West Coast Fires

[rv_bass]

Hoping all of our friends in California and Oregon are safe and healthy.  First COVID, now massive fires, just crazy!  Take care out there!

[David Houck]

The headlines, stories, and pictures speak to the heart throughout each day.

[edwardofhuncote]

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.

[garyhead]

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....

[hankster]

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.

[rv_bass]

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!

[lbpesq]

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

[HyAlembicK]

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

[gtrguy]

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.

[StephenR]

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!

[pauldo]

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. 

[David Houck]

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.

[cozmik_cowboy]

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)

[rv_bass]

Well, my buddy in OR just found out he lost his house.  Totally crazy.

[lbpesq]

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.