Texas Heat!

[Bartcephus]

The Cass and Marion County Fires are too close for comfort. Although I am not in apparent danger yet. I have heard today that there was a fire at Red River Army Depot which I pass nearly every work day. (My Real job commute.) Everything is so very dry and worrisome. Now that I have my food plots done and winter garden planting started, we probably won't get any rain. Add to that the hot tempers from cabin fever and general onryness and carelessness of individuals, we have a severe potential for disaster. We sure could have used some of the water which caused flooding from Inrene. Lately it seems like it has been a year of extremes. Water brings the floods, dry brings the heat and fires. Uggghhh is there no end.........

 

[two_bit_score]

WunderMap Interactive Radar & Weather Stations : Weather Underground


Fire map.

 

[txdon]

Two fatalities of the Bastrop fire have just been found. No details yet.

 

[bindian]

Seems like a good use for Evergreen's Supertanker.. which is a 747 set up for water/retardant bombing. Evergreen Supertanker

I would think it would be pretty effective as the land seems reasonably flat compared to the mountains where forest fires happen.

Dropping fire retardant, I can see. But a DC-10 with a water scoop, I can't see using without long ferry trip times to and from a large enough body of water. I can not think of any body of water nearby that is big enough to handle a DC10 scooping up water. Long straight stretch of water to scoop. Just thinking it would be about an 40-60 minute round trip from the fire to a large enough body of water. I guess they drop enough water each trip to make it worth wild.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

KHOU channel 11 news (out of Houston) just stated a Boeing 737 fire bomber is on the way to the Bastrop fire from New York.
I know the news folks go brain dead talking about aviation and aircraft. So I wonder if a DC-10 AND a B737 are on the way..............or are they the same aircraft being reported by loony news folks? One source saying a DC-10 and another source saying B737

Governor Perry was just on the news saying we need to use the assets at Fort Hood and that needs to be fixed.

Years ago when Hurricane Allison dumped foot after foot of water on Houston with the whole country side flooding.............the same thing was said about assets at Fort Hood. Then it was helicopters to rescue folks on tops of their houses. Now it is heavy equipment to help clear fire breaks.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

Just heard, on the news again, FEMA is on the scene in Bastrop. Now the chaos goes federal.
hugs, Brandi

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Sorry to hear of some much fire loss and the elements being against controlling it.

 

[charlz]

There was a news article here this morning that the Boise National Forest is sending 2 wildlands engines and 10 firefighters to Bastrop County... and will swap out the firefighters every 2 weeks until the fires are out.

It sounded like TX is just now putting out the call for help, that they have been fighting these fires on their own all this time. Maybe that is why more aircraft are now being dispatched as well? Up here it is pretty common to see crews from other states and during bad fire years even other countries. Is this the first time TX has had fires bad enough to require outside assistance?

 

[EddieWalker]

I read this article this morning and was reminded of the games that where played with the Gulf Oil Spill. Why are these planes sitting there?

Contract Dispute Grounds Firefighting Planes - HUMAN EVENTS

Eddie

 

[charlz]

I read this article this morning and was reminded of the games that where played with the Gulf Oil Spill. Why are these planes sitting there?

Contract Dispute Grounds Firefighting Planes - HUMAN EVENTS

Eddie

This type of thing happens from time to time. These things can and do crash from time to time. Like this C130 Crash - YouTube So I can see the governments point about a long-term airworthiness program... which reads $$$$$ to the operating company. Most of the time it is simply bureaucracy though, certain declarations have to be made before funding is made available etc.