WOAH FIRE NEAR ME!

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

Big fire broke out a couple hours ago in my home town, closer to my parents home than mine, we went up to help. It was crazy how fast it burned in the 30-45mph winds. Flames in the cliff areas was several hundred feet high. The smoke was crazy.

They scrambled spare fire trucks from every city in a 45minute drive, and the national guard who showed up with blackhawks rigged for fire fighting. Luckily no homes lost, several barns and out buildings burned though. We were right at the evac line and watched it burn. Unless the wind direction changes, we should be safe.

Took this picture:

Crazy... and way too close for comfort! We need rain ASAP!

-DallanC

shrpshtrjoe · Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 6:56 pm Post subject: Re: WOAH FIRE NEAR ME!

Damn, stay safe Dallan..

inthedark · Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 7:33 pm Post subject: Re: WOAH FIRE NEAR ME!

Stay safe also Dillion and if that cow happens to surcome to the fire, I'm partial to sirloin!
All kidding aside both Michelle and I wish you and your family God's protection and our prayers.
I have an army buddy of mine at Colorado Springs that I have been trying to get a hold of. The fire went right through the area that he is living in.

MacD · Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 7:41 pm Post subject: Re: WOAH FIRE NEAR ME!

In that wind it can leap across roads, rivers and small lakes etc. I helped with a big forest fire back in the late 70's. We drove up to the side of a small lake to set up pumps for the hoses and they had to get us out with a helicopter. When we went back for the pumps after the fire had passed it had burned right down to the waters edge. The truck was toasted with the paint charred and the windows blackened but it was otherwise okay.

Fire moves so fast that anywhere downwind is not the place to be. Keep safe and keep ready.

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

I resized the image... I uploaded it from my phone and it was toooo big.

-DallanC

slimjim · Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 8:44 pm Post subject: Re: WOAH FIRE NEAR ME!

They are adding a beetle to the list of contributing factors because they have killed so may trees in the last 5 years which adds more "fuel" to the fire. Dry and winds are a killer. Last year was devistating for TX. More than 2000 homes burned down. I don't think you can even fight a fire when winds get above 30 - its spreads faster than you can run.

Ominivision1 · Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 9:22 pm Post subject: Re: WOAH FIRE NEAR ME!

Damn, that's to close!! Hope you guys get that much needed rain.

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

WOW! Check out this time lapse, the smoke was just indescribable without having seen it:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmCxtKssxe8

-DallanC

Elvis · Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 11:00 pm Post subject: Re: WOAH FIRE NEAR ME!

heres hoping the worst is past. if all around is already burnt no more should come near. I surely do hope you get heaps of rain soon.

Vince · Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 1:06 am Post subject: Re: WOAH FIRE NEAR ME!

Damn...that video is just downright scary Dallan.

Fingers crossed that you guys remain safe mate...but have an escape plan. Put together a Bug Out kit for you and the family to be on the safe side mate. As Elvis said, hopefully the fire has passed your area now and you will be OK.

No-one likes the idea of loosing their home and everything in it to fire, but better you come away alive and ready to rebuild than not "make it". This is almost a good argument for an underground sealed fireproof room where you can store those irreplaceable things (photo albums etc) that we all have in our homes.

Be safe mate and look after your family. Tricia and I send our prayers and wishes for your safety and plenty of rain to help the others in your town.

Cheers, Vince

dhc4ever · Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 1:21 am Post subject: Re: WOAH FIRE NEAR ME!

Dallan,
If in doubt, get out.
Everything else is replaceable.
We had similar fires over here 2 years ago.
170+ killed either in their homes or in their cars getting out.
Good luck.

inthedark · Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 6:58 am Post subject: Re: WOAH FIRE NEAR ME!

dhc

And I should imagine that a lot of those people that stayed were found to have a cause of death of asphyxiation due to lack of oxygen. You may survive the flames but without oxygen you're done for.

dhc4ever · Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 1:36 pm Post subject: Re: WOAH FIRE NEAR ME!

ITD,
I suspect you are correct in a lot of cases.
There were a lot of people killed in their vehicles trying to get out.
As much as I hate wikipedia, it has a good write up on it here;
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...ille_fires

There was also a medical report that basically stated that the majority of casulties either died or survived with minor injuries;
www.mja.com.au/journal...australia.

gelandangan · Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 1:41 pm Post subject: Re: WOAH FIRE NEAR ME!

That time lapse looks like a volcano erupting!!

inthedark · Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 9:32 pm Post subject: Re: WOAH FIRE NEAR ME!

DHC
Fire consumes oxygen depleteing the atmosphere and replaces the O2 with hot combustion gases and although you can survive in down to 12=16% O2 you become hypoxic and and shallow fast breathing happens from the body loading up on carbon monoxide from the combustion and oddly that helps somewhat in that you don't breath in the hot gases as deeply and if you get a pulminary edema it will be near the entrance to the lungs and not so deeply inside but then again if you have a pulminary edema you are in bad shape. I was an air force crash rescue firefighter for ten years. Several years ago in the western US they found a group of firefighters in a small stream area, dead and with no signs of physical trauma save for pulminary edema and very minor burns on the exterior of the body. Shocked