Alembic Guitars Club

Connecting => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: rv_bass on September 13, 2020, 09:34:09 PM

Title: West Coast Fires
Post by: rv_bass on September 13, 2020, 09:34:09 PM
Hoping all of our friends in California and Oregon are safe and healthy.  First COVID, now massive fires, just crazy!  Take care out there!
Title: Re: West Coast Fires
Post by: David Houck on September 14, 2020, 05:15:10 AM
The headlines, stories, and pictures speak to the heart throughout each day.
Title: Re: West Coast Fires
Post by: edwardofhuncote on September 14, 2020, 05:39:24 AM
I spent some of this weekend emailing back-and-forth with a [silent] Club Member in Eugene, Oregon who could barely see his hedgerow from his kitchen window from the smoky haze.

A little bit in my wheelhouse, I interpreted an advisory from his local waterworks purveyor. Apparently, one of the fires is dangerously close to one of their Treatment Plants. I was telling him, one of the first things they teach us is; priority #1 for a public water system is to keep water in the pipes to fight fire with. After that, we worry about making it potable. Not many people realize that, because we spend so much time on priority #2.
Title: Re: West Coast Fires
Post by: garyhead on September 14, 2020, 06:27:11 AM
Is a bit depressing...I haven't seen the sun since Labor Day.....During lockdown, I could go to the nearby Elementary School playground for my morning walk....but even that is now unwise.  Last Wednesday (at 2:30AM no less) fire smoke seeped in to set off my smoke alarm.....that smoke alarm is connected to my home alarm system.....by the time I woke up sufficiently to cancel the alarm....two firetrucks were already at my front yard!  I live at the southern end of Puget Sound.....the nearest fire is 20 miles away in Sumner, WA.  It is an abrupt quarantine like last March.....Here we go again....
Title: Re: West Coast Fires
Post by: hankster on September 14, 2020, 07:26:14 AM
We’re in the Gulf Islands just north of you Gary. We’ve got real thick smoke like fog here as well. No working outside!  I really fear for all our friends in Washington, Oregon and California. What a terrible nightmare. Thinking of all our Alembic friends and their families.
Title: Re: West Coast Fires
Post by: rv_bass on September 14, 2020, 08:35:14 AM

With all of the coverage for CA and OR, I didn’t realize WA was experiencing that level of intensity.  It appears fire extends throughout the western US.  Well wishes go out to all affected, stay safe!



Title: Re: West Coast Fires
Post by: lbpesq on September 14, 2020, 10:07:48 AM
No visibility.  Walking outside is like lighting up a cigarette.  And an orange sky all day last Wednesday.   No such thing as climate change.  Right.

Bill, tgo
Title: Re: West Coast Fires
Post by: HyAlembicK on September 14, 2020, 10:15:22 AM
Same here, Bill. 2 blocks visibility. My favourite part of the world is gone. Just burned up. Ancient forest, gone. The heart of the Oregon cascades, just gone. I am really depressed about the whole thing. I will spend a large part of my winter rogue planting trees along water sources that have burned up. Digging up seedlings from the sides of roads. It will take a long time, but its worth it. Any volunteers are welcome.

Nick
Title: Re: West Coast Fires
Post by: gtrguy on September 14, 2020, 11:30:48 AM
It will come back. It might take years though. I have several friends who had to evacuate their homes but I don't think any got burned and they are starting to go back. My prayers go out to those who suffered loss.
Title: Re: West Coast Fires
Post by: StephenR on September 14, 2020, 12:12:17 PM
Two couples we know who live in the Santa Cruz mountains both lost their homes in the recent fires. Thankfully they are safe but lost most everything. With the help of friends that live in the area one couple managed to get their collection of first run Fillmore and other 60s/70s era posters, and also Kevin's collectible 240Z, out before the house burned. They lived up a couple of narrow unpaved roads that are hard enough to navigate without smoke and fires. One huge problem in that area is that even the homes that didn't burn have no water because a lot of the ground pipes in the area are plastic and started to melt. The water supply isn't safe to drink due to the petrochemicals that leached out of the pipes into the system. They found a rental house for now and plan to rebuild at some point.

Today is the 28th day the air quality has been bad in the Bay Area. There is actually a bit of sun here in Oakland but the smokey haze continues and the air quality index is around 190, anything above 50 is considered very unhealthy. At least the heat here broke a couple of days ago. Last week it was 93 in our house when we went to bed and we couldn't open the windows because of the smoke. So much awful stuff going on this year even without the fires...

Stay safe everyone!
Title: Re: West Coast Fires
Post by: pauldo on September 14, 2020, 01:31:47 PM
Same here, Bill. 2 blocks visibility. My favourite part of the world is gone. Just burned up. Ancient forest, gone. The heart of the Oregon cascades, just gone. I am really depressed about the whole thing. I will spend a large part of my winter rogue planting trees along water sources that have burned up. Digging up seedlings from the sides of roads. It will take a long time, but its worth it. Any volunteers are welcome.

Nick

Nick your endeavor is truly admirable.  I thank you and Ma Nature does also!

The fact that I left work last night (in Wisconsin) and smelled smoke and wondered if it was from out west... only to be affirmed on the news this morning that it is, really punctuates the VERY difficult situation out there. 

Thoughts and prayers to all - stay safe, don't take chances.

On the plus side, even with old growth forests being decimated, the earth does love a good burn off now and then.   Rebounding is what Mother Nature does best.  And certain strains of mycelium REALLY like a burn, any mushroom foragers should look forward to selective harvesting opportunities in the near future. 

Title: Re: West Coast Fires
Post by: David Houck on September 14, 2020, 03:43:09 PM
Meanwhile, still another hurricane is about to make landfall in the Gulf Coast.  Latest track looks like the eye will just miss New Orleans to the east.
Title: Re: West Coast Fires
Post by: cozmik_cowboy on September 14, 2020, 04:52:08 PM
Kinda makes me glad I'm in the midwest, where we just have tornadoes and miserable summers................
Stay safe, all.

Peter (who, should you need to escape, has a couple spare beds)
Title: Re: West Coast Fires
Post by: rv_bass on September 15, 2020, 06:38:21 PM
Well, my buddy in OR just found out he lost his house.  Totally crazy.
Title: Re: West Coast Fires
Post by: lbpesq on September 15, 2020, 07:12:55 PM
Kinda makes me glad I'm in the midwest, where we just have tornadoes and miserable summers................
Stay safe, all.

Peter (who, should you need to escape, has a couple spare beds)


Coz, you guys get snow!  ‘Nuff said.

Bill, tgo


P.S.   Beds are very comfortable.
Title: Re: West Coast Fires
Post by: cozmik_cowboy on September 15, 2020, 08:10:57 PM
Kinda makes me glad I'm in the midwest, where we just have tornadoes and miserable summers................
Stay safe, all.

Peter (who, should you need to escape, has a couple spare beds)


Coz, you guys get snow!  ‘Nuff said.

Bill, tgo


P.S.   Beds are very comfortable.

Yer dern tootin' we do!

I finally realized I must be getting old when the sight of snow no longer made me frantically eager to go camping (not saying I no longer want to winter camp - just that it's not the obsession it once was............)

Peter
Title: Re: West Coast Fires
Post by: David Houck on September 16, 2020, 09:11:17 AM
Well, my buddy in OR just found out he lost his house.  Totally crazy.

Sorry to hear that.
Title: Re: West Coast Fires
Post by: rv_bass on September 16, 2020, 10:27:36 AM
Well, my buddy in OR just found out he lost his house.  Totally crazy.

Sorry to hear that.

Thanks, David, crazy and tragic.  And just think, California has been dealing with this for years!
Title: Re: West Coast Fires
Post by: KR on September 16, 2020, 10:29:29 AM
Going to the link below is helpful for West Coast air quality updates. Because of the fires I check this site everyday before I head out for my morning hike. Just put in your city, and it tells you current air quality.
https://www.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=dd4a15deed8647edacb14f140ca83d05
Title: Re: West Coast Fires
Post by: lbpesq on September 16, 2020, 11:20:05 AM
IT'S CLEAR TODAY!!!!!!   YEA!!!!!!!

Bill, tgo
Title: Re: West Coast Fires
Post by: elwoodblue on September 16, 2020, 11:38:10 AM
IT'S CLEAR TODAY!!!!!!   YEA!!!!!!!

Bill, tgo
Joy! ;D
 Your looking pretty good from above:
https://zoom.earth/#view=39.7,-121,5z/date=2020-09-16,11:00,-7 (https://zoom.earth/#view=39.7,-121,5z/date=2020-09-16,11:00,-7)


Here in the PNW it's still a bit acrid and orange-y.

Title: Re: West Coast Fires
Post by: StephenR on September 16, 2020, 11:50:56 AM
IT'S CLEAR TODAY!!!!!!   YEA!!!!!!!

Bill, tgo

Certainly nice to get a break from the smoke, may return by the weekend but for now we have some relief. Safe to leave the house now, take a hike, get some exercise, had almost forgotten what sun and blue skies look like.
Title: Re: West Coast Fires
Post by: JimmyJ on September 16, 2020, 12:45:14 PM
IT'S CLEAR TODAY!!!!!!   YEA!!!!!!!

Bill, tgo


Yes indeed, back to "moderate" air quality in our part of SoCal - which is about as good as we ever get.  The fresh air is due to the wind shifting back to an "on shore" flow but I understand our west coast smoke has now travelled as far as Massachusetts...  You're welcome!

Jimmy J
Title: Re: West Coast Fires
Post by: garyhead on September 16, 2020, 03:53:49 PM
Today was “lighter” than the past 10 days. Still can’t see farther than a half block but I can now read without extra reading lights. 

stepped out into the yard a bit yesterday. No longer smells of smoke but I feel like I’m at an elevation around 10,000 feet!  Getting winded just walking to the shed.
Title: Re: West Coast Fires
Post by: lbpesq on September 16, 2020, 04:10:00 PM
We’ve been running this non-stop in our living room.   The filter was replaced only three days ago.

Bill, tgo
Title: Re: West Coast Fires
Post by: garyhead on September 16, 2020, 04:16:10 PM
We’ve been running this non-stop in our living room.   The filter was replaced only three days ago.

Bill, tgo

  WOW!  That Fan is as Big as a CAT HOUSE!   ;D