UPDATE: In an email from Dad today (9/21), he said this was the worst fire season since 1960!
Here are the numbers for the fires in Washington state. There are currently 10 fires burning in the state. There were two others but they have been contained. Seven of the fires are burning in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and none of them have been fully contained. In total, 361,788 acres have burned! That’s over 565 square miles! The Columbia Complex fire is now 80% contained and the Tripod Complex fire is 70% contained. That’s good news as those are the two biggest fires. Their combined acreage is 284,265 burned. I don’t think Dad will get called back to work anymore this season and hopefully next year’s fire season will be a quiet one!
Let’s hope Dad gets to stay home for a long time.
It seems like the firest haven’t been as bad here this year, but perhaps I am wrong!
Since he drives the trucks, I’m sure he’s done for the season, TWD. He should be done, though he’ll be hitting the road again in less then 2 weeks. He and my stepmother are supposed to be heading out here at the end of the month. They’ll be visiting family in OK, too. Including my great uncle (Woody) who is 102!
I think last year was pretty quiet as far as fires, Lady Jane. Dad said that he’s worked more and made more this season then he has in the last five driving the water trucks for this company.
Yes, that’s good news on the WA fire-front; your dad can take a nice long & well-deserved breather!
Here in So CA, we currently have 3 forest fires burning, one of which (in Los Padres National Forest) has been going on since Labor Day & is only 20% contained. Fortunately, firefighters have, thus far, kept flames away from the few homes that might have been involved — but evacuations, in certain areas, are imminent.
But I really feel for those whose jobs REQUIRE they be outside regardless, especially the firefighters.
Air quality is another matter. So far, I’ve been grateful all fires have been located many miles N or E of LA — but with a change in wind-direction yesterday, smoke has been drifting 60-70 miles right down the coastline & into South OC. This morning I awakened to murky orange skies! (A weird sight.) Since today’s outdoor air will not be good for the lungs (or eyes), I’ll be staying home most of the day — & I’d planned a lot of running around!
Trish, I remember having to have recess indoors because of “bad air” when I was a kid. I remember there almost always being a brownish/gray haze along the horizon, so I’m sure the smoke from the fires is making things a lot worse.
Dad did tell me that this fire season is the worst since 1960 and that they spent (the state) more on fighting these fires then Ford lost last quarter (in the billions)!
Tripod and Other Fires – Update
UPDATE: In an email from Dad today (9/21), he said this was the worst fire season since 1960!
Here are the numbers for the fires in Washington state. There are currently 10 fires burning in the state. There were two others but they have been contained….