Ship of Fools: Forest fires are really intense here.

Thread: Forest fires are really intense here. Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by no prophet's flag is set so... (# 15560) on :

119 fires are burning in Saskatchewan. An area roughly the size of England is burning. The northern half of the province is a no travel and evacuation zone. The smoke 400 km south (250 miles) is thick. We are hearing about it to the south into USA as well though we have flames too. About 15,000 displaced people in shelters, which is alot out of a 1 million total Sask population. No one really knows the total who are staying with others. Military called in to help. Volunteers being trained to fire fight. They don't put them in high risk areas. Temps are in the 35°C range and thunderstorms forecast next 3 days. These are almost all caused by lightning.

The fire threatening La Ronge is made of 2 fires which joined together. The fire line looks like about 10 miles long to me. It is huge and is creating it's own winds as it draws air toward it. We are not having fun just now. The last time I recall such a call out for volunteers was in the late 1970s.

I would post links but only have cell coverage. A quick search should bring up lots as it has been lead CBC radio story.

Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :

Prayers for everyone.
[Votive]

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :

[Votive]

from here, too.

Posted by Uncle Pete (# 10422) on :

Saskatchewan has problems, but let's not forget British Columbia in that equation. And Alaska and the Yukon. All wild-fire zones at the moment.

[Votive]

for all.

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :

[Votive]

from over this side too; I've seen some of the Weather Channel's pictures, and it looks very scary indeed.

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :

quote:
Originally posted by no prophet's flag is set so...:
119 fires are burning in Saskatchewan. An area roughly the size of England is burning.

Wow, that's hard to imagine. Hope they can manage to find a way of getting that under control!

Posted by Oscar the Grouch (# 1916) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Uncle Pete:
Saskatchewan has problems, but let's not forget British Columbia in that equation. And Alaska and the Yukon. All wild-fire zones at the moment.

for all.

The good news from this part of BC is that we actually have some rain today - the first for months. With luck, it may stay for a few days to damp things down a bit.

It's been a little scary looking at the interactive map of BC wildfires, especially at the new fires each day.

Posted by Moo (# 107) on :

Over the past few days we have gotten faint traces of the smoke.

Moo

Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :

Yes, prayers also from here that the fires cane be brought under control quickly and without the terrible losses of life that fires here in recent years have brought with them.

Posted by no prophet's flag is set so... (# 15560) on :

Re control, water bombers, cutting fire breaks around villages and settlements and hoping the wind in in the right direction. If the fires don' t threaten homes, they are let burn in the north. About 3 years later bears and blueberries are the first thing, lots more deer and elk follow. The boreal forest needs fire, just not too intense so that pine cones survive. Fir is actually required for some to open and be fertile. Problem this year is the fires in many places are too hot and burn everything.

Spending time this evening playing with some preschoolers. Thunder, no rain. [Frown]

Posted by Mili (# 3254) on :

Praying for some rain for you and that the fire does not lead to loss of life or property.

Posted by Banner Lady (# 10505) on :

[Votive]

from me too. When fires begin to join together it is very scary and unpredictable. In large areas with little population it is easy to say "get out of there" but often the options are very limited for those on the ground. May the ordeal be over soon, with minimal loss of life (all kinds).

[ 12. July 2015, 21:53: Message edited by: Banner Lady ]

Posted by Meg the Red (# 11838) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Uncle Pete:
Saskatchewan has problems, but let's not forget British Columbia in that equation. And Alaska and the Yukon. All wild-fire zones at the moment.

And Alberta - the smoke has been so thick here in Edmonton I could barely see across the parking lot this morning. So much heat this year, and so little rain. Bless the professional firefighters, the reservists, the volunteers - they do such vital, dangerous work.

Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :

I see our Rural Fire Service have sent about a hundred volunteers to British Columbia. I hope they can help. I do know that down here, any volunteers from overseas services are very gratefully received. Such dangerous work to be doing.

Sorry, that is thirty five volunteers. I should have checked first.

[ 13. July 2015, 00:39: Message edited by: Lothlorien ]

Posted by no prophet's flag is set so... (# 15560) on :

Cdn Interagency Forest Fire Centre - just over 1 million hectares involved in Sask, which is something around 2.5 million acres. Alberta at 1 million, and BC half of that. Both Alta and BC fires affect more people.

Some photos from Saskatoon newspaper site (slide show).

Here's a good pic of Pemberton BC fire and a link to more general BC fire news

I'll stop there to avoid driving hosts to too much checking. I thought some images help make the scope apparent.

Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :

Thank you, no prophet. Three links is a goodly number. An all too familiar scene to someone from down here.

[ 13. July 2015, 23:37: Message edited by: Lothlorien ]

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :

No Prophet I didn't realise how extensive the fires were until someone on local radio said they would just about cover the land area of New Zealand.

[Votive]

for all those affected.

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :

Very scary when you put it like that! I understand from the Weather Channel that there's been the odd rainstorm in places, but probably not nearly enough to make a significant difference.

[Votive]

continuing.

Posted by no prophet's flag is set so... (# 15560) on :

2-3 cm of rain suggested today in La Ronge. But with smoke in the air and thunder can be heard.

Posted by Raptor Eye (# 16649) on :

[Votive]

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :

quote:
Originally posted by no prophet's flag is set so...:

Spending time this evening playing with some preschoolers. Thunder, no rain.

We had dry thunder up here today,too (although praise God, some rain to damp the fires in SoCal.) Made me think of you. Hope that rain moves North, and still more North.

The glum thing about playing with preschoolers during a scorching drought is that you can't even offer them the relief of water play like you usually do in summer. The other day we filled up little squirt bottles with ice water, set them on mist, and cooled them off the best we could.

Posted by Palimpsest (# 16772) on :

Here in Washington State, the fires are worse than in the past, but not like what's happening further north. Washington State Wildfdieres are beginning to add up There's a drought and it's very warm, so it seems likely there's more to come here.
Thankfully much of it has been contained.. for now although there are 5 or 6 major fires going on now.

Wishing the people North of the border well as they fight these large files.

Posted by Wesley J (# 6075) on :

[Votive]

Posted by no prophet's flag is set so... (# 15560) on :

Rain since last night. The first since mid-June. But we're to get 15 cm. Rainfall and flood warnings. It is welcome, but it would be nice if it fell a little slower. Fires should be slowed.

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