How cold is it?

[Pete H]

112 degrees here today. Strong hot winds from the North West, BIG out of control bushfire in the mountains twenty miles to the North West. Smoke everywhere, cinders starting fires ten miles ahead of the main fire front. Time to put our fire fighting plan into action or leave. Fire being fought mainly from the air as it's still in the mountains at the moment, if this wind continues it should hit the grasslands and farming areas this afternoon. In these temperatures and winds we will have a fast moving grass fire heading our way. Our best hopes are pinned to a predicted wind change with an associated cool change this evening. This will at least give the fire fighters a chance to control it. (Also a wind change will steer the fire away from us, but of course that puts some other poor guys in the danger zone.)

Ok, time to catch the cats and put them in their carry cages, grab the important documents, computers and memory cards, a few clothes, hitch up the boat, load the Jeep then wet every thing down here and get out.

Could really do with some of your cold wet weather, send it now please.

Cheers,

[skip1930]

Really? Holy cow! So much for summertime down under. We are seeing snow and 9 degrees above zero. You can have it.
Well, get out of the way of the fire.

I suppose the best way to head is behind where the fire has already burned.
May not be able to sneak around that way ... but going 'down stream' into an area not burned yet is not good either.

Hummmm. Call a lateral.
Be safe, hoping for the best for you and yours.

Save the Legacy! skip.

[Pete H]

Thanks Skip, the hoped for wind direction change came through last night and the fire changed course before our town was damaged. I was very thankful for that, but feel guilty that my relief is at the expense of others. The police have evacuated three towns to the north of us that are now in the fire's path. Some people refused to be evacuated and exercised their right to stay and defend their homes, some of them died.

The official policy is "Leave and Live. But leave early!" It is always hard to do that, but with a fire like this which is so big and ferocious that it is creating its own weather system, trying to fight it with a garden hose is futile. So, I'm relieved and all I can realistically do for those now in its path is pray for rain.

Cheers,

[skip1930]

People stayed and died? For a few things that might be burned up? Tragic
How stupid people are. It's totally avoidable. I guess it cleans the gene pool.

My college minor was O.S.H.A and our class at I.S.U. traveled to a 'building' at U. of I. and as we climbed out of the bus we were ushered into this building and walked through a maze and up three stories of stairs. During the class 100% of the lights winked out. Only a few exit signs, but not viewable. The room and hallways filled with peppermint smoke that burned the throat and watered the eyes and the class was told to " find your own way out. " It was down on your hand and knees. Best air here was mid ships. Bad air at the floor and at the ceiling.

Well we all died in theory. It was a great class.

Dad told me as a 'squid' in the 1930's Navy, their on board ship fire fighting training at Great Lakes was manning a hose and knocking down a bunker oil fire. As soon as that goal was accomplished, the fuel was relit and they had to knock it down again. Nothing to fear, "get 'er done."

Well it snowed all yesterday. Knee high to a grasshopper, and I was digging out three dumpsters behind the store. Big wind and falling temps. -1 deg F. Ouch to move.

skip.

[Pete H]

Totally agree with you Skip, most of the people who stay to defend their homes have them fully insured anyway. The way I look at it, they are just defending the insurance company's interests. Three fatalities among stay and defenders in the local fires, it was thought to be more originally but when all the confusion died down some people who were reported missing turned up unharmed.  The fires are still burning but are contained to the forest areas of the National Park and will burn for weeks or until we get major rains. As long as they don't break through the control lines the fire fighters have in place they shouldn't be a threat to people or property.

Temperature here today is a delightful 75 degrees Fahrenheit, light winds, time to go sailing.

Cheers,

[MacGyver]

I have a buddy here in the states that flies all around fighting forest fires, and saving homes. He is a interesting character, really enjoying his work. He sails a CAT30 or 31 I cant remember, but it is in a slip and waits for him to fly in and use it. He doesnt have a place to live and makes a lot of money, constantly moving around, and then going sailing every chance he gets.

Anyway, he built a really cool setup one time to protect some cabins. Worked off of the supply water, and was a series of pipes and spriklers that saturated the ground pretty far out and then they abandoned it as the fire got close hoping the system would work. It did. I think he was recognized for it.

A person in Oklahoma did the same thing and after my father and mother in laws place burned down from a wild fire, the pictures looked pretty devastating until you came to this dudes place, Bright green grass, all buildings in tact, nice trees. Amazing looking amongst the black charred mess.

I am glad you made it through. It is amazing in life how long it takes to amass what we own, and how quick it can be all gone.

Mac

[brackish]

How cold is it?  Well yesterday this is what I was doing with bright sun, 60F and winds WSW at 9mph. About 4.5 knots with Spin alone.  Today 35F for a high, overcast, winds NW at 21 gusting to 30 MPH.  What a difference a day makes.

[thomeng55]

Snow-mageden

9 degrees (F) in Hammond, Indiana. We've had about 14 inches of snow so far today.  I thought about driving by the Marina... but they said they have even more snow there.

Come on Spring!!

[frank]

Left home at 6:30 am yesterday in Petawawa Ontario to drive to Florida. It was -31 when we left....COLD all 14hrs I drove yesterday! Man...even filling up was painful with the wind!  We were way into SC today on I-95 before the snow under trees finally dissapeared!!!
We are in St Augustine now and although not "balmy"....its finally not chilling!!!

[kahpho]

Wow. I haven't followed this as close as I should have. Really glad you escaped the fire Pete. And I hope for the best for your neighbors too. The rest of you better hunker down 'til better sailing weather returns  .

Where I am on the west coast the temperature isn't bad, maybe high 20's at night to (lately) 40's-50's during the day. The concern here is lack of precipitation. Places I normally see eight feet of snow this time of year are bone dry. No snow pack anywhere to speak of. We're having Red Flag Warnings for fire risk..... in January! Doesn't bode well for next summer.

Please send snow.

mel