The American fire is bad [hack, choke, gag]. I can see the plume near my place.
The Rim fire is catastrophic with no end in sight. At its current rate of growth it could be near Tahoe in under two weeks (that's QUITE a ways to go, a three hour drive). It's tripling daily (to the north), do the math.
This much, this fast is almost beyond belief. It will only slow or stop when it runs out of fuel or it gets the soaking rains. All the crews can really hope to do is deflect the path/impact.
The absolute crest of the Sierras has no fuel (above the tree line), but the fire could throw 'stuff' several miles downwind. In that regard the winds from the south both help (keep it on THIS side of the hill) and hurt (grow into even more fuel).
Houston, we have a problem... And since its not accessible by foot (too steep, even for dozers) AND a crown fire, it's all an air show. Crews can mop up, not do a frontal assault.
Then after it rains/snows ... Flooding, debris dams, washouts... This will have an effect on the area for a decade or more. Aerial reseeding and other efforts will be needed to save it from further disaster.
Yarnell Hill has an impact on the current crew thought processes, but we lost a firefighter right there 10-12 years ago. That crew raced up the hill to Hwy 120 to escape but she fell, then fell back, fatally delaying her. Road signs mark the location (she was a local, from Placerville).
For all it's beauty, there are no worse conditions for a fire in the Sierras. High fuel load (thanks Forest Circus), weather and terrain make this one REALLY bad.
On a personal note, this is one of my playgrounds, a common day trip. After this years fires, there aren't many places I wanted to visit this fall that haven't burned. CO, UT, ID, WY/MT (Yellowstone) have all had major ragers this year. Even AK is on fire (typical year is 1-2 million acres lost).
Maybe I should stay home or take up sailing again. :-(
Rick wa6nhc
Tiny iPhone 5 keypad, typos are inevitable
Many, many dispatches on the scanner this hour for strikes teams for the Rim Fire on the Stanislaus National Forest in Tuolumne County.
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