The entire West is on fire: 19 firefighters killed in Arizona

Discussion in 'Off-Topic' started by Commissar Smersh, Jun 11, 2013.

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  1. Commissar Smersh

    Commissar Smersh HODL Staff Member

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    Commissar Smersh, Jun 11, 2013
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  2. Commissar Smersh

    Commissar Smersh HODL Staff Member

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    http://photos.denverpost.com/2013/06/11/photos-black-forest-fire-engulfs-homes-prompts-evacuations/

    8,000 of the 24,000 acres evacuated have burned. Low end estimates are 80 structures burned. The area is 2.5 - 10 acre plots of forest with houses interspersed, much of which is dry and some dead due to pine beetles. Last I heard it jumped the eastern boundary of the evac area which my parent's place borders with the winds shifting their direction. 0% containment and red flag warnings early tomorrow afternoon. Colorado Springs is on priority 1 for their police department (emergency only) to assist the Sheriff with looting prevention.
    Commissar Smersh, Jun 12, 2013
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  3. mistawiskas

    mistawiskas kik n a and takin names

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    I hope your parents place survives. It's a dry year. There's a huge chance of fires all over the west and we've had a few already.
    mistawiskas, Jun 12, 2013
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  4. MSP

    MSP Haunting a dead forum...

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    It's like living in New Orleans at this point, they have the hurricanes and you get the fires.
    MSP, Jun 12, 2013
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  5. ninefivezero

    ninefivezero infinite resolution

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    Shitty, hope everything works out OK. I kind of agree with MSP though, because I mean, fire policy in the America west is totally broken and has lead to less frequent fires but ones of such intensity it is always a disaster. People moving farther and farther into the forest and fire country, of course this will happen...
    ninefivezero, Jun 12, 2013
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  6. mistawiskas

    mistawiskas kik n a and takin names

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    We just be as careful as we can, mitigate as much fuel sources around our places and hope for the best.
    at least with fires, you can do a miniscule amount about the dangers. Unlike Hurricanes, quakes and twisters for which there's nothing you can do.
    mistawiskas, Jun 12, 2013
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  7. Commissar Smersh

    Commissar Smersh HODL Staff Member

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    So hearing conflicting things (no surprise). Sheriff says properties half mile south appear undamaged. Then report of hotspot three houses over. They moved the evac limit half a mile north and are calling the next major road north at the county line the next line of defense. They've bulldozed 60+ yards of trees on my parents property building a fire line... Which will save the houses north but likely not theirs when it comes to it.
    Commissar Smersh, Jun 12, 2013
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  8. Commissar Smersh

    Commissar Smersh HODL Staff Member

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    Listening to El Paso Fire scanner:


    *3 houses east*, no damage, flames towards homes, 50' away; *intersection just southwest* flames, undamaged houses

    *sigh* just as I was about to go to bed
    Commissar Smersh, Jun 13, 2013
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  9. Commissar Smersh

    Commissar Smersh HODL Staff Member

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    LIVE UPDATES: 9:34 a.m.: El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa says at least 360 homes are complete losses -- numbers he calls "shocking" -- and another 14 are damaged as firefighters prepare to face another "red flag" day fighting the Black Forest fire.

    The destruction of homes ranks the Black Forest fire as the worst wildfire in Colorado history, surpassing the 347 homes destroyed by the Waldo Canyon fire last June in the Mountain Shadows neighborhood of Colorado Springs.

    It also ranks atop the list for most forced evacuations. Maketa said 38,000 people have been forced from their homes by the Black Forest fire, again exceeding the 32,000 evacuated from Colorado Springs during the Waldo Canyon fire.

    Thermal imaging shows a long heat signature straight through their neighborhood but the address is on the unknown list still....
    Commissar Smersh, Jun 13, 2013
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  10. mistawiskas

    mistawiskas kik n a and takin names

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    My God! It's Dante's Inferno over there! My heart rips in two to hear of those losses.
    mistawiskas, Jun 13, 2013
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  11. Commissar Smersh

    Commissar Smersh HODL Staff Member

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    The Royal Gorge:

    ImageUploadedByTapatalk1371261306.789686.jpg
    Commissar Smersh, Jun 14, 2013
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  12. braaains

    braaains gubble gubble

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    Hope everything works out okay. Wildfires are pretty gnarly and evacuating is so crappy. My parents just had to deal with evacuations a couple weeks ago for a huge wildfire in socal.
    I can't imagine one in a dry pine forest like that.

    Good luck.
    braaains, Jun 14, 2013
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  13. mistawiskas

    mistawiskas kik n a and takin names

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    mistawiskas, Jun 15, 2013
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  14. Commissar Smersh

    Commissar Smersh HODL Staff Member

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    "As of midnight, 473 homes were a total loss. "

    The paper also had composite imagery showing an active fire via satellite being highlighted just northwest of my parents place. For some reason though their block isn't on the master list of properties.

    But indeed cooler weather and some rain did help them achieve 1/3 containment.
    Commissar Smersh, Jun 15, 2013
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  15. mistawiskas

    mistawiskas kik n a and takin names

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    Right on! One of our locale hotshot crews (Grayback Forestry) came over to your place to help out. That crew has suffered losses, the worst of which was a helicopter crash (2008) that took 7 crew members out of ten to the happy hunting grounds. There's a couple more days of dry weather headed your way but it'll only last 2-3 days and then some more possibility of rains.
    mistawiskas, Jun 15, 2013
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  16. Commissar Smersh

    Commissar Smersh HODL Staff Member

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    So they finally released an updated list that actually included my parents' block, their home is listed as intact with no damage. They may supposedly be letting them back in on Monday, if so they're supposed to open house and check it for smoke damage then contact insurance and start the paperwork.

    The only two good things to come out of this are (less deductible) my parents are getting their disgusting floorboards and carpet replaced for free and maybe cabinetry. So while the house will still have the same poor design, a new interior will be nice. Second, the local vet burned down which means my mother will stop going there. The owner has terrible bedside and offers terrible advice (like prolonging a terminal, pain-ridden cat's life).

    But yeah, 487 houses and nearly 24 square miles still evacuated. It's oddly not been as surreal this time around and I don't know why.

    Edit: oh and during the last 3 days (and 2 for my brother) I've been in LA moving my dad out of his apartment that he's lived in for the past 10 years... to the house that's under evacuation.

    Edit 2: lol DirecTv: http://gazette.com/directv-to-fire-victim-who-lost-it-all-you-still-owe-400/article/1502291
    Commissar Smersh, Jun 16, 2013
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  17. mistawiskas

    mistawiskas kik n a and takin names

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    No respect for DTV here. I haven't been too happy with them lately and this feeds my worsening opinion of them.
    Glad your parents house is OK.
    mistawiskas, Jun 16, 2013
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  18. Mr. Ali

    Mr. Ali Junior Member

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    Mr. Ali, Jun 16, 2013
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  19. JZL

    JZL Ministry of Wack

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    Glad things are looking up for your parents, and I hope everyone else out that way.

    That caught my eye because we have one of those sonsabitches right down the road. He doesn't care if the animal suffers if he can guilt-milk the owner out of a few extra bucks, plus he's a goddamned liar. I haven't seen it personally, but I've heard stories about him getting mad and punching horses in the face. I would just love it if some animal kicked his head in or bit his dick off.

    At the very least, hopefully your local vet was a DirecTV customer.
    JZL, Jun 16, 2013
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  20. Commissar Smersh

    Commissar Smersh HODL Staff Member

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    Other than massive food spoilage due to power outage, no smoke damage or burned trees. I'll do a pic dump later.
    Commissar Smersh, Jun 17, 2013
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  21. Commissar Smersh

    Commissar Smersh HODL Staff Member

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    Also, we had a tornado at the airport today.
    Commissar Smersh, Jun 18, 2013
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  22. mistawiskas

    mistawiskas kik n a and takin names

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    That's just plain crazy. One calamity after another for Colorado.
    mistawiskas, Jun 19, 2013
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  23. ninefivezero

    ninefivezero infinite resolution

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    Glad to hear there is no damage to your place, just sad what happened to others.
    ninefivezero, Jun 19, 2013
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  24. smirnoff

    smirnoff Curmudgeon

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    Wow, interesting video.
    smirnoff, Jun 19, 2013
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  25. Commissar Smersh

    Commissar Smersh HODL Staff Member

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    https://www.dropbox.com/sc/0uq3u7d50nlug7z/McXlGqUcOW

    Keep in mind the area affected by evacuations was over 24 occupied, square miles and the fire damage was spread across about half of that. I'll update that with my own pictures whenever I make my way down there.

    And this is the fire about 4 miles SW of me currently (hooray Summer!):

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]



    Oh and this is the part of the state where I was planning on taking a mini weekend vacation in a few weeks:

    [​IMG]

    29,000 acres, 0% containment and in mountainous terrain.
    Commissar Smersh, Jun 21, 2013
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