Canadian Wildfires

[Jsjac]

I was in upstate NY on Wednesday. This is looking east around noon time.

 

[WFM]

I see the president had canceled "pride events" today at the white house because of air quality.

 

[GrizBota]

I see the president had canceled "pride events" today at the white house because of air quality.

Herein Oregon, in the summer of ‘21 the state enacted some employee “protections” based on their published Air Quality Index. At some threshold you had to wear an N95 mask, while working outside, in 95-100 degree plus heat. Then another threshold, you could not work outside. Somehow the air quality is miraculously better in your motel room!?! Nope it’s the same but now you’re spending money not making it hoping you can work the next day, if the govt permits it, you know, ‘cause of health concerns. Or the office with 1970’s tech air handlers. Nope so they sent folks home, paid, to breathe the same air at home. And then in the summer of ‘22 they changed thresholds to allow you to work in stuff you could cut with a knife. But might as well because it is t any better at home. Maybe 50 or 100 miles away it was better.

I wonder how the wild land fighters get much done if they can’t inhale a bit of smoke? I’m sure working upwind is nice when you can get it.

 

[jimh406]

I hope you guys get some rain pretty soon. That should help clear the air.

Unfortunately, our dry season and fire season tend to overlap out here in MT.

 

[jyoutz]

You seem to think nobody knows about fires except for you or how coordination works while you have a very low bar for our government. I can ponder why, but I don't want to make assumptions.

I served twelve years as a situation unit leader on an interagency incident management team. I have travel to, lived in fire camps, mapped fire progression, and been involved in suppression efforts on a cumulative millions of acres in just about every western state plus a few in the east. Before that I carried a red card and served on both hand crews and engines for ten years. Everything I posted is correct, including government wildfire management procedures.

 

[jyoutz]

Herein Oregon, in the summer of ‘21 the state enacted some employee “protections” based on their published Air Quality Index. At some threshold you had to wear an N95 mask, while working outside, in 95-100 degree plus heat. Then another threshold, you could not work outside. Somehow the air quality is miraculously better in your motel room!?! Nope it’s the same but now you’re spending money not making it hoping you can work the next day, if the govt permits it, you know, ‘cause of health concerns. Or the office with 1970’s tech air handlers. Nope so they sent folks home, paid, to breathe the same air at home. And then in the summer of ‘22 they changed thresholds to allow you to work in stuff you could cut with a knife. But might as well because it is t any better at home. Maybe 50 or 100 miles away it was better.

I wonder how the wild land fighters get much done if they can’t inhale a bit of smoke? I’m sure working upwind is nice when you can get it.

We simply wore bandannas over our mouth and nose and tried to stay upwind of most of the smoke. And hacked and sneezed for a couple of weeks after going home.

 

[jyoutz]

So, follow the money.

It does take money to train, equip, and feed fire crews. Most people think it’s a reasonable expense. You do recognize that private lands are accessible with road systems, and typically on gentle ground where it’s easy for resources to access, while federal lands are less accessible, and often include a lot of tough wilderness types of country without road systems.

 

[jyoutz]

That’s a baby. In one year alone 2020, IIRC, we had a million acres on fire in Oregon. The very large majority of it Federally owned.

I checked, it was 2020, 1.1 million acres (1720 square miles), 4000 residences burned and nine people died. That’s nearly the size of Delaware and nearly twice the size or Rhode Island. We were in notice to prepare to evacuate. Fire was 7 miles away. There were rural communities immediately adjacent to the interstate that were burned. It was pretty crazy, but we’ve got nothing on California, yet.

I served on two half million acres fires in Arizona (2002, 2011) and one 300,000 acre fire in New Mexico (2011). Last year we had a half million acre fire in New Mexico, but I no longer serve in wildfire operations.

 

[Botamon]

Most of my family lives on the East Coast. For years I've been trying to tell them of the awful air quality in Nevada when the smoke from California wildfires drifts over Nevada. NOW they realize what its like!

 

[GreensvilleJay]

and they will NOT effect a SIMPLE, cost effective, life saving plan to minimize the destruction cause by wild and man made forest fires.

 

[WFM]

I had worked with a fire fighter from New Hampshire years ago.
He had gone out to Cally for a few weeks to fight the forest fires.
He said the salvation army was always close by to serve meals or get a message home. He praised them to no end.

 

[skeets]

All I know is the morning sun has been red for the last week, and air quality alerts every day, they ended last night. We might get some rain to morrow and monday, but its not gong to soak in as the ground is so bloody hard

 

[Tughill Tom]

Well the smoke is back today and smells like Melted Plastic. Good Times!

 

[Bmyers]

We had it all day yesterday and under an Ozone advisory again today for all the smoke.

 

[Code]

Its bad here yesterday and today. AQI is 157 in central Va. My sis inlaw in Pittsburgh is at over 300. I can see the mountains from my fields (8 miles away)

 

[DaveFromMi]

Is anything being done to fight or contain the fires? Several news outlets are blaming the fires on global warming. One site notes that Canada upped the warning level which allows to ask for foreign help in fighting them. Nothing shown in news sites of firefighters working to contain them.

 

[chim]

Is anything being done to fight or contain the fires? Several news outlets are blaming the fires on global warming. One site notes that Canada upped the warning level which allows to ask for foreign help in fighting them. Nothing shown in news sites of firefighters working to contain them.

I read a few stories about firefighters from different countries lending a hand. With the immense scope it seems to me it's like urinating in the ocean.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

there's some firefighting going on, but close to 500 fires to deal with....
sad thing is, a plan was proposed 35 YEARS ago that would have minimized wild fires, created jobs, saved property and lives. NONE of the guvs even LOOKED at the plan.....

 

[Lil Foot]

We are about to head into the biggest risk weekend of the fire season here.
Forests already tinder dry, holiday weekend, 4th of July fireworks, illegal campfires, moronic people with half the brains of sand fleas equals recipe for disaster.

 

[DaveFromMi]

Are they using water bombers?

Canadair CL-215 - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org