High Sierra Topix

+1

Dragonfly wrote:Though they're gaining ground on Rough, the show is far from over.

I wouldn't say that they're gaining any ground, but I agree that it's far from over. The fire went from 60,000 acres to 80,000 acres just in the last 3 days. They've protected what they're going to protect (which is the 25% containment figure), and the rest is going to burn until it decides it's done. Can't really expect anything more, since the whole Western US is on fire, budgets are exhausted, and personnel are stretched well beyond reasonable limits.

Luckily, we have global cooling. Just imagine what it would be like if the world was actually warming! It could start costing us money.

dave54,

Based on your reply, I'm not sure we're disagreeing at all. The price of letting backcountry fires burn can indeed be high. I have seen this up close and personal: the economic costs to businesses, jeopardy to the careers of intrepid managers trying to do the right thing for forest health, dealing with a larger fire + problems down the road such as flooding and erosion...and, of course, the politics that are as much a part of fire as the smoke itself, and often far more dangerous. If you're a management officer, there is absolutely nothing easy about making the call to let it burn, even in these enlightened times.

franklin411,

If it helps, a lot of the acreage increase is due to firing operations to secure control lines - still a work in progress. Cooler temps and higher humidities have helped the crews push towards containment in the Hume, Balch Camp and Blackrock areas. The fire is still marching on in Cedar Creek, however, and possibly Little Tehipite Valley. At least we don't have outrageous temps or winds expected in the next few days.

*Knocks on wood. Or at least, wood-like desktop laminate.*

I hope something will be left of the Monarch Wilderness, the Slide, and Swamp Lakes are such pretty, and isolated areas.

PS Dragonfly, check your PM.

Thanks Dragonfly and Dave54 for explaining the "let it burn" policy, which is oftentimes (if I understand correctly) a matter of necessity and resourcing, but sometimes a matter of philosophy based on ecological knowledge/beliefs.

I can't help but wonder how it is known how much fire is "natural"? - given climate change and the number of fires (eg the Rim fire, and our Black Saturday fires) which are started by humans? I wonder if there might not be a point at which the rate of burning, or area burned each year, could be called "excessive" and this might affect the "let it burn" policy ?

OzSwaggie wrote:...
I can't help but wonder how it is known how much fire is "natural"? - given climate change and the number of fires (eg the Rim fire, and our Black Saturday fires) which are started by humans? I wonder if there might not be a point at which the rate of burning, or area burned each year, could be called "excessive" and this might affect the "let it burn" policy ?...

That is the crux of the issue!

Wildfire effects are both positive and negative, sometimes both simultaneously. Unfortunately, the relative weights of each are subjective values so the merits will be argued and debated heatedly by parties on all sides of the issue. In the words of one now retired Forest Service District Ranger "I know I made a good decision when all sides are equally mad at me."

Here's a suggestion DAVELA. Try a trip from Kennedy Meadows into Emigrant Wilderness.

On Saturday morning Aug. 23 bright and early, I was at the Bishop Ranger station to get a wilderness permit. No luck. Too much smoke. Drove up to Mammoth. Smoke. On to Bridgeport. Local fire had closed a campground. Smoke.

Not giving up though. Checking the prevailing winds, I continued North over the Sonora Pass to Kennedy Meadows. Spent two nights at the little backpackers camp, then six great days in Emigrant Lake, Emigrant Meadow Lake, High Emigrant Meadow Lake. Bonus: The "trail" (be prepared for travelling cross country) from EL to HEML runs through a beautiful, isolated alpine valley.

Not exactly Eastern Sierra high country, but great nevertheless. Topped it off with a hot shower and excellent dinner with the friendly people at the Kennedy Meadows Resort.

Check to see if it's still clear up there, but it saved the day for me. Peace.

Thanks so far for all the replies...temps will be near 100 in bishhop at the end of the week

So is the High pressure system moving in likely to reverse the dynamic of horrible air NE of the fire (Mammoth/Bishop) and decent air SE of it (Whitney)?

http://bishopweather.com/

you make the call.