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08-22-20, 09:59 AM | #196 | |
SUBSIM Newsman
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California fires: Governor asks Australia for help
A series of massive fires in northern and central California forced more evacuations. Quote:
Sad to see...
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Nothing in life is to be feard,it is only to be understood. Marie Curie |
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08-22-20, 02:04 PM | #197 | |
Gefallen Engel U-666
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Death by 'friendly fire' in an unfriendly fire??!!
BIGGER ain't always better: The 747-400 super tanker used in the Pardise and Brazil fires is out of service due to backruptcy issues....just when 'a von Claucsewitzian level 'increase of firepower' is needed to combat the wrath of god. At 20000 gallons per drop, twice the amount of a DC-10, someone needs to get to the boneyard and revamp it. The retardant drops can be fatal to firefighters on the ground though: https://apnews.com/7b72b8c13e454d46ac5489cec4cdbc3c/Firefighter%E2%80%99s-death-caused-by-retardant-drop-from-747
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"Only two things are infinite; The Universe and human squirrelyness; and I'm not too sure about the Universe" Last edited by Aktungbby; 08-22-20 at 06:45 PM. |
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08-22-20, 06:09 PM | #198 |
Navy Seal
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One of the types of aircraft used to fight Southern Calif. wildfire, a 737 Air Tanker:
This is a link to photos of some other aircraft in the SoCal wildfire fighting arsenal: Photos of firefighting aircraft on the Elizabeth Fire in southern California -- https://fireaviation.com/2020/06/17/...rn-california/ Other craft are sometimes obtained by local county, state, or, even Federal authorities, either borrowed or leased, from outside sources, as needed and if available; in a situation as we're in now, with fires spread over so much of the state and of such severity, the opportunities for added air support are diminished... In regards to the size vs. effectiveness issue, payload can often be a secondary consideration; depending on terrain and extent of a blaze, size of craft can be a liability; larger craft mean greater speeds in flight at the loss of some maneuverability; in mountainous terrain, much larger craft cannot easily maneuver in close enough for pinpoint drops and, dropping retardant from a necessarily higher altitude cause the drops to often miss their mark; smaller aircraft are also better capable of dealing with surprise currents and drafts caused by changing micro-climates caused by the fires and respond with greater ease and safety; additionally, smaller aircraft are more versatile in accessing water sources: a helicopter can hover over nearby lakes, etc., to draw into their tanks and some other small fixed-wing craft can skim over the surfaces of larger lakes to scoop up water for their tanks, while the very large craft often have to land, be filled, and then take off, costing time in firefighting efforts... Regardless, of the type or size of craft, the efforts of those who fly and maintain the craft is to be greatly appreciated... <O>
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08-22-20, 07:21 PM | #199 | |||
Gefallen Engel U-666
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"Only two things are infinite; The Universe and human squirrelyness; and I'm not too sure about the Universe" |
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08-22-20, 09:52 PM | #200 | |||
Gefallen Engel U-666
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I"m gonna sue for plaigarism! Not even a deferential nod!
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"Only two things are infinite; The Universe and human squirrelyness; and I'm not too sure about the Universe" Last edited by Aktungbby; 08-22-20 at 10:54 PM. |
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08-23-20, 04:39 AM | #201 |
Chief of the Boat
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Possibly old news right now but it is being reported that the POTUS has declared the situation as a major disaster and is about to release federal aid.
Why has it taken so long?
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Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.
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08-23-20, 05:22 AM | #202 |
Dipped Squirrel Operative
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I guess they had to ask Australia for help first
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08-23-20, 07:35 AM | #203 | ||
Navy Seal
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Quote:
That aircraft made an appearance here in SoCal a few years ago, were tested , including some use in actual fire fighting, and the local fire authorities mulled over whether or not to lease/buy one, but the initial runs in the mountainous terrain with deep valley and their updrafts/downdrafts/air-bursts raised concerns about the long-term safety of the craft in use in SoCal; concerns were actually raised about the possibility of such a craft running into trouble, crashing in the woods, and either spreading an already bad fire even more, or if it landed in an area father away, creating a new fire front; I never heard or saw any actual resolution, so my guess the idea was just allowed to peter out... The lead plane system is also in effect down here and there have been reports of drop runs being aborted when the smaller lead planes ran into strong turbulence caused by the fires and caution called for a wave off of the larger planes; I agree it is usually best to have the most available volume, but it looks like local conditions tend to dictate the prudence of avoiding unacceptable risk... Quote:
California is on Trump's naughty list' since we are essentially a heavily Democratic controlled state; it is the home of his nemesis, the Federal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals (who have thwarted a lot of his shenanigans); it is the home state of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (another nemesis); the state has refused to give obeisance to King Donald at all levels; the GOP took a very sound thrashing in 2016 and 2018 in CA (where a county solidly held by the GOP not only voted overwhelmingly for Clinton in 2016, it also voted out all the remaining GOP incumbents/candidates in 2018 in favor of DEMs, the first time had happened since 1936); etc., etc.; it is a long list and DT holds very big grudges; he has tried in the past to withhold or remove Federal funds and/or assistance unless CA gives in to his demands, always losing, either due to court rulings, or the realization by the GOP and his advisors, his actions could have very serious PR implications; just the day before yesterday, CA' Governor, Gavin Newsom, was questioned about the lack of a Federal State of Emergency Declaration from the White House and assured the public communications were open between the State and White House and he had been re assured by persons in the Trump Administration a Declaration was forthcoming and, it has indeed been issued; Gov. Newsom also noted that the very public threats and blustering by Trump quite often are belied by actual actions taken: Amid raging fires and pandemic, Newsom calls relationship with Trump ‘very effective’ -- https://calmatters.org/politics/2020...ifornia-fires/ I think Newsom has taken a page fom the Putin/Kim playbooks and sussed out that if you pat Trump on the head, give him a cookie, and tell him he's a good boy, he'll happily give you what you need... Its a pity such games have to be played to get urgently needed aid; hopefully next January will see a marked decrease in such pettiness... <O>
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08-23-20, 10:57 AM | #204 |
Gefallen Engel U-666
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The wrath of God on the day of the lord
The Sunday Tally:
194 fire engines; 35 water tenders; 11 helocopters; 13 handcrews(in short supply); 36 bulldozers; total personnell: 1,349... on the LNU fire. Four are known dead; 560 structures destroyed with another 30,500 endangered. The fire is now the second biggest,only surpassed by the Mendocino fire of 2019. Statewide there are 585 over week, most generated by lightning strikes ie: 1,000,000,000 acres or 1562 square miles burned. The Napa fire(s) is currently at 15% containment. The Walbridge fire in neighboring Sonoma county is at 50,000 acres with 0% containment. The ash and smoke from that blaze are hitting my house on the prevailing westerly winds. Cal Fire has designated the NorthBay fires, incl. Santa Cruz, as top priority of the hundreds burning across California. Winds are temperate but more lightning is still expected; standby evacuation orders remain in place.
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"Only two things are infinite; The Universe and human squirrelyness; and I'm not too sure about the Universe" Last edited by Aktungbby; 08-23-20 at 12:53 PM. |
08-23-20, 12:23 PM | #205 |
Chief of the Boat
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You just make sure you and yours keep out of harms way.
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Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.
Oh my God, not again!! GWX3.0 Download Page - Donation/instant access to GWX (Help SubSim) |
08-23-20, 12:48 PM | #206 |
Gefallen Engel U-666
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Under solid grey skys
Life in Napa: Wear mask for Covid & smoke; drink $2 Buck Chuck chardonnay; remain in 'bugout mode'... 2 cars loaded: insurance docs, catfood, water, clean laundry, cookies for three days, cash... with garage rollupdoor open 24/7 in case of power failure: that boo-boo alone killed four in 2018's Santa Rosa downtown firestorm! It's: 'the new normal' meets 'what a fascinating modern age I live in!'
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"Only two things are infinite; The Universe and human squirrelyness; and I'm not too sure about the Universe" |
08-24-20, 12:12 AM | #207 |
Shark above Space Chicken
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Weather has cooled and is sprinkling a bit. I can smell the rain and am opening up the house for an air exchange tonight. I can't smell any smoke but the air is likely still not healthy, then again, it feels good and smells good at last.
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"However vast the darkness, we must provide our own light." Stanley Kubrick "Tomorrow belongs to those who can hear it coming." David Bowie |
08-30-20, 10:46 AM | #208 |
Gefallen Engel U-666
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The Sunday Tally: cooler weather has enabled fire crews to to build more containment lines. Containment is at 41% up from 35g on Friday night. 373,324 acres are burned; 52 structures destroyed; with 340 others damaged. 2800 firefighters are on on the lines after 12 days. The weather is forecast for very warm for the upcoming week: "the climatological peak of fire season!" Skies are overcast and smoke reeks through the house as I post. Dove, wild turkey and deer hunting season is cancelled for remainder of year. Damn!
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"Only two things are infinite; The Universe and human squirrelyness; and I'm not too sure about the Universe" |
09-03-20, 11:03 AM | #209 |
Gefallen Engel U-666
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The Hennesy portion of the LNU fire which has expanded into five counties has destroyed 297 homes and is 74% contained with no expansion. Between the 2018 infernos and this one, the homes destroyed count is right at 1,000-a serious hit to the county a$$e$$or's revenues. Officially, fully 33% of Napa county is charred. The weather, which has been merciful with temperate heat and mild wind, is forecast for the Labor Day weekend at 100-105 F.; bad enough, but no lightning strikes are forecast.
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"Only two things are infinite; The Universe and human squirrelyness; and I'm not too sure about the Universe" |
09-07-20, 12:26 PM | #210 |
Gefallen Engel U-666
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THIS JUST IN: the El Dorado fire, now around 8000 acres in southern California, was started at a 'gender reveal' party by a smoke generating pyrotechnic machine...two days ago! Given the nature of Californian zaniness, a legal "spare the air day" in effect, and any excuse to party- the wrath of God is completely comprehensible in this case.
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"Only two things are infinite; The Universe and human squirrelyness; and I'm not too sure about the Universe" |
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california, wild fires |
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