Extremely smoky here today; visibility poor, the ash fall has been horrible. Have some photos if I ever get around to posting them.
Am keeping a close eye on the North Fire Complex. Weather has been favorable for the firefighters over the last few days, they have been building new fire lines and strengthening those already in place.
The predicted on-shore winds are a double-edged sword. A kind of Catch-22 sort of thing.
Winds are needed to get the smoke moving out of the area, smoke has pretty much stalled here, making it difficult to breathe. Making it difficult to even want to go outside.
On the other hand, any wind - at all - on active fires still burning (still about 20 large fires still burning through-out California - from "0" percent containment on up - the Slater Fire, for example, currently at 125,894 acres burned and burning, stands at "0" containment, not predicted to be "fully contained" until
October 15) are likely to cause more acreage to burn.
The amount of further acreage that might burn is directly related to the strength of any wind blowing on it, and the fuels available. Still lots of fuel out there. . .
Mid-September, now. The annual Santa Ana winds will probably be coming soon. . .
Maybe not such a good time to be in California. Or Oregon. Or Washington state.
Oh well.
Anne