FYI New Mexico has been experiencing some severe droughts over the last 20 yrs. This is a pretty good article on it from a local paper: https://www.abqjournal.com/1479333/northern-new-mexico-hit-hard-by-drought-ex-lackluster-snowpack-late-monsoon-to-blame-for-low-water-levels.html
West coast fires
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FYI New Mexico has been experiencing some severe droughts over the last 20 yrs. This is a pretty good article on it from a local paper: https://www.abqjournal.com/1479333/northern-new-mexico-hit-hard-by-drought-ex-lackluster-snowpack-late-monsoon-to-blame-for-low-water-levels.html
Brat
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OK all, keep in mind the fact that most of the forests in the west are FEDERALY OWNED. If the Forest Service had the mandate and the resources they would be properly cared for.
One fire may have been started by an arsonist trying to cover up a murder (the one that started in Ashland). Conditions are so dry and the winds have been relentless, local resources could not contain it. Many residents, in addition to the body of the person thought to be murdered, may be dead. The rest are thought to be the result of natural ignition or accidental ignition (such as an exhaust pipe of a car coming in contact with dry grass).
Once started hot embers lifted by the wind spreads fires in skip fashion very fast. Many may have been trapped in their homes unable to escape. The State has ordered portable morgues.
Air quality all up and down the Willamette Valley, all the way up to Vancouver BC has been very unhealthy. The smoke was so thick the other day I could only see the buildings across the street. Today it improved to about 6 blocks. I have put my apartment fans on recirculation with after market filters - they are gray after 3 days of use.
There was some confusion about the number of residents impacted. 500,000 were under some level of evacuation order; 40,000 were at level 3 (Go Now!). I don't know how many were burned out, thousands to be sure. About 4m people live in Oregon, about 75% west of the Cascade Mountians - the area impacted by the fires.
Oh, for the person commenting about what's next: the Cascadia Fault is past due to fracture. By bye the coast from the southern Oregon border to Vancouver Island. No need to bring a portable mortgue, all who don't reach very high ground will be washed out to sea by a tsunami.
One fire may have been started by an arsonist trying to cover up a murder (the one that started in Ashland). Conditions are so dry and the winds have been relentless, local resources could not contain it. Many residents, in addition to the body of the person thought to be murdered, may be dead. The rest are thought to be the result of natural ignition or accidental ignition (such as an exhaust pipe of a car coming in contact with dry grass).
Once started hot embers lifted by the wind spreads fires in skip fashion very fast. Many may have been trapped in their homes unable to escape. The State has ordered portable morgues.
Air quality all up and down the Willamette Valley, all the way up to Vancouver BC has been very unhealthy. The smoke was so thick the other day I could only see the buildings across the street. Today it improved to about 6 blocks. I have put my apartment fans on recirculation with after market filters - they are gray after 3 days of use.
There was some confusion about the number of residents impacted. 500,000 were under some level of evacuation order; 40,000 were at level 3 (Go Now!). I don't know how many were burned out, thousands to be sure. About 4m people live in Oregon, about 75% west of the Cascade Mountians - the area impacted by the fires.
Oh, for the person commenting about what's next: the Cascadia Fault is past due to fracture. By bye the coast from the southern Oregon border to Vancouver Island. No need to bring a portable mortgue, all who don't reach very high ground will be washed out to sea by a tsunami.
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MuirWannabe
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That’s interesting. I was unaware of the severity of drought. And northern New Mexico is exactly where I would’ve considered looking in that state. Thanks.
Brat
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There is a saying on the west that alcohol is for drinking, water is for killing over.
Water rights are SERIOUS business. Years ago California politicians starting talking about all that fresh water wasted going down the Columbia River into the ocean. Immediately people began registering their water rights. Many found that their right to water was so subordinate that it was only good in wet years. California isn't getting OUR water, thank you!
This has been a hot, dry, year.
Water rights are SERIOUS business. Years ago California politicians starting talking about all that fresh water wasted going down the Columbia River into the ocean. Immediately people began registering their water rights. Many found that their right to water was so subordinate that it was only good in wet years. California isn't getting OUR water, thank you!
This has been a hot, dry, year.
I've read several articles indicating that a variety of indicators suggest the SouthWest is in a Mega-Drought phase comparable to the one that moved the Anasazi--or that was the most likely hypothesis--out of the Arizona/New Mexico areas. I haven't seen a comparative study to my Okie Granddad's Dust Bowl but that seems to have lasted considerably shorter.
See https://www.sciencenews.org/article/climate-change-made-southwestern-u-s-drought-worst-1200-years .
The link is a readable summary, but the original scientific study is linked inside, for those of you who want the original source.
I'm not sure how much of the Tahoe area forest will remain in 30 years, given the shift to less moisture and more heat (if the shift continues, as studies suggest it will), but I guess I hope to live long enough to see. My wife and I frequently hike parts of the Tahoe Rim Trail and part of the PCT.
Obviously if the trend continues it poses even more challenges to the urban centers in the SW like Phoenix, Vegas, LA, Reno & Nevada (where I live), etc, and Northern Mexico.
My oldest son's employer/winery has bought vinyards out of their traditional base in the Cali Central Valley up into Oregon and Washington (and New Zealand)--I won't say due to climate change, but he tells me that is largely why-- but the last 4 years have reinforced that not even this may be a safe hedge since the bulk of their production is in the Central Valley and areas close in OR/WA have burned anyway. Luckily most of the grapes this year are harvested or close to mature, so the smoke may not effect their production this year much, except for the vinyards that burned and the fact that the heat for the last two months has been ultra-intense, even for the Central Valley.
Muir: Part of the rationale for selling the Colorado cabin (in the South Central area) was provoked by the above, although it had more to do with wanting to retire to Reno and unsure of whether there were enough funds to suipport two places. Reno apparently has warmed 5 degrees over the last 80 years, so we may have jumped from the frying pan into the fire.
See https://www.sciencenews.org/article/climate-change-made-southwestern-u-s-drought-worst-1200-years .
The link is a readable summary, but the original scientific study is linked inside, for those of you who want the original source.
I'm not sure how much of the Tahoe area forest will remain in 30 years, given the shift to less moisture and more heat (if the shift continues, as studies suggest it will), but I guess I hope to live long enough to see. My wife and I frequently hike parts of the Tahoe Rim Trail and part of the PCT.
Obviously if the trend continues it poses even more challenges to the urban centers in the SW like Phoenix, Vegas, LA, Reno & Nevada (where I live), etc, and Northern Mexico.
My oldest son's employer/winery has bought vinyards out of their traditional base in the Cali Central Valley up into Oregon and Washington (and New Zealand)--I won't say due to climate change, but he tells me that is largely why-- but the last 4 years have reinforced that not even this may be a safe hedge since the bulk of their production is in the Central Valley and areas close in OR/WA have burned anyway. Luckily most of the grapes this year are harvested or close to mature, so the smoke may not effect their production this year much, except for the vinyards that burned and the fact that the heat for the last two months has been ultra-intense, even for the Central Valley.
Muir: Part of the rationale for selling the Colorado cabin (in the South Central area) was provoked by the above, although it had more to do with wanting to retire to Reno and unsure of whether there were enough funds to suipport two places. Reno apparently has warmed 5 degrees over the last 80 years, so we may have jumped from the frying pan into the fire.
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mountainsoft
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We were in the "Hazardous" low 400's today. That's actually an improvement from the 500+ "Beyond Index" we had a couple days ago.
Tonight it looks like our area is dropping to the upper 200's, but I think the wind is supposed to shift again tomorrow potentially bringing smoke back to the area. The last forecast I saw said we probably won't clear out till after the weekend.
I never thought I would crave fresh air so much.
calmloki
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This is a good compilation of stories of the Beachie Creek fire that burned through Breitenbush, Detroit, Gates and Mills City. Awful lot of pretty country got eaten up there. Guess we can struggle along with a week of bad air quality without whimpering too much:
https://www.salemreporter.com/posts/2931/special-report-a-night-in-hell-santiam-canyons-ordeal
https://www.salemreporter.com/posts/2931/special-report-a-night-in-hell-santiam-canyons-ordeal
NF were closed to majority of logging in the 90's. Much were designated wilderness inappropriately. There have been others since that have tried to reopen, (properly manage) the NF but much like every other issue, it's been tied up in relentess court cases at tax payers expense. There will always be fires but properly mitigated considerably less harm done. Less lives put in danger to fight the fires. Less cost for the tax payers to fight the devastating beetle kill throughout the NF after being closed for so many yrs. Less cost trying to get the NF back to some kind of a safer level of fire risk. NF are like our second home. We take advantage of our great NF. Currently two western states we spend time in, the NF are looking considerably better. Again because there is a mad rush to get them properly controlled or lose them. Seriously everyone should take a walk sometime back into our NF and see for yourself just how bad and overgrown and dangerous for risk of fire they actually are.
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Thanks for that story. I go back & forth to Portland-Bend through this corridor. I have been through here hundreds of times. It is heartbreaking to hear the devastation. One moment you are walking your dog & riding your bike. A few hours later you are driving for your life
[Mod note] Multiple posts were removed that got off topic and into politics.
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The devastation is shocking. We live in the Midwest, beautiful weather. I will never complain about corn/bean fields again. We have so few forests and hills. The news had a story of a couple with their two children camping. They had to run...did not even have time to pack up camping gear into their vehicle. So heartbreaking, their baby passed.
I wonder about the insurance companies. How could they possibly stay in business?
I wonder about the insurance companies. How could they possibly stay in business?
Chuckanut
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And when the rains start in August it will be mudslide heaven. 8 months of wet, cold weather does that to hills stripped of their vegetation. I can imagine the all rail and highway closures this Fall, Winter and Spring as mud slides down covering the by-ways.
Chuckanut
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The Plate of Juan de Fuca is still sliding under the North American plate. That's what gave us Mt. St. Helens about 40 years ago. I figure 2020 will end up with Mt Rainier erupting for the first time in centuries. Given the number of cities built on mudflow from the last eruption, it will be 'interesting'.
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MuirWannabe
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For those interested, the attached pictures show where the fires are in relation to the PCT. Source is Gaia maps with National Geographic and Wildfire overlays.
Freedom56
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Today was the first day in over a week that we didn't have a martian sunrise. Things have cleared up nicely here in Southern California (at least where we are). The smoke is being pushed east according to the weather reports. Hopefully they will open up the national forests soon for hiking.
An improperly extinguished campfire sparked the Chehalem Mountain-Bald Peak Fire, which burned through an estimated 875 acres and forced families to evacuate from their homes, according to investigators.
Fire officials on Tuesday said the campfire was on private property near the 20000 block of Neugebauer Lane.
Fire officials on Tuesday said the campfire was on private property near the 20000 block of Neugebauer Lane.
Teacher Terry
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I spent most of my life in the Midwest. We had tornadoes and of course bad snow and ice storms. There’s really nowhere to live that doesn’t have issues. I think with some disasters larger numbers of people die at once versus people dying all winter in car accidents from snow and ice.
Day number 5 of hazardous air at my house and I feel poisoned. Headache, irritable, runny nose, red eyes, etc. Visibility is severely reduced. I can't see my mail box, 300 feet down the driveway. Still, my personal discomfort pales next to those who have been burned out.
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I’m heading to your neck of the woods for a long weekend. I’ve debated if we should postpone, but instead, I think I’ll go up Hurricane Ridge to get above any lingering smoke. Maybe I should bring a tent? [emoji2]
I’m still hoping that it will clear out by this weekend, but at this point, I’m a tad bit skeptical.
Mr._Graybeard
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Here in Wisconsin it's been hazy the last several days, and the sun is an orange circle after about 5 p.m. if it's visible at all. I think the smoke has found its way eastward.
Yes it was hazy all day today here in NH on what looked to be a normal bluebird sky kind of day.
1242Vintage
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Two weeks ago our son moved from our home in Northern California to Wisconsin. I’ll have to ask him if he is now seeing our wildfire smoke signals in Madison.
my office partner lives across the canyon from this fire. Fortunately for him & his family the wind was blowing the other way. He was a bit shaken when he told me the next morning
pacergal
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Ugh, 398 AQI today, it was down a bit. Schools and many businesses are closed for the past two days.
So smokey. Eyes and lungs hurt several days running.
Had to go to three stores to find furnace filters. Just put in a new one, after the last one only a few weeks ago!
No rain yet, possibly due friday.
This is not fun.
So smokey. Eyes and lungs hurt several days running.
Had to go to three stores to find furnace filters. Just put in a new one, after the last one only a few weeks ago!
No rain yet, possibly due friday.
This is not fun.
W2R
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That's terrible air quality! I hope you can stay indoors where the air is filtered a little, at least. Hoping for substantial rain in the western states soon.
mountainsoft
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Our AQI was 209 this morning so I thought things were improving. Tonight it's back up to 390 again. That's better than the 500+ readings a few days ago, but it's still unbearable to be outside for any length of time.
We have individual wall heaters, so no furnace filters to replace (and no way to clean the air in the house). I closed our fresh air vents and turned off our ventilation system to stop the smoke from coming in, but now the house is really hot and stuffy inside. It has been 10-15 degrees cooler outside and I so wish I could open a window for some "fresh" air.
Everything in the house is covered with a fine layer of dust, as are the cars and everything outside. We'll have a lot of deep cleaning to do when this is over.
Rain is forecast tomorrow evening, and they keep saying the air will clear by the weekend. I hope so.
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