California is Burning (Again)

[snapt]

Heard its only 8 miles from Alpine at this point? Though can it pass over the crest of the sierra?

[Meadow Skipper]

Here you go, the official werd:
http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4108/

Looks more like 12-15 miles, and I'd think it wouldn't easily burn across the crest - too little fuel.

[snapt]

Looks more like 12-15 miles, and I'd think it wouldn't easily burn across the crest - too little fuel.

Kinda what I thought, have some truckee friends going wild on FB telling people to pack their bags and flee. Seems a little unnecessary at this point.

[Meadow Skipper]

Kinda what I thought, have some truckee friends going wild on FB telling people to pack their bags and flee. Seems a little unnecessary at this point.

That's a little over-the-top. If it managed to cross the crest, it'd have to burn downhill like 2500 ft of elevation to get to Truckee.

[char]

CalFire saying $5 mil/day to fight this and they're on pace for a "world-record" for retardant use. More than 400k gallons in the last two days. 210k yesterday.




Found some better MODIS maps that I'll link in a bit.

When this thing kicked off they had a shelter deployment and then the crew (11 or so inmates + overhead) made a run for a helispot. They had to sling them cases of water so they could make it. Heat cramps and such.


World record for retardant wasted probably.

10 mile run overnight is impressive.

Hopefully everyone stays safe. Other than that, burn that shit up.

[sierraskier]

So this thing is pretty fucking bad. I watched the smoke plume from Incline develop yesterday from being barely visible over the western slope/crest in the morning into towering triple overhead by sunset. Basically they have zero handle on this and it's running unabated NE on a line right to alpine/squaw. As discussed, this AM's update had it at Hell Hole which is only about 1 large ridge over from Ward Peak and the crest. Smoke has filled back into the basin thick and I'm very worried about what the next update is going to show on the map.

[Meadow Skipper]

World record for retardant wasted probably.

Depends - the public loves to see retardant drops, so the PR is priceless. The masses think that's what puts fires out.

[char]

Depends - the public loves to see retardant drops, so the PR is priceless. The masses think that's what puts fires out.

Have you seen the videos of the C-130's on the Rim fire dropping in the middle of fucking no where? Un-real. It will be interesting to see what San Dimas comes up with on their effectiveness study.

[Meadow Skipper]

Have you seen the videos of the C-130's on the Rim fire dropping in the middle of fucking no where? Un-real. It will be interesting to see what San Dimas comes up with on their effectiveness study.

Effectiveness study?!? Too funny. After getting their ass roasted by voters Congress earmarked $$$ for big-ass airtankers, and by god they're gonna fly! That's all the effectiveness you need.

[Meadow Skipper]

Cool picture from the King Fire sent to me by a friend that works for the FS in Tahoe:

[LightRanger]

Effectiveness study?!? Too funny. After getting their ass roasted by voters Congress earmarked $$$ for big-ass airtankers, and by god they're gonna fly! That's all the effectiveness you need.

You have to admit those DC-10s are goddamned impressive. :-)

As for further growth, let's hope for less extreme weather and that next week's system actually materializes and is well-organized. If there's another day of spotting 3 miles out and the main line is a lot closer to the Crest than yesterday? Scary thought. I dunno though. I'd be more concerned if I lived in Serene Lakes or Foresthill (if the wind changes) than the other side of the Crest. The Cedars is out there too.

Still a sad loss of a lot of great recreation land. 4x4 crowd will be bummed. Probably going to impact their ability to run the Rubicon with additional erosion control from the fire on top of what the Regional Board already imposed.

[east or bust]

Call me crazy but looking at the topo I don't think it would be too farfetched to say that fire can find it's way around the crest esp. to the south. Though I guess it depends what is on the ground.

[Meadow Skipper]

Still a sad loss of a lot of great recreation land.

Because I'm that kind of dick I'm compelled to point out that the land isn't "lost," it's still there, it's just...changed. It will pretty much fuck recreation values, though.

Those DC-10s are awesome, but the old-timer in me really loved the sound of radial piston engines firing up.

[sierraskier]

Call me crazy but looking at the topo I don't think it would be too farfetched to say that fire can find it's way around the crest esp. to the south. Though I guess it depends what is on the ground.

I'm certainly no expert. There is a lot of granite near the crest (less fuel)... but given that it ran 10+ miles last night alone and was spotting up to 3mi ahead of the main fire I would say anything is possible at this point.

[Viva]

Damn. Drove through Pollock Pines early Sunday afternoon, when this was still just a little pee pee fire. Amazing to see that it's made its way to Hell Hole. The next reservoir up is French Meadows, with Red Star Ridge flanking its NW aspects. The WS100 course runs along that. Spent a lot of quality time there over the past 27 years. A couple of recent fires, Star Fire and some other more recent one may limit King Fire's spread in a northwesterly direction because so much shit burned already, even should the wind shift. But there's a lot of fucking timber along the upper part of Red Star and on the east side of French Meadows. Allah willing, this fire could burn up to the Escarpment, right to the edge of Squaw Valley.

[Viva]

From Red Star looking east towards Squaw. This spot along the ridge is, maybe, five miles N. of French Meadows.

[TahoeBC]

Anther big wind event with spotting 3 miles ahead of the fire it could easily get over the crest. Looks like the wind will change directions and hopefully blow back on its self a bit. Enormous resources are on the way also.

[frorider]

Alpine Meadows is saying it's 6 miles away. But wind is supposed to change direction, potentially directing it east tonight into the granite rich areas in Desolation.

Friend of mine in Pollock Pines thinks he went to HS with this fucknugget. Had a rep as an arsonist, picked up by the police quickly.

[splat]

Have you checked in to make sure your status is available? Sometimes if they throw things to an expanded you can get lost in the shuffle. Then again, sometimes calling to check just pisses people off... Not sure how things run there.

The process totally changed this year, Yeti. Had to bid day rate and mileage. The process cut the competition by about 85% from what I've seen on the priority list, but if someone somewhere else underbid me (quite likely) they're supposed to do a cost analysis and choose best cost value at the dispatch level. Plus, I heard BLM invested in their own ground support vehicles recently, so basically, it appears my back yard has to be on fire to get called with the bid I'm married to. I'm sure Sierra Front engines are there now. Thinking about calling dispatch anyways in a couple days if things keep raging on the King. If it goes over the crest, I'll quite likely get the call.

Said Fuck It, called dispatch. Logistics guy said they've had requests for everything but drivers but it would probably happen. I miss the good ole daze when I could watch inciweb, drive there and get hired on the spot. Fire chasin', they call it.

[~mikey b]

If any of y'all need help let me know.

[splat]

Shit, too bad I didn't know this yesterday, telemike.
I just had some buddies looking for help take off to cook in a camp in Oregon.

[char]

Effectiveness study?!? Too funny. After getting their ass roasted by voters Congress earmarked $$$ for big-ass airtankers, and by god they're gonna fly! That's all the effectiveness you need.

There was a crew of like 8 running around with ipads, cameras, trucks and all expenses paid resource orders last year just waiting for an airtanker to take off so they could high tail it to the fire. I think they might even have a plane with a FLIR on it. (rumor? can't remember)

But yeah, point taken on the PR end.

[splat]

[TahoeJ]

Fuck. Let's hope the lack of fuel on the crest holds it back... one big gust of wind can make a pretty huge jump, though. I have two good firefighter friends up there right now - may have some pics to post soon when they get off shift.

[~mikey b]

Shit, too bad I didn't know this yesterday, telemike.
I just had some buddies looking for help take off to cook in a camp in Oregon.

I meant homeowners but thanks. I'm off for a ten - fourteen day work tour tomorrow. Not running the water truck this year. That was sort of a mess and I'm staying out of it. Hope you get a call.