you loose 2 months of summer?

I agree, everyone should move back to where they came from....

 

[String&stick]

Check, so everyone stop worrying about it and do nothing to improve these issues, it’s all part of the plan.

I didn't say stop worrying about it, anyone with a fire close should start worrying about it. . . I'm saying #1 it's not the world ending, #2 it's Not overly surprising.

If I build a house in Florida with an ocean view, it's hard to be surprised when a hurricane comes along. Yet people seem to be shocked when they build a house in areas that have traditionally burnt once every 10, 20, or 30 years, when a fire comes along.

Drought doesn't help at all. . . But a quick Google search will show you that California continues to blindly build homes in areas that are high fire risk.

I feel bad for anyone that loses their home, but it's a trade off. I know I will replace 3 to 15 roofs in my lifetime due to hail and pay the insurance premium that goes with it, I know in my lifetime I could lose a house to a tornado or straight line winds. If you build in the mountains you might avoid large hail and tornados, but you have a higher risk of fire, on the gulf you have hurricane and flooding risks. . . Climate change may not be helping the issue, but where you build has a lot to do with your risk factors.

And States like California keep building in high fire risk areas, and shake their fist at climate change when a fire happens. I won't own a house in Nebraska without a basement due to my risks. . . I wouldn't own one in a high fire risk areas without due caution for my family's bug out plan.

 

[iseebucks]

I'm moving out of CA in about 3 weeks. The annual fire storms I will not miss.
Looking out my window right now and i'm certain if you just look at the brush the wrong way it will burst into flames!

That is exciting, good for you. Where are you moving to and why did you decide to leave?

 

[WCB]

One nice thing about the drought is a lot of roads can be used again in the Dakotas after 20 years of being underwater....almost like it has been this dry before....weird.

 

[JRMiller]

That is exciting, good for you. Where are you moving to and why did you decide to leave?

Texas.
Long list of reasons to leave, I'd say the top, of course, is the politics/politicians and the disgusting laws the state has and is continuing to enact (including protecting pedophiles, SB145).
Over the years, I have personally been to Sacramento with my wife and other groups to oppose such laws, and the utter contempt the senators have for you, the citizen is incredible. Face to face, on camera, they will mock and taunt you as if its all a game for them.
Senator Pan's top on that list, he's a POS.
If you are a conservative, middle class, or religious family, you are the enemy.
CA is lost, there's permanent damage that cannot be undone.
I need to go somewhere where my vote counts for something, but above all else protect my child from the state.

 

[Phaseolus]

It’s been the normal since the beginning of time. There’s been fires going on every year for thousands of years. Every year the fire activity seems to move around and affect a different region. We had a lot of fires last year in Colorado. This year it’s raining like crazy. Never seen the green grass so tall. I’ve been fighting fires since 2004. Same thing just different year and different part of the country.

You must be in the Front Range, our drought in western Colorado is epic

 

[WRM]

It all looks good...until a natural disaster hits. Our beach is one of the most beautiful in the world...until a Cat 5 hurricane is headed this way.

Everybody moves into beautiful, but perennially risky, areas then the panic of the inevitable comes. Heck, government often subsidizes it (ie flood insurance). Enjoy it while you can and stay safe while you can't.