Fires! Just a heads up!

ericnliz

20 wildfires are now burning in North Eastern Washington, and North Idaho. Quite a few homes and structures have been lost, and evacuations are in place for a few areas. If you have plans to camp in this area, do you homework, be cautious! Burn bans are in effect. Just a side note: After our last outing, I put out 3, yes, 3 campfires that had been left burning by others. Put 'em out, put 'em out, put 'em out!!!!!! I always carry a 3 gallon bucket that I use for our dog's water, and have put out WAY too many unattended campfires in my time! God be with the fire fighting heroes that save lives, land and homes! Please be careful out there and have fun.

ericnliz

Just a side note to this discussion: 
#1 When I get to a campsite, first thing I do is pick up [after others] all the trash in the area.
#2 10' around the fire pit, or if I make my own, rake all debris [usually pine needles, leaves, and all combustible materials].
#3 Moisten the earth around the area
# 4 Use folding shovel and dig a trench around the fire pit, fill with water and let soak in....daily.
#5 Now safe to start a fire.
This whole process takes about 10-15 minutes at the most!

We had a record # of wildfires here last year, and I REALLY don't want to see a repeat of the same as the ones NOT started by lighting  were started by careless people.
My go-to list of camping essentials ALWAYS includes:
#1 An ax
#2 A hatchet
#3 A folding shovel
#4 A water bucket- 3 gallon size is small, and you can store stuff in it,  dog food and treats for my best camping dog ever!
#5 A cheap rake- mine is plastic with a wood handle maybe 6" across- &5.00 at the hardware store
#6 An equally cheap broom
I know some of you might think this is over-kill, but I can honestly say that I have NEVER had a problem with a fire getting out of hand. I learned this technique from my Grandfather who was a cook in logging camps in the Northwest. He also never had any issues. Tried and true!

DurangoTaB

As someone who lives in wildfire country...thank you

Nomad

Just heard that the road to the southern Yellowstone entrance is closed causing all kinds of problems/backups. Was just thru there last week..

jkjenn

PXLated said:

Just heard that the road to the southern Yellowstone entrance is closed causing all kinds of problems/backups. Was just thru there last week..

Yeah, it's not like the next entrance is just a few miles, away.

I noticed Colorado had big, electric signs all over the state identifying fire restrictions and bans. It is really pretty inexcusable for people to not deal with a campfire, properly. There is more than enough information coming at people as to how to handle it. IT's like everything else: people think the guidance is for everyone else.

I rarely build a fire - I didn't build one all summer. It's too much hassle and I am often off to bed as soon as I am back from shooting. I sat with @Mr_Mrs_Gnome for a bit at their fire and enjoyed it, but I was OK without making one of my own. One camp host told us they actually had a guy set up a tent in the middle of the campground, in an area that was not a site, and build a fire. He had a lot of nerve.

Nomad

Didn't hear what the cause was - There were fires along my route to the Tetons a few days before I went thru - there were hot spots still smoldering and flaring up. Those were from a lightning strike I heard.

Smullis7

I've put out smoldering camp fires in the same bloody camping spot twice this summer.  After the Waldo Canyon fire, which burned @1.5 miles as the crow flies from that location, you would think those knuckleheads would be more responsible!  I'm not as well equipped as Eric and often don't even start a fire, but I make dang sure the area around it is cleared and it's more than out before I leave.

Verna

I love my Little Red Campfire that uses propane.  It's always in high demand in the desert in AZ in the winter.  It's a lot cheaper than firewood in the desert, maybe not as warm,  but it gives off the same flames without the danger. 

I am not equipped like Eric and I wasn't aware of the precautions to use for having a real fire. Thanks for the info @ericnliz--very informative

ericnliz

Verna, jkjenn, and for those of you who don't normally start a "real" fire. I was pretty much brought up in the woods from the time I was very young. My grandparents, and great grandparents had land that periodically needed to be cleared just for reasons of lightning, and fires. It was very common to burn the trees and limbs that had been cleared, so safety always came first. Liz and I have 5 cherry trees, 2 apple trees, a huge fir tree, and a blue spruce on our property that get trimmed every year. I never have to buy firewood, just stack what I trim, and take what I need for camping. My children also have property with many trees, and do the same thing. They were also taught at a very young age how to handle fires in a controlled manner. Too bad some of the adults don't either know how, or are just plain careless, so the younger ones can learn by example. 

Gregorio

Living in Spokane, the past couple of days have been pretty hectic. Three separate fires were burning at the same time.  One of them, the Valleyford Fire, was just on the other side of the hill where I live.  I could see the flames from 15 miles away while working at Townshend Winery.  When I got home I immediately packed up my LG trailer and my truck with camping supplies and relied for an evacuation call...that never came.  We were some of the luck ones. So far, I think there were 12 homes lost to the fires.  The one closest to us headed in a different direction.  Now, we are contending with the smoke.  Two of the fires continue to burn.

jkjenn

I carry an axe, shovel, and fire extinguisher in case I need it on the Jeep trails or in the event I cone across a small fire. I did have to change my camping plans at the North Rim this summer due to a fire.

ColoradoJon

I've been lucky as well, evacuated from my home for two weeks during the Hayman fire of 2002 and then put on evacuation notice during the Springer fire in 2012.  Luckily my property didn't burn and since both of those incidents, and the huge fire danger since, I am extremely careful about campfires.  Wind is the biggest problem, blowing embers up and into the trees and out into the forest.  If there is wind don't light a fire!  Seems like common sense to me.

Fire bans and restrictions are now a part of camping life in Colorado during the summer but a lot of people ignore them.  Twice this year I've passed by campsites in Pike National Forest where campfires were burning even though a burn ban was in place.  Most of the campers near me come from the city - Colorado Springs, Denver, Pueblo - and it seems that they don't care or are totally ignorant of burning down the forest.

ericnliz

Gregorio, I know exactly what you're talking about as we also live in Spokane. The winds have finally died down which has given the firefighters a reprieve for at least a little while. We are glad you and yours are okay. The smoke yesterday put the air quality in to the dangerous category, and should be down-graded today. Earlier this year we were at Ft. Spokane, and had a fire going over by Porcupine Bay, which was only two hills over from us. That was in June. Forest Rangers came by and told us they thought it would be under control by the end of the day, but to be prepared to evacuate if the wind shifted. Fortunately, they had it out by the end of the day, but the smoke lingered for quite a while.
Coloradojon, I lived in the Denver area [worked in Parker, and lived in Aurora] for 8 years, so I can relate to the area you live in as well. My older brother still lives in Colorado Springs, and is an avid outdoorsman, camps mostly in a tent, or just a bedroll, and he has told me nightmare stories about the way folks leave fires going abandoned in remote areas. Just another reminder, be safe!

DeeDee

The Incident Information System <inciweb.nwcg.gov>, is a way to keep updated on current incidents. As we traveled through SD, WY and home to UT, saddened to see all the fires. So grateful to the firefighters on the front lines.
 
Peterson Hollow Fire in UT. Started on Aug 21st as we were heading home.

ericnliz

DeeDee, Thanks for sharing the info site!

jkjenn

DeeDee said:

The Incident Information System <inciweb.nwcg.gov>, is a way to keep updated on current incidents. As we traveled through SD, WY and home to UT, saddened to see all the fires. So grateful to the firefighters on the front lines.
 
Peterson Hollow Fire in UT. Started on Aug 21st as we were heading home.

I use the Incised site, as well as social media of the Forests, BLM areas, and parks imam visiting, as well. This was how I discovered the North Rim fire this summer. Saved me time and miles.

Nomad

The WunderMap weather app has active fire and smoke trail layers you can turn on.
Been is western WY and MT for two + weeks, very handy.
That is of course if you have a cell connection.

jkjenn

PXLated said:

The WunderMap weather app has active fire and smoke trail layers you can turn on.
Been is western WY and MT for two + weeks, very handy.
That is of course if you have a cell connection.

Let me know if you come across any good boondocking sites with cell service. I know there are some in the Teton but the speed is pretty slow.

Nomad

Will do but don't hold your breath - Lots of Forest Service areas and have yet to find an off the beaten track campground with coverage say nothing of boondocking.
The other night I was up on a big resevour in a small campground and if I held my iPad up facing SE and tilted it at a 30 degree angle I could get a very slow 2-bar 3G signal. Otherwise it was a 1-bar, 1x or nothing. The cell phone booster did absolutely nothing to help :-(