I just got word the North edge of the August Complex fire in Trinity County started heading West and managed to jump Ruth Lake and the Mad River and has made it into Hetten Valley.
Another fire started and blew up just West of Redding earlier today also. The last word I g ot on that one was it was already over 7000 acres.
A guy I used to work with logging got his leg and foot busted while cutting timber on a fire somewhere near Hayfork. I guess a tree rolled onto somehow or another.
I figure it's going to be a long night waiting for word on how it turns out. I still know a lot of people up there and still have relatives in that part of California.
Well, that sucks. I'm going to have to look that up on the Inciweb site or CalFire and see just where they're burning. Lots of nice territory over that way.
Yeah, wish I was there to help out honestly.
I figure there's a pretty good chance a bunch of folks I knew growing up are going to lose their houses.
Well, that sucks. I'm going to have to look that up on the Inciweb site or CalFire and see just where they're burning. Lots of nice territory over that way.
When inciweb is busy they get behind on updates so their latest isnt always THE latest
I use it a lot, so yes, I know.
Last update for the Aug Complex was 7 hours ago.
Sometimes, if one times it correctly, you can get an update shortly after it happens. Quite often there is a morning and an evening update. I'll look again before i go to bed or when I get up.
Last word I got is that it made to the floor of Hetten and also jumped over to the ridge line on the North side of it near Hetten rock. My wife has some kind of group chat going with a bunch of people she keeps in touch with.
I guess some grow houses went up in smoke on the ridge between Ruth Lake and Hetten Valley. Supposedly someone heard some explosions go off. Probably propane cylinders.
Thanks,
I worked in the woods to the west of there for a number of years in the 90's. If it gets into those, there'll be a whole lot more expensive redwood decks being built.
Yeah I did some logging on some private land down near Garberville back in the mid to late 90's. I hate cutting redwood, I would rather log Douglas Fir any day.
I was lucky.............I did fish work.
Didn't have to get dirty, just walk miles on slippery stream beds, climbing over slippery mossy logs, getting spider webs in the face and banana slug slime in our hair, climbing through poison oak, pampas grass, and Himalaya berry to get to a sampling area, walking miles in a wet suit while snorkel surveying streams, and some other fun stuff.
But, the benefits were pretty cool, no traffic except for maybe a log truck or three, cool critters, eating lunch and feeding lunch meat from our sammiches to the Pacific Giant Salamanders, lions and tigers and bears Oh My (well, no tigers but more than one of the other two species) seeing plenty of cool fish, snorkel surveying the Mad River from way up above Blue Lake, watching summer steelhead eat small frogs (they don't eat after they enter the river, right? )
Going to make for some good hunting up there in a few years. Hard to draw a rifle tag here where I live, easy enough to get a B zone tag over that way. Might have to take a trip over in a year or so for some scouting.
Paddlers, Leroys, Sickermores, Gayghosts, Ejps, djs' friends.
I believe it was John Fremont who once exclaimed in astonishment and pride that one could ride his horse at full gallop in the Forests of the Sierras.
[quote]Right now I’m seeing the mountains I grew up in, where I went to school, where I hung out, camped, backpacked, boated, cheated death, and generally formed the foundation of my character on fire, I’ve gotta say something.
This didn’t have to happen. Once upon a time, forests in California were logged, grazed, and competently managed. It wasn’t always perfect, but generally it worked.
I hunted deer for a number of years in Ruth. Stayed right in Ruth as a matter of fact. Journeys End. That is a beautiful area.
Anyone remember the Travis Ranch??
Paddlers, Leroys, Sickermores, Gayghosts, Ejps, djs' friends.
You might surprised Jag. Trinity County tended Conservative and if it wasn't for all the dope growers it would of been very conservative. Of course with a population of 13-14k they don't play much of a role in California politics.
Generally speaking when I was growing up there it was either loggers or hippy dropout types. There were quite a few ranchers too although they were small scale compared to the operations in Texas, Colorado etc.
I can only think of a handful of people who didn't own guns and hunt. The principal when I graduated was a Southern California liberal and he didn't own any that I know of.
I hunted deer for a number of years in Ruth. Stayed right in Ruth as a matter of fact. That is a beautiful area.
I know what you mean, unfortunately they are ruled by those retards down South.
I hunted deer for a number of years in Ruth. Stayed right in Ruth as a matter of fact. That is a beautiful area.
I know what you mean, unfortunately they are ruled by those retards down South.
Do you know where Jones Road is? What about the Travis Ranch?
Yeah I know about the Travis Ranch. I don't know if Craig Brown still owns it though. They take some big Blacktail off of there.
I seem to remember a place called Jones Ridge. It's been 20 years since I did any real running around up there though.
In other words, California is on Faya.
The most black bears I have seen in a weeks time were around that ranch.
There are monster bucks deep in the Yolla Bolly. I have hiked deep in there. Spotted a monster buck around 1200 yards away through a spotting scope but couldn’t seal the deal.
Yes, it’s Jones Ridge Road! Not Jones Road.
Yeah there are some big bucks up in that area. One of my brothers friend killed a buck over near Kettenpom somewhere that was just under 30 inch inside spread. Not much height but still a huge buck.
Biggest one I ever saw was during the rut when I was out cutting firewood. I was glassing a big glade just North of Devils Backbone and he was out there chasing does. I'm pretty sure he was considerably larger than my biggest ever.
I saw another huge one when I was hiking in Soldier Basin one time too.
I believe it was John Fremont who once exclaimed in astonishment and pride that one could ride his horse at full gallop in the Forests of the Sierras.
[quote]Right now I’m seeing the mountains I grew up in, where I went to school, where I hung out, camped, backpacked, boated, cheated death, and generally formed the foundation of my character on fire, I’ve gotta say something.
This didn’t have to happen. Once upon a time, forests in California were logged, grazed, and competently managed. It wasn’t always perfect, but generally it worked.
Interesting article there Morewood. But I'd argue with the author about the cause of these forests being "environmentalists", or even the primary cause being such. The problems of overgrown forests started long before environmental groups had much say in the matter.
The "Smokey Bear" policy of putting out all fires goes back at least to 1944 when Smokey got started. Might go back even earlier.
(
https://www.fs.usda.gov/features/story-smokey-bear )
Sierra Club anti commercial logging on Fed lands wasn't until 1996
(
https://forestpolicypub.com/2020/01...d-the-sierra-club-update-its-ecl-policy/ )
The Natural Resources Defense Council didn't get started until 1970
(
https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffsb&q=natural+resources+defense+council&ia=web )
The other thing the author mentions is things like "manzanita" and other things acting as ladder fuels, which is true, but grazing is not going to help that much. Logging neither.
I'll say it again, until there is a concerted effort and a whole lot of money dedicated to getting non merchantable wood and chaparral out of the forests, and getting the public to accept the idea and consequences of controlled burns (smoke in there neighborhoods during times they don't want it and ugly landscapes for a few years) these fires are going to continue, as they have since I was a kid.
They are nothing new, like most other stuff nowadays it's just easier to publicize and make a big deal.
And, because NOTHING MUCH has been done, they tend to get worse every few years, along with the more frequent drought conditions.
Yes, the "Environmentalists" haven't helped things, but as that rancher's story in the thread the other day pointed out, lack of funding is the biggest issue.
Paddlers, Leroys, Sickermores, Gayghosts, Ejps, djs' friends.
You might surprised Jag. Trinity County tended Conservative and if it wasn't for all the dope growers it would of been very conservative. Of course with a population of 13-14k they don't play much of a role in California politics.
Generally speaking when I was growing up there it was either loggers or hippy dropout types. There were quite a few ranchers too although they were small scale compared to the operations in Texas, Colorado etc.
I can only think of a handful of people who didn't own guns and hunt. The principal when I graduated was a Southern California liberal and he didn't own any that I know of.
More than a few of the dope growers were/are rather conservative. They like their freedom and their money, and would like to keep those things.
Paddlers, Leroys, Sickermores, Gayghosts, Ejps, djs' friends.
You might surprised Jag. Trinity County tended Conservative and if it wasn't for all the dope growers it would of been very conservative. Of course with a population of 13-14k they don't play much of a role in California politics.
Generally speaking when I was growing up there it was either loggers or hippy dropout types. There were quite a few ranchers too although they were small scale compared to the operations in Texas, Colorado etc.
I can only think of a handful of people who didn't own guns and hunt. The principal when I graduated was a Southern California liberal and he didn't own any that I know of.
More than a few of the dope growers were/are rather conservative. They like their freedom and their money, and would like to keep those things.
The 70-80's dope growers were a different breed than the growers today. When I was a kid there were a bunch of societal dropouts in that part of the country. I haven't been there since 2005 so I'm kind of out of the loop on day to day stuff.
Picture of the Ruth Lake area that shows what the timber looks like in that area.
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Linked Image]
The fire has made it past Hetten Valley and my guess is that it will be in Zenia in a few hours at the rate it's moving. No word on how many structures were lost in the Hetten Valley yet.
Damn I’m thankful I don’t live in California
Geno, You're a nice guy but I gotta say that because it's on the internet, doesn't make it the truth. The Sierra Club was actively obstructing at least as early as 1982. I know, because I lost my job from their activities to stop the Elk Cr Dam, a tributary of the Rogue. They presented legal and phony environmental studies, lied to the court to accomplish it, got the legal challenge changed to the 9th Dist Court of Appeals, which they had packed with their own justices. My brother-in-law's roadbuilding/logging small business was bankrupted by the direct meddling of the Sierra Club. The US Fish & Wildlife service did a survey of the proposed road job, OK'd it, and work started. The Sierra Club privately funded another survey, on the job on private property, and miraculously discovered a "significant spotted owl population". Filed suit in Federal Court in Portland where they had a Sierra Club judge on the bench and got an injunction to stop the job. The landowner couldn't afford to challenge the injunction. The brother-in laws were stuck with a 180,000 bill for work done.
If you want info on the Sierra Club, I don't think a site with their logo and and a donation page is the best possible source. Paul
Paul,
yes, I know their work started before the date their "official policy" was initiated in 1996. I moved to the Humboldt area in the early 90's and they and other groups were already active there.
The point I was making is that the forests all across the West are in screwed up shape from policies, Govt and NGO, enacted long before the majority of "environmentalists" got in the picture, Mostly that damn Smokey Bear "all fire is bad" policy is what caused a majority of the issues we have today. I was specifically countering the points the person in the link Morewood posted.
Yes, the Sierra Club and others were involved in halting, or attempting to halt, projects long ago. But in many cases they were specific and not govt wide as their policy became in 1996. No commercial logging in USFS or BLM areas is about as silly a damn idea as no commercial fishing in the waters of the US of A, and yes, I know of groups that would like to see that stop.
I'll stand by my position that "logging" and road building are a component of getting the forests back to a more balanced state, with fire an actual help to them as opposed to being devastating. But, until we as a society can come to terms with the money it's going to cost to remove scrub oak, ceanothus, sumac, doghair thickets of conifers, greasewood, 20 year old juniper, Scotch broom, and other no-value species, and until we can agree that we're going to have to tolerate some smoke and "ugliness" from controlled burns on a regular basis, these fires are going to continue to happen. Worse during drought periods, somewhat better during wet periods. But they will happen. As they have continued to happen, over and over in the same areas, in my lifetime.
The fire west of Redding started outside the little town of Igo. There are evacuations in west Redding off Placer Rd. Damn.
Agreed...Your last paragraph should be etched in stone as national policy, well spoken.
On another topic, today if NWS forecast is correct, we are sitting on a keg of blackpowder again, East- northeast winds 22 to 26 gusting to 40, predicted relative humidity less than 10%. Jeez, when will it end? Santa Claus is trading in the red outfit for Nomex.
The fire west of Redding started outside the little town of Igo. There are evacuations in west Redding off Placer Rd. Damn.
The last I saw on that one (Zogg Fire) it was up to 15,000 acres.
The portion of the August Complex burning over near Hetten I'm still waiting on more info. All kinds of conflicting maps and stuff. What I've heard so far is that it burnt over the North end of Hetten Valley and possibly got over onto Grizzly Mountain, but I'm not sure about that.
Some of that area burned in the Carr fire a couple of years back. Those folks have to be tired of it for sure.
Didn’t know what it was called. Got a text and pics last night from a friend when it started. Her house burned to the ground and she lost everything in the Carr fire. Her anxiety is off the charts. The conditions are terrible. Just damn
Inciweb was updated a few minutes ago. Map does show it across Ruth Lake and over on the ridge to the west. Appears to be in the Van Duzen drainage now.
And yeah, the W and SW areas are approaching Zenia, not far from there now. With the predicted winds today, it might get that little burg.
Geno that sucks. I hunted over there for years. Unreal.
Agreed...Your last paragraph should be etched in stone as national policy, well spoken.
On another topic, today if NWS forecast is correct, we are sitting on a keg of blackpowder again, East- northeast winds 22 to 26 gusting to 40, predicted relative humidity less than 10%. Jeez, when will it end? Santa Claus is trading in the red outfit for Nomex.
There might not be a Santa Claus if this keeps up, at least not for NorCal.
Hope your place stays safe. Did you cut more firebreak with the dozer last week or two?
My son just got done with the Badger fire in Idaho and is now headed for the August complex fire. I hope the the best for you guys down there.
Ended up with roughly 24 ft wide around the house and shop, and 10 ft swath around the neighbors place when they called off the evacuation...whew. Went up to look at the fire this morning...I hate to say it after all the drama...but in a couple years it's gonna look like prime healthy timberland. Fire mostly burned understory and 90% of the big timber looks good, but I'm no forester, trees may be overstressed and die anyway, that happens.
Heard there was 3 dead in the Zogg fire. Only link I saw with a quick search was the San Francisco Chronicle and I'm not posting a link to them. The wife has a cousin that lives about -34 miles from the East edge of it.
So far I've heard of a few people I know losing buildings in the August Complex, Ruth Rodeo grounds got burned through and the dancehall for sure got burned. I had a lot of fun as a kid at the Ruth Rodeo.
A guy i worked for logging lost one of his bulldozers to the fire, operator made it out though.