California WildFires 2017

[margarita25]

I read somehere that fires can continue to exist and burn underground, even through the winter, then reignite.

 

[cvaldez1975]

I read somehere that fires can continue to exist and burn underground, even through the winter, then reignite.

Whaaaat..... I know hot spots can reignite soon later but that long later?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Lilibet]

Update on all fires...19 dead in Santa Rosa, raising the total to 35.

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/7521925-181/sonoma-county-fires-grow-winds?artslide=15

CNN is reporting the total as 36 and gives a breakdown...

Of the 36 people who were killed by the fires since Sunday night, 19 died in Sonoma County, officials said. Nine people in Mendocino County, at least four in Yuba County and four in Napa County have died, officials said.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/13/us/california-fires-updates/index.html

 

[Lilibet]

Six more wineries confirmed destroyed Friday, bringing the total to 16 of destroyed or severely damaged wineries.

http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/10/...d-by-wine-country-fires-bringing-total-to-12/

http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/10/...maged-or-destroyed-in-the-wine-country-fires/

 

[MsFacetious]

CNN: 23 reported dead and hundreds still missing.

I can never get CNN to link if there is a video. Someone told me how and I didn’t write it down. Anyway, the story is there right now.

That was me. Just catching up so I'm sure someone else already addressed this for you.
However if you paste the link, then remove the http:// and click post it will work.
The http:// will be added back in but will only post as a link.
Here's a recent one as a demonstration.

www.cnn.com/2017/10/13/us/california-fires-updates/index.html

Back to catching up.

 

[MsFacetious]

I can’t even imagine the horror this family faced trying to flee when their car caught on fire.

http://www.ktvu.com/news/teen-boy-dies-in-driveway-during-mendocino-evacuations-family-hospitalized

ETA: More about this family. The teenaged daughter’s legs had to be amputated.

http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2017/10/13/mendocino-fire-boy-killed/

I read this while laying next to my little guy, also a Kai. :tears:

Update on all fires...19 dead in Santa Rosa, raising the total to 35.

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/7521925-181/sonoma-county-fires-grow-winds?artslide=15

CNN is reporting the total as 36 and gives a breakdown...

Of the 36 people who were killed by the fires since Sunday night, 19 died in Sonoma County, officials said. Nine people in Mendocino County, at least four in Yuba County and four in Napa County have died, officials said.

www.cnn.com/2017/10/13/us/california-fires-updates/index.html

Unbelievable. So much devastation everywhere.

 

[margarita25]

Whaaaat..... I know hot spots can reignite soon later but that long later?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I was surprised as well. Had no idea til the other day, will see if I can find the article I read re: to the fires at hand.

(Article from 2016:

When wildfires hide underground -- then rage again
www.cnn.com/2016/05/11/americas/wildfire-resurrections/index.html

"Even after the flames die down, the fire has a "good chance" of hiding underground, smoldering through the winter and sprouting back up as a wildfire next spring, said Mike Flannigan, University of Alberta wildfire professor.

"That's not unheard of," he said. "It happens all the time."

Here's how:

Peat keeps the fire alive

Any ground that contains a fair amount of decayed organic material runs the risk of fueling underground fires, Flannigan said. In northern Alberta, where the Fort McMurray fire is raging, the earth is about 20% peat.

"As long as there's fuel and oxygen, it'll continue to burn," he said.

Think about it like a fire burning under coals in a barbecue pit. You might not see the fire, but you know it's down there.

"Sometimes you can see the heat being released, and sometimes it can be smoke," Flannigan said. "Most of the time they're not visible."

Hidden fires can survive winters

Deep layers of peat can keep a fire going all the way through a snowy Canadian winter. That's because the ground gets warmer the deeper you go; it doesn't matter how much snow is on top of it." )

 

[margarita25]

Smoke from Wine Country fires at ‘unprecedented’ and ‘hazardous’ levels
Friday, October 13, 2017
http://www.sfgate.com/health/articl...ted-hazardous-12277260.php?ipid=articlerecirc

"Air pollution from the fires roaring across the North Bay reached “unprecedented” levels this week, with measures of the noxious particulates that can sicken even healthy people hitting highs never seen before in the Bay Area, air quality experts said Friday."

Snip

"“We’re seeing levels now that are unprecedented. We’ve never recorded air pollution levels this high,” said Kristine Roselius, a spokeswoman for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. “It’s been off the charts.”"

 

[margarita25]

That was me. Just catching up so I'm sure someone else already addressed this for you.
However if you paste the link, then remove the http:// and click post it will work.
The http:// will be added back in but will only post as a link.
Here's a recent one as a demonstration.

www.cnn.com/2017/10/13/us/california-fires-updates/index.html

Back to catching up.

( Oh my goodness, thank you)

(Eta: yay! Best tip here ever! :happydance

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Whaaaat..... I know hot spots can reignite soon later but that long later?

Here in the UK moorland fires can appear to be put out but the peat can smoulder underground for months before reigniting.

 

[margarita25]

Whaaaat..... I know hot spots can reignite soon later but that long later?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Here we go:

6 important things to know about wildfires
Wed October 11, 2017
www.cnn.com/2017/10/11/weather/wildfires-things-to-know-trnd/index.html
(Yay, thank you Ms.F, so happy to know about how to fix the CNN links! )

"Just because a fire isn't spreading across the ground doesn't mean it's dead. It could be burning underground, where decaying organic material called peat can keep it alive for months or more.

This obviously presents a serious danger, since a fire that is contained and supposedly beaten in the summer can, theoretically, survive underground during the winter and spread again when conditions become hot and dry again."

 

[margarita25]

Also from the above article ( "6 important things to know about wildfires"), re: the environmental impact:

"They're not always bad for the environment, in the long run

While fires can obviously be devastating for vegetation and even more so for populated areas, there are some unexpected benefits to a cleansing blaze. According the the National Park Service, wildfires can curb pest populations, purge non-native and invasive plant species, and provide nutrients and new spots of sunlight for the plants that remain afterward.

Some animals can also benefit, because fires change the landscape of an area, and with it, local feeding and hunting habits. There are even two species of pine trees that can only reproduce when fire opens their cones, releasing the seeds within."

www.cnn.com/2017/10/11/weather/wildfires-things-to-know-trnd/index.html

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Talking of peat, as a fuel it burns very hot and very slow. It's why it was dug commercially so long in Ireland for use as a domestic and even power station fuel.

 

[margarita25]

Oh, here's another thing I learned the other day, I had never heard of fire tornadoes! (Here's a picture of one at his link fron 2014 in San Diego: http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/11/weather/wildfires-things-to-know-trnd/index.html

"It's no suprise that, say, dry conditions increase fire risk. But windy conditions can also push wildfires forward and spread embers. Hot conditions can make the ground more likely to burn, and on a hot day, rising warm air can create a path for fire to travel up steep landscapes like mountains. In fact, fire will burn faster uphill than downhill.

Very large fires can also create their own weather -- strong winds, and in some cases, fire tornadoes."

Eta: adding photo:

A fire tornado erupts near San Diego, California in 2014.

 

[margarita25]

I learned a lot from that article, fires traveling faster uphill, etc; I also thought this was interesting, as far as the "coating the vegetation" goes:

"When you hear news about a wildfire, you usually hear about firefighters "containing," rather than putting out, the fire. Here are two major methods they use:

Flame retardant: If you've ever seen photos of an aircraft flying over a wildfire and wondered what smoky substance they're dumping, it's fire retardant, known as "slurry." It's mostly a mixture of fertilizer and water, designed to coat vegetation and slow down the spread of the fire. It's dyed that ominous red so firefighters know exactly where it's being released. In a large wildfire, tens of thousands of gallons of this retardant can be dropped to slow the blaze.

Firelines: Fire spreads as it ignites brush, vegetation, structures and other flammable material. A "fireline" is an area that firefighters clear, so the fire has nowhere to go. Firefighters completely clear an area and scrape the ground down to the soil to ensure there's nothing for the fire to burn."

http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/11/weather/wildfires-things-to-know-trnd/index.html

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Oh, here's another thing I learned the other day, I had never heard of fire tornadoes! (Here's a picture of one at his link fron 2014 in San Diego: http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/11/weathe...rnd/index.html )

Unfortunately your link doesn't work for me, but here's a film of one in Australia:

[video=youtube;lsyvOYcWgcg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsyvOYcWgcg[/video]

 

[MsFacetious]

Glad it helped Margarita!

Okay totally crying now. Also making sure we have carrier/leash/harness ready to go in an emergency. I would never leave the animals behind. Also almost named my kid Bentley.

http://fox40.com/2017/10/12/woman-flees-fire-on-bike-with-70-pound-dog-in-her-duffel-bag/

Woman Flees Fire on Bike with 70-Pound Dog in Her Duffel Bag

"I would never part ways with my dog. ever," Wallace said. "That's my ride or die. Oh my God, literally."

So she shoved Bentley, her 4-year-old pit bull, into her Honda and drove down the road -- within minutes, she was stuck between other cars.

"It was coming faster than I could leave in traffic, so I went back and got my bike," Wallace remembers.

She also grabbed a duffel bag which she used as a makeshift sidecar for her 70-pound best friend.

"So I grabbed my dog and I told him, 'Hey man, this is serious, you need to just sit in the bag.' And he, he hopped right in," Wallace said.

 

[margarita25]

Unfortunately your link doesn't work for me, but here's a film of one in Australia:
Rsbm

(Sorry about that, I fixed the link above, and added the photo, thank you)

 

[pandamonium]

High winds expected again around 2am. Could get even worse

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[margarita25]

(And here we are, in another WS thread in which contributions by our Late Great Foxfire are dearly missed. As many of you might remember, Glenn was a former Fire Captain. I can just hear him now responding to my posts above in his extremely polite, yet concise and technical manner: "Yes, margarita25, you are correct, my battalion and I actually responded to a fire in which we implemented..." )


Miss ya Foxfire! Love you man! :heartbeat: )