Wildfire 2021

[Meadow Skipper]

Might as well get started, this year could be pretty rough in a large portion of the US.

Drought as of 4/8/21. The southwest, Great Basin, and Colorado are looking dry.


California tries to get proactive:
https://www.sacbee.com/news/californ...250525084.html

[stapes]

Certainly been on my mind lately after the year we’ve had. Fingers crossed we get some good spring rain.

In the Denver Post today

https://www.denverpost.com/2021/04/0...ason-forecast/

[seano732]

I’m happy you are retired, MS, everything we are seeing points to muy malo mierda......

[Meadow Skipper]

I’m happy you are retired, MS, everything we are seeing points to muy malo mierda......

You and me both, bro.

[evdog]

We already have campfire bans in Socal.

[seano732]

You and me both, bro.

Eight months and counting for me.....

[hawkgt]

fire season sucks. wild-land firefighters should be a year around job with full fucking bennies.

[snapt]

Earliest we’ve ever gotten a resource order, to Minnesota.

[Conundrum]

Insurance companies are dropping a lot of property coverage in PC9 and 10 areas lately. The money folks want nothing to do with anything next to dry vegetation.

[SkiBall]

Soils are pretty parched despite recent snow. We need some soakers this summer or it will likely get pretty ugly.

[highangle]

Insurance companies are dropping a lot of property coverage in PC9 and 10 areas lately. The money folks want nothing to do with anything next to dry vegetation.

Cali may have to socialize fire insurance...

[bodywhomper]

Cali may have to socialize fire insurance...

I think this is being considered. It sort of already exists with the California “Fair Plan,” but I think what is being considered is more similar to flood insurance. The state is also considering dropping out of the national flood insurance program and starting its own flood insurance program.

[KQ]

Margo fire (Pinal County AZ) going strong

https://www.facebook.com/15116138828...7591140977101/

[soul_skier]

Gonna be a rough season, godspeed to everyone in the wildland fire community

[old goat]

State Farm sent us a card--they are partnering with a private fire defense company. If your house is near a fire they will come to the house to remove combustibles near the house and on the roof, close vents, set up sprinklers, apply fire retardant, put out any spot fires. Presumably this is after the occupants have evacuated although they don't say that. No charge to the homeowner although I'm sure the cost is reflected in premiums--still, it's a lot cheaper than paying out for a lost house. I suppose if you told them you didn't want that you'd be looking for another insurance company.

[MTT]

Is there anything left to burn in California? Probably. I hope it's quite this year.

[bodywhomper]

State Farm sent us a card--they are partnering with a private fire defense company. If your house is near a fire they will come to the house to remove combustibles near the house and on the roof, close vents, set up sprinklers, apply fire retardant, put out any spot fires. Presumably this is after the occupants have evacuated although they don't say that. No charge to the homeowner although I'm sure the cost is reflected in premiums--still, it's a lot cheaper than paying out for a lost house. I suppose if you told them you didn't want that you'd be looking for another insurance company.

I hope State Farm follows through...

Travelers gave us a similar notice 2 years ago, while they were canceling neighbor’s policies. We were on the edge of a mandatory evacuation zone last summer (my mailbox,a half mile from my house, was in the evacuation zone). Nobody from travelers or a private fire team came to my house or contacted us....

[glademaster]

Soils are pretty parched despite recent snow. We need some soakers this summer or it will likely get pretty ugly.

Yeah, mud season was about 4 days long here. Now that the lower elevation snow is gone, the ground is already dry as a bone again.

[Bunion 2020]

Yeah, mud season was about 4 days long here. Now that the lower elevation snow is gone, the ground is already dry as a bone again.

Same here, excavation deeper than 8" reveals dry soils.

[camlax]

For what its worth, from what I've seen in 10+ years in fire those private "defense" companies are usually a joke. Overweight middle aged or 18 year old dipshits without actual experience setting up a few garden sprinklers or just causing trouble because they're not working for the team. I wouldn't count on them do do much of anything useful.

Best thing you can do is create your own defensible space and make sure you're house has decent egress

[old goat]

For what its worth, from what I've seen in 10+ years in fire those private "defense" companies are usually a joke. Overweight middle aged or 18 year old dipshits without actual experience setting up a few garden sprinklers or just causing trouble because they're not working for the team. I wouldn't count on them do do much of anything useful.

Best thing you can do is create your own defensible space and make sure you're house has decent egress

As long as they aren't tossing lit cigarette butts into the pine needles I guess they can't do too much damage.

[CovertM]

Insurance companies are dropping a lot of property coverage in PC9 and 10 areas lately. The money folks want nothing to do with anything next to dry vegetation.

My house is considered PC10 and was a pain in the balls to get insured, you can guess what I have to pay in premiums. Always feared getting dropped and not being able to reinsure.

Where are you seeing this happen?

[knumbskull]

After last year's Pine Gulch and Grizzly fires making opening windows for cooling impossible we bit the bullet and installed A/C to be prepared for another bad fire season, and microscopically contributing to the next ones being worse. Actually, I forgot Glenwood Springs moved to 100% renewable energy in 2019, so there's that.

If we have a fire and have to evacuate are we supposed to leave our sprinklers running or is that bad for the water pressure for fire fighting operations?

[ill-advised strategy]

fire season sucks. wild-land firefighters should be a year around job with full fucking bennies.

The only reason I ever got involved in the first place was skiing, it would be sad to remove ski bums from the fire world... they were some of the best I worked with.

[ill-advised strategy]

Earliest we’ve ever gotten a resource order, to Minnesota.

I was going to post that things are super crunchy in the northern Midwest. Low snow year, early warmth. There have been a few wind days here where all it would have taken was the right (or “wrong”, I dunno) ignition.