Comments on: Boulder wildfire

By: Nigel Depledge

Nigel Depledge — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 08:49:37 +0000

Huh.

Meanwhile, here in the UK, we’ve recently experienced flash floods. Wanna trade?

By: Paula Helm Murray

Paula Helm Murray — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 23:11:58 +0000

I have friends who have a home that is technically in Grand Lake, but nearer Tabernash. J says that it’s just on the other side of the ridge, but they’re hoping the ridge keeps the fire on the other side (firebreak). Their important papers and photos are already in a tub near the house door, all they need to do to bug out is grab the cats, the dog and the tub (last summer fire got way closer, and they’re in the middle of an area really badly hit by the pine borer.)

Fingers crossed for all you you!

By: Dave Scruggs

Dave Scruggs — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 21:36:43 +0000

Extremely interesting video. The fire behavior is what I would have expected… large plumes coming up in the afternoon and evening, then laying down at night into early morning. And the fact on the 2nd day when it was cloudy, the fire didn’t blow up nearly as much due to the temperature drop. Then in the late afternoon, the wind reversing up slope as the hot air rises.

This is a wind driven more than a terrain driven fire. It is very steep there and would be an absolute bitch to fight from the ground. I didn’t see any aircraft attacking it, but it may be far enough from civilization to let it burn for awhile.

Scorpio passing through during the night was a nice treat.

D. Scruggs
Captain, Boulder Creek Fire (Calif.)

By: Messier Tidy Upper

Messier Tidy Upper — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 04:35:17 +0000

Stay safe BA, glad you’ve been spared so far. I worried about you when I heard of these Coloradan bushfires on the news. Being an Aussie I can certainly relate to the whole bushfire danger problem.

You probably already know all this already but just in case not and it helps :

- Make sure you keep your gutters and house clear of leaves and potential fire fuel,

- if the fire approaches fill everything you can with water from baths to buckets in case the mains supply fails or has a major pressure drop,

- block your gutters and fill them with water to help extinguish flying embers and
prevent fires on your roof,

- Plan and prepare, decide early what you are going to do,whether evacuating or not. Make sure everyone inyour family is aware of these plans and ready to do their part in them.

There’s plenty more good tips available for instance via the CFS site linked to my name -applies to Australia but sure you’d be able to adapt for American purposes or find USA equivalent info.

Hope this helps. Hope these fires stay well away from you and are soon controlled with no further tragedies.

By: SkyGazer

SkyGazer — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 18:57:12 +0000

Look what wired just put up.
The fires as seen from high above:
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/06/western-fires-from-space/

By: SkyGazer

SkyGazer — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 16:05:08 +0000

It´s even making the spanish news on tv in between the euro crisis reports.
That says something!

By: Thomas

Thomas — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 12:45:21 +0000

Aargh! This video can’t be played … Seeing this way too often.

By: noen

noen — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 05:36:06 +0000

And according to Dr. Oppenheimer of Princeton yes, we can attribute these fires to global warming.

This is our future and the world we are leaving our children.

By: TimT

TimT — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 04:11:08 +0000

If you have rain RADAR that you can look at you will see the plumes coming from the hotspots as what appears to be light rain. We’ve used rain RADAR here in Oz to give us rough positions of fires in Nation Forests. If it’s a hot travelling fire you will see it progress on RADAR time lapses and see what direction the plume is going.

By: Waydude

Waydude — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 03:24:42 +0000

Hope you are all safe!

It’s funny how speeded up like that, it looks miniature . Like a bad special effect from a Godzilla movie.