FIRES.....Already!

justallan1 · March 21, 2015, 06:30:29 PM

So I have the great idea of going fishing last night and get home at 3 AM this morning, catch a couple hour nap, then go feed and ride through the cows. I was just about to catch another nap when my work radio starts blaring that we have a fire on the neighbors place. REALLY! This is still March, I think.
This is our second fire already this year, but the first that I was on. What's happening is that the big fire we had 3 years ago got a bunch of coal seams going and they just smolder underground and just pop up anywhere the seams get shallow.
I will say this, between fishing all night and putting in hand lines with a polaski, this kid's a whooped puppy.
But, I did catch 2 catfish. ;D

Holmes · March 21, 2015, 07:00:01 PM

Just curious How big were the Cat Fish?

Did you get the fire out?

justallan1 · March 21, 2015, 08:50:03 PM

One was about 13", the other was about 2'. We got the fire out, thankfully. The wind made it touch and go for a bit, but with 2 dozers and 4 crews from 2 counties, we got it.

curdog · March 21, 2015, 08:54:40 PM

I think that Pulaski's will wear you out more than any other fire tool around. I can drag a rake all day, but a day swinging a Pulaski leaves me sore and beat.

Southside · March 21, 2015, 09:06:17 PM

There is a coal fire in PA that has been burning since I think the 60's.

WDH · March 21, 2015, 09:31:15 PM

Did you fry the catfish?

justallan1 · March 22, 2015, 12:05:08 AM

@curdog the Pulaski is my favorite all around tool for fires, but to each their own.
@Southside logger I've heard of that around here also and can certainly believe it. Since I've worked here I can be out riding and smell a coal seam fire weeks or better before it kicks up.
@WDH I generally just toss them back. I mainly go just for something different to do.

sandhills · March 22, 2015, 08:59:37 AM

That's unreal, I had never heard of that. Around here about the worst we get is tree roots burning for weeks and all at once the tree will fall over. Wife and I have been trying to go fishing for 2 weeks just hasn't worked out yet and grass/tree fires around here are keeping all the departments busy, I think every neighbor we have has at least one disc hooked up just for that. Suppose to rain on Tuesday, that would really help

.
PS, pardon my ignorance, but what's a Pulaski?

Magicman · March 22, 2015, 09:05:50 AM

Pulaski Tool

sandhills · March 22, 2015, 11:14:08 AM

Thanks MagicMan I kinda figured that's what it was but never knew the name.

Southside · March 22, 2015, 05:17:13 PM

There is a really great history to the guy, Pulaski, who invented the tool. As a Ranger his crew survived a really bad fire because of him, then he went and welded up the 1st Pulaski too later.

curdog · March 22, 2015, 05:28:46 PM

Quote from: Southside logger on March 22, 2015, 05:17:13 PM
There is a really great history to the guy, Pulaski, who invented the tool. As a Ranger his crew survived a really bad fire because of him, then he went and welded up the 1st Pulaski too later.

There is a book called the big burn about Pulaski, been a few years since I read it, might be time to read it again.

r.man · March 22, 2015, 10:51:16 PM

I would rather dig with a hose myself. When I was young and in good shape my brother and I were using a Wajax pump that must have been on steroids. I think we had 800 ft of hose on it and the large nozzle and it still took both of us to hold it down. It would really cut sod though.

sawguy21 · March 23, 2015, 10:02:24 AM

Coal seam fires are a real problem to deal with. The early explorers on the the Mackenzie River noted a few that are still flaring up over two hundred years later. As for Pulaskis, I am content to look at them now. ;D

kevin19343 · March 23, 2015, 03:05:37 PM

Quote from: Southside logger on March 21, 2015, 09:06:17 PM
There is a coal fire in PA that has been burning since I think the 60's.

I went to College in Scanton Pa. and there were coal fires everywhere.
The authorities would drill a hole down to the fire and install a pipe casing to vent the fires. A friend of mine had one in front of his house. They were pretty common.

There was also a fire burning across the street from my school for decades. When it rained or snowed it gave off a terrible sulphur odor.

Southside · March 24, 2015, 12:44:23 AM

The one I was thinking of consumed an entire town. Basically the town had to be abandoned, roads melted, caught a glimpse of it one time, looked really bad. For a number of reasons I am glad we don't have a minerals around here to speak of. Just east by maybe 30 miles they are mining titanium, and there has been a big push to mine uranium an hour or so south of here. The re-claimed titanium mines look just like reclaimed coal mines - nothing worth having grows.

justallan1 · March 24, 2015, 07:35:44 AM

We have the coal seem fires all over the ranch that I work for and generally the boss will take the dozer and dig them out. It's pretty nice duty to ride along on the 4-wheeler and make sure he's alright.
I keep saying that the mine should be doing it, it is their coal, RIGHT? ;D
I just figure they can have folks running all over the place collecting butterflies and bugs, drilling samples of every kind, cutting fences and doing whatever they want because of "their" coal, they might ought to come take care of their coal seem fires. :D
OOPS! That kind of sounded like a rant, didn't it.