The Ongoing Wildfire Thread

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

I’ve been keeping the “what about my vacation?” thoughts in my head because I wasn’t going to be the first dip#### to break that seal.

…I am wondering the best route through/around everything though… quietly… to myself.

Washington state or prince George. Crowsnest is just as bad as anywhere else, from Starwood heading west.

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Washington state or prince George. Crowsnest is just as bad as anywhere else, from Starwood heading west.

It may not be true, but I appreciate you dissuading people away from here.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

It may not be true, but I appreciate you dissuading people away from here.

I drove out to AB on the 3 from Salmo. The Sparwood fire was just getting over the mountain and burning down towards the townsite. 4 or 5 helicopters trying to.manage it.

That was a couple weeks ago though so fair enough.

I just know theres more coming. Feels inevitable.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by bc-chris

kelowna is supposed to get 30-50kph winds this afternoon
the wind is starting to pick up a little now

it's so nice and 'cool' (compared to the 37-38-39 we had this past week) but with all the smoke you can't open up the house or even want to be outside

How's the wind, Chris? Humidity is up based on the weather app.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by dammage79

I drove put to AB on the 3 from Salmo. The Sparwood fire was just getting over the mountain and burning down towards the townsite. 4 or 5 helicopters trying to.manage it.

That was a couple weeks ago though so fair enough.

I just know there more coming. Feels inevitable.

A colleague of mine was deployed to the PREOC and was told that there are still some critical fires in the East Kootenays, including one threatening an active coal mine in the Sparwood District.

Depending on how things go, I might get deployed as well. I received an email last night saying to make make any plans if I haven't already with a bunch of material to review.

[blender]

Originally Posted by blender

Lol, BC is supposed to be a bunch of leftist flakes and hipsters, and it's on fire, but you can't keep the Alberta tourists away!

Ironically, I'm supposed to be flying to Calgary on Sept 7, then driving back into BC to have a short holiday at Tie Lake. I'm hoping that isn't scrubbed. I may need to pack my high vis and hard hat!

[DAN0383]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

We came back from Salmon Arm today after evacuating the Kelowna fire last night.

Perhaps something along the 97 route could be south of Adams wildfire and North of MacDougall

Well back in Calgary now. That was the exact way I got out of Kamloops. (and the smoke got really bad on the 97)
The 1 to the 97, a couple back roads from the 97 to the 97A (thanks Google), then up to Sicamous and the 1 all the way back.

[Whynotnow]

Originally Posted by DAN0383

Well back in Calgary now. That was the exact way I got out of Kamloops. (and the smoke got really bad on the 97)
The 1 to the 97, a couple back roads from the 97 to the 97A (thanks Google), then up to Sicamous and the 1 all the way back.

There really wasn't a ton of people heading east on that part of the 97. There were more heading west towards Kamloops/Vancouver I would assume.

Glad you got through safe and sound.

[dino7c]

Its pretty crazy to be casually driving by raging forest fires in BC...its becoming a summer tradition

[Street Pharmacist]

I'm not sure I've seen this before. Highest I've even been in before is like 15-18. Feels like I'm breathing soot even indoors

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by DAN0383

Well back in Calgary now. That was the exact way I got out of Kamloops. (and the smoke got really bad on the 97)
The 1 to the 97, a couple back roads from the 97 to the 97A (thanks Google), then up to Sicamous and the 1 all the way back.

I’ll second whynotnow . Glad to hear you got back safe

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

I'm not sure I've seen this before. Highest I've even been in before is like 15-18. Feels like I'm breathing soot even indoors

We actually bought a portable air purifier a few years back when in Vernon area and it was smoky, use it inside on smoky days, and take it on our road trips to BC. Makes a big difference

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

We actually bought a portable air purifier a few years back when in Vernon area and it was smoky, use it inside on smoky days, and take it on our road trips to BC. Makes a big difference

I've contemplated buying one. I think I will

[KelVarnsen]

Victoria is starting to get smoky

[Delthefunky]

Pretty bad out there, trains are barely running as well. I watched the adams lake fire start in late July. It was just a little puff of smoke, which slowly got bigger and bigger every day. I feel like they could have dealt with it much sooner, which makes me wonder what the government spends their money on. Now half of Chase is on fire I think.

Raging fires are the new norm here. I think it's time canada invests heavily in fire bombers and have a proper fire lookout system in place. I drove across the border to Washington state mid July and there was a fire that had just started and was still small. They don't F around down there, there was a fleet of fire bombers dropping water non stop right from the get go.

Don't get me wrong, I think there's some climate change going on, and I know fighting fires is tough, let alone finding people to do it. But the government should be better prepared, it's not like this is the first year this is happening. I guess insurance companies will be getting involved. If im not mistaken they were responsible for starting the cloud seeding around calgary to prevent hail damage. I don't see how this is much different?

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by KelVarnsen

Victoria is starting to get smoky

Pretty smoky all day here in the LML, but getting worse now that it is cooling off outside. I actually kind of like the smell and the orange sun. I grew up in an area that had fires every summer and it just kind of reminds me of being a kid and playing outside in the summer.

Obviously being an adult now and understanding the human and environmental peril fires cause, I would be happy to never experience it again of course.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Delthefunky

Pretty bad out there, trains are barely running as well. I watched the adams lake fire start in late July. It was just a little puff of smoke, which slowly got bigger and bigger every day. I feel like they could have dealt with it much sooner, which makes me wonder what the government spends their money on. Now half of Chase is on fire I think.

Raging fires are the new norm here. I think it's time canada invests heavily in fire bombers and have a proper fire lookout system in place. I drove across the border to Washington state mid July and there was a fire that had just started and was still small. They don't F around down there, there was a fleet of fire bombers dropping water non stop right from the get go.

Don't get me wrong, I think there's some climate change going on, and I know fighting fires is tough, let alone finding people to do it. But the government should be better prepared, it's not like this is the first year this is happening. I guess insurance companies will be getting involved. If im not mistaken they were responsible for starting the cloud seeding around calgary to prevent hail damage. I don't see how this is much different?

Putting fires out is part of what led to todays problems. It’s created old forests with lots of underbrush.

The answer is to properly design houses and remove vegetation around communities creating firebreaks.

[Delthefunky]

Yeah, I know they have to burn, but they can't rip through towns either.

[Delthefunky]

That or rake up all the leaves

[Playfair]

The pine beetle not being dealt with in the late 90's which led to the death of pine forests is a huge contributor to this, along with forest management practices. The long term forest industry isn't very good, many mills have shut down, and many jobs have been lost. The forest fires of recent years are accelerating that. Ultimately it is all very sad to see the forests devastated and people suffering. Lessons from the past (like the 2003 Kelowna fires) haven't been taken seriously enough.