"Is simple, Natasha. You lure møøse to secluded spot, posing as sister. Afterwards force into serving Fearless Leader, by means of compromising photos."
Posted on 06/11/2002 11:47:49 AM PDT by Willie Green
For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use.
An unlucky rodent was behind the Lincoln County wildfire that forced more than 300 Pioche residents to evacuate their homes over the weekend.
Investigators Monday found a scorched squirrel near a power line that had shorted out on the outskirts of Pioche, where the fire started Saturday afternoon.
"The squirrel fell on the power line. Apparently they found his little body near the point of origin," said Vicki Stevens, acting assistant Nevada fire marshal. "They're not sure how he got up there."
Fire officials speculated a bird could have dropped the animal on the line, or perhaps the rodent lost its balance, causing the line to short and nearby brush to catch fire.
About half of the town's residents were evacuated from their homes Saturday after winds of up to 60 mph pushed the fire around three sides of Pioche. Residents went to a local park and returned to their homes Sunday morning as winds died down and firefighters gained control of the blaze.
"It burned in some areas within 50 to 100 yards of homes," said Chris Hanefeld, a Bureau of Land Management spokesman.
The fire was 70 percent contained Monday, and authorities said they expected total containment at 6 p.m. today. Monday's low temperatures and light winds slowed the fire's growth, Hanefeld said.
The fire consumed about 940 acres of mostly pinion-juniper and sagebrush and destroyed 10 abandoned buildings and one unoccupied trailer. No one was injured.
BLM officials initially reported a damage area of more than 1,500 acres, but as the fire subsided Monday, officials realized the area was smaller. "When they're burning sometimes they look bigger than they really are," Hanefeld said.
Sunday night, 348 firefighters worked on the blaze, but the BLM on Monday morning sent 70 firefighters home.
About 200 firefighters from several Nevada agencies, including Clark County Fire Department, remained to put out hot spots.
Officials said the incident is not the first time an animal has been at the root of a wildfire. Lizards started the 1997 Autumn Hill fire in Douglas County when two boys dipped the reptiles in lighter fluid and set them on fire.
Pioche residents said Monday they were skeptical that a "flying squirrel" started the fire.
Judith Joseph, owner of Grub Steak Dinner House on Main Street, said she had heard several rumors about what caused the fire. "Well in Pioche, unless you see it, don't believe it."
if they really said that,then I would guess they assume the sgurl was playing with matches as an option also....some people are just so incredibly stoopid.
Get out of an energized car only if you absolutely must. (i.e., the car is on fire, about to explode, etc.) Get out the way I described before, but to be absolutely sure you're safe from being electrocuted, SHUFFLE (maintain contact with the ground with both feet at all times), DON'T WALK at least 100 ft away from the car.
This has been a public service announcement.
True with no path to ground or any potential difference your safe…. Most people don’t realize it but linemen routinely work on live high power lines
I seen this done were a helicopter will hover next to a line and “bond on” (putting a conductive clamp on the line to bring the helicopter potential) then the lineman can go out and work on the hot line
True with no path to ground or any potential difference your safe…. Most people don’t realize it but linemen routinely work on live high power lines
I seen this done were a helicopter will hover next to a line and “bond on” (putting a conductive clamp on the line to bring the helicopters potential to the same as the line) then the lineman can go out and work on the hot line
I'm an engineer with lots of experience in the power industry. In a situation like that, nobody should put their life in the hands of a cop who wouldn't know a power line from a TV cable line. The guy who gets out of the power company truck wearing the white hardhat is the only one whose word means anything in those situations.
Most utility companies have "bat phones" which connect the fire/police dispatch centers with the utility operations centers/radio rooms. The operations centers talk to each other constantly by radios and phones ensure no mistakes are made. I's called coordinated disaster planning, and it's been going on successfully for years, probably decades.
Police and fire departments receive regular training (usually from the utility companies themselves) on how to handle public safety situations involving electric utilities. If a policeman or fireman ever told a civilian to get out of the car without authorization from the utility, he would probably be severely disciplined or fired.
Squirrels have not been UL-approved for this type of use. ;)
"First, we need sister and cheese."
What you never see the new UL-approved, Environmental friendly, Bio-degradable... Squirrel fuses?
"Is simple, Natasha. You lure møøse to secluded spot, posing as sister. Afterwards force into serving Fearless Leader, by means of compromising photos."
My grandfather saw an eagle land on a high-tension line -- the bird was fine until his tailfeathers touched another line beind him. Presto! Instantly fried!
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