Last winter, I wouldn't have given it a second thought. Due to the present dry conditions, I mulled over driving out there and snapping a few pictures. A look out the window and seeing the trees bending in a swift wind made my decision, I needed to go. Of course I wasn't dressed (I had slept in for once), so it took a few minutes for me to get into the jeep and then head across town.
The radio reports said that they had about half an acre in flashy fuel with a strong wind giving it a moderate to rapid rate of spread. The first-in engine claimed it, named it and opted to attack the head. According to a friend of mine who happened to be on that engine said that they really had to get on it, as the head was moving pretty quick. Fortunately, their efforts paid off and they caught it right away. Unfortunately for me, they also ruined any opportunity for good photos. As I was already there, I chose to take a few photos of mop-up operations. Some times you just have to take what you can get.
You can see last year's growth along with the stubby growth from that resulted the small amount of rain that we received in early December.
Blue sky, twenty knot wind and 14% relative humidity. Yee-haaw. As it was, they held the fire to just under an acre. While it ended up being not much, remember it is early January. This should not have burned at all.
I have been on a few fires at this very location and have pulled hose through some of the back yards that lie behind the fences that you see in the above photo. That wasn't an issue today, the fire was kept north of the bike path. The bike path made it easy for the engines to access the fire as well.
If not for the efforts of the first-in engine, this would have turned into a big deal. It;s good they picked it up.
As for the warm, dry weather, it's not all bad.
Some just can't get enough of it.
Thanks for reading,
A warm Schmoe
No comments:
Post a Comment