Oregon fires

[brenda]

Some evac zones are now downgraded, which is a good sign. What'sgoing on at your place, Rainman? Kincaid, any changes in your area?

[Rainman]

Smoke is still bad, the weak front that was suppose to help didn't come onshore enough, so looks like later this week for the winds to be sufficient to clear the air. No threat of fire progressing our way. They say the fires will continue to burn until the Fall rains set in. So, pretty much status quo. I want to see the sun again!

[Jolly]

Don't blame you.

Stay safe!

[Rainman]

I could see the sun a few minutes ago. Just a bright disc in the sky. Got my cell phone to take a picture, and it was gone. There is no sun anymore, I can prove it.
So far I personally know of one family that lost their home in Estacada. They lost everything of course, the fires rarely burn half a home.
Fortunately, my SIL's in Estacada and Beavercreek did not receive any fire damage, although the fire came within a mile of the SIL in Estacada.

I am sure it will be a huge shock when people are allowed to go tour the damage. Both fires were massive in terms of square miles burned. And it was beautiful forest. Hopefully some trees survived, but the west side of the Cascades is more Douglas Fir than Pine, and Pine I know can survive some fires.

[brenda]

Yes, those forest areas are/were gorgeous. It's a big loss for your area and your state. Glad your two SILs' homes were spared.

The smoke in Eugene is also terrible. It's as you described, the sun is a little glow in the sky there, too.

We're getting your smoke here in Minnesoooooota. Our sunset tonight was a fluorescent orange. The general haze in the sky makes it dark earlier than usual.

[Rainman]

If we could just get Jolly to send us a few inches of rain, we could send him lots and lots and lots of firewood.
Seriously though, I hope Jolly is doing OK. The confused hurricane stalled, just grinding away sending half the water of the planet onto his house and pet gators.

[Mik]

To give it perspective, the smoke has reached us in Cincinnati. Unreal.

[Copper]

This morning's paper says it is in Europe

[Kincaid]

Tomorrow will be 10 straight days of smoke, fog, and stagnant air with almost no wind at all at my house. It is surreal. Still smoky out tonight. Last I heard the fires were very diminished, having gobbled up most of the fuel and with no wind to push them around. Some of the video is surprising, seeing some trees looking untouched and others burned to a black spire.

[Jolly]

@Rainman said in Oregon fires:

If we could just get Jolly to send us a few inches of rain, we could send him lots and lots and lots of firewood.
Seriously though, I hope Jolly is doing OK. The confused hurricane stalled, just grinding away sending half the water of the planet onto his house and pet gators.

Actually, I could use a few inches of rain. I didn't get a durn thing off of Sally and Laura packed more wind than rain(which means we have an abundance of firewood).

Now, if I lived between Mobile and Pensacola, I'd need gills right now...

[brenda]

@Kincaid That sounds the same as where my kiddo lives. She finally got the air purifier that was ordered a week ago. She's tried to block the smoke from coming into the apartment.

[Rainman]

Another person/family I know had their home burnt down. This is an old family friend, we grew up together in the Esto community.
Before we sold it, we owned 20 acres on the Clackamas river. Beautiful old growth, riverfront. The person I mentioned above bought part of the property when we sold it, she said it is all gone. Bummer.

Another friend started a go fund me page, I donated heavily. I know they would have done the same for me. The Esto community is very tight, she might come out ahead in some respects. Hopefully some of the forests are just damaged. I keep hoping. We'll see, in time.

[Mik]

Rainman, is there any truth at all that they were deliberately set? I see stuff going around about that but not sure I believe it.

[George K]

@Mik said in Oregon fires:

Rainman, is there any truth at all that they were deliberately set? I see stuff going around about that but not sure I believe it.

https://nypost.com/2020/09/14/oregon-man-freed-after-starting-brush-fire-set-six-more-cops/

Luckily, all the fires “were caught early” and “no one was injured and no structures were burnt,” police said.

[Rainman]

@Mik There is no question some were arson. Many fires occurred near the I-5 corridor, which is the freeway running north-to-south from Portland/Salem/Eugene/Medford (it is THE freeway from Canada to southern California, for those that don't realize how few freeways we have in Oregon). They will likely be accurate as to which ones were deliberately set. As I'm sure everyone knows, it's amazing what they can figure out when drilling down to a source of a fire.

As for a potential link to Antifa, I don't think there has been enough time for the feds or journalists to figure it out. And if so, I don't think much would be said, given the state of this state. My opinion is that if one of the arsonists was a rioter or even somehow a formal member of Antifa, it would simply be a nut, one nut, setting a fire and not representational of a coordinated arson action. To spin otherwise would be dangerous due to the riots which would then occur from such news.

I read a headline yesterday that a woman held a guy at gunpoint trying to light a fire with matches. I don't know if that was around here or not. I really hope this doesn't start a Tylenol-like scare where the crazies start imitating.

[jon-nyc]

You wonder if somewhere Al Qaeda is like, “Really? All we needed was a few packs of matches?”

[George K]

@jon-nyc said in Oregon fires:

You wonder if somewhere Al Qaeda is like, “Really? All we needed was a few packs of matches?”

I read something like that years ago, but the idea was dismissed because, supposedly, AQ likes the big "splashy" event.

If it's pure terrorism, look no farther than the DC sniper duo. Those two guys practically shut down the nations capital.

[Jolly]

Electric grid.

A coordinated attack by a few guys could shut down half the country for days, maybe weeks.