Crews continue battling Northern California wildfires (500 acres grew to 12,000 due to MIST?)

Sacramento Bee ^ | 10/14/04 | Associated Press and Bee Metro Staff

[eldoradude]

Firefighters also were battling a 5,400-acre wildfire elsewhere in Eldorado National Forest in Amador County. The Power fire broke out Oct. 6 and had been contained at about 500 acres Tuesday, but flared up and spread wildly in high winds Wednesday. By Thursday evening, the blaze had charred 12,000 acres and was just 10 percent contained.

[eldoradude]

MIST = Minimal Impact Suppression Techniques

[GeronL]

lol.

sounds like Prevent Defense

[eldoradude]

MIST

Minimum Impact Suppression Tactics

Fire Lining Phase

1. Take advantage of natural barriers wherever possible. 2.Use cold-trail and/or wet line when appropriate. 3.If the decision is made to construct line, use only the width and depth necessary for halting the fire spread. 4.Minimize bucking and cutting of trees to establish fire line; build line around logs when feasible and effective. 5.Limb vegetation only to the extent necessary to stop fire spread.

Minimize cutting live trees, burned trees and snags.

1.As an alternative to felling, consider allowing ignited trees and snags to burn themselves out. Ensure adequate safety measures are communicated to those affected by this decision. 2.If burning trees or snags pose a serious threat of spreading firebrands, extinguish the fire with water and/or dirt wherever possible.

Mop-up Phase

1.Minimize spading: restrict to hot areas near fire line or potential re-burn areas only. 2.Refrain from making a boneyard; return burned and partially burned fuels to their natural arrangement. 3.Use water "pumpkins", fold-a-tanks and blivets to avoid impacts to streams and riparian areas. 4.Provide containment barriers and designated filling areas away from stream courses.

In camp

1.Select impact resistant sites for your tent, rocky or sandy soils are best. 2.Do not clear vegetation or dig trenches to create bedding sites. 3.Pack out all garbage, including candy wrappers, cigarette butts, and flagging. 4.Use toilets where provided. Otherwise dig a cathole 6-8" deep at least 200 feet from water.  Carry water and bather away from lakes and streams.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/eldorado/incident/power/mist.html

[eldoradude]

More like political correctness and environmentalism gone mad.

As an alternative to felling, consider allowing ignited trees and snags to burn themselves out.

The Power fire was at 500 acres when 40 mph winds carried sparks from the still burning snags and carried them up to 2 miles downwind and out of control. Now it's at 12,000 acres and growing.

[Diver Dave]

We've got smokey hazy skies down her in Modesto from the two fires up north.

Uhhhh, should I turn off our patio misters?

[eldoradude]

LOL

I would like to put up a billboard in Kyburz stating something to the effect of: The next few miles of charred scenery and dead wildlife brought to you by the Sierra Club.

[ArmstedFragg]

If the decision is made to construct line, use only the width and depth necessary for halting the fire spread

Boy, there's the kind of phrase that gives a bureaucrat a nocturnal erotic moment. If you don't stop the fire the line wasn't wide enough, and if you do stop the fire then your line might have been wider than necessary. Either way, some 'supervisor' can second guess whatever you do. A perfect recipe for inaction.

[SierraWasp]

"The next few miles of charred scenery and dead wildlife brought to you by the Sierra Club."

Mind if I graffitti your bill board just a little? Sierra ClubFlub!!!

Hay dude! Where ya been? Good to see ya back, although it's hard ta see ya thru alla the danged smoke!!!

[eldoradude]

Looks like you were up pretty early this morning Mr. Wasp...smoke pouring through the windows?

How ya been? This keeps up we'll all be walking around with white masks over our faces like a Michael Jackson lookalike.

[SierraWasp]

Yeah... Somebody tried to send a fax to my regular phone line and the ringing and squealing woke me up at 5:AM to start my smokey day off to an even stranger start.

Mrs. Wasp and I just drove through there on Sunday on our way back from Tarhoe. I guess it started somewhere around the Wright's Lake turn off. Now it's burning toward Ice House Reservoir.

We know that area well as we've camped at Wright's Lake many times with the family over the years and ridden our dirt-bikes over all those trails between Wright's Lake and Ice House. Don't tell the Sierra Flub about it... They'll come looking for me, as if they didn't already know where I live. (smirk)

Phil V. is over closer to the fire than either you, or I. Wonder how much smoke he's got in his bed clothes???

Euuuuu... What'd ya hafta bring up that crotch-grabbin, baby rapin freak for???

[Phil V.]

"Euuuuu... What'd ya hafta bring up that crotch-grabbin, baby rapin freak for???"

NOW REALLY!!! WAS THAT NECESSARY?

WRT the fire . . . we used to call that "range improvement".