Wrongside Up Larry

Day 322: Okay, okay...I admit it. I'm being unduly hard on Wrongside Up Larry. In fact, I even assigned him to the wrong agency. He really is a nice guy, and he's with the U.S. Forest Service. He's from Pennsylvania, and his tour of duty here is almost up. His preference for upside-down maps was backed up today by Fred, a USFS Safety Officer who also prefers to orient his map to the terrain. As I said yesterday, the camps are just about equally divided on this subject, and I just happen to be in the one which allows you to read the text without having to keep flipping the paper copy around.

They haven't done an infrared flight since before our windstorm, so the estimate of involved acreage still stands at 275. That said, those of us who have been watching the fire on a daily basis can see that it has progressed into the next drainage to the south. This is exactly what they want it to do: burn across the inaccessible terrain until it reaches an established firebreak where it can be managed. While you might think that they would have been happy for the recent rain and high humidity, the opposite is true. Rain and humidity aren't enough to put it out, and are only acting to keep it burning without allowing it to advance toward their dozer lines. I'm learning a lot about fire management from talking to these men, and that includes Larry, even if we do disagree about maps.

Ten Percent Containment

Day 319: Today's update from InciWeb shows the Alder Lake Fire at 10% containment. What exactly does that mean? Does it mean they have it under control? Does it mean it's 10% out? No, and no. It means that they have created firebreaks around ten percent of the involved area, i.e., crews have removed fuels and cleared roads to a width which they expect will stop further spread of the fire across those lines when it burns to meet them.

The fire is currently most active in inaccessible terrain with a 60% slope and is moving south toward Pleasant Valley (to the left in the center bottom image). However, new hot spots (night shot) have also appeared to the west, but northward progress toward the lake is being held from entering second growth at the 74 Road (lower edge of the smoke line in the center bottom photo). If you're a map-reader, compare the two maps to see how rugged the terrain is. Today, the guys greeted me with, "The maps are still rightside up!" I was glad to see it.

I stayed on site for about an hour and a half last night, watching the west end's hot spots flare and dwindle, trying to capture an "exciting" photo for my readers. For all else it does, my Canon SX30 IS falls down when it comes to taking low-light images. Even at ISO 400, the grain is intolerable.

The forecast rain has not yet appeared on the scene. I had less than 15 seconds of light mist early this morning, and precisely two raindrops struck my windshield on a trip to and from town. Those firefighters need a lot more help than that from Mother Nature if they're going to have this one out before it reaches Pleasant Valley.

Not Good At All

Day 315: Let's start the day off with a bang...literally. At 7:33 AM, I heard a loud growling rumble which I initially thought was an earthquake. A minor rattling accompanied it, more like a reverberation than a shake. It was over in just a few seconds, causing me to re-evaluate my supposition, and upon review, I decided it had been an explosion, and of course I immediately associated it with the Alder Lake Fire. As I sat down to compose an email, I thought, "Maybe I ought to check the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network before I draw any conclusions," and lo and behold! There it was, a 2.9 quake, epicentered only a few miles from my home. Never a dull moment around here!

After putting in a full day at work, I decided to swing by Lillie Dale Road to check on the fire, and there discovered the same young firefighter standing duty by his truck and talking to a crowd of onlookers. He greeted me with a "Howdy, stranger!" and immediately took me aside to explain the fire situation in more detail. I was dismayed to learn that it is progressing eastward, and that it has now spread to 150 acres. The good news is that the Dept. of Natural Resources has now joined the fight since the blaze has crossed over into DNR land.

As my erstwhile "interpretive guide" ran his finger across the map, showing me where crews were actively working and where he had gone in on foot to scout a possible firebreak, I noticed a difference between his map and mine. "What about this ridge? Isn't there a spur road going out it? It comes to a T right along here." I traced the ridgeline for him. "Are you sure?" he asked. I replied, "Yeah, I have it on the old Gifford Pinchot map." He paused for a second before responding, "I'd like to see that map. Could you bring it down tomorrow?" I said I'd be glad to do so.

There's a reason I'm known to several friends as "Mapping Crow," a play on my geocaching moniker. I find maps more fascinating reading than any work of literature I ever held in my hands.Could it be that my map shows something they need to know? I double-checked when I got home. There it is, a short spur which T's off into the 017 and 015 along the crest of the ridge. I'll have my map in his hands at 8 AM tomorrow when he resumes his watch.