[Bumped up from 11:30am.]
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Sort of. Maybe not real time updating, but more than once daily, and they appear to have to just use the latest perimeter maps extant when adding their hotspots to the mix. So when there is a wildfire that is concerning to you, DO NOT rely on the perimeter maps.
We could pretty much rely on them during the Lake County conflagrations because CalFire put them out to the public every day, but that's not happening with federal lands wildfires. Neither is firefighting, but, hey, after they're out of control long enough, it seems, they make an effort once a week or so.
This has a lot to do with how I could go from not too concerned about the Chetco Bar Fire to losing my shit over it in one day. The CLUE was finding my car covered in ash. That sent me to the system of pipes to be slapped in the face with evacuation levels maps and a RADICALLY bigger and nearer perimeter than the last time I looked. If yer watching these ArcGIS hotspot maps with me, you are maybe as gobsmacked as I am.
Anyway, fires are usually mellower in the early mornings because of cooler and more humid air, so flaring is less and takes wind to get it interested again until the morning humidity, such as it is, is gone and the fire starts gobbling the fuels faster again. So I expect the hotspots will be on the scary increase again this afternoon.
I read yesterday that they were sending somebody up to do a new perimeter map, so maybe we will FINALLY get one of those, but the hotspot maps show where the activity is on a fairly well updating basis. This is lucky for us, and probably irks the snot outta the forest service guys.
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I think I forgot to mention that total acreage expanded 25,000 acres on the incident reports in one day. I don't know if that means it was all those acres in one day, though. Might as easily have been their neglect of updating the total acres burning being rectified in advance of a new command taking over as of tomorrow.
Acreage and updated perimeter are estimated from a DRTI [distributed real time infrared] flown about 100 on 9/4.No new map has shown up yet.
It's cooler today. I hope this means the fire's less intense too. Won't know until ArcGIS updates... and, again, I'm not 100% sure how old that information is when it gets loaded into ArcGIS. Probably variable, and the updating also probably happens whenever somebody can get to it... doubt there's an automated system for it.
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The fire put on another 11,000 acres today... as of 10:30pm.
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10:45pm
Oh! Wait! The locals kicked the feds off the southwestern sector of the fire!
On 9/6/2017 an incoming IMT will take command of Branch IV.And they WILL coordinate with CalFire if it comes to it!
Area Command has been assigned as of 9/5/2017 at 0600.
Acreage and updated perimeter are estimated from a DRTI flown about 100 on 9/4.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal is operating under a Delegation of Authority on lands protected by the following jurisdictions having authority: City of Brookings Fire Department, Cape Ferrelo RFPD, and Winchuck RFPD.
Additionally, Office of the State Fire Marshal is operating on unprotected land under a Delegation of Authority from the Curry County Board of Commissioners.
Just when I'd finally ceded my evacuation to the perfect fireman, I find out I may never get to meet him. TYPICAL. I am stoked about this turn of events. The feds have been booted back onto their burnt property by the locals and the local government saved them from the lynch mob. How civilized. How beautifully dispositive. I'm stoked.
But also:
12 hours-Active to very active fire behavior. RH recovery poor. Torching, spotting to 0.3 mile, runs possible with alignment of wind and terrain.Marginally eased conditions, but not as eased as I'd hoped. The new command seems to grok that the wind's kicking up now, even though it's cooler and there's better humidity.
24 hours- Moderate fire behavior. Surface spread, backing, flanking. Single tree torching, group torching possible with wind, slope alignment spotting up to 0.2 mile. Increased ROS and FL with strong, gusty outflow winds from t-storms possible.
48 hours- Moderate fire behavior. Surface spread, backing, flanking. Torching, crown runs with wind/slope alignment, spotting to 0.2 mile.
72 hours- Moderate fire behavior. Surface spread with backing/flanking. Isolated torching possible.
Anticipated after 72 hours: Moderate fire behavior. Surface spread with backing/flanking. Isolated torching possible.
Fire weather watch in effect from 7 AM Wednesday morning through 11 PM Wednesday night for abundant lightning on dry fuels. Remnants of Tropical Storm Lidia continue moving northward along the California Coast and have begun spreading moisture into the Chetco Bar Fire area. Temperatures have dropped several degrees and humidity has begun increasing, with this trend continuing through Thursday. As moisture becomes more abundant today and Wednesday clouds will increase with chances of thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning and rain showers possible Thursday afternoon and evening. Concerns with thunderstorms that develop will be lightning, along with gusty and erratic winds from nearby thunderstorms which do not directly cross the fire area. The chance of wetting rain Wednesday and Wednesday night is 10 percent and Thursday is 20 percent. Overnight humidity recovery will rise to 40 percent or greater Wednesday night through Friday.So it's not like this is over, not by a long shot.
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For a MONTH this fire was under 5500 acres.
They monitored its growth from the office. Now, another month later, it's 176,770 acres.
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Crazy Horse was killed 140 years ago today... and I still love him.
pipe up any time....
