*** The Official Wildland FIRE Thread ***

crustBrother

Kelly Slater status
Apr 23, 2001
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"Alaska fire experts say the season has had an incredibly quick start, with fires driven by a severe drought, hot temperatures and an abundance of lightning strikes. More acreage burned in June than in the 2020 and 2021 Alaska fire seasons combined."

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npsp

Miki Dora status
Dec 30, 2003
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down the hill and to the right
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Aruka

Tom Curren status
Feb 23, 2010
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PNW
After the amount of rain we had this spring I thought we would possibly have a mellow fire season (last few years have been scary) but about two weeks ago some dipshit lit up a slash pile on a super windy day which quickly got out of control and started the forest on fire less than a mile from my house. The north winds were howling and the fire was moving directly towards my place. The smoke was thick and there was ash drifting down everywhere. Everyone in the neighborhood was packed up and ready to flee if needed but the fire dept. managed to get it contained after about five hours right before dark. If it had been dry like the past few springs that fire would have definitely burned through my hood and possibly through the whole town. The guy who started the fire, some recent cali transplant, didn't even call the fire department after the fire had gotten into the trees and so it burned for almost an hour before someone else called it in. Word is he will be paying some big fines because he didn't have burn permit and the fire burned into the city watershed.

Hopefully that was it for the year but it feels unlikely since fire season hasn't even really started here and it's only just started getting warm and dry.
 

crustBrother

Kelly Slater status
Apr 23, 2001
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We were supposed to spend next week up there and decided to pull the plug. Super bummed as it is one of my favorite parts of the park and we have visitors from Europe that were excited to visit....
Called an audible and will now do a Central Coast trip and hit up So. Big Sur to see trees.
Looks like you made the right call...

 
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PRCD

Tom Curren status
Feb 25, 2020
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After the amount of rain we had this spring I thought we would possibly have a mellow fire season (last few years have been scary) but about two weeks ago some dipshit lit up a slash pile on a super windy day which quickly got out of control and started the forest on fire less than a mile from my house. The north winds were howling and the fire was moving directly towards my place. The smoke was thick and there was ash drifting down everywhere. Everyone in the neighborhood was packed up and ready to flee if needed but the fire dept. managed to get it contained after about five hours right before dark. If it had been dry like the past few springs that fire would have definitely burned through my hood and possibly through the whole town. The guy who started the fire, some recent cali transplant,
We're coming, and Hell's coming with us.
 

Firebird

Gerry Lopez status
Jun 5, 2010
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OC
This is why I cant commit to 20W for the padde board race.
Chances are, I'll be on a fire somewhere with the way things are looking. Don't want to leave him high and dry.
 

Firebird

Gerry Lopez status
Jun 5, 2010
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Be safe this summer bro and thanks for putting the fires out.
I'd do it for free if I could cover my bills.
The truth is, I should be thanking the public for allowing me to do this job. I cant believe what they let me do.
Getting sent to Yosemite with my buddies over the passed few years to work hard, laugh and joke, gnarly adrenaline rushes, see some of the most beautiful country in the world while getting a paycheck is pretty great.
There's actually a book called, "Thank You For My Service" written by a Green Beret named Matt Best. Santa Barbara dude.
The book details all of the crazy and fun stuff he did while overseas. I can relate.
 

Chocki

Phil Edwards status
Feb 18, 2007
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Planet Earth
I'd do it for free if I could cover my bills.
The truth is, I should be thanking the public for allowing me to do this job. I cant believe what they let me do.
Getting sent to Yosemite with my buddies over the passed few years to work hard, laugh and joke, gnarly adrenaline rushes, see some of the most beautiful country in the world while getting a paycheck is pretty great.
There's actually a book called, "Thank You For My Service" written by a Green Beret named Matt Best. Santa Barbara dude.
The book details all of the crazy and fun stuff he did while overseas. I can relate.
The summer I spent working on a mop up crew was epic. Keep living your dream bro.

 

Firebird

Gerry Lopez status
Jun 5, 2010
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The summer I spent working on a mop up crew was epic. Keep living your dream bro.

Great article. So many points I agreed with.
This quote by the Hotshot Superintendent put my thoughts into words that I couldn't do on my own,
“But maybe we always felt like we won, and we’re losing now.”
 

Firebird

Gerry Lopez status
Jun 5, 2010
1,130
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:jamon:

Q: what is the difference between god and a hotshot
A: god doesn't think he's a hotshot
[/QUOTE]

Yep.
But in all seriousness, Hotshots and Smoke Jumpers are pretty gnarly people by nature. Generally mountain men.
The crew regarded by most West Coast Firefighters as the baddest of the bad was the Los Padres Hotshots from Santa Barbara from the 90's and early 2000s. Surfers, but also super tough mountain men. Drop them from a plane or helicopter in the middle of the wilderness and they could be self sufficient for days.