I just read about the Fool Creek Fire burning in Montana, which is now less than a quarter mile from the Teton Pass ski area. The place has an SLI double and a 1960's Poma lift. It is somewhat suprising to me that ski areas do not get burned more often. When I was at Sun Valley, there was a fire that had just been put out about 500 yards from the Sun Valley Resort golf course. At Brundage, a fire was burning a mile away and they were irrigating the base are like crazy with the snowmaking system.
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.../708160303/1002
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Ski Areas and Forest Fires
Started by Peter, Aug 16 2007 02:35 PM
92 replies to this topic
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#2
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Posted 16 August 2007 - 04:00 PM
I'm hating being on vacation and not there:
From Castanet.net:
Fire East Of Big White
by Wayne Moore - Story: 32762
August 16, 2007 / 2:56 pm
A forest fire is burning out of control east of Big White.
The fire, about eight km east of Big White, is burning near Never Touch Lake in the Kettle River area.
It has grown to about 75 hectares in size and was discovered about noon Thursday.
The Ministry of Forests is fighting the blaze.
Southeast Fire Centre Information Officer, Corwin Odland, says they are fighting the fire aggressively from the air. Ground crews are in the area, however, he says the fire is too aggressive to safely tackle it from the ground.
"The area is somewhat remote, there's no communities in the area" says Odland. There is a campground north of the fire on the lake, however, it is empty."
He says the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
"There was lightning on the 10th and 11th of this month, and we are seeing some hangover fires from that."
Odland says with the rain accompanying the lightning, sometimes a fire will burn underground for a while before popping up.
Ironically, the fire was discovered on the fourth anniversary of the lightning strike which started the Okanagan Mountain Park Fire.
1703hrs just talked to one of my troops, it's about 5 miles out and very windy.
From Castanet.net:
Fire East Of Big White
by Wayne Moore - Story: 32762
August 16, 2007 / 2:56 pm
A forest fire is burning out of control east of Big White.
The fire, about eight km east of Big White, is burning near Never Touch Lake in the Kettle River area.
It has grown to about 75 hectares in size and was discovered about noon Thursday.
The Ministry of Forests is fighting the blaze.
Southeast Fire Centre Information Officer, Corwin Odland, says they are fighting the fire aggressively from the air. Ground crews are in the area, however, he says the fire is too aggressive to safely tackle it from the ground.
"The area is somewhat remote, there's no communities in the area" says Odland. There is a campground north of the fire on the lake, however, it is empty."
He says the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
"There was lightning on the 10th and 11th of this month, and we are seeing some hangover fires from that."
Odland says with the rain accompanying the lightning, sometimes a fire will burn underground for a while before popping up.
Ironically, the fire was discovered on the fourth anniversary of the lightning strike which started the Okanagan Mountain Park Fire.
1703hrs just talked to one of my troops, it's about 5 miles out and very windy.
This post has been edited by mikest2: 16 August 2007 - 04:04 PM
...Mike
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Posted 16 August 2007 - 04:12 PM
Good luck Mike, hopefully it stays away from you! We had five fires within a mile of the resort when that storm rolled through it late July, it looked like they were going to get away for a while, but they hit them hard with air tankers and then it rained really hard for a day and they all went out! We've been very lucky - we've fought a couple fires over the past couple years, but they were just little. We're also the initial attack crew at the resort :)
- Allan
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Posted 17 August 2007 - 07:03 AM
East of Big White is good, no? I would think the prevaling winds would be from the west...but as we know, the larger the fire the better chance of it creating its own weather pattern.
Good Luck
Dino
Good Luck
Dino
"Things turn out best for the people that make the best of the way things turn out." A.L.
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Posted 17 August 2007 - 02:26 PM
1400hrs BCFS update:
Fire Summary Interface / Evacuations
South Nevertouch Lake (N60564)
Location: Approx. 50 km E of Kelowna and 13 km E-NE of Big White
Size: 450.0 ha (estimated)
Cause: Human
Details under investigation.
Status: Active
Discovered:
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Last updated: (#394)
8/17/2007 2:04:00 PM
History for this fire.
This is not an interface fire.
Resources
45 firefighters 2 helicopters
8 heavy equipment
Four groups of Air tankers and the Martin Mars are actioning this fire heavily.
Details
Located approximately 13 km N-NE of Big White and approximately 50 km East of Kelowna
Crews today plan to work up the east and west flanks with heavy equipment supported by medium helicopters and ground forces. Efforts will concentrate on west flank.
The weather is expected to remain warm and dry, with a chance of lightning and isolated showers around storm cells. Winds may be gusty and coming from the SW, which should push the fire away from Big White.
Map & Photos
There are no maps or photos available for this fire.
Fire Summary Interface / Evacuations
South Nevertouch Lake (N60564)
Location: Approx. 50 km E of Kelowna and 13 km E-NE of Big White
Size: 450.0 ha (estimated)
Cause: Human
Details under investigation.
Status: Active
Discovered:
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Last updated: (#394)
8/17/2007 2:04:00 PM
History for this fire.
This is not an interface fire.
Resources
45 firefighters 2 helicopters
8 heavy equipment
Four groups of Air tankers and the Martin Mars are actioning this fire heavily.
Details
Located approximately 13 km N-NE of Big White and approximately 50 km East of Kelowna
Crews today plan to work up the east and west flanks with heavy equipment supported by medium helicopters and ground forces. Efforts will concentrate on west flank.
The weather is expected to remain warm and dry, with a chance of lightning and isolated showers around storm cells. Winds may be gusty and coming from the SW, which should push the fire away from Big White.
Map & Photos
There are no maps or photos available for this fire.
...Mike
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Posted 17 August 2007 - 03:21 PM
Quote
Cause: Human
Details under investigation.
Details under investigation.
Makes it that much more frustrating...
- Peter<br />
Liftblog.com
Liftblog.com
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Posted 17 August 2007 - 04:21 PM
spunkyskier01, on Aug 17 2007, 03:00 PM, said:
a few years ago, whiteface put out a fire with its snow making system.
Back a few years at Copper, we had a lightning caused fire start in the trees near one of our lifts. We mob'ed the Mountain Emergency Crew (Slope Maint. & Lift Maint.), got our fire fighting gear and the water tanker (Clyde) to the site and had it supressed in no time flat.
Then the fun started - The Forest Service boys showed up and were PISSED that we had dealt with a fire on Forest Service land - without proper USDA approved NOMEX clothing, no Wildland Fire Training, rubber watch bands (good one!), etc. etc.
While the higher ups dealt with the USDA, we went to the bar and "high fives" were passed around.
Go figure.
Dino
"Things turn out best for the people that make the best of the way things turn out." A.L.
#11
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Posted 17 August 2007 - 06:04 PM
I've heard about that one. Seems that they should have congratulated you guys about it rather than claimed you were 'interfering' and ''over your head' (the way James and Marty tell it, that's part of was the Forest Circus said)
Member, Department of Ancient Technology, Colorado chapter.
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Posted 18 August 2007 - 04:08 AM
J.H. keeps the Snowmaking System charged during the Fire Season. Caches of shovels, SM hoses and fire nozzles adapted to SM hose are located at key spots.
The amount of water supplied with a SM system blows away any other wildland firefighting techniques except HARD RAIN.
Carl
The amount of water supplied with a SM system blows away any other wildland firefighting techniques except HARD RAIN.
Carl
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Posted 18 August 2007 - 02:44 PM
JustJeepIt, on Aug 17 2007, 11:40 PM, said:
water tanker (Clyde) ????
Yeah, some of our older equipment has names- one of our front-end loaders is Fat Alice, for example- Clyde lives at the fork of our two major mountain roads, the better to be dispatched wherever he may be needed.
Member, Department of Ancient Technology, Colorado chapter.
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Posted 19 August 2007 - 01:05 PM
Starting to look better, link to BCFS fire news
http://bcwildfire.ca/hprScripts/WildfireNe...=normal#Proj203
http://bcwildfire.ca/hprScripts/WildfireNe...=normal#Proj203
...Mike
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Posted 19 August 2007 - 05:32 PM
Snoqualmie guy, on Aug 19 2007, 05:33 PM, said:
What would it mean to Big White if it had been burned some amount? Would they be open? Or close up shop?
Hard call, but I don't work with any quitters.
...Mike
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Posted 19 August 2007 - 11:10 PM
There is a fire burning now on the backside of Bald Mountain at Sun Valley. This looks like smoke to me! Winds are at 45mph, and the fire has grown from 3 acres on Friday to 14,000 tonight 
A mandatory evacuation order has been issued for areas near the ski area, and Bald Mountain is closed to all recreation. Luckily, I don't think Baldy is in too much danger with the largest snowmaking system in the world!
A mandatory evacuation order has been issued for areas near the ski area, and Bald Mountain is closed to all recreation. Luckily, I don't think Baldy is in too much danger with the largest snowmaking system in the world!
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This post has been edited by Skier: 19 August 2007 - 11:39 PM
- Peter<br />
Liftblog.com
Liftblog.com
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Posted 20 August 2007 - 09:19 AM
In the east there was a small fire at the top of Pico Mtn near the summit during the summer of 2001. It was spotted by myself and others working the top of the alpine slide just b-4 closing.
This post has been edited by skisox34: 20 August 2007 - 09:24 AM
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