RE: [californiadisasters] Crews Making Progress on Sierra's Rim Fire

I would like to point out that “only 7 percent” on a fire that tripled in size for the first five days, then doubling for two is actually making excellent progress.  While the rate of growth has slowed significantly, the potential for redoubling or more is still there.

 

Look at the math:  7% is a line around 7% of the fire.  When 100 acres goes to 300 acres, 7% is three times the original line.  If no more line was cut, the containment would then be around 2.3%.

 

This fire is now over 265 square MILES so 7% now means that they’ve been able to get a control lines extended to nearly 20 MILES in some of the most inhospitable (to machinery) area in the state, it’s ALL by air or foot; all while the overall size continues to grow.

 

Now everyone here knows I’m biased because I put in 34 years in the business.  But I wish this type of root weevil reporting was filtered out by responsible editors.  It is a DIS-service to the public because it makes the folks on the line appear to not be working too hard when they’re doing incredible work under some of the worst conditions imaginable.  These printed words matter and this hack is certainly not a friend to the troops that are risking their everything.

 

Mr. Colté get away from your comfy chair and Bay Area desk and get your sorry croissant eating ass out in the field with the line troops and maybe even get a little dirt on your pretty suit to do real research.  You might see that 7% is not “only” but is pretty damned good work in a fire that only nature can put out.  The best that can be hoped for to put this fire out is early rains and enough resources and luck in the meantime to bend the influence of the fire away from the property of folks that KNOW the risks of living there but choose to anyway.  It is a weather and topography driven fire in steep and rugged terrain, which you (obviously) haven’t researched.

 

In short, instead of winding folks up about the grievous losses that have occurred and removing all their hope so you can sell more papers, do your freeking homework before you put fingers to the keyboard.  You’re not doing anyone a service, least of all your readers, the troops or your employer.  Get educated before you open your keyboard or your mouth again, jerk.

 

Rick

 

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From: Kim Noyes

Crews making progress on Sierra's Rim Fire

John Coté - San Francisco Chronicle

But the blaze, which has destroyed 23 structures - including a popular city of Berkeley summer camp and at least some homes - was still only 7 percent contained Sunday, state fire officials said.

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