North American Fires 2020

[BradMarks]

We did get some rain yesterday, north of us got a lot more.  It was preceded by strong winds from the south, which I'm sure caused some anxious moments(spot fires) on the fire lines.  Cloudy today with more precipitation expected Friday, maybe some on Sat. After that, long range forecast is for warming and drying. Following up from earlier posts (here or Historic Fires), the kids house did not burn up, although others near it did. They did sustain serious smoke damage and the freezer thawed (no elec. for 11 days) and caused extensive damage to the walls and floors of a couple rooms. Nothing compared to those who lost everything .  Somehow, with 900+ destroyed homes and only minutes to escape for a lot of people, there was only one fatality. So grateful. And our forestland property by Chiloquin got spared thanks to the efforts of the Oregon Dept. of Forestry. They took command of that fire and got 'er done.  We have permission and will be traveling thru the burn this weekend to visit the property.

[Gary_C]

  When it comes to climate change adaption issues analysis; I state "we should not have to adapt."  Nor should our beloved wildlife. 

Estimate are that 95% of all species that have existed on this earth have gone extinct. If any species, beloved or not is unable to adapt, it will eventually join the 95%.

[Riwaka]

Coulson Chinook helicopter

[Riwaka]

VIPR system alleged to be broken. JD wheeled harvester California.

https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/fires/article246449175.html

[Riwaka]

Burnt logging equipment story, there will be many more that are similar.

https://lebanon-express.com/albany/logging-companies-hit-hard-by-area-wildfires/

[Riwaka]

Fire cleanup and re-plant plans

[Riwaka]

Into 2021. 200-250 truckloads per day of charred logs from Archie's Creek Fire area.

3 free view articles limit for this site.
https://www.nrtoday.com/news/salvage-logging-generational-loss-and-concern-for-the-future/article_618e8c4a-0719-502f-a594-fe5e1bc34671.html?fbclid=IwAR29hd80exQ053yAFWOFnEh_fNQ8ZKOh5oBuX4Tie5-HhdRpoARqGnrWrjA

[SwampDonkey]

The power companies could at least cut back the tree edge one full tree length from the main grid lines like they have up here for decades. Letting mature trees grow up close to main lines is nonsense. Give someone a job to widen out them corridors. Oh, we can't do that.

[Thomasjw4]

The power companies could at least cut back the tree edge one full tree length from the main grid lines like they have up here for decades. Letting mature trees grow up close to main lines is nonsense. Give someone a job to widen out them corridors. Oh, we can't do that.

Thats exactly what they have been doing in Western Montana. along with replacing alot of older power ppoles. 

[BAN]

The power companies could at least cut back the tree edge one full tree length from the main grid lines like they have up here for decades. Letting mature trees grow up close to main lines is nonsense. Give someone a job to widen out them corridors. Oh, we can't do that.

Thats exactly what they have been doing in Western Montana. along with replacing alot of older power ppoles.

To much private ground to widen it that much. The right of way just isn't wide enough to clear that far.

[Thomasjw4]

The power companies could at least cut back the tree edge one full tree length from the main grid lines like they have up here for decades. Letting mature trees grow up close to main lines is nonsense. Give someone a job to widen out them corridors. Oh, we can't do that.

Thats exactly what they have been doing in Western Montana. along with replacing alot of older power ppoles.

To much private ground to widen it that much. The right of way just isn't wide enough to clear that far.

I should havr clarified that it is being done on Forest Service ground.   Wildland fire is what I do for my big kid job, so i am pretty interested in it. 

[SwampDonkey]

I can understand the land rights issues. Up here it doesn't matter, private or public. In the day, decades ago, grandfather decided he was going to have the wood in that right of way, so he had to cut it himself. Otherwise, it would be going to the loggers cutting it out for the power company. Our utility is run by a crown corporation, it's not a private company. The stroke of a pen in your legislature can change that right-of-way width one day, for the 'greater good'. It's up to you folks that have to live with it. You get enough angry people complaining about fires and loss of power and you'd be surprised what gets done. It's probably brewing.

[nativewolf]

The power companies could at least cut back the tree edge one full tree length from the main grid lines like they have up here for decades. Letting mature trees grow up close to main lines is nonsense. Give someone a job to widen out them corridors. Oh, we can't do that.

Thats exactly what they have been doing in Western Montana. along with replacing alot of older power ppoles.

Thomas, cool.  Wildfire management in the west should be a growth job and a challenge for sure.  Thanks for the post and pictures are always good!

[Skeans1]

The power companies could at least cut back the tree edge one full tree length from the main grid lines like they have up here for decades. Letting mature trees grow up close to main lines is nonsense. Give someone a job to widen out them corridors. Oh, we can't do that.

The biggest issue out here is the state and federal grounds being left uncut they need clear cut or else this happens every time. If you take a drive over the Cascades you can see the state/federal ground it’s all overgrown dead standing timber ripe for fire like this last year they’re just lucky it wasn’t more deadly. Two of these fires were rolling for a month before that wind storm came in to get them moving so well and both state/federal did nothing about putting them out.

[SwampDonkey]

Yes, but the point being made was trees falling on lines and trees catching on fire from close proximity to lines. It all adds up to fire loss no matter how it gets diced and sliced. But yes, there is lots that needs to get done from many angles.

[Thomasjw4]

The power companies could at least cut back the tree edge one full tree length from the main grid lines like they have up here for decades. Letting mature trees grow up close to main lines is nonsense. Give someone a job to widen out them corridors. Oh, we can't do that.

The biggest issue out here is the state and federal grounds being left uncut they need clear cut or else this happens every time. If you take a drive over the Cascades you can see the state/federal ground it’s all overgrown dead standing timber ripe for fire like this last year they’re just lucky it wasn’t more deadly. Two of these fires were rolling for a month before that wind storm came in to get them moving so well and both state/federal did nothing about putting them out.

I can only speak for my little slice of heaven, but the vast majority of logging projects get litigated and held up in court for YEARS by special interest groups.  Its not that the Feds dont want to log, quite the opposite actually, its that we arent allowed to.  

[Skeans1]

The power companies could at least cut back the tree edge one full tree length from the main grid lines like they have up here for decades. Letting mature trees grow up close to main lines is nonsense. Give someone a job to widen out them corridors. Oh, we can't do that.

The biggest issue out here is the state and federal grounds being left uncut they need clear cut or else this happens every time. If you take a drive over the Cascades you can see the state/federal ground it’s all overgrown dead standing timber ripe for fire like this last year they’re just lucky it wasn’t more deadly. Two of these fires were rolling for a month before that wind storm came in to get them moving so well and both state/federal did nothing about putting them out.

I can only speak for my little slice of heaven, but the vast majority of logging projects get litigated and held up in court for YEARS by special interest groups.  Its not that the Feds dont want to log, quite the opposite actually, its that we arent allowed to.  

If they really wanted to get something done they'd find a way as well but out here there's a let it burn approach that's not helping the problem one bit.

[SwampDonkey]

I can only speak for my little slice of heaven, but the vast majority of logging projects get litigated and held up in court for YEARS by special interest groups.  Its not that the Feds dont want to log, quite the opposite actually, its that we arent allowed to.  

Different system here. Lobby groups can have influence, but they can't tie up progress through a court challenge. I've seen a lot of angry woodlot owners march on the legislature over issues of the day. Guess what happens. They close the doors to your woodlot association, basically taking away your voice and carry on with business as they set forth in their agenda. It would have to be something real harmful to society, and nothing 'feel good about it' to make a court challenge. Like if we as a group showed evidence that X company was polluting our drinking water, then that can be a court case. But someone not allowing me to maintain the power grid because it's a pretty pine tree they don't want cut, isn't going to go anywhere or even make a case. And more than likely you'd go to jail for trying be a nuisance, rather than something that is saving us from harm. I say 'us' because government is about us, not the whims of an individual or even a tiny group of 12 people.

[Thomasjw4]

Your absolutely right,  thats the way it should be, but sadly thats not how it is.  The bring the cases to specific judges and get injunctions on projects all the time.  I have had to remark sales after the paint had worn off because they had been in litigation for 15+ years!!!  Worst part is, until recently even if the special interest lost the case, they wouldnt have ro pay legal fees.  Luckily, at least that part has changed.

I am talking more about large scale logging operations, not about the powerline corridors.  They make claims about damage/destroying to wildlife habitat, lynx and grizzlies are most commonly named, even when it has been proven that selective cutting really has no impacts.   

[Riwaka]

Info display arcgis etc on the fires and a bit of history.

https://osugisci.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=6629651002db435d9df188003d790847