The effort to extinguish two large wildfires is nearly a week old. While hundreds of firefighters from across Alaska, around the Lower 48 and Canada try to get the fires under control.
The fire that has covered Anchorage in a blanket of smoke is the Funny River fire:
The Funny River fire has grown to 106,000 acres as of 9 p.m. Saturday. Fire officials say 20% of the blaze has been contained, and the evacuation advisory is still in effect. No major activity is expected overnight.
The smell outside is pretty strong, and the skies are overcast with this nasty grey haze.
I had planned on going hiking tomorrow, but I think I will wait until this all clears up.
I am too far away from the fire to have to worry about the flames, but the smoke is pretty nasty here in town, and I have noticed that I have been sneezing a lot and have had occasional coughing spells.
Which is no surprise considering the fact that just two days ago the air quality was considered unhealthy for everyone. That does not make hiking or camping terribly attractive right now.
So much for Memorial Day weekend.
It has been a particularly dry spring, and I have little doubt that the fire season is just now getting started.
It's more than an air quality issue for those of us who are watching this marching towards our homes and wondering what to save and where to go when told to leave. There are hundreds of very brave firefighters battling a wind driven blaze in a tinderbox here and yet there are people who have come down here to "camp" complaining that they can't have campfires. Probably same people that don't want to pay those firefighters and don't want to pay taxes for slurry planes (the fire burned from 5 acres to over 30, 000 while we waited for air support from Canada (including time to clear customs).
ReplyDeleteWhy is Red Alaska relying on others? Isn't that socialist?
DeleteIt's going to be a very bad fire season. El Nino is setting up in the Pacific making southcentral have warm, dry weather for the next 4-5 months. I'm in Prince William Sound. This is supposed to be a rain forest - we haven't seen significant rain in over 6 weeks.
ReplyDeleteThe haze from the Kenai and Cook Inlet fires is blowing into the Sound creating a hazy atmosphere to add to the huge pollen drop.
Rain is forecast for late Monday night. Can't come soon enough!
Drive as far away from the smoke as you can. Consider staying a night or two in a far-away motel until the smoke clears.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry. I know what that is like. We get a blanket of ash when that happens. The air quality is awful. It is a good idea to stay where it is healthy.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry for everyone affected. Thank goodness for the brave firefighters. All the beautiful trees, and the animals must be terrified. Hopefully the loss will be as minimal as possible. It must be awful to face losing your home, and everything a person works for their entire lives. Good luck to everyone affected.
ReplyDeleteWho wants to bet grifter granny finds a way to pin this on Obama?
ReplyDeleteThis young man is a perfect example of WHY it is adamant males have their mothers in their lives whenever possible. The opposite gendered parent is often most crucial to a healthy mentality.
ReplyDeleteTeen boys are often at odds with their fathers. And teen girls are wellknown to be at frequent odds with their mothers. Both those dynamics are captured well in television because everyone experiences that.
I feel badly for this young man in California. He needs his momma to love him and teach him.
What???
DeleteOT: Gryph, do you have anything to tell us having to do with the get together yesterday in Wasilla? Like how many people showed up and if (hopefully) papa Cruz fell on his face.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear this, hope it is contained very soon, and that you get some rain. I remember some years back, huge fires from the Laurentians in Quebec were sending strong smoke to the Atlantic and it was almost impossible to breathe. It was grey ashy smoke that felt like we were in an incinerator.
ReplyDeleteThe extreme weather patterns are just about affecting every part of the continent. We are either being flooded, or in drought. There's no middle ground, it seems, and Lake Superior's ice may not fully melt at all this year,, which is causing record cool temperatures and it will affect produce.
Must be nice for some Alaskans who have a second home, wink wink. From what I hear Arizona is having their problems with fires as well.
So sorry you are having wild fires. It must be horribly frightening to know they are happening. We (Florida) have been having heavy rains and flooding and flash flooding but somehow fire seems so much more terrifying.
ReplyDeleteStay safe!
Don’t go hiking, stay inside and avoid the smoke. Your lungs will thank you.
ReplyDeleteI live on a lake but am surrounded by evergreens, esp. pines, and the pine needles are very thick on the ground in the woods. This year, I'm really going to make up a bug-out bag for me and the dog.
ReplyDeleteI can only imagine. We were evacuated from south jersey a few years back due to a massive forest fire near Brigantine. They were able to stop the flames from hitting any homes, but we returned two weeks later, and the stench was still heavy in the air, enough to make one gag.
ReplyDeleteI just saw on yahoo news that the fire is spreading south of Anchorage. Stay safe up there.
ReplyDelete