I've about 75 miles NW of the fires east of Salem, in Central Washington county and am seeing the Smoke Wall moving over my house. It looks worse than what came over from the east side last night.

My air quality last night was 163 based on local reporting station (I'm 15 or so miles west of Portland). There were also some large power outages last night, and still some today in the Portland Metro area due to the very strong easterly winds (I had no power for 5 or so hours).

We also have fire west of us, Hagg Lake.

Just heard over my radio that a person I've known for 12 years lost his house to the fires down south in Oregon. Makes it more real in ways.

quote:

We also have fire west of us, Hagg Lake.

Now there's one in the Bald Peak area, North of Newberg.

quote:

Originally posted by radioman:
Mill City (Oregon) got hit pretty hard.

I have a client in Mill City.

As a courtesy, I sent him an email. Have not heard back.

I didn't call because I figured he was probably GTFO with his family.

Last night was bad, could smell the smoke from the fires in Portland. At the time, I figured it was coming from Hood River, but maybe there were closer fires than that.

Now, two of the three major metropolitan counties are either partially (Washington) or fully (Clackamas) under some level of evacuation order.

I took some photos from the Tualatin Valley National Wildlife Refuge. I could see the smoke billowing up from the Bald Peak Fire. Don't have a host at the moment, but scary stuff.

Sure hope this ends soon. Real time currently active wildfires in the USA.

https://projects.oregonlive.co...ap#6/44.190/-120.700

quote:

Originally posted by Jelly:
Real time currently active wildfires in the USA.

Go straight to the source:

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov

Regular updates, briefings, fire maps, links, fire management informaiton, photos and videos, public notices, cause, coordinates, containment, fuels, etc.

quote:

Originally posted by radioman:

quote:

We also have fire west of us, Hagg Lake.

Now there's one in the Bald Peak area, North of Newberg.

I know too many hams in the that area - especially one who's a good friend. I'm 10-12 miles NE as the crow flies from there.

It's a pretty densely populated area too, for a rural in the woods terrain.

quote:

Originally posted by sns3guppy:

quote:

Originally posted by Jelly:
Real time currently active wildfires in the USA.

Go straight to the source:

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov

Regular updates, briefings, fire maps, links, fire management informaiton, photos and videos, public notices, cause, coordinates, containment, fuels, etc.

Also good info is the NIFC Sit Report, just do a google search and the daily briefing/summary of all fires will download in a 5 page PDF. Interesting way to see how many fires are out there, size, number of personnel and equipment on a fire as well as a very brief summary of each fire.

quote:

Originally posted by 911Boss:

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo54:
There are multiple fires in Eastern Washington as well. One small town is pretty much gone.

Here is a shot of a valley near my home. Hwy 195 south is the road in the picture:


Jim

Which town?

Spokane. The wind has cleared it up quite a bit now but that can change quickly.

Jim

quote:

Originally posted by icom706:

quote:

Originally posted by radioman:
Now there's one in the Bald Peak area, North of Newberg.

I know too many hams in the that area - especially one who's a good friend. I'm 10-12 miles NE as the crow flies from there.

It's a pretty densely populated area too, for a rural in the woods terrain.

As am I. Sometime around 7:30 I think, last night, I was out driving and my phone started squealing like the old Emergency Warning System tests you used to hear on TV. It was the "Go NOW" evacuation notice for the Bald Peak area. I suspect I know who your friend is, I worked Field Day up at his place once or twice back when I was involved in ham stuff. I hope he doesn't lose anything.

quote:

Originally posted by Bulldog:

Also good info is the NIFC Sit Report, just do a google search and the daily briefing/summary of all fires will download in a 5 page PDF. Interesting way to see how many fires are out there, size, number of personnel and equipment on a fire as well as a very brief summary of each fire.

Keep in mind how the SitReport is compiled. It's always a day out of date, and often doesn't reflect resources, acres, personnel, losses, fire behavior, management, etc. It's an impressionist overview from a planning level, for getting a situational idea. It's purpose is to be read in the daily briefing each morning for firefighters, to get a general idea of what fires are in the area, and what the demand is on fire resources. It's not intended to be a current, accurate rundown on what each fire is doing.

The SitReport is arranged by activity level, and by planning level. The PL, or planning level, is the national fire equivalent of "Defense Condition," in that it indicates the demand of resources through the country. By the time PL5 is reached (highest), all resources are committed, and there's nothing more to draw on. Right now, nationally, it's at Level 5.

The regional breakdown will list each region by order of fire activity; the first region listed has the most going on, and that can change daily, as demands change nationwide. First on the list at the moment is Northern California, which is at PL5, with 30 uncontained fires, 2 new large incidents, 23 new fires, one area command team assigned, and eight type 1 teams (largest incident management team for a fire complex).

A quick run down of the fire by name will be given for the region, and then a data box showing acres, changes since last in last 24 hours, estimate containment, personnel, resources, structures lost, cost to date, and ownship.

Southern California and the Northwest are also at PL5. The Northern Rockies are PL4, The Rocky Mountain and Great Basin, Southwest, Southern (which includes Hurricane Laura response) regions are PL3, and Alaska is PL1. Early in the year, it's not uncommon to see Alaska as the most active region, though it seldom makes the news.

https://www.nifc.gov/nicc/sitreprt.pdf

You can also go to the specific region through the GACC (geographical area coordination center--which compiles the data sent to NIFC for the SitRep each night) web site, which will link you by graphic to the individual regional GACCs.

https://gacc.nifc.gov

In the case of this thread, the Northwest GACC:

https://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/

Also the NWCC morning briefing, specific to the North West (vs. the SitRep, which is national):

https://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/con...020-09-09%2012:57:42

Incident management teams and numerous managers and overhead will report to the GACC their statistics, which are compiled and fired off to NIFC, for the SitReport, which is generated at 0600 every morning. There's a lot which won't make it to the SitRep, but it's still a useful tool for getting a big picture look at what's going on, so long as the limitations are understood.

Because of the dynamic nature of fire, changes can occur frequently and may not be reflected in current data. Hundreds of times I've noted during a morning briefing that I'm listed in another part of the country, or not listed as a resource at a particular location, even though the aircraft is parked in the loading pit right in front of the building. It happens.

The most glaring for me was walking into a dispatch in Southern California, not far from Fox field in Lancaster. I introduced myself to a dispatcher, and she said "I know you. You're right here!" She pointed to the Fresno Air Tanker Base.

I said, "No, I'm standing next to you. The airplane is just out there, at Fox."

"No," she insisted. I show you right here," and tapped the map at Fresno again.

Not always current, and things do change, but at the moment, with several regions fully committed and no more resources available, things are stretched tight, and some fires are having to share resources; that information will nearly certainly have an inaccurate report in the big picture (SitRep), because it can't always be shown committed or as part of one fire. Likewise, even with cost, the numbers don't necessarily reflect; if Fire A calls a drop for a tanker and then the tanker bumps to Fire B, the individual drops have separate charges and fire codes, but then the daily availability rate for the tanker, the costs of the base, the retardant itself, and numerous other factors, must also be apportioned, and that takes time.

It's rare that I've dropped on a fire and returned to find the fire the same; inevitably it's changed, in the time it took to go back to an airport, load, and return. "Accuracy" in reporting is a sliding scale, the error in which depends on how dynamic the moment...and presently there are a lot of moments.

quote:

Originally posted by Expert308:

quote:

Originally posted by icom706:

quote:

Originally posted by radioman:
Now there's one in the Bald Peak area, North of Newberg.

I know too many hams in the that area - especially one who's a good friend. I'm 10-12 miles NE as the crow flies from there.

It's a pretty densely populated area too, for a rural in the woods terrain.

As am I. Sometime around 7:30 I think, last night, I was out driving and my phone started squealing like the old Emergency Warning System tests you used to hear on TV. It was the "Go NOW" evacuation notice for the Bald Peak area. I suspect I know who your friend is, I worked Field Day up at his place once or twice back when I was involved in ham stuff. I hope he doesn't lose anything.

Hi - hope all is well with you. K is ok. He and R had to evacuate last night to brother G's house. He's back at home, but on level 2 status. Fire about 4 miles away from him. Spoke to him this morning on the air.

I was just out running errors (mailing QSL card's. Had to fight the Aloha PO to accept a JA IRC. Grrrrr.) Looking west of of 10 is bad. I can see the wall of smoke trying to come over Cooper MT near my shack.

Also, let me know if you ever want to go shooting at the club. K has a growing 'collection' and is a member too, recently. We had a blast on the steel target range 6 months back with our .22's. I love the Henry.

I've got your email address somewhere. Take Care.

Wow!
Looks it took off again, giant cloud of smoke to the south.
The wind is still going pretty good here.

Good news! We've got people intentionally setting fires now!

Damned fires. Wishing you all the best an full on survival and total avoidance. At work all day in Beaverton we saw the smoke drifting over, just north was blue sky, south was ...well, ugly. Dark thick kind of ugly. Like the pictures show. Need some rain for sure.

Best wishes to my fellow citizens on the West Coast. I hate to see this, and hate it for y’all.

About two hours after I posted the State Police went through the neighborhood and told people to get out. I was down to packing 3 or 4 items and making a cup of tea so it was pretty close timing. Getting reports that houses on the fringe of Glide have been lost but the area around my house was still OK. Red Cross has 55-60 people either put up in motels or sheltered at the Fairgrounds. I thought it would be more but in the country friends or family are willing to put you up, or you have an RV to drive off to a safe place. Will see what's up tomorrow.

Stuff like this:

https://youtu.be/zO5SfLc8xOk

Volunteer firefighter encounters some shady folks--hope they were last minute moving stuff out, but sounds like they might have been looters.

SMH.

quote:

Originally posted by airsoft guy:
Good news! We've got people intentionally setting fires now!

https://i.postimg.cc/y6nFvBTg/arson.jpg

This mental midget will get bail.

Who can get ASG pillowcase full of broken door knobs?

On a serious note

Has the Secret Ninja Squirrel Volcano Base checked in?

If Bruce and crew or any of the affected members in the PNW have evacuated or lost their residence, are we positioned to aid them?

All Clackamas County agencies (Fire plus LE) were just told to disengage activity and leave the fire zone because it's become too dangerous. This is specific to the Riverside Fire.

wow. I'll be praying for them all.

That fire is now 17 miles from me and looks like Estacada may burn.
I go shooting in that area and all spots I go to are burning.
Not long ago headed up to one spot.


I heard the idiot Governor on the fires today.
Bitch just couldn't help but blame climate change and not bad Forest management.
I was surprised to hear her not blame President Trump but give it time.