#ferguson fire

[sanddollarpoems]

I smell her death in the air

The choking breath of charcoal trees

Those blackened corpses

Jutting up precariously against

An ashen sky

Limbs bent beneath

The stripping heat

I see her bones

Placeholders of a vibrant past

Rubble unceremoniously marking her end

Barren desolation

The grizzly remains

Of forests, meadows, towns

[rjzimmerman]

The California wildfires

Cranston fire, in the San Jacinto Mountains (SoCal)

13,000 acres, 17% contained, 7,000 people evacuated, 5 homes destroyed. An article in the Los Angeles Times (link) tells us that the residents of Idyllwild have experienced three fires over the past few years (1996, 2006, 2013), so they’ve been preparing for another, which helped keep their town relatively unscathed. Removing dead brush and trees, creating safe space around structures, preparing for evacuations and alerting the public about evacuation routes, etc.

Carr fire, Shasta County/Redding (Northern California)

This one is monster ugly. It’s now 80,900 acres; Thursday morning, two days ago, it was 20,000 acres. 5% contained. Two firefighters dead. The fire was so strong it was producing wind gusts of up to 50 mph and fire tornados. 38,000 people evacuated, 500 structures burned and thousands more threatened. 

Ferguson fire, Yosemite National Park

Now 49,600 acres, but containment numbers better at 29%. The parts of Yosemite National Park that are now closed will remain closed until at least August 3.

[veritascara]

Just another beautiful, cloudless California day where the sky is brown, the sunlight is orange, and everything is on fire. 😢

[rjzimmerman]

Ferguson fire/Yosemite National Park

38,000 acres, 25% contained, and visitors are evacuated the major tourist spots at Yosemite National Park. The fire is moving east toward Yosemite, and is fueled in part by large trees that have been killed by bark beetle infestation, and by years of drought and recent drought-like conditions.

I know there are scores of other fires burning across the western US, some small, some big. These are photos of the Ferguson fire from Business Insider, but they could be photos of any of these wildfires.

And it’s still only July.

[rjzimmerman]

Yosemite reopens to a surreal scene of smoke, tourists and flames in the distance

The unprecedented closure of Yosemite ends, but the legacy of deadly fire continues.

Excerpt:

The valley reopened Tuesday after being closed since July 25 due to the deadly fire burning in nearby forestland. It was a surreal scene as thousands of visitors streamed into the nearly empty park, passing by the flames and surveying the iconic vistas shaded by a smoky haze.

Yosemite is one of several spots across California to be altered by a hellish summer of fire and heat that has left 11 people dead and destroyed more than 1,000 homes from Redding to San Diego.

The Ferguson fire has been burning for more than a month, starting July 13 from still undetermined reasons, and has scorched 96,606 acres throughout the Sierra National Forest and in Yosemite National Park. While the fire never reached the landmarks of Yosemite, the smoke was so intense that the valley had to be closed during the peak of the summer tourist season, not only wrecking travel plans but also starving local businesses.

The blaze, which has claimed the lives of two firefighters, was at 86% containment Tuesday, with the last active spot being a region between Wawona Road and the Merced River — essentially the steep, rocky hillside that visitors see when they enter the park on El Portal Road.

Visitors streaming into the valley Tuesday from Highway 140, which becomes El Portal Road once inside Yosemite, were greeted with a sign warning them they were not allowed to stop for the next seven miles, an effort by park staff to keep people from gawking at the firefighters still at work. A few lookout points nearest to the flames were cordoned off with yellow caution tape and orange cones.

Helicopters with buckets full of water from the Merced River flew over cars entering the park.

[rjzimmerman]

"Highway 41 is going to become a very dangerous place." Officials prepare to close Yosemite Valley.

Excerpt:

Tourists, residents and some park employees are being asked to leave as heavy smoke settles into Yosemite National Park.

There's at least 2,000 tourists in the park.

On Tuesday, officials announced they will close Highway 41, before Tunnel View road into the heart of the most-visited national park in the state.  

Yosemite Superintendent Mike Reynolds said he can count on one hand how many times the park has closed. The highway is the "main artery" of the park, he added.

But, as the Ferguson Fire continues to spread across mountain sides near Yosemite National Park, concern is mounting among officials.

The closure will be between Tunnel View and Chilnualna Falls and will last until Sunday. Highway 120 will remain open, unless the fire pushes more closures.

"That is a crazy thing to manage with 2,000 people here right now," Reynolds said during a public meeting held Tuesday morning. "Highway 41 is going to become a very dangerous place."

Reynolds said tourists can stay overnight but they need "get out" by Wednesday afternoon.

Much of the fire is burning in steep, rugged terrain with little to no access roads, firefighters said. Crews from across the country are helping local firefighters battle the blaze, which has scorched 57-square miles — 32,000-plus acres.

Mandatory and advisory evacuations are in place in several areas but no homes have been damaged or destroyed. Once tourists are evacuated from the park, officials will decide whether employees should also leave.

Firefighters have contained about 25 percent. 

[nynehells]

yall im actually big fuckin mad I booked a 5 day stay at yosemite national park 2 months in advance for this September and the fuckign ferguson fire is about to engulf the hotel in fucking flames i am LIVID

my ONE vacation the entire year and its on fire