 Wildfire(s) OT
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,590
Check Pants
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OP
Check Pants
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,590 |
Given the fact this has been our hottest, and one of the driest seasons to date, it follows that wildfire would follow. Last Tuesday the "Chippy Creek fire" sparked north of Plains, by nightfall it exceeded 500 acres. Now it stands at 40,000+ acres with few signs of slowing. There're 4-5 similar fires burning across western Montana. Strangely, although the origin was less than 20 miles of where I sit, our air has remained (thankfully) clear due to westerly winds. Those same winds have fanned the flames beyond thoughts of control. http://www.inciweb.org/incident/893jh
"It's not what I say that's important, it's what you hear" Red Auerbach
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Re: Wildfire(s) OT
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,302
Learned Hand
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Learned Hand
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,302 |
Ya get a sick feeling in your stomach knowing ow much wildlife and nature are eaten up by wildfires every year.
mike
2006 neon blue speedmaster
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Re: Wildfire(s) OT
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 65
Member
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Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 65 |
Haven't wildfires been happening for eons? Isn't it nature's way of cleaning up and making way for new growth?
03 Red/Black Speedmaster
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Re: Wildfire(s) OT
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 18,825
"Lighten up, Francis."
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"Lighten up, Francis."
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 18,825 |
I think we've got all your smoke here in Helena, along with our own humongous fire (Gates of the Mountains) just to the north.
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Re: Wildfire(s) OT
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6,432 Likes: 1
Worn Saddle
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Worn Saddle
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6,432 Likes: 1 |
Hey, watch your butt and don't turn into Fryer John...
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. Herm Albright (1876 - 1944)
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Re: Wildfire(s) OT
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 18,825
"Lighten up, Francis."
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"Lighten up, Francis."
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 18,825 |
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Re: Wildfire(s) OT
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,164 Likes: 1
Should be Riding
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Should be Riding
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,164 Likes: 1 |
I heard on the radio this morning that one of the fires was gettin pretty close to Missoula.
I hope you guys make out ok.
Soren
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Re: Wildfire(s) OT
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 319
Adjunct
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Adjunct
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 319 |
Quote:
Haven't wildfires been happening for eons? Isn't it nature's way of cleaning up and making way for new growth?
That's exactly right Patriot. It's really only a problem now that we (humans) have set our houses and villages too close to or even into the forests, without establishing proper wildland / urban interface.
'07 America
www.patriotguard.org
"If you're not living on the edge...........You're taking up too much space!
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Re: Wildfire(s) OT
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 18,825
"Lighten up, Francis."
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"Lighten up, Francis."
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 18,825 |
Quote:
Haven't wildfires been happening for eons? Isn't it nature's way of cleaning up and making way for new growth?
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Re: Wildfire(s) OT
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6,432 Likes: 1
Worn Saddle
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Worn Saddle
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6,432 Likes: 1 |
Quote:
Haven't wildfires been happening for eons? Isn't it nature's way of cleaning up and making way for new growth?
unless, of course, Mother Nature threw a lit ciggie out the window on her way home...
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. Herm Albright (1876 - 1944)
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Re: Wildfire(s) OT
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,164 Likes: 1
Should be Riding
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Should be Riding
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,164 Likes: 1 |
You know, I've been trying to get her to quit smoking for years.  Soren
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Re: Wildfire(s) OT
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,590
Check Pants
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OP
Check Pants
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,590 |
Quote:
Haven't wildfires been happening for eons? Isn't it nature's way of cleaning up and making way for new growth?
True enough. Naturally caused fires in wilderness areas are pretty much allowed to run their course, I think some National Park fires are treated the same way. One thing I hear from people who know, is that years of organized fire suppression has allowed substantial fuel buildups to where fires that get away today can burn much hotter than in earlier, "pre-settlement" days.
This one (Chippy Creek) is just under 70,000 acres now. We catch a break, cooler/little wind, then have days like today where a combination of wind and high temps literally "fan the flames". Fire ecology is a large topic, that's always being discussed in political, ecological, human and economic terms. Fires that burn hot on the surface can potentially change future landscapes for a hundred years or more.
I'll be riding to visit a ranch a couple miles east of this fire tomorrow afternoon.
jh
"It's not what I say that's important, it's what you hear" Red Auerbach
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Re: Wildfire(s) OT
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 18,825
"Lighten up, Francis."
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"Lighten up, Francis."
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 18,825 |
How's the smoke in T-Falls? We had blue sky and clouds this morning for the first time in weeks. Then I went to a movie at 4 and when I got out you couldn't (and still can't) see your hand in front of your face. Remember Challis, ID, last year? That bad. The Meriweather fire is mostly contained so I'm not sure where it's coming from. It's brutal.
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Re: Wildfire(s) OT
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,164 Likes: 1
Should be Riding
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Should be Riding
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,164 Likes: 1 |
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Re: Wildfire(s) OT
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 9,223
Big Bore
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Big Bore
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 9,223 |
That a great resource, Soren. We used it last year to track Florida wildfires.
Curiosity getting the better of me, I clicked on a bunch of the Montana fire links. For all I saw, the causes were attributed to lightning.
"Never underestimate the power of human stupidity" - Robert Heinlein
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