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Stupid arsonists

John A.

John A.

Unconstitutional laws are not laws.
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Just needed to vent a little.

We've been under drought conditions for a while, and we're currently under a state of emergency due to the forest fires.

So far, we've lost about 8000 acres stretching from the Hiram community and now to the Putney community across the pine mountain ridge (Shepherd Trail) that goes through Kingdom Come state park.

They had it under control and about out, and some fool comes along and sets 8 more fires along the trail and now is beginning to have my head on a swivel and getting near enought it could threaten our property and cabin. While it's still a mile or so away, with as dry as everything has been the last 2 months, it would go up like a tinderbox if the wind blows the wrong way and if it jumps ridges.

Here's to hoping that it doesn't get any closer. If it does, I'll be winching my atv up on the mountain and using my dozer blade on the front of it to get as many new and dry leaves and brush away from the cabin as far as I can.

Special thanks to the state, local firefighters and to the National Guard pilots and crews who are daring enough to get down into some of these narrow valleys and hollers.

nat guard wildfire.png

Just for reference, it was a lot more smokey this morning and you couldn't even see the far ridge, but I didn't have my camera batteries charged and the wind has changed direction some, moving some of the smoke out from how it was earlier.


forest%20fire%20smoke%20003_zpsdjvfgxhq.jpg



And a view on a clear day showing the difference.

huge card dump 32 gb 2673.JPG
 
yikes. i'd be doing that sweep asap if i could. better to be safe. than to try and hustle in the smoke...

keep safe....
 
I'm trying to hold off and hoping it gets put out and doesn't jump.

I'm not waiting until the last minute, but still hoping I don't have to. Especially with rifle season coming in this weekend, so I REALLY don't want to have my ATV up to the cabin and plowing ground this close and I am remaining optimistic that things will change.

FWIW, I got my ATV up behind the tree line now near where my little target range is, and it's a straight shot up the hill in 4WD now in case I have to and the trail is clear of deadfalls. I would just have to pull the dozer cutting blade up and bolt it on, which would take maybe 30 minutes.
 
At least you cant see flames yet.......welcome to every Oregonians every summer, good 4 months of pins and needles .

Crazy only 50something days without rain and that's what you get........we just finished 170something no precip days on the heals of 3 years of drought

ODF is mobilizing to North Carolina. They came out and helped us with about 50,000 acres of old growth timber ........we are returning the favor.......bunch of hard ass wild men just off 4 month rotation , 253 fires this season, they will be a welcome sight in NC


No teams called yet from us, only overhead single resources, but if they do I'll be taking another road trip
 
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One or two juveniles have now been charged with wanton endangerment to lives, resources, I assume multiple counts of arson too.

I think a pretty good idea would be to sentence them carry the firefighters gear up the mountains and dig and work and be a pack mule for a year. Might get some of the piss and vinegar out of their systems.
 
Make a man out of the whining brats too.

Well it's happening all across the country. Rioters lighting fires because of the Trump victory.

People who couldn't bear to lose are rioting in the streets, in cities Across the Nation, despite their chosen candidate's public disdain for we deplorable people who might not accept a peaceful transfer of power to Hillary Clinton.

This is a coordinated effort by the DNC in my mind. I just hope it doesn't spread too far before people calm down.
 
Sad state of affairs we're in.

I'm glad I live where I do, and how I do.

No one rioting or protesting here.

We don't have too much patience for stupid.
 
John A. said:
One or two juveniles have now been charged with wanton endangerment to lives, resources, I assume multiple counts of arson too.

I think a pretty good idea would be to sentence them carry the firefighters gear up the mountains and dig and work and be a pack mule for a year. Might get some of the piss and vinegar out of their systems.
Click to expand...
what does the forecast look like , any change at least in humidity over the next 7 days ?
 
We got a small rain late last night, which has helped a lot. It was just maybe 20 minutes of rain, and it wasn't heavy and was a fast moving cloud, but seems to have helped. It is a lot less smokey, and I can't smell it as strong. With any luck with wind, they may be able to have this out by weekend, barring anything unexpected.
 
thing that sucks is that most of the fuel burning in there is 1 and 10 hour fuels, meaning unless humidity comes up and stays up then the little rains only provide a 5 to 8 hour lull
in the fight.......good time to strike in those risky spots that would normally burn you alive, the trick is getting it done in those hours and nothing more
 
Much of the area that is burning is not populated, and there are many streams in the area that would let it burn out on its' own, unless it jumps from wind, so those area's aren't a high concern or priority. The woods will grow back next spring so not worried about much of it.

Have seen a lot of folks making sure all the fresh fallen leaves and brush and deadfalls are raked and well away from their houses and buildings though, which isn't a bad idea to do anyway, but you know how people are. It's always on their "to do" lists and never get done unless they have to.

I have fast access to the bulldozer cutting blade me and a buddy welded up to make a push blade on my ATV if I need it. The Honda is already up on the ridge behind the tree line now and has plenty of fuel and ready in case I have to make a fast trip up to the cabin because I normally just walk.

Another positive of getting my ATV on the ridge is I can empty all the important stuff from the cabin on the way out if it starts to become threatened. I have a few deep cycle batteries, my 100w solar panel, gas camp stove, etc. so I don't have to hoof them off the mountain in multiple trips.
 
One guy with a leaf blower and a couple guys with mud flaps screwed to strong handles about 7 feet long can do a lot of damage to fire edge in that fuel model

Blow the dry material off fast as wide as you can flanking the fire edge allowing for speed, two guys with the swatters patting and smothering .......a guy patrolling your line with a piss can another guy on patrol watching the green side for spot fires , communications........the hard burned leaf litter or "hard black" will be be the primary safety zone if things go south.....simply run to a place with no available fuel, the black primarily .
most all homes burn long after the fire front has past.....stay vigilant, be thorough checking nooks and crannies

if it gets real bad have something to pump water that does not depend on power grid because bank on no power and people organized to man hoses
Leaf blower a line in and anchor the line into a road ideally or a natural fuel break like a cliff line or creek, light the fire side of the established line when you can see the whites of its eyes, hold the green or home side with hoses and folks with swatters . The heat and convection of the main wildfire will suck your fire towards it, and consume the fuel between the main fire and your homes.......this is super last resort and almost certain death for anyone or thing caught between the your fire and the main fire .

No harm in recognizing the time to skin out either
 
I really appreciate your insight Oli.

I have a 3 foot landscaping rake and several regular 12 inch spike rakes, but I don't have a leaf blower. That's why I was going to use the dozer blade to clean off the fresh leaves that have fallen and twigs and sticks and stuff and let the Honda do the hard work right around the cabin itself. I bought it to be a pack mule and workhorse so I get my money worth out of it.

Much of it is on a 30-40 degree incline so once I got the atv turned above the cabin and pointed back downhill, would go very easily with just floating the blade and the ATV pushing it. I could probably get a 12 foot wide radius around it all the way down into the dirt if I had to. The blade is about 85 pounds itself and 4 foot wide.

I'm not certain what you're talking about mud flaps on strong handles patting out flames though. Closest thing I am picturing in my head are those Egyptian chicks fanning the emporer with those big leaves. And I'm pretty sure that fanning the flames is probably NOT what you were trying to explain to me. You gotta look over me. I'm pretty dense sometimes.

We don't have any water up there. There is a stream nearby on the next property over, but it's not really nearby. It's about 10 acres away and would be very difficult carrying buckets. It's steep and rough and grown up pretty bad with briars and laurels. So, let's just say in an emergency situation, there is no (accessible) water.

I keep a few gallons of water in the cabin for drinking and washing off dishes with, but that's it.

If it got too bad, I would abandon the cabin. It's not worth my life. It would be a total loss because I'm not able physically or financially to ever build another up there. But it's not worth dying over.
 
oli700 said:
One guy with a leaf blower and a couple guys with mud flaps screwed to strong handles about 7 feet long can do a lot of damage to fire edge in that fuel model

Blow the dry material off fast as wide as you can flanking the fire edge allowing for speed, two guys with the swatters patting and smothering .......a guy patrolling your line with a piss can another guy on patrol watching the green side for spot fires , communications........the hard burned leaf litter or "hard black" will be be the primary safety zone if things go south.....simply run to a place with no available fuel, the black primarily .
most all homes burn long after the fire front has past.....stay vigilant, be thorough checking nooks and crannies

if it gets real bad have something to pump water that does not depend on power grid because bank on no power and people organized to man hoses
Leaf blower a line in and anchor the line into a road ideally or a natural fuel break like a cliff line or creek, light the fire side of the established line when you can see the whites of its eyes, hold the green or home side with hoses and folks with swatters . The heat and convection of the main wildfire will suck your fire towards it, and consume the fuel between the main fire and your homes.......this is super last resort and almost certain death for anyone or thing caught between the your fire and the main fire .

No harm in recognizing the time to skin out either
Click to expand...

:good:
:perfect:
 
Went outside about 7AM this morning.

Very cool morning. A little dew on my truck.

I didn't smell any smoke at all.

Not seeing any this morning either.

I believe they've got it.

e824fd5d04981462cee60d3b3b7df48e.jpg
 
I mean the dozer is the best tool but if you had 4 or 5 guys on foot in conjunction you would be a force

fire swatter , light fuels.......short grass, pine needles, deciduous leaf litter



bladder bag......piss cans. Proper conservative use along with one guy and a tool....shovel or rake would work great in your woods



couple of these sitting around the cabin at all times can save your cabin
 
You may already be briefed, but here's a recent satellite photo so you know what they're going into.

I put the orange arrow to show our fires. The ones to the south of me look a lot more evil.

wildfires arrow.jpg
 
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