High Sierra Topix

Owens Valley & High Sierra Forecast
Fort Independence EPA Met Station
EPA Site No: 06-027-1028
2:00 pm PDT 19 Sep 2006

All:

Current smoke conditions and visibility @ Fort Independence:

PM10 is at 49.55 ug/m3
Visibility is 5 miles (typical visibility is unlimited)

Dennis Mattinson
Air Quality Specialist
Local Weather Forecast

eewww.

Yosemite park was very smokey today, 9/19/06, despite a brisk breeze. There is a fire burning near Illouette Creek, about below Washburn Pt., plus a smaller fire near Mt.Starr King. From Tenaya Pk. the Clark range and Half Dome were very obscured, and most distant (10mi +)summits.

Hope it clears up a little by the weekend

A number of misguided individuals still think we should stop suppressing fires and just allow them to burn.

If we did smoke conditions like reported here would be the norm -- chronic smoke all summer long, with the accompanying health problems in the low lying communities. Followed by mud and debris flows in the watersheds the following winter/spring.

Fire is still a part of ecosystem management, but the days of just allowing all natural process to continue unrestricted are over and cannot return.

The Day Fire isn't one of those fires in the high country left to burn naturally. Rather east of the Grapevine I5 mountains. Major news event now. The reported cause of that fire is suspected to be a campfire that got out of control. The officials have since declined to elaborate while investigating individuals involved. As long as we have extreme overpopulation, development, and growth in Southern California there will continue to be lots of fires there every time hot winds blow. Way too many morons and kids without any good sense. Not only is that fire blowing smoke into the Owens Valley every day but also the whole southern areas of the San Joaquin Valley which is already one of the smoggiest places in the nation due to too many people, vehicles, agribusiness, and industry in a location with chronic stagnant air. The last 15 years I've had many days during my Sierra photography trips totally wasted due to smoky skies. Some are fires like the current ones, others are lightning caused natural fires in higher elevations, and some are due to the ongoing controlled burn programs. These days I usually do a thorough check of reports from the fire agencies, weather forecast, and atmospheric wind forecasts before I drive out and potentially waste gas. Hopefully things will clear up quickly else the fall foliage season is doomed. ...David

Yesterday, the air in Mammoth was the nastiest I've ever seen here--so choked with smoke you didn't want to be outdoors for 5 minutes. A combination of a fire near Benton, the Day fire and maybe those Yosemite fires.
Today is a different story--totally clear, blue skies.

Thanks and keep the reports coming! (I was hoping to go up to the Sierras this weekend.)

It's been smoky in the Tahoe Basin today. I'm wondering if the smoke has drifted up here or if it's a different fire?

You can read about the forest fires here:

http://www.fs.fed.us/news/fire/mreport.shtml