Re: Our first "real" fire in years

["Sandy Bolinger" <bolinger@bigsky.net>]

We had a kind of clear day a few days ago---One of the plumes of smoke from
one of the smaller fires in this area was 35,000 feet tall---on top of this
35,000ft high plume of smoke(we call them atom bombs because that is exactly
what they look like)was a huge cumulus cloud---that much smoke, that high in
the atmosphere makes it's own weather...just absolutely breathtakingly
terrifying!

----- Original Message -----
From: <twoodcock@lendleaserei.com>
To: <ridecamp@endurance.net>; <ComeRideWithMe@egroups.com>
Sent: Monday, August 28, 2000 2:30 PM
Subject: RC: Our first "real" fire in years


>
>
> I know it doesn't compare to the big stuff up north, but here in ranchette
land
> this was a major deal:
>
> About 30 acres of pasture and scrub burned Saturday, not even 1 mile from
my
> house.  Five different pieces of property affected.
>
> Fire looks to have started on the shoulder of the road (cigarette?
catalytic
> converter?), miraculously missed a tired old church (hate to be ugly, but
if it
> was insured, it might have been better to let it burn than wait for it to
crash
> down on the congregations heads) and attacked the pasture land where I
usually
> ride.  Took two counties worth of semi-regular FD and volunteer FD to
contain
> and supress.  Missed all barns and houses, but only just.  Had about 30
yards
> before it would have hit a barn with a house right behind that.  Also
seems to
> have slowed considerably when it hit several heavy tree strands (you know
the
> kind that grow up on fence rows after 20 plus years)
>
> The weirdest thing was I didn't even know it was there for the longest
while.
> There was no breeze to blow the smoke.  I was in the pool and thought I
smelled
> a wiff of woodsmoke.  So I put on some shoes and walked all around,
checked out
> the back wood, the neighbors.  No fires so I went back into the pool.
Hours
> later Dad came home from the store and asked why we had no gone to help
with the
> fires!  Changed into heavier clothes, grabbed some old blankets, rakes and
> shovels, filled the water drums in the truck and headed out.  The fire was
well
> in hand when we got there, just stood around talking with other
non-volunteer
> volunteers.
>
> -Tamara
>
>