20,000 Acre wildfire

[Art]

Rain!! Tonight a thunderstorm has built up and is currently providing a nice steady soaking in southwest Fort Collins. If it continues west another couple miles across Horsetooth reservoir it will be directly on the southern fire line. Keep your fingers crossed. . . .
-ap

[Bill, KD0HG]

I spent today up on Buckhorn Mountain, NW of Ft. Collins, repairing a broadcast facility after the fire passed by.

Since there are county sheriff and fire comms up there, they had hit it hard with aircraft to protect the site. All of the fiber was down up there, had to set up an emergency K band satellite feed with a 1.8 M portable dish.

Got the station back on the air with their backup transmitter. Here's two terrible Blackberry cell phone pix from the trip. Miles of blackened trees, and one sign saying, "I want to marry a firefighter".

I arrived at the US Forest Service base camp command center at the Ft. Collins National Guard armory at 5 AM.. It was crazy, hundreds and hundreds of firefighters in a camp with portable food canteens, showers, and vendors selling services like chain saw sharpening.

Forest Service issued me a bright yellow fire retardant jacket and trousers and hard hat and I followed an escort up there past several roadblocks.

I am amazed at the coordination and planning they did to accommodate some 1,000+ personnel. Fire department trucks present from all over the state.

It'll be 50 years before the trees all come back as they were.

There was a hungry mountain chipmunk hanging around the tower site, we fed it our bread scraps from lunches. It became a pet.



Bill

[Opcom]

I can't see the details of the map, but is WWV also in danger? It's about 8 mi. North and 2 mi. east of Fort Collins as shown in google earth.

[Bill, KD0HG]

I can't see the details of the map, but is WWV also in danger? It's about 8 mi. North and 2 mi. east of Fort Collins as shown in google earth.

Not at all.

Bill

[K6JEK]

Inquiring eyes want a picture of you, Bill, in the yellow gear

[WA1GFZ]

We need to build a system of big pipes connecting the country so the guys with extra water can send it to guys who don't. Wind mills could pump it.

[K7EDL]

We need to build a system of big pipes connecting the country so the guys with extra water can send it to guys who don't. Wind mills could pump it.

Find anyone who believes they have extra water. even Idaho and Washington fight over the Columbia. IE fish vs farms.

Eric

[WD8KDG]

Here in the Pacific Northwest, "Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fight'en".

Craig,

[K6JEK]

We need to build a system of big pipes connecting the country so the guys with extra water can send it to guys who don't. Wind mills could pump it.

We did that in California -- the world's largest public water system. Built it fifty years ago and are still fighting over it:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_Water_Project

[Art]

Hi Bill,
One of my VHF SSB friends went up to Buckhorn . .  I think Thursday, to replace the generator. They noted there was still smoke but observed no fire. . .
0BA Art

[Bill, KD0HG]

Hi Bill,
One of my VHF SSB friends went up to Buckhorn . .  I think Thursday, to replace the generator. They noted there was still smoke but observed no fire. . .
0BA Art

I was on Buckhorn on Monday..Whole area badly scorched, the standing trees look like burnt match sticks, as far as you can see.  I might have met your friend up there, someone was taking out a portable generator after power was restored.

It's going to be a century before the forest resembles what it used to be.


Bill

[Art]

Hey Bill,
The generator maintenance person was John and his helper was Duane. He did tell me of bringing in a different generator but exactly which day is difficult to recall. They all run together when something like this happens.
I was out at the Nat. Guard Armory with the ARES group. Anyway, it is contained and people are going home. I guess they call it 100% today if no further action is found.
73
Art

[KF1Z]

High Park fire was deemed 100% contained on Sunday.

Scads of others going now though.

49 large uncontained fires in the US ( including Alaska ).

[K7EDL]

High Park fire was deemed 100% contained on Sunday.

Scads of others going now though.

49 large uncontained fires in the US ( including Alaska ).

wait till thursday, I bet the number of uncontained fires triples.  I wish they had signed the declaration if independence in november, it would make it a lot safer.