Showing posts with label wildfire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wildfire. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Fire Fighters, CO, a bit of Summer and a call for HELP!

Paz

'Peace" in Spanish,
the official language of the Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic children

Hello!
Today's blog may be a bit eclectic.
(If you don't that word, look it up! It's a great one to know!)
Please be sure and scroll all the way to the bottom for a
Call for HELP!!


Being in Colorado, fire is uppermost in our minds.
We have several new ones,
 bringing the total up to 8 fires burning across the state.
We have had many days now with the temps around 100' or more.
Holy Hot Air, Batman!
Our subdivision has some 'voluntary' water restrictions.
All of our lawns are burning up.
But,
that is  nothing compared to the thousands of people that have been evacuated because of the fires, and the owners of the 257 homes that have burned
in the High Park Fire only!

an Estes Park, CO home - lost

On one day, June 22, 2012 a new fire burst out in Poudre Canyon.
In that day, 60 homes were lost.
High Park Fire is the most destructive wildfire in Colorado history.

c.1907

The fire in Estes Park - the Woodland Heights Fire -had 21 structures burn
just on Saturday. (A 27 acre blaze)

Update 6-27-2012:
23  homes gone
100% contained Sunday pm.
2 - day fire, credited to the High Park Fire firefighters that were very close to help.

Estes Park is a popular tourist attraction, with hiking trail entrances to the
Rocky Mountain National Park (closed due to fire now).
They have charming bed and breakfasts and cabins to rent.

a vintage fire fighting photo from South Dakota forest fire
http://www.mcmahanphoto.com/

A new fire has rapidly devoured homes and property in Waldo Canyon, CO
just above Colorado Springs, about 70 miles south of us.
The smoke is very visible from our home,
and in Colorado Springs it is frightening.
Part of the Air Force Academy has been evacuated.

Waldo Canyon, Colorado June 24, 2012

You may recognize some of the names.
Colorado Springs is a large tourist draw, with Garden of the Gods,
Manitou Springs (evacuated), old Colorado City, white river rafting 
and much more.

no credit, perhaps Dover books

Of course, there is  Pike's Peak, a mountain climber's paradise
(I guess, if you're into climbing the tallest peaks in America).
Can't get to it now, because of fire.
Colorado Springs is also where our Olympians train.
Hopefully indoors for now.

1928 Olympics rowing stamp

There have been about 175,000 acres of land burnt.
The High Park Fire has finally been contained to 65%.
But think about it, that means 35% is NOT contained.

Earlier in the week, the fire was contained at 65%,
but then new fires (we are having high winds) jumped up and brought the containment back to 35% contained - in just one day.
Fire is an awesome and powerful thing.


The guesstimate is that the High Park fire will be 100% contained
by perhaps July 30th.
That's a lot of days in-between, with high winds and scorching temps to match.
Not the best of conditions to fight a fire, to say the least.

The  Poudre Park fire has canceled all the white water rafting that is a big
tourist attraction in the summer.
It has been re-opened to many evacuated residents today.
Keep in mind, these residents have been evacuated twice!

c.1904

I guess that's enough about fires for a while.
I have the greatest respect for the almost 2,000 firefighters that are battling blazes all around Colorado. It is hot. The fires are jumping and being eractic due to high winds. We have had firefighters battling the High Park Fire
since June 6.
Thank you.

Fire House Tour Day, from Dover I think.


Okay, I have to put in a little SUMMER FUN now!

courtesy of origamibears

Movie of the Day to watch:

Moon Over Parador

A really fun comedy that was panned by the critics.
Those silly movie critics - don't get me started!

This comedy is set in a fictional South American country (Parador)
and stars Richard Dreyfuss - a favorite actor of mine
and Sonia Braga - introducing me to her, and she is terrific!
and Raul Julia.
Raul Julia is excellent in this movie as a crazy 'bad guy', and he has some of the movie's best comedic lines!
Even Charro has a part in this little farce.
Tell me what you think of it after you have watched it!


Here are 2 more safety pin pins patterns
- say that 5 times quickly! -

Lady bug

Firefly
courtesy Sherri Osborn, http://www.familycrafts.about.com/

I think this little firefly pin is perfect for some
glow-in-the-dark beads, don't you?

Try using matte red beads for the ladybug,
and then shiny black ones for her spots!

Remember, a pattern is there as a guide,
not a hard-set-in-concrete type thing!
Play around, have fun!

Speaking of fireflies, here is nice little coloring page:

unknown source, but I suspect Dover books again!

Well, that's it for today folks!
I'm still gathering together my blog on Walt Whitman
and his eulogy to Abraham Lincoln and his death.
I've got to whittle it down, or I'm writing a book!
Also still picking up the last bits for
New Hampshire
and its' state flower - the purple lilac.

last minute call for help!

Does anyone live near
Newburgh, New York????


My first work shown in a gallery -
the Ann Street Gallery -
is being shown at the
'Altered Barbie' exhibit there.

I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to have a photo of my work hanging in a gallery!

PLEASE
 take a photo,
and gather a 'brochure' of the exhibit if there is one,
and I will pay postage.
The gallery is FREE
and

the last day is Saturday
June 30th.

My work is
Black Lace Barbie with Butterfly
original Collage Art Doll
by inkspired

Ann Street Gallery
104 Ann Street
Newburgh, NY 12550
(845) 784-1146

This would make me sooooo
happy!
:0)

inkspired


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Thursday, June 21, 2012

Wildfire Fighters, History of firefighters and Colorado fire

tangnefedd

'Peace' in Welsh


Today I want to talk a bit about

Wildfire Fighters


As many of you might know, we are fighting a quite large fire in Colorado.
It is called the High Park Fire,
although there are one or two other fires that have combined with it.

Here in Colorado, that is one of our main dangers,
along with hail and an occasional tornado.
We have very large National Forests, all along the Rocky Mountains,
such as the Roosevelt National Forest.

High Park Fire, Poudre Canyon
6/12/2012 photo cred AAron Ontiveroz, the Denver Post

As Coloradans, we rely on our wildfire fighters.
The High Park Fire has about 2,000 firefighters,
many from all around the USA to help.



Well over 2,700 people have been evacuated from their homes.
Some residents will be able to return today,
but the fire started on June 6th!
The High Park Fire was caused by lightning.

Satellite Photo of Ft. Collins

This satellite photo shows you where the fire started near Fort Collins.
You can see it marked on the lower left side,
partially covered by a red 'I-25'
 which is the main interstate that goes through the middle of Colorado.
As you see, the smoke plume is affecting both Wyoming and Nebraska.

If you draw a diagonal line to the right, from Fort Collins to I-76,
then place a point in the middle of that line,
that is close to Brighton, Colorado, where we live.
The fire started about 60 miles of us, north west.



The current estimated cost of fighting this fire is about $19.6 million.
Wow.
The fire fighters are using
18 helicopters
and
135 fire engines
battling around the clock, 24 hours a day.

how-to-draw a fire engine, courtesy Dover Books


So far 189 homes have burned, but experts expect this number to rise as smoke clears, and they can get into areas not available before.
Some local firefighters have lost their own homes.
The fire is only contained by 55%,
but that is considered good!

We have had one death caused by the fire.
I extend sympathies to her family.
I am so glad that no firefighters have lost their life.
We have had that happen before, here in Colorado.

photo courtesy of www.davidmixner.com

On July 6, 1994 14 wildfire fighters lost their lives in the

Storm King Mountain Fire
Glenwood Springs, CO

At the time there were 50 firefighters or so on the Storm King Mountain Fire.
More had been requested, but there just weren't any available.
At the time, there were several fires burning near.
The Storm King Mountain fire was also started by lightning.
Twelve of the firefighters were trapped on steep slopes with dense vegetation, and the fire overwhemled them.
The flames reached them in less than 2 minutes.
Two more firefighters tried to outrun the fire, but were overcome.
All died.

www.ecbiz108.inmotionhosting.com

The entire city of Glenwood Springs was so grateful for the sacrifice that the wildfire fighters had given their lives to save their city,
they erected a statue and several placques in the area.

www.justhiking.com

www.joycekillebrew.com

The above photo shows the Storm King sculpture with the sculptor,
Joyce Killebrew.

The Storm King Memorial is now a stopping place for firefighter crews,
if possible, when passing through Glenwood Springs
either enroute to a fire, or returning home.
It honors all firefighters and allows visitors to reflect
on how courageous wildland firefighters are.

Colorado Central Zone Fire Management Unit
So I was interested.
What could I learn about firefighters, especially wildfire fighters?
Let's explore!
contemporary firefighters, sitting on an early fire engine,
Campbell Historic Museum
The suppression of wildfires is regulated by:
the US Department of Agriculture,
the US Forest Service,
the Bureau of Land Management
and
the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
That's a lot of divisions!

They are all coordinated through
the National Wildland Coordination Center.
I guess that would be
the USDA, USFS and BLM is coordinated by
the NWCC!

( a little fire humor there...)

vintage around 1941 forest fire truck
www.wn.com

So what is wildfire suppression?
That means the fire fighting tactics that are used
to kill, smother and otherwise stop wildfires.
In wildland areas, different techniques, equipment and training are needed.

First there are the specially designed fire fighting aircraft.

a US Air Force plane drops fire retardant in Mexico
www.defensemedianetwork.com

a special wildfire helicopter
www.betterphoto.com

There are special tools that are used in wildfire fighting:

Drip torch
Fusee
McLeod (tool)
Pulaski (tool)
Fire flapper (tool)
Hazel hoe
chainsaw
shovel
very pistol (??)
hand held thermal detectors
sling psychrometer
portable bladder bag
two-way radio

The wildfire fighter also needs:

potable water (that means it is drinkable)
eye protection
a fire shelter
gloves
Nomex pants and shirt
a hard hat
and minimum 8" boots

These are just some of the examples!!!

a fireman hat and axe
www.coloring-pages-kids.com

High Line Fire, over Poudre Canyon, Colorado
photo cred Karl Gehring, www.denverpost.com

Now, there are differences between what a firefighter,
and a wildland fire fighter carries.

Here is an Arizona firefighter:

www.arizonafirefighter.com

Here is William Cervera, with some typical wildland fire equipment:


A couple of regular firefighters:

www.clipartpal.com

If the wildfire fighter is also a
Smokejumper
that  means she is a highly skilled and specially trained fighter
in wildfire suppression tactics.
They parachute into remote areas from aircraft to combat wildfire
and even are equipped to rappel from a helicopter!


a view of the High Line Park fire
http://newsroom.red.cross.org

"Wildfire trained crews suppress flames, construct fire lines
and extinguish flames and areas of heat to protect resources and natural wilderness. They also address issues of wildland/urban interface"
(where populated areas border with wildland areas).
why didn't they just say that???

Now in the 1960's, thinking changed about wild fires.
The 'people that be' started recognizing that some wild fires are ok
for the environment, and even necessary sometimes!
photo cred: mikel911

What wildfires are good for:
they are a natural process necessary for new growth.

Today we have policies that say instead of complete fire suppression,
we are to encourage wildland fire
 to be used as a tool, such as controlled burns.

a Federal firefighter, San Diego, California
10/13/2008

Fun fact:
In Australia wild land fires are called 'bushfire'.

With any fire, the firefighter's first priority is protection of human life,
both of firefighters, and civilians (that's us folks).
There is emphasis on safety, and preventing entrapment
(a situation where escape from fire is impossible).
There are lots of different resources needed and challenges,
particular to each fire.
Radio communication is very typical for communicationg during a wildfire.

www.firefighterinterview.org

So let's say now the fire is out.
Mostly.
The threat of wildfire is not over, even after the flames are 'gone'.
A smoldering of fire from heavy fuels or 'hot spots'
may continue to burn for days after the flames are 'out'.

High Park Fire 7/13/2012 photo cred: AAron Ontiveroz

High winds can fan these hot spots and a 'new' fire jumps up and becomes active again.

All in all, our wildland firefighters have to be strong,
couragous, dedicated and compassionate.

A firefighter holding a rescued beaver in North Ontario, Canada

Red Cross disaster relief High Line Fire

Here is a fun maze.
I know it is not 'wildfire' or 'firefighter'
but it does have fire in it!!





Another fun how-to:


thanks to Dover Publications for their freebies!

Well, do you think you discovered something new about firefighting?
I sure did!

An update on the High Line Fire in Colorado:

6/11/2012 fire photo satellite

More than 68,200 acres have burned in Northern Colorado.

Governor John Hickenlooper has banned open burning and
private use of fireworks throughout the state.

The City of Greeley (mostly direct East of Fort Collins)
will be severely affected.
Greeley is requesting federal support estimated at about
$1,100 per acre.
This includes placing straw and possibly seed burned areas
to prevent ash from contaminating area rivers
and
the city's high mountain reservoirs.

a special wildfire truck

Now for some blog news:
It has become EXTREMELY frustrating to continue writing a blog
on blogspot.com
The delay time is outragous from when I type something in,
wait
then correct one misspelling
wait
change the font size
wait
change the font color
wait
insert picture
wait
browse pictures, and choose one
wait
let it download for blog
wait
change size
wait
put in 3 letters for credit
wait
put in more letters for credit
wait.....
you get the idea.

My husband has been checking and re-checking our computer
and it doesn't seem to be the problem.

Yahoo has been having some issues of slow service
but not all the time, as my blog problems would suggest.

I'm just not sure what to do next, but taking up to 6 hours
to write one blog
is a bit...shall we say....
FRUSTRATING!!!

If anyone has any ideas I sure would appreciate the help.
Thanks in advance.
Are there other blogspotters out there that have the same trouble?

Well, time to close.
Stay safe.
It's never too early to teach your kids about fire safety
and
PLEASE
keep those lighters and matches and liquid candles AWAY FROM CHILDREN!


vintage poster Fire Department, New York
www.enjoyart.com

Many thanks to the many resources I used for this blog:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildfire_suppression






see you soon, I hope!

Inkspired
www.inkspired.etsy.com
www.collagepaperpainting.etsy.com
dominoes@myinkspired.com


 
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