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| Messages 1 - 18 of total 18 in this topic |
Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 25, 2014 - 08:44pm PT
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Dryer than Schist here, windy, and of course our neighbors (maybe from California??) decide to burn some dead grass.
This all came down about 1/2 mile away, so I managed some good photos while the brave men and women of the Choss Creek Fire Dept stopped the fire and saved the house.
The wind was blowing away from us, and we have a large "defensible perimeter."
A toast to rural fire departments!
With the arrival of more fire trucks, it was time for a late lunch.
Another spring burning day in Choss Creek.
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Mar 25, 2014 - 08:52pm PT
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(maybe from California??) Most likely not, but if they are, feel free to string 'em up under the nearest oak tree.
which reminds me, I'll be out tomorrow managing a California Conservation Corps crew trimming back the brush that we had cleared to the ground last year along a fire break.
Thanks to our Enlightened Federal Budget, you can get funding to do a job or build a bridge. But there's never any maintenance fund.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Mar 25, 2014 - 09:59pm PT
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Yeah Fritz, I remember a question that I missed on my SAT test....Texans are to Colorado as blank (Californians) are to Idaho. Glad you survived, we'll have to compare notes.
edit: Or was that Washingtonians?
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rottingjohnny
Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
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Mar 25, 2014 - 10:09pm PT
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watsa matter donini...couldn't get your califronia passport stamped...?
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Mar 25, 2014 - 10:10pm PT
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I've even had my visa to Boulder pulled.
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 25, 2014 - 10:21pm PT
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Donini! I remember that college SAT question well!
Re your post! Yeah Fritz, I remember a question that I missed on my SAT test....Texans are to Colorado as blank (Californians) are to Idaho. Glad you survived, we'll have to compare notes.
edit: Or was that Washingtonians?
It was an easy answer for me, since we Idont-noers disliked all but young female Californians.
Texans are to Colorado,as Californians are to Idaho got me high enough in the SAT's that I didn't have to pursue higher education in California, and could instead enjoy the U. of Idaho, and summers on Forest Service Idaho Fire Crews!.
I'll drink to that! Sluuurp!
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 26, 2014 - 12:37am PT
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Temps hit 74 F. in Choss Creek this afternoon.
After all the fire trucks departed by late afternoon, we had a little evening alarm as the wind changed from blowing from the SE, to blowing strongly from the NW.
Two fire trucks arrived again at about 7:00 PM. (I hope the fire-folks had time for a shower, dinner, and a beer or two.)
We have a large & green "defensible perimeter," but I'm glad the wonderful folks from our rural fire department are watching for danger!
After writing the above update, I just walked out onto our front porch, looked for flames, sniffed the air for smoke, and decided all is well----for now.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Mar 26, 2014 - 01:27am PT
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Wait, there's no intelligence test for moving to Ideehoe? Woo-hoo! I'm on my way!
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Kalispell, Montana
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Mar 26, 2014 - 11:25am PT
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Wow FritZ! That one was close. Glad you and Heidi are unscathed.
Why do morons feel they have to burn everything? Can't they just let it decompose?
Arne
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 26, 2014 - 11:59am PT
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Arne: Re your qustion: Why do morons feel they have to burn everything? Can't they just let it decompose?
That was the second out of control nearby fire in 3 days. The people that used to live in that house loved to burn when it was windy too. I found myself rooting for the fire yesterday.
I accept that we live in a fire ecosystem, but the stupid folks certainly do set a lot of fires.
I am reminded of a bumpersticker I liked:
Stupid Kills! Just not soon enough!
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Ken M
Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
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Mar 26, 2014 - 12:42pm PT
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How does one have a good clear fire perimeter, if it is green??
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 26, 2014 - 12:50pm PT
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Ken: Is that a retorical question?
I mentioned: We have a large & green "defensible perimiter,"
I don't notice the use of fire perimeter in my post?
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Ken M
Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
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Mar 26, 2014 - 05:13pm PT
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Perhaps I am misunderstanding your use of terminology.
In the context of a thread about fire, I understood the term "defensible perimeter" to mean a perimeter defined for the purposes of fire protection....that is, a "fire perimeter" for defense.
As I have used seen the term used professionally, it has referred to a space around buildings that have had all vegetation removed, such that there is nothing that will burn, advancing the fire. Even green vegetation dries out almost instantly in the presence of a hot fire, converting it to dry vegetation, and a fire hazard.
So to me, a "green perimeter" cannot be a defensible perimeter, in the sense meant by fire professionals.
I'm probably thinking too aggressively, but better that, than the other extreme...
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Mar 26, 2014 - 05:36pm PT
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Fritz....encroaching flames and high drama cannot compete with the current soap opera threads on ST.
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the albatross
Gym climber
Flagstaff
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Mar 26, 2014 - 06:03pm PT
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Fritz, I am happy that you and your neighbor made it out apparently unscathed. I would imagine it is a bit early in the year to be wildfires of such intensity in Idaho. Large portions of the National Forests in northern AZ went to "high" fire danger this week, a month earlier than "normal".
As I have used seen the term used professionally, it has referred to a space around buildings that have had all vegetation removed, such that there is nothing that will burn, advancing the fire. Even green vegetation dries out almost instantly in the presence of a hot fire, converting it to dry vegetation, and a fire hazard.
It looks to me like Fritz has a defensible space around his home. Closely cropped, green grass and little brush or trees (in these photos anyway). I can't imagine that the brush shown in the photo would be hot enough to 'dry out' in advance of the flame front.
It does not look like your neighbor has adequate defensible space - thick brush, trees growing next to the house which appears to be situated in a small draw.
Here is a useful link to CalFire in regards to defensible space:
http://www.calfire.ca.gov/communications/downloads/fact_sheets/2007DefSpaceBrochure.pdf
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 26, 2014 - 08:37pm PT
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Donini! I will agree that our fire's flames are sickly & pale in comparison to those on ST threads of late.
The albatross! I will hope for early-onset Monsoonal rains for the SW.
I appreciate your comments on the irrigated alfalfa field between us & the firebug neighbors. It kind of looks like grass now, since it gets grazed in the winter. As for our firebug neighbors: I gave up mud-wrestling with pigs and trying to save idiots from their idiotcy some years ago.
Ken M. I appreciate that California has a lot more hot air than Idaho, but up here irrigated fields and green lawns do not burn, ever. I put myself through college working summers on Forest Service fire crews and I was usually amazed how much didn't burn in forest & brush fires. It was very rare to see green grass meadows more than singed, after a fire torched the entire area around them.
It turns out that 5 nearby small towns contributed resources to fighting our fire. Four homes were threatened, but all were saved. I commend those men & women for their great work in fighting and controlling our idiot's fires.
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Mar 26, 2014 - 08:43pm PT
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Is there an unsafe burning citation in the works?
Could get you a big fine or even some jail time around here.
So whose was bigger?
Fritz or donini?
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 26, 2014 - 09:37pm PT
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HighTraverse! Re your question!
So whose was bigger?
Fritz or donini?
Let me assure you and all that Donini's was and is bigger!
Also he fought the fire to save his house, while we sat on a hilltop 1/2 mile away and watched the local fire departments save the house of an idiot.
Just heard from a neighbor, that the idiot that started the fire is the geriatric woman who used to live there. She was cleaning up the property with children & grandchildren, ignored conditions, and torched the grass, that torched the brush----etc. She once received a "tongue-in-cheek" award from the local fire deparatment for being a "major-contributor" to their fire-fighting readiness.
Flame on!
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| Messages 1 - 18 of total 18 in this topic |
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