Fire on the Mountain Part 4 or Mr. Rogers Wouldn't Live in this Neighborhood
Williams Fire Update as of 5 PM PDT. The fire has nailed over 32,000 acres and it's still moving. It's about 25% contained. Over 3200 Fire Fighters from all over California are on the mountain, and along with 16 choppers and 14 planes dropping water and retardant, with still no major injuries or deaths. (Thank God.) The cost to fight this fire is at $6.6 Million not including the personal property and homes lost. The NOAA Weather Service says we have a snowballs chance in hell (translation slim, but maybe,) of getting some moisture up there tonight. It's been cooler, but along with the temperature drop normally comes some wind, which we don't need.
The other problem the crews are facing is the inability to get into the areas of the mountain because of the sheer faces of the area and lack of roads. They are bringing more D-9 CATs into the area to plow some fire roads. The San Dimas Experimental Forest, which is a major program is nearly gone. They're talking about the concern after the fire of landslides and loss of experimental plantings which no one can put a dollar and time figure on.
The planet Venus reaches its greatest brilliancy today. At visual magnitude -4.6, Venus outshines Sirius by a whopping factor of 18; only the Sun and moon are brighter. Venus is eye-catching, but if you live at mid-Northern latitudes, you'll need a clear view of the horizon to see it. Look low and southwest between 6:30 and 7:00 p.m. just after local sunset.[Ed note: If you can see it through the clouds or smoke.]
When Venus is very bright and close to the horizon ice crystals in Earth's atmosphere can bend the planet's light and give it a curious elongated shape. The up-and-down streaks of light are called Venus pillars, and this week is a good time to watch for them. (Try looking at Venus through a telescope, too. Like the Moon, Venus has phases; this week Venus is a thin crescent.)
The MODIS Eye-in-the-Sky satellite was put on rapid deployment to shoot overhead pictures of the Williams fire in the Angeles National Forest on Monday. The Forestry Service gets assistance in using the images to see the fire and the hot spots not physically seen by the firefighters. Controlled by the MODIS Land Rapid Response site at University of Maryland they make these nonclassified pictures available to the public of signifcant weather and disaster events.
Today the temperatures and wind favored our friends homes and blew North and Northeast most of the day. However when it comes to a fire of this magnitude one man's blessing is another man's disaster. The Pompeii syndrome is still the norm. Ash, smoke and the smell of burning sage and pine are everywhere. (Rt) Everyone is being warned to clean out or change their air filters in order to keep the ash out of our homes. When I went to wash our hydrostatic filter today it was loaded with gray mud and took a good 10 minutes of cleaning with the high pressure washer. I've never seen anything like it.
Another 75 horses and animals had to be rescued off the mountain today. The local stables here in the valley are getting full, but everyone from the local horse people and the SPCA/Humane societies are being helpful. The other major worry now is the large number of other wildlife escaping the fire by coming into the urban areas seeking food and water. Because we live just off the wildlife greenbelt, we're seeing more coyote, deer and small animals than ever-- especially because of the water in a small run off pond at the bottom of the hill. Everyone's been warned to keep their pets inside or attended to and cover or lock the garbage cans.
It appears the Forestry Service is thinking the fire could burn for as long as a month. Everyone's been doing their part in between work. Tomorrow night we're going to help serve and prepare dinners for crews.
NASA's MODIS Satellite Snaps Pictures of Williams Fire
Fire on the Mountain Part 3
Today the temperatures and wind favored our friends homes and blew North and Northeast most of the day. However when it comes to a fire of this magnitude one man's blessing is another man's disaster. The Pompeii syndrome is still the norm. Ash, smoke and the smell of burning sage and pine are everywhere. (Rt) Everyone is being warned to clean out or change their air filters in order to keep the ash out of our homes. When I went to wash our hydrostatic filter today it was loaded with gray mud and took a good 10 minutes of cleaning with the high pressure washer. I've never seen anything like it.
Another 75 horses and animals had to be rescued off the mountain today. The local stables here in the valley are getting full, but everyone from the local horse people and the SPCA/Humane societies are being helpful. The other major worry now is the large number of other wildlife escaping the fire by coming into the urban areas seeking food and water. Because we live just off the wildlife greenbelt, we're seeing more coyote, deer and small animals than ever-- especially because of the water in a small run off pond at the bottom of the hill. Everyone's been warned to keep their pets inside or attended to and cover or lock the garbage cans. 
