My State Is Burning To The Ground!

[paularoid]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v25/paularoid/JIMB/FIRE.jpg

Where's the National Gaurd? How come they haven't been called in just like in the past? Oh yeah,..... they (the 1016th) is over in Iraq protecting me from terr'ists so what we've had to do instead is recruit firefighters all the way from New Zealand.

What is wrong with this?

PS: Forgive the spelling in the article above (balckened as opposed to blackened). I and many others don't call this I-DUH-ho for no reason.

[pulmike]

Four major fires, eh? How far from you ? Are they threatening developed areas or timber farms? Or are they part of the new let it burn philosophy?
Sorry paularoid. I love Idaho and its forests too, although I am way more familiar with northern Idaho.

For the rest, only fellow Idahoans or those with special interest in the state would undestand how politics, history, culture, geography, economics, and transportation problems have all but officially divided the State into three; the southern, central, and northern regions.

pulmike

[Rkitko]

It depends on where the fires are burning/what they're burning. We need to let our forests return to a natural fire regime, but we complicate things by putting roads through forests and living near them... Ecologically, I don't like the idea that fire is "bad", though in this situation protecting towns is important and you're right to be annoyed that the national guard isn't around to help.

One other thing... Is this Redjack's fault? :confused: I believe he is the common scapegoat on the board. *bleats*

[RedjackRyan]

While i enjoy a good barbecue as much and as often as possible, i draw the line at barbecuing friends and their towns. Unless Eva is with me, then we have a no town shall go unpillaged policy.

[saxman]

i feel the pain you are going through. the fires went through my back yard a couple weeks ago , Pioneertown calif. so i understand what you are expierencing, the smoke that chokes the not being able to sleep . My prayers are with you , i will wish for a rain storm . Peace . it will be ok soon. sorry you are in the line of the fires. is there anything that you need that i can help with?

[paularoid]

I'll try to answer all question in one shot by posting excerpts from an AP article in our local newspaper. I'd post the whole thing but I'm afraid it may be too long. The link to the article is:

http://www.idahostatejournal.com/articles/2006/08/17/ap-state-id/d8jhpp9g1.txt


it will be ok soon. sorry you are in the line of the fires. is there anything that you need that i can help with?
I'm not in the direct line of any of the fires and thanks for the offer but we've got things under control as far as needing anything other than a break from the winds that are whipping up the fires to a frenzy.


i draw the line at barbecuing friends and their towns.
Well you're safe then,... unless you happen to have friends in Atomic City. The Crystal fire is approaching Atomic City out in the middle of the Arco desert close to the INEEL reactor site.


It depends on where the fires are burning/what they're burning. We need to let our forests return to a natural fire regime, but we complicate things by putting roads through forests and living near them... Ecologically, I don't like the idea that fire is "bad", though in this situation protecting towns is important and you're right to be annoyed that the national guard isn't around to help.
I agree with ALL of that. The only problem with the policies of the past is that by fighting all the fires in the past, all the undergrowth and deadfall built up and created an abundance of fuel in the forests that is now a fire hazard.


Four major fires, eh? How far from you ? Are they threatening developed areas or timber farms? Or are they part of the new let it burn philosophy?
Sorry paularoid. I love Idaho and its forests too, although I am way more familiar with northern Idaho.
Oh there's a LOT more than four. Those four are the only ones mentioned in that particular article. To quote from the article:

Thousands of lightning strikes across Idaho sparked several new wildfires Wednesday that boosted the state's total of large, major active fires to 15, the most in the country.
And no, they're not part of the 'let it burn' philosophy,.. at least not around here they're not. What's burning around here are one farmer's wheat field (so far) and open grazing land that the cattle ranchers use. To quote a different article here
http://www.idahostatejournal.com/articles/2006/08/17/news/local/news02.txt

The group of ranchers could do nothing more than stand together in Ken Eliason's yard and watch their fields burn Wednesday afternoon.

In the distance, patches of Ken's alfalfa smoldered below blackened hills.

All in all we'll be just fine actually. I was just using this as an excuse to step up on my soapbox and bitch about the fact that the majority of our firefighters (the National Gaurd) are not here because of political nonsensical reasons.

Go to the links and check 'em out if you're really interested. Also check out this one that's an "incident" tracking site for fires in the country.
National Fire Incident Database:
http://www.inciweb.org/

[Rkitko]

I agree with ALL of that. The only problem with the policies of the past is that by fighting all the fires in the past, all the undergrowth and deadfall built up and created an abundance of fuel in the forests that is now a fire hazard.

Agreed. It's unfortunate that more people don't understand that a healthy fire regime in a forest can mean a good burning every 20 years or so, depending on the forest. New Jersey Pine Barrens lands were reduced to a 60-year burn cycle during fire suppression, but they're slowly inching back toward 20 year cycles.



Go to the links and check 'em out if you're really interested. Also check out this one that's an "incident" tracking site for fires in the country.
National Fire Incident Database:
http://www.inciweb.org/
Hmm, I just lit a candle (mango-scented, if you're interested). Do I have to report that to the National Fire Incident Database?? :rolleyes:

[paularoid]

Hmm, I just lit a candle (mango-scented, if you're interested). Do I have to report that to the National Fire Incident Database?? :rolleyes:
:p I most certainly could have used that mango scent today. I was in an area today where the whole Snake River valley was full of smoke from the Crystal fire. At that time there was about a 5,000 foot ceiling. One thing about all this smoke in the air is that it makes for spectacular sunrises and sunsets. Brilliant colors. Just too bad it's so hard to breathe around here. :(

-later addition (8-19-06)-
I saw on the news tonight that the area burned by the Crystal fire has covered more area than the whole city of New York,..... and that's a big a$$ area. Just imagine if the whole city of New York burned to the ground.