Jackson’s On Fire

[SumJongGuy]

The one on the very top is for sale
Attachment 292833

Fire sale?

[highangle]

Update, 6:45 p.m.: Officials say no structures have been lost in the newly named Saddle Butte wildfire. Firefighters will remain on scene throughout Sunday night and into Monday morning, Teton County public information officer Kristen Waters said.

An estimated 300 acres were scorched in the blaze, Waters said. An evacuation order remains in place overnight, she said, which impacts about 30 households.

Personnel with Jackson Hole Fire/EMS, Bridger-Teton National Forest, Grand Teton National Park, Teton County Sheriff's Office, Jackson Police Department and Wyoming Highway Patrol were all on scene Sunday afternoon. The fire started at 1:25 p.m., officials said.

"Within 20 minutes it was threatening homes in the area," Waters said. "The fire continues to move along the butte."

Update, 6:04 p.m.: An aerial firefighting ballet continues over downtown Jackson as people watch the drama from the streets.

Officials won't be able to investigate how the fire began until they get it contained, but eyewitnesses point to an electrical transformer on the hillside across from the Virginian Lodge and Jackson Hole Whitewater. A tangled bunch of balloons appears to have flown into the power line, and two different groups of witnesses said they saw sparks showering down to the dry grass.

Officials are stopping traffic on Highway 89 near Dairy Queen at the north entrance to Jackson so that helicopters can access water from Flat Creek.

Update, 5:04 p.m.: A hotshot crew has arrived to help fight the Virginian Fire.

Update, 4:41 p.m.: Ground and helicopter crews are focused on a pocket of fire directly north of Loaf ‘N Jug.

No structures have yet been lost in the Virginian Fire as it sweeps over East Gros Ventre Butte, officials said. A hotshot firefighting crew has been ordered, and a second helicopter is en route.

[TBS]

How does a bunch of helium balloons cause a power line to spark?

Big attaboyz to the firefighting crews. That’s a lot of values at risk!

[SB]

Acts just like a tree branch that falls across 3 phases. Few years ago where I used to work we had a bunch of mylar balloons get released nearby. They got tangled on a 34.5 main feed line and put us in the dark until I started up the 4160V diesels to restore power, completed in about 2.5 minutes, to critical government communications.

[TBS]

^^^Makes sense. Thanks

[rideit]

That’s crazy that no structures burned, 8 of us watched flames and black smoke emanating from what appeared to be houses. All agreed they were toast.
Insane.

[Rideski]

How does a bunch of helium balloons cause a power line to spark?

Big attaboyz to the firefighting crews. That’s a lot of values at risk!

Just imagine if they were hydrogen balloons.

[The Suit]

I owned a lot up there for about 10 years. No billionaires that I know of, at least not near the top. Everyone I met up there was nice (to me at least), so I'm glad all my ex-neighbors have come through OK so far.

[rideit]

10-4. I just always assumed those properties were way more...

[Tips^Up]

If the homes are worth that much, I bet the insurance companies were scrambling their own hot shot crews to protect major losses on high dollar assets. My buddy that is a firefighter, former wildland, says the green berets or whoever the insurance companies hire, don't know shit about fire but get paid a lot.

Wife, baby and I are planning a big ol roadtrip from CO, ID, MT, WY in a week. We had been wondering if fires would disrupt our rough travel schedules. We drove through a remote blaze on i-80 in Neveda a couple years ago. A little nerve wracking to wonder if the road ahead is going to be safe and, if not, if there will be an exit.

[Djongo Unchained]

Fires are pretty much out. Still a little helo action but no real fireline left.

The houses in the saddle are in the low millions as many are older but the road is awesome to live on. There are a coupla really expensive 10+ Mil houses up there and one is on top. Betcha they got drenched.

Found a ninja character balloon in my hedge yesterday morning. Must have sunk en route to the power lines at the base of the butte.

Driving here is cake. Take the scenic route.

[SumJongGuy]

How does a bunch of helium balloons cause a power line to spark?

Big attaboyz to the firefighting crews. That’s a lot of values at risk!

I saw the same thing happen across the street from our house a couple years ago. It was foil balloons like these causing an arc across two separate power lines and some pine straw under them sparked up..

[Benny Profane]

I stayed in a Spring Creek condo way back in the late 80s. Awesome views of the Tetons.

[irul&ublo]

Jackson’s on fire?

https://youtu.be/-OWBkV-SaO8

[byates1]

guess i'll hold off on applying for that ski tuning gig,

is cheney bird hunting again? looks dry as fuck.

[zartagen]

People who let go of balloons are the fucking worst.

[highangle]

People who let go of balloons are the fucking worst.

Brazil priest flying party balloons lost at sea

BRASILIA (Reuters) April 22, 2008 - A Brazilian priest is missing after he drifted out to sea while trying to set a record for a flight using helium-filled party balloons, authorities said on Tuesday.

Father Adelir Antonio de Carli began his flight suspended in a harness-like seat from 1,000 balloons of various colors on Sunday in the southern port of Paranagua. He had intended to fly 20 hours due west but unexpected winds carried the 42-year-old Roman Catholic priest out over the south Atlantic on a southeasterly course.

Denise Gallas, coordinator of the parish where de Carli worked, said he was last heard from Sunday evening when he used his cell phone to give his coordinates.

“He was already over the ocean then,” she said.

De Carli, who flew around 55 miles (90 kilometers) before losing contact, had wanted to draw attention to the work of his parish in Paranagua, which targets mostly truck drivers who transport goods to and from the port.

Rescue workers searched the coast farther south, in Santa Catarina state, on Tuesday by boat and plane in the hope of finding de Carli alive.

“We found bits of balloons all along the coast,” said Joao dos Santos Junior, deputy fire commander in the coastal town of Sao Francisco do Sul. ...

[rideit]

So it’s up in the air as to whether he’s alive?

[El Kanone]

Hate to burst your bubble, but he is dead.


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[rideit]

That went over my head

[ill-advised strategy]

this thread has drifted a long, long way off course.

[Norseman]

High Priest of Paranagua

[SirVicSmasher]

I heard a similar story couldve been urban legend about a guy(probably from Texas but maybe a Floridian)
Who had the same idea but the balloons were like way bigger and his plan was to go up in his lawn chair with his bb gun and shoot the balloons when he achieved his desired altitude. Well the story goes he dropped his bb gun and kept going up until he was up high enough for planes headed to the nearest airport saw him. Not sure how the story worked out...

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[billyk]

I heard a similar story couldve been urban legend about a guy(probably from Texas but maybe a Floridian)
Who had the same idea but the balloons were like way bigger and his plan was to go up in his lawn chair with his bb gun and shoot the balloons when he achieved his desired altitude. Well the story goes he dropped his bb gun and kept going up until he was up high enough for planes headed to the nearest airport saw him. Not sure how the story worked out...

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Lawn Chair Larry, from California

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawnchair_Larry_flight

He inspired an Australian film called Danny Deckchair that was pretty funny.

[SirVicSmasher]

Lawn Chair Larry, from California

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawnchair_Larry_flight

He inspired an Australian film called Danny Deckchair that was pretty funny.

Thanks for the link that was closure I needed

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