Texas Heat!

[Western]

The little fire we had here (400 acres) the electric co-op was out working on it at the rear of the fire before it was totally out. Mostly doing their survey for line replacement. Bastrop will be more complex for sure.

Did you guy's loose any actual power or sub stations to add to the headache?

As far as the insurance, the deductibles are a hold up for allot of folks I understand. That was a comment made about the floods in the East, but I'm sure that cost will also effect some people here as well.

Does getting FEMA certified make, or streamline the process??

 

[Bird]

The deadline to file a property tax appraisal protest in Texas has expired. They are usually completed by the end of July so the rolls can be certified and the entities can start their budget process in August - September.

I don't know if the law provides anything for adjustments as the result of disasters after the rolls are certified.

Texas law requires new appraisals or re-appraisal at least every 3 years. Local authorities may make it every 2 years or, as in my case in Denton County, every year. The appraised value is as of January 1. And in this county the deadline for filing an appeal this year was June 3.

 

[pacerron]

With 1400 homes destroyed this will also affect the tax base of Bastrop County. Would the destroyed homes still have to pay 2011 property tax for the 2/3 year? I know when I moved the cabin in July (two years ago) I had to pay the complete years tax on it.

Don,
In Ohio the taxes are always billed for the previous year. That way catastrophic events can be adjusted prior to the next tax bill. Of course when you sell a property you end up paying two years worth to bring it up to date so the new owner doesn't receive a tax bill until his second year.
Are you sure Texas isn't that way too?
Ron

 

[two_bit_score]

Sure could have used this last week in Bastrop.

A giant jumbo jet is making repeated drops of 12,000 gallons of fire retardant today in hopes of slowing a tenacious wildfire north of Houston that overnight had expanded from 12,600 acres to 21,000 acres, the Texas Forest Service*reported.

The DC-10 airtanker - assigned to Bastrop County in Central Texas where the state's worst fire in history has devoured 34,000 acres - was temporarily diverted to attack a "particularly aggressive fire" that has been burning across Montgomery, Grimes and Waller counties, said Carman Apple, Texas Forest Service spokeswoman. That fire is now 60 percent*contained.

Grimes County Sheriff Don Sowell said the massive plane, which can spray a swath 3/4 of a mile long and 500 feet wide, was an amazing sight to behold. But more than that, he hopes it reinforces the bulldozers that had been working through the night to contain the active fire inside an earthen*berm.

Jumbo jet fighting area fire
By CINDY HORSWELL, HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Published 02:10*p.m., Friday, September 9, 2011

 

[Bird]

Don,
In Ohio the taxes are always billed for the previous year. That way catastrophic events can be adjusted prior to the next tax bill. Of course when you sell a property you end up paying two years worth to bring it up to date so the new owner doesn't receive a tax bill until his second year.
Are you sure Texas isn't that way too?
Ron

Ron, I have both bought and sold homes in Texas (1968 to 2005) and in each case the taxes were figured for the current year and divided between buyer and seller at closing. In other words, the seller paid the taxes until the month of the sale and the buyer paid for the rest of the year.

Our tax statement will come in October for this year. The amount shown can be paid anytime prior to Feb. 1, 2012. After that there is a penalty and interest added. Actually we pay ours in December each year for the current year.

 

[ultrarunner]

Bird... I know what you mean about the Assessor not acting after the informal appeal window closes... I think it will be something I will have to do each year going forward.

As to firefighting...

Several times I have been asked to help in fire situations... I have no formal wild land fire training... just muscles and a presence...

I've helped with hoses... once helping the firefighter to man a hose on a grass fire or pulling lines for a couple of city blocks and turning on the hydrants at another fire once directed by the firefighters.

I've also been asked to do traffic duty... one time the police officer was called away and he gave me a disposable safety vest and half dozen flares... the area with the fire was impassable and the only way around meant backtracking several miles... I did a good job eliminating the bottle neck and facilitating the turnarounds...

 

[bindian]

Sure could have used this last week in Bastrop.

A giant jumbo jet is making repeated drops of 12,000 gallons of fire retardant today in hopes of slowing a tenacious wildfire north of Houston that overnight had expanded from 12,600 acres to 21,000 acres, the Texas Forest Service*reported.

The DC-10 airtanker - assigned to Bastrop County in Central Texas where the state's worst fire in history has devoured 34,000 acres - was temporarily diverted to attack a "particularly aggressive fire" that has been burning across Montgomery, Grimes and Waller counties, said Carman Apple, Texas Forest Service spokeswoman. That fire is now 60 percent*contained.

Grimes County Sheriff Don Sowell said the massive plane, which can spray a swath 3/4 of a mile long and 500 feet wide, was an amazing sight to behold. But more than that, he hopes it reinforces the bulldozers that had been working through the night to contain the active fire inside an earthen*berm.

Jumbo jet fighting area fire
By CINDY HORSWELL, HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Published 02:10*p.m., Friday, September 9, 2011

I could smell the smoke from this fire in my house this morning. Second time in a week. So I knew it had taken a turn for the worst. Watching the evening news, I just saw the DC-10 dumping retardent on it.
hugs, Brandi

 

[two_bit_score]

I could smell the smoke from this fire in my house this morning. Second time in a week. So I knew it had taken a turn for the worst. Watching the evening news, I just saw the DC-10 dumping retardent on it.
hugs, Brandi

Hope this gets under control soon. It's completely unreal to me.

 

[bindian]

I could smell the smoke from this fire in my house this morning. Second time in a week. So I knew it had taken a turn for the worst. Watching the evening news, I just saw the DC-10 dumping retardent on it.
hugs, Brandi

My son and I saw the DC-10 this morning on our way to see my doctor in Houston. At first I thought it was a Super Guppy, off in the distance. It looked like it was in a long straight in approach to Ellington Field.
hugs, Brandi

 

[Western]

I could smell the smoke from this fire in my house this morning. Second time in a week. So I knew it had taken a turn for the worst. Watching the evening news, I just saw the DC-10 dumping retardent on it.
hugs, Brandi

That would be a sight to see, sounds almost like a small rain shower when it comes out of that plane.

 

[jinman]

For TXDon and other firefighting experts, I have a question. When fire retardant is used, it obviously coats trees and vegetation. What is the effect of the retardant? Is it inert or non-toxic? I know dozing a fire break kills vegetation, but what about this chemical? What about exposure by humans? Just curious. . .

 

[RobertN]

It is better red than black...

Here is some info gleaned from the web. I have not been hit by it, but I have helped clean up engine that took direct hits. It is slimey, sticky, and will dull paint on the engines if not washed off .

Newer retardants use ammonium sulfate or ammonium polyphosphate with attapulgite clay thickener or diammonium phosphate with a guar gum derivative thickener. These are not only less toxic but act as fertilizers to help the regrowth of plants after the fire. Fire retardants often contain wetting agents, preservatives and rust inhibitors and are colored red with ferric oxide or fugitive color to mark where they have been dropped. Brand names of fire retardants for aerial application include Fire-Trol and Phos-Chek.

Some water-dropping aircraft carry tanks of a guar gum derivative to thicken the water and reduce runoff.

For TXDon and other firefighting experts, I have a question. When fire retardant is used, it obviously coats trees and vegetation. What is the effect of the retardant? Is it inert or non-toxic? I know dozing a fire break kills vegetation, but what about this chemical? What about exposure by humans? Just curious. . .

 

[charliepff]

I have been hit by it one time. It attracts bees something fierce. They love the taste of it. I am not sure if anyone else uses it but there is also protein foam made of fishguts and such. I have not seen it in a while though. The dc10 is a massive air tanker. I would love to see one close up. I feel bad that you all have to see it so close in them circumstances. I do not understand why more are not being converted for this use.

Ultrarunner,
I use to run at a volunteer house where we did not have a lot of daytime manpower. We actually ended up training the water authority employees on how to pump and drive our units. There have been a many of time having only two people on the unit and grabbing one person off the street when we got there to either pull hose, make a connection, or do crowd control. Good job with stepping up when the guys need help.

I looked at the wildfire conditions today and could not believe how bad the conditions are out there. The personell on these fires have my utmost respect. They are takeing a beaten that most can not even imagine. I hope conditions improve rapidly. The area is like a tinderbox.

Brandi,
I hope things work out for you and your neighbors. The crews are working hard and are getting more assistance. Hopefully they start gaining more ground.

 

[bindian]

I have been hit by it one time. It attracts bees something fierce. They love the taste of it. I am not sure if anyone else uses it but there is also protein foam made of fishguts and such. I have not seen it in a while though. The dc10 is a massive air tanker. I would love to see one close up. I feel bad that you all have to see it so close in them circumstances. I do not understand why more are not being converted for this use.

I always wanted to work on a DC-10. They and the MD-11s faded out with the airlines fast after Boeing bought McDonnell-Douglass out. But I did know the DC-9 backwards and forwards in it's fading, last, glorious, days with the airlines and as freighters.

Seeing any aircraft in it's natural element is not to be felt bad over. Seeing them in the bone yard is the sad, feel bad end. I love the movie, "Always" with Richard Dreyfess and Holly Hunter and John Goodman. Is that movie close to what Y'all know about fire bombers?

Only reason I figure there are not more DC-10 tankers is it's own niche success as a freighter. Not that many built for the airlines and the ones still flying are in demand. I think Fed Ex still has many MD-11s.
hugs, Brandi

 

[RobertN]

I heard rumors of another. But, that plane was really really expensive to retrofit. And, it is expensive to run and maintain.

10 Tanker Air Carrier

Evergreen Supertanker

Only reason I figure there are not more DC-10 tankers is it's own niche success as a freighter. Not that many built for the airlines and the ones still flying are in demand. I think Fed Ex still has many MD-11s.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

I heard rumors of another. But, that plane was really really expensive to retrofit. And, it is expensive to run and maintain.

10 Tanker Air Carrier

Evergreen Supertanker

Seeing the DC-10 and the B747 fight fires is awesome. However, they can not beat the grace of the Martin Mars Flying Boat, the queen of the fire bombers.
Martin Mars - Coulson Flying Tankers - The World's Largest Flying Boats Ever Flown Operationally
hugs, Brandi

 

[RobertN]

I have seen video of those before. They are awesome!

However, they can not beat the grace of the Martin Mars Flying Boat, the queen of the fire bombers.
Martin Mars - Coulson Flying Tankers - The World's Largest Flying Boats Ever Flown Operationally
hugs, Brandi

 

[johnrex62]

The dc10 is a massive air tanker. I would love to see one close up. I feel bad that you all have to see it so close in them circumstances. I do not understand why more are not being converted for this use.

According to an article I saw posted on another site, there are 30-40 of them sitting in California because they were fired by the Federal Government because they were unfit for service despite passing their FAA inspections. The company claims it is budgeting politics, not maintenance concerns.

In any case, they cannot fly for the National Forestry Service and they don't have contracts with Texas, so they sit gathering dust in California.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I heard rumors of another. But, that plane was really really expensive to retrofit. And, it is expensive to run and maintain.

10 Tanker Air Carrier

Evergreen Supertanker

The Evergreen flight crews might be a little less than motivated.

NewsRegister.com - News and information for McMinnville and Yamhill Valley, Oregon - wine country newspaper

 

[wroughtn_harv]

According to an article I saw posted on another site, there are 30-40 of them sitting in California because they were fired by the Federal Government because they were unfit for service despite passing their FAA inspections. The company claims it is budgeting politics, not maintenance concerns.

In any case, they cannot fly for the National Forestry Service and they don't have contracts with Texas, so they sit gathering dust in California.

If it was posted on the internet then it has to be true.

Think about it. What kind of business would invest the hundreds of millions of dollars required to have a fleet of thirty to forty single purpose airplanes and not have iron clad contracts on hand to recoup the cost. That doesn't sound reasonable to me. It sounds like internet bs.