Update 1925 MDT: It bothers me that the town of South Fork is visually disappearing because of the smoke. It's only 1.5 miles away. Nor can I see the Verizon tower on the nearby mountain.
But I can't see any flames. Maybe that will have to wait until sunset. Will house lights and street lights be visible tonight?
The town is so quiet, so empty.
Update 1644 MDT: Are they serious? The fire is supposed to only be 2-3 miles west of South Fork, CO), which means 3-4 miles from me! It was 20 miles away this morning. There are so many government emergency workers these days, and so many weather websites and cable news channels. It makes sense that there would be exaggeration. But I don't want to be complacent, either.
Anyway, when I read this latest news it reminded me of the shock of people in Atlanta, in "Gone With the Wind": first they couldn't believe "Yankees in Georgia!" Then they couldn't believe that Atlanta would be taken and burned down.
By the way, Verizon 3G wireless internet speeds up considerably when a town evacuates.
Update 1500 MDT: my new campsite (just east of South Fork, CO) is safer than the old one, for about four reasons. I can monitor the emergency news. If the internet croaks, I'm leaving immediately for Del Norte and Monte Vista. Those towns have become quite crowded with refugees.
Update 1300 MDT: As far as I can tell, the forest has not been closed on the safe (east) side of the town of South Fork. The best emergency link seems to be this one.
Quoting their communique:
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10 am, MDT: I got stuff to say, as always. But right now I'm getting ready to skedaddle. Last night half of Texas was streaming downriver on US-160, after Wolf Creek Pass was closed. The town of South Fork CO has emptied out this morning, after it received a mandatory evacuation notice. The state highway up to Creede is closed -- those poor devils.
Geesh, I'm starting to feel like that old codger that wouldn't leave the Mt. St. Helens area before she blew.
But I can't see any flames. Maybe that will have to wait until sunset. Will house lights and street lights be visible tonight?
The town is so quiet, so empty.
Update 1644 MDT: Are they serious? The fire is supposed to only be 2-3 miles west of South Fork, CO), which means 3-4 miles from me! It was 20 miles away this morning. There are so many government emergency workers these days, and so many weather websites and cable news channels. It makes sense that there would be exaggeration. But I don't want to be complacent, either.
Anyway, when I read this latest news it reminded me of the shock of people in Atlanta, in "Gone With the Wind": first they couldn't believe "Yankees in Georgia!" Then they couldn't believe that Atlanta would be taken and burned down.
By the way, Verizon 3G wireless internet speeds up considerably when a town evacuates.
Update 1500 MDT: my new campsite (just east of South Fork, CO) is safer than the old one, for about four reasons. I can monitor the emergency news. If the internet croaks, I'm leaving immediately for Del Norte and Monte Vista. Those towns have become quite crowded with refugees.
Update 1300 MDT: As far as I can tell, the forest has not been closed on the safe (east) side of the town of South Fork. The best emergency link seems to be this one.
Quoting their communique:
Eric Norton, Fire Behavior Analyst for the NIMO Team, said “The fire behavior we saw yesterday was so extreme, it was undocumented and unprecedented” The fire more than doubled in size going from 12,001 acres to close to 29,000 acres today.I am not happy about seeing a dark cloud on both sides of me. Although the forest isn't closed, it seemed prudent to move camp down closer to the highway. I am surrounded by 50 yards of bare dirt (no burnables) in all directions. (It's a snowmobile park.) I can see the town itself. Lots of emergency vehicles are tearing down the highway with their flashers on. I feel sorry for the cows in a nearby pasture.
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10 am, MDT: I got stuff to say, as always. But right now I'm getting ready to skedaddle. Last night half of Texas was streaming downriver on US-160, after Wolf Creek Pass was closed. The town of South Fork CO has emptied out this morning, after it received a mandatory evacuation notice. The state highway up to Creede is closed -- those poor devils.
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| Maybe it's time to move. |
Comments
Stay safe. (Great pictures BTW).
Luck!
I find this disaster interesting and thought-provoking. I do not believe in the great mainstream-suburban-massenmensch idols of Comfort and Security. That doesn't mean that I'm hanging around to see how reckless I can be and still get away with it.
If your estimations are true, that the fire is only 3-4 miles from you, then this is no time to be debating the idols of Comfort and Security. I agree with your overall philosophy but disagree that it is applicable in your situation right now.
Actually, it's not a disaster for the planet. Things need to burn to make way for the new. But it is a disaster for the losses experienced by humans. Hopefully you aren't one of them.
You say you have little experience with such situations, yet you insist on ignoring the men who DO have experience with it, and don't really want to have to risk their lives saving the necks of people who ignored their warnings...
"Common sense is based on experience, George" yeah it is... making decisions based on what you can learn from Someone ELSE'S experience. Refusing to learn from what's happened to others, over and over and over, well, that's another matter entirely.
Insisting on ignoring the advice of firefighters because some news guys have been caught exaggerating is sense for sure... but I'm not sure it's the positive sort.