2022 Wildfire Thread

[mapper]

Fires in the west are getting bigger every year. Last fire I was on was in the late eighties, it burned about 100,000 acres. It was considered a really large fire at the time.
Fires since then make that one look on the small side.
Even though I live in an area of the PNW that doesn't see too much in the way of big fires we still have a goodly number of small brush fires every year. We follow fire safe practices in our landscaping and are very diligent about keeping the area around our buildings clear of debris.
Everyone stay safe out there, it's cold and rainy now but that can change really fast.

 

[oosik]

We are having a fairly wet spring here. Native grasses are doing better than I've seen in many years. Cattle ranchers are overjoyed. Firefighter are becoming concerned. All the grass will die this fall and become fodder for wildfires. Never seems to be a happy medium.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I see most of Colorado is under fire watch with 60-80 mph winds predicted this morning.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Totally off topic, but New Mexico lead off this thread. If you know anyone who has the acting bug, pass this casting call on. This one is going to shoot in Las Cruces, NM.

https://www.backstage.com/casting/adventurers-born-pilot-1315412/

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

We are having a fairly wet spring here. Native grasses are doing better than I've seen in many years. Cattle ranchers are overjoyed. Firefighter are becoming concerned. All the grass will die this fall and become fodder for wildfires. Never seems to be a happy medium.

The April rains were consistent here. Wettest spring I have seen in southern Washington State in years. Mowed the grass on 3 acres and let it dry, then buck raked it yesterday and it is more than twice the volume of grass that I have had here in the last 14 years.
For the range land that can't be mowed is the talk of late season fires already. Just hoping no fires get started in the fall from lightning strikes or campers.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

The April rains were consistent here. Wettest spring I have seen in southern Washington State in years. Mowed the grass on 3 acres and let it dry, then buck raked it yesterday and it is more than twice the volume of grass that I have had here in the last 14 years.
For the range land that can't be mowed is the talk of late season fires already. Just hoping no fires get started in the fall from lightning strikes or campers.

Livestock grazing is the way to get grass off of rangeland.

 

[ponytug]

Grass is still mostly green, and we had our first wildfire of the year about a mile and half off yesterday. From the looks of it a smoker dropped a cigarette or it was intentional. There were a couple more small fires today a little farther away, which make me nervous that it wasn't accidental.

Either way, it is the earliest fire anyone round here can remember, but not too surprising given that we are in the third dry year in a row.

Stay tuned...

 

[Diggin It]

Seems like the Forest Service has some 'splainin' to do .....

US review traces massive New Mexico fire to planned burns​

By MORGAN LEE and CEDAR ATTANACIOtoday

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Two fires that merged to create the largest wildfire in New Mexico history have both been traced to planned burns set by U.S. forest managers as preventative measures, federal investigators announced Friday.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Seems like the Forest Service has some 'splainin' to do .....

US review traces massive New Mexico fire to planned burns​

By MORGAN LEE and CEDAR ATTANACIOtoday
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Two fires that merged to create the largest wildfire in New Mexico history have both been traced to planned burns set by U.S. forest managers as preventative measures, federal investigators announced Friday.

Yep, our governess is really po'd..... this wasn't the only fire started that way. I know of at least 3 other wildfires in past years starting as prescribed burns.

This particular fire is continuing to grow. The next 2 days there are going to be 50+ mph winds. It's going to get bad again!

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Our county timber operators put together an 8-part retrospective on the Archie Fire in 2020. This is a link to Part 1, you should see links to the others if you open a YouTube window.

 

[oosik]

I posted here about a month ago. Since that time - it has rained almost every day. We are very close to loosing our title - "The dry side of the state". Two pair of mule deer passed thru the yard yesterday morning. So fat they had to waddle - rather than walk.