Durango Texas: Washington Wildfires

Showing posts with label Washington Wildfires. Show all posts

Thursday, October 20, 2022

Washington Air Quality Worst In The World

The past several days I have been hearing from multiple people in the Pacific Northwest zone reporting that the smoke from multiple wildfires is the likes of which no one has previously experienced in the lowlands of Western Washington.

The above screen cap is from an email from my Favorite Nephew Jason, subject line: "Struggling for fresh air in the PNW" with email's text saying...

"DO NOT travel to Birch Bay today. Whatcom County has the worst air quality on the entire planet right now. We are being advised to stay indoors today. I have already sneezed many times this morning".

I had not planned on traveling to Birch Bay today.

And then, yesterday, Linda Lou sent this to my phone...

With text saying, "On the Francis Road headed toward Mount Vernon: a view of our smoked filled valley. It is very bad".

And then we have this screen cap from today's online version of the Seattle Times.

One of the links goes to an article titled "Seattle air quality among worst in world."

In all my years living in Western Washington I recollect many wildfires in the Cascades. I do not remember those wildfires ever resulting in thick smoke reaching the flatlands of the Puget Sound zone.

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Maxine Took Me On A Washington Wildfire Fly By To Tonasket

Maxine pointed me to a YouTube video "Northern Washington Fires Fly" which I just watched and has me sort of shocked to learn the wildfires burning up my old home state are much worse than I realized.

I had read this morning that the fires called the Okanogan Complex is now the biggest wildfire in Washington state history.

The Okanogan Complex fire is the one threatening Aunt Alice, she being Tootsie in Tonasket. I took the screen cap showing Tonasket, you see here from the aforementioned video. I believe the fire line continues to move towards Tonasket.

Watching the video I learned most of the fires are still 0% contained. That is not good. Way too many fires with way too few resources, and people, to fight them all.

Today Aunt Alice is reporting she continues to persevere against the smoky misery.

So far, near as I know, the only major wildfire on the west side of the Cascades is the fire being called the Newhalem Complex.

I remember when I was a little kid, soon after we moved to Mount Vernon from Eugene, Oregon, a huge fire burned on one of the Cascade foothills, known as Cultus Mountain. We would sit outside at night and watch the orange explosive glow. That winter, after the fire had long been extinguished, a huge landslide slid down the area of the fire, leaving what looked like a big scar on the mountain.

Last I looked at that mountain that scar was still there.....

Monday, August 24, 2015

Washington's Wildfires Cause Maxine A Smoky Laundry Illusion With Tootsie Tonasket

A couple days ago I asked Maxine if this year's Washington dire fire situation was the worst she can remember, because that is how it is seeming to me from my vantage point a couple thousand miles distant.

I also asked Maxine for a hiking report, which I enjoy reading due to it causing that homesick feeling I enjoy so much.

Today Maxine emailed in a hiking and fire report, with three photos, including the one you see here. The other two photos show how badly the smoke from the fires has cut visibility.

Maxine's message, including the explanation for that which you see above....

Good Monday,

Definitely the worst fires in my memory. Saturday was very smoky, I thought the smoke had discolored the white laundry I’d hung out to dry but Mike pointed out that it was just looking thru the air that caused the illusion of discoloration. At one point we couldn’t see the hills across the valley from our house.

Sunday we hiked the Skyline Divide trail. We did it a couple of years ago but it was very foggy and we couldn’t see anything. This time we were at the trailhead by 7 a.m ., had to take lots of breaks on the trail because the air quality was so poor. Once we got out of the trees Mt. Baker was clear and beautiful-we followed the trail up and around until we were standing right in front of the backside of Baker. The smoke was settling in by the time we headed back down the trail and we could barely make out the outline of the mountain even though it was a clear day.

Our house is surrounded by trees. So far there aren’t any fires near us. There is a very small fire behind Whitehorse Mountain and that is the only fire of any significance on this side that I know of.

Maxine

______________________________________________

Maxine's location is about 30 miles, as a crow flies, southwest of the Newhalem fire in North Cascades National Park, which has been in the news the past several days.

Meanwhile, in Eastern Washington, Okanogan County remains on fire at multiple locations. Aunt Alice, aka Tootsie, in Tonasket, is working hard to stay optimistic, while having trouble breathing due to the thick smoke.

It has been an impressive thing to witness to see how the people of Tonasket and Okanogan County are using Facebook to connect people and to let the helpers know who needs help.

Let me see if I can find an example of a person on Facebook connecting the Okanogan County community. Found one. Patrick Plumb, go to Patrick Plumb's Facebook page. I think he may be the mayor of Tonasket or the chief chief of the Tonasket Tribe.

I hope relief in the form of rain comes soon to all the states currently on fire....

Friday, August 21, 2015

Aunt Alice's Tonasket Town Level 3 Washington Wildfire Evacuation Order

My old home state is on fire. I don't recollect wildfires ever being as bad as what is happening right now.

For days I have been asking Aunt Alice, also known as Tootsie Tonasket, if she was in any fire danger in Tonasket.

Tonasket is a little town in Okanogan County in Eastern Washington.

This morning, on Facebook, I saw that which you see here, from the Seattle Times, and the following from the Mayor of Tonasket....

SHARE THIS IMMEDIATELY IF WE LOSE POWER IN THE CITY OF TONASKET

7th Street/Mill Drive/Top of Highway 20: If we lose power, get your sprinklers on FULL BLAST and Shelter in Place and get water on your property. Since we still have power, lets hit it now. If you have a wooden roof, get sprinklers on it now. Wet ANY vegetation surrounding 300 feet of your homes.

Entire rest of City: Have hose ready and have sprinklers in place. If you have a wooden or burnable roof, get water on it now. If you see large ash falling around your house, shelter in place and turn water on to wet the area around your house. If you have ladders, lean them against your house so Firefighters can access your roof quickly. Make sure all of your windows and doors are shut. If you have elderly neighbors, and they are leaving, make sure that they have hoses in place and ladders against their house. MAKE YOUR EXTERNAL PROPERTY EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO FIREFIGHTERS. After that, wait it out. Watch for spot fires and extinguish them when they are SMALL and we can all get through this.

Elderly and disabled people that cannot do these tasks, get to the Tonasket High School Shelter or North Valley Hospital because they have a backup generator and we can shelter you in the basement. If you have more people to help, come help us keep the Nursing Home Roof watered.

Also on Facebook, Aunt Alice, also known as Alice O Della, in addition to also being known as Tootsie Tonasket, posted the following regarding the current dire situation in Tonasket....
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