wild fires

[rocket surgeon]

 this is one of many really sad stories to come of the fires in california-a guy runs out to get a trailer to help his family move out the area, away from the fires.  on his way back, he runs into this person, unrecognizable, crumpled up in the road badly burned.  starts to help her and...she tells him, i am your wife.  gets her to hospital and she tells him to go back and look for 13 year old son and mother in law.  too late.  all dead, including their 200 lb. bull mastiff.  very sad

https://www.foxnews.com/us/oregon-wildfires-search-burned-wife-teen-son-mother-in-law

[Billy Hoyle]

Oregon.

[rocket surgeon]

Oregon.

thanks...out west

[GooooMarquette]

It has been a brutal fire season all up and down the West Coast. California has already seen more acres burned than their previous record, and the peak wildfire season is just beginning. Portland has been under a dense smoke advisory for the past couple of days, and as rocket mentioned, people are dying trying to escape some of the worst fires.

Truly a sad situation.

[Keithtisbarf]

Why do people choose to live there? It's never been completely safe from wild fires. It's beautiful but it's not a safe place to live.

[jficke13]

Why do people choose to live there? It's never been completely safe from wild fires. It's beautiful but it's not a safe place to live.

Why do people live in Oklahoma (tornadoes), the Gulf Coast or the Mid-Atlantic (hurricanes), or all of Japan (earthquakes), or in Naples (Vesuvius is *right* there! Is our species so incapable of learning?) Clearly, the only choice is to abandon all these lands. Mother Nature is a bloodthirsty mistress, and we are fools to tempt her.

[GooooMarquette]

Why do people choose to live there? It's never been completely safe from wild fires. It's beautiful but it's not a safe place to live.

If you are looking for a place that is 'completely safe,' planet earth was a bad choice.

Now if you were a cockroach....

[GooooMarquette]

And for what it's worth, given that you're asking why people would choose to live in Oregon (the site of the story related by rocket)....

We asked 12 climate scientists where they'd live in the US to avoid future natural disasters. Here's what they said.

https://www.businessinsider.com/where-to-live-to-avoid-natural-disaster-climatologists-2018-8

...

For those unwilling to give up on a coast, Portland may be ideal. Compared to other coastal states, Oregon faces less property at risk because of sea-level rise and less physical area exposed, Kristy Dahl, a climate scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, told Business Insider.

It's also less vulnerable to hurricanes compared to cities along the East and Gulf Coasts, according to Astrid Caldas, a senior climate scientist at UCS.

He travels to dozens of cities each year, Shandas said, but few rival Portland's ability to withstand major climate events. A 2011 report from Portland State University echoed that— it predicted that the Willamette Valley would become a refuge for people looking to escape the harsh effects of climate change.

[Billy Hoyle]

It has been a brutal fire season all up and down the West Coast. California has already seen more acres burned than their previous record, and the peak wildfire season is just beginning. Portland has been under a dense smoke advisory for the past couple of days, and as rocket mentioned, people are dying trying to escape some of the worst fires.

Truly a sad situation.

while there have been deaths thankfully not as many as initially feared.

The worst wild fire near Portland since I've been here was 3 years ago when an idiot teenager was throwing smoke bombs in the Gorge. There was ash falling a good 40 miles away. The smoke here has been insane, the few times I've had to go out I've worn two masks.

For all of the "it always rains in Portland," well it hasn't and rain is becoming less common. I can only think of 2 days of any substantial rain since the beginning of June. Our forests and land is ridiculously dry. Combine that with some poor forest management because of the extreme environmental lobby out here blocking controlled burns and responsible clearing of areas, along with climate change and it was a disaster waiting to happen.

https://katu.com/news/on-your-side/lack-of-forest-management-allowed-fuels-to-accumulate-expert-says

As far as the "danger" here. I've lived in areas with tornados, floods, and hurricanes. No places 100% safe. While smoke is bad I can stay inside and know I'll be safe as will my home. The only problem is that my favorite bottle shops have been closed due to the AQ so my ability to get fresh hop beers is not happening right now.

[GooooMarquette]

Billy – what part of Portland do you live in? I have a good friend who lives in Tigard. She was just a few miles from the evacuation zone a couple days back, but apparently they have pulled those back a little bit.

[Billy Hoyle]

Billy – what part of Portland do you live in? I have a good friend who lives in Tigard. She was just a few miles from the evacuation zone a couple days back, but apparently they have pulled those back a little bit.

SW Hills near downtown.

South of the city like Tigard was getting pretty bad. My assistant lives in Canby, further south than Tigard, and she and her husband were packed and ready to go as they'd hit Level 2 orders but were staying because of reports of break-ins.  Luckily they never got to a forced evacuation order.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Billy – what part of Portland do you live in? I have a good friend who lives in Tigard. She was just a few miles from the evacuation zone a couple days back, but apparently they have pulled those back a little bit.

Orange County.   

Billy is chicos, remember.   

[Billy Hoyle]

Orange County.   

Billy is chicos, remember.   

Oh yeah, I forgot about that. 

[rocky_warrior]

While smoke is bad I can stay inside and know I'll be safe as will my home. The only problem is that my favorite bottle shops have been closed due to the AQ so my ability to get fresh hop beers is not happening right now.

You apparently don't frequent the "new" John's Marketplace on Powell (vs the old on Multnomah).  I've heard good things, and they are certainly still open.

[Billy Hoyle]

You apparently don't frequent the "new" John's Marketplace on Powell (vs the old on Multnomah).  I've heard good things, and they are certainly still open.

I went up to Multnomah on Sunday since I was out that way and they were closed. I'll have to check out the new one. One of my wife's friends owns a food cart around the corner, Azul.

[Shaka Shart]

SW Hills near downtown.

South of the city like Tigard was getting pretty bad. My assistant lives in Canby, further south than Tigard, and she and her husband were packed and ready to go as they'd hit Level 2 orders but were staying because of reports of break-ins.  Luckily they never got to a forced evacuation order.

I'm in North Portland by UP and I can barely even see the river bank over there. The in laws are in the far north of Clackamas county and have been at the ready for days.

[Hards Alumni]

this is one of many really sad stories to come of the fires in california-a guy runs out to get a trailer to help his family move out the area, away from the fires.  on his way back, he runs into this person, unrecognizable, crumpled up in the road badly burned.  starts to help her and...she tells him, i am your wife.  gets her to hospital and she tells him to go back and look for 13 year old son and mother in law.  too late.  all dead, including their 200 lb. bull mastiff.  very sad

https://www.foxnews.com/us/oregon-wildfires-search-burned-wife-teen-son-mother-in-law

Yeah, I read that story too.  Heart wrenching stuff.   

[Bad_Reporter]

I've flown into Oakland 5 times in the past 2 weeks.  Smoke starts around 20,000 feet and goes to the ground.  Everyday visibility at the airport is 1 mile or less.  It is awful there.


My in-laws were just ordered a manditory evac from their homestead.  Dad decided to stay and try and fight the fires with a garden hose...

No bueno.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

The sunsets out here in Southern New England the last week have been both pretty and creepy from the smoke from west coast fires.

[Billy Hoyle]

I'm in North Portland by UP and I can barely even see the river bank over there. The in laws are in the far north of Clackamas county and have been at the ready for days.

I'm a .7 mile walk to the Wells Fargo Tower and I can't see it from my patio. And, the rain that has been predicted keeps being pushed back further.

The sunsets out here in Southern New England the last week have been both pretty and creepy from the smoke from west coast fires.

That's the most f'ed up part; that the smoke has made it all the way across the country and is thick enough that it's noticeable.

[GooooMarquette]

Every little bit helps...

Goats take up the cause of fire prevention in Oregon

https://www.opb.org/article/2020/09/17/goats-fire-prevention-oregon/

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Here's a photo my wife took last night near sunset.  It has not been altered.

[Billy Hoyle]

Every little bit helps...

Goats take up the cause of fire prevention in Oregon

https://www.opb.org/article/2020/09/17/goats-fire-prevention-oregon/

Only in Oregon! Though, I'm kind of surprised it isn't llamas or alpacas.

[brewcity77]

If you are looking for a place that is 'completely safe,' planet earth was a bad choice.

Now if you were a cockroach....

It's part of why I'm a big fan of Milwaukee. Snow's not great, but not as bad as Minnesota or further north, no real natural disaster threats, and no tornadoes have struck the city proper in ages. As far as disasters go, we're pretty isolated from them.

[buckchuckler]

Nm.  It was a stupid joke and this isn't the appropriate thread for it.   Sorry!