California is Burning (Again)

KQ · 10-16-2020, 12:00 AM

Trump administration rejects California's disaster assistance request for wildfires

**DJSapp** · 10-16-2020, 12:15 AM

How completely un-shocking. The best part is the areas that burned are some of the deepest red areas in the state. He's alienating the few supporters the R's have here.

**JPaul** · 10-16-2020, 12:28 AM

Originally Posted by KQ

Trump administration rejects California's disaster assistance request for wildfires

Thanks, I hadn't seen that. Will commence hoping for the best in the appeals process, but the wording of the request seems to be a laundry list of things the administration would love to happen to CA if they continue to refuse aid.

First thing I read after pressing "Submit" on my Federal taxes tonight, too...

**bodywhomper** · 10-16-2020, 01:12 AM

Hopefully the appeal is granted. There’s a declaration for the august fires.

**lepistoir** · 05-06-2021, 11:54 AM

Gonna be a bad year unless everybuddy is very careful and we get very lucky.

Here's how climate change has lengthened and intensified fire season:

All images from Daniel Swain's Twitter @weather_west

**bodywhomper** · 05-06-2021, 12:16 PM

It looks like part of norcal is about to enter into its second red flag warning in less than a week.

**heckacali** · 05-06-2021, 12:19 PM

I am not looking forward to this thread reaching 100 pages this summer.

**2bjenny** · 05-06-2021, 02:27 PM

This is kind of crazy. I know trees can smolder for a really long time, but....

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...ornia-wildfire

**Meadow Skipper** · 05-06-2021, 05:43 PM

Originally Posted by 2bjenny

This is kind of crazy. I know trees can smolder for a really long time, but....

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...ornia-wildfire

Yep. Roots and deep duff can smolder overwinter, or fire can hold in the wood of generally fire resistant trees like giant sequoias. It even happened in Alaska a couple times when I worked there. Warm low precip winters, like this last one, tend to let this happen.

**neufox47** · 05-06-2021, 11:59 PM

Last weekend a burn pile got away from a guy and turned into a brush / forest fire, took 50 firefighters and three drops to put it out. Trees burning May 1st...

Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

**evdog** · 05-07-2021, 02:21 AM

Originally Posted by 2bjenny

This is kind of crazy. I know trees can smolder for a really long time, but....

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...ornia-wildfire

I headed up to Shaver Lake over Labor day...got evacuated Saturday. So I headed down to Sequoia National monument. Got evacuated there on Monday. Not a great weekend. Especially when the fire that was 30 miles away at the time burned through the area I'd been riding a week later. The big trees should survive, but I'm sure it will look a lot different when it opens up.

PB · 05-07-2021, 01:10 PM

The two most terrifying words right now are "north wind", especially if sustained at 30 mph or above. I'm actually starting to think about evacuation plans for living in Sac Valley (west side). Seems like any town/city that, while not surrounded by especially flammable vegetation, is subject to these winds just needs an upwind spark under the right conditions. None of the local fire orgs would stand a chance.

**old goat** · 05-07-2021, 04:12 PM

Spending the afternoon raking the forest.

**bodywhomper** · 05-07-2021, 08:22 PM

PB, you’re not wrong. In most suburbs, there is usually no defensible space between homes. This is a fact that escaped Calfire for a long time, but I believe that’s changed.

Originally Posted by old goat

Spending the afternoon raking the forest.

I volunteered at a rx burn last Saturday that had a training/instruction format. It was led by two of the authors: https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/pos...?postnum=28855

**Lone Star** · 05-07-2021, 09:53 PM

now that we're seeing fires like the Camp Fire where the fuel carrying the fire is..... other buildings..... the "defensible space" mantra may have to be refined a bit

**bodywhomper** · 05-07-2021, 10:20 PM

Originally Posted by Lone Star

now that we're seeing fires like the Camp Fire where the fuel carrying the fire is..... other buildings..... the "defensible space" mantra may have to be refined a bit

I’ve heard a former state fire marshal talking about this policy “mistake” in a public forum... a mistake in hindsight. It first came to light and recognition in 2003.

**Meathelmet** · 05-08-2021, 01:08 AM

Originally Posted by old goat

Spending the afternoon raking the forest.

What are you, a Finn??

**telehacker** · 05-08-2021, 08:45 AM

https://wildfiretoday.com/2021/05/06...35-day-period/

**LongShortLong** · 05-08-2021, 09:43 AM

Originally Posted by Lone Star

now that we're seeing fires like the Camp Fire where the fuel carrying the fire is..... other buildings..... the "defensible space" mantra may have to be refined a bit

Hard not to notice the tall green trees with a few patches of charred bark standing among the ash piles that were houses. "Forest fire," while not 100% wrong seems the wrong descriptor. Hopefully study happens, lessons are learned, and policies changed. Parents got a visit from the county fire officials for the first time ever, signs of progress.

**old_newguy** · 05-08-2021, 09:56 AM

Wildland fire professionals and researchers have known about defensible space and houses spreading fire to each other for a long time (I knew about this and it was part of standard Calfire in brief 20 years ago when I went down there).

Defensible space standards, home spacing and enforcement etc are a political problem not a knowledge problem.

**old goat** · 05-08-2021, 11:06 AM

The fire guys around here say that defensible space works for smaller fires, not big ones. The problem with big ones is wind blown embers, not advancing fire front, and the only prevention is fire-hardening individual houses. A lot of wood decks around here--having a fire-resistant roof doesn't do much good when your deck's on fire. I'm no expert, but that's what we're being told. We still do the defensible space of course, but we're under no illusion it will always protect us. One problem in our neighborhood---defensible space is only enforced on developed lots and there is still lots of undeveloped private buildable land adjacent to us that is overgrown and ready to burn.

**bodywhomper** · 05-08-2021, 04:14 PM

Regarding spaces between homes in suburbs. I agree that it’s political. Apparently, the big up and coming change will be in the states wildfire hazard severity zone mapping.

Wind blown embers are a huge problem, especially in later season fires when the deciduous trees are just waiting for the strong wind to release their leaves. When that strong wind is pyro-based, you get the problem experienced by paradise.

**old goat** · 05-08-2021, 04:39 PM

Originally Posted by bodywhomper

Regarding spaces between homes in suburbs. I agree that it’s political. Apparently, the big up and coming change will be in the states wildfire hazard severity zone mapping.

Wind blown embers are a huge problem, especially in later season fires when the deciduous trees are just waiting for the strong wind to release their leaves. When that strong wind is pyro-based, you get the problem experienced by paradise.

The more space between houses the farther houses extend into the wildland urban interface.

PB · 05-08-2021, 04:42 PM

Gunnison Fire north of Chico be burnin'

**bodywhomper** · 05-08-2021, 05:08 PM

Originally Posted by old goat

The more space between houses the farther houses extend into the wildland urban interface.

I believe it’s more about zoning codes and planning. Where I grew up in Orange County, the lot sizes stayed the same but newer and newer subdivisions (often in former ag fields and orchards) had homes built closer and closer together.

I did some “raking” today at my house with a br600 and a McLeod.