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Fires in Oregon are VERY Close

Start sprinklers if you have them. Soak the lawn, all landscaping, roof, deck, your home. Hand water with a hose if you have to. Not much you can do at this point but pre-watering whatever you can will help. Drained a bunch of my parent's pond with a fire pump pre-watering their home, deck, landscaping, etc. Home was saved. 300+ other nearby structures were not so fortunate.
 
Lots of smoke here in central OR, we're all watching this unfold. My wife is in tears, along with her sister seeing the devastation of entire towns wiped out live on TV. The very best to you brother, stay safe; we're all praying for all of you there affected by this tragedy.
 
The winds from the West have brought some humidity and cooler temps. The air quality is worse at the moment but the dampness is a help. It might actually rain on Monday, and usually there is no rain from July-Sep in most of Oregon. That may seem usual to people who have not been out here, but the western part of the PNW goes from wet and damp in the late fall, winter, and spring to desert dry in the summer.

When I kid living in Southern Oregon in the 60s and 70s there weren't a lot of fires because the forests were well maintained. They were actively logging and keeping the underbrush cleared out. Sometime in the late 70s/early 80s they figured out how to log in an environmentally friendly way.

Then a combination of the spotted owl fraud and a changing market ended much of the logging on federal land. So they quit maintaining public forest land and there is now no incentive to do so. The demand for timber is being met by private companies from their forest land, which is well maintained.

Given the very high cost of fire suppression and fire damage, I think it would be cheaper to pay for maintaining public timberland vs letting it burn.

Maybe this fire season will be a wake up call.
 
@INTJ take care of yourselves up there.
We've got clear sky's here in Southern Oregon, except for a lil smoke.
The change in wind is blowing smoke our way from the Illinois valley, Happy Camp fire.15997652628945107210909562312802.jpg
 
The winds from the West have brought some humidity and cooler temps. The air quality is worse at the moment but the dampness is a help. It might actually rain on Monday, and usually there is no rain from July-Sep in most of Oregon. That may seem usual to people who have not been out here, but the western part of the PNW goes from wet and damp in the late fall, winter, and spring to desert dry in the summer.

When I kid living in Southern Oregon in the 60s and 70s there weren't a lot of fires because the forests were well maintained. They were actively logging and keeping the underbrush cleared out. Sometime in the late 70s/early 80s they figured out how to log in an environmentally friendly way.

Then a combination of the spotted owl fraud and a changing market ended much of the logging on federal land. So they quit maintaining public forest land and there is now no incentive to do so. The demand for timber is being met by private companies from their forest land, which is well maintained.

Given the very high cost of fire suppression and fire damage, I think it would be cheaper to pay for maintaining public timberland vs letting it burn.

Maybe this fire season will be a wake up call.
The pinkos are blaming this on global warming and laughing the whole time. I grew up on the Ca/Or border and watched the destruction of the timber industry and this is all part of the fallout from that movement.
 
Hopefully, the wind moves back to out of the SW and sits down like it has. I'm also hoping for the rain Monday/Tuesday. Should help things out. This fire danger chit will get your attention when you have helicopters flying past your house with water buckets. They stopped the fire about a mile from my house. Power was out, didn't know the fire was that close til the helos started flying by. My escape plan was drive my truck thru my neighbors fence into his big field and then to the main road. Fences can be fixed. Thankfully, the fire crews got on it quickly and no buildings were lost.
 
Add to the Story !
A friend called today from the Eagle Creek area . He a a couple RV Parks in the State . One of his Parks was Evacuated do to Fire . He is standing guard . Looters and Protesters Helping them self. They also trying to Burn the place .

The local News is reporting No Lighting in the the Area . Most Fires are Arson .
 
Just got the word they are adding 500 firefighters, equipment, and aircraft tomorrow. The state has also asked for federal assistance, although I bet it was a reluctant request......
 
There isn't really a viable option, but hopefully my high quality gun safe will provide protection.

hopefully you don't have to find out!

That Being said, don't count on the safe working as advertised. If its important, or expensive.. find a place for it in the car, or bury it somewhere on the property (under at least 12" of dirt). if you have a *very* high end safe.. (ISM, Tann, Rosgrens.. something that uses concrete for fire protection...) you'll probably be ok. Otherwise the length of the burn will likely defeat the safe.

I'm not trying to be a downer here.. just realistic...
 
hopefully you don't have to find out!

That Being said, don't count on the safe working as advertised. If its important, or expensive.. find a place for it in the car, or bury it somewhere on the property (under at least 12" of dirt). if you have a *very* high end safe.. (ISM, Tann, Rosgrens.. something that uses concrete for fire protection...) you'll probably be ok. Otherwise the length of the burn will likely defeat the safe.

I'm not trying to be a downer here.. just realistic...

My safe has four layers of concrete fireboard, a 3/16" steel body, and a Paulosol (sp?) fire seal. A fire is five times more likely than a break in, and I bought a safe that can handle a lot of heat and will also keep out smoke and water. The only scenario where my safe fails is if flames directly impinge in the Paulosol (sp?) seal. That could happen but isn't likely. And if it does, it's just stuff......

https://www.sportsmansteelsafes.com/sportsman-fire-test-video.html
 

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