@Tobermory needs good thoughts, vibes and prayers

Tobermory

“What greater gift than the love of a cat.”
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It appears that the fire in my area was set. Arson. They’ve made an arrest. I really don’t know what kind of punishment could fit this crime. I really don’t. Hundreds of homes burned to the ground, apartment buildings housing hundreds more in ruins, businesses gone and livelihoods destroyed, many forever. And this on top of COVID which has already caused such economic hardship for so many.

I’ve read about these kinds of events and watched news reports, but I’ve always been removed from it. It’s been somewhere else, other people’s communities. “Oh, so hard. So difficult for them,” I’ve said. And I’m still removed from it because I still have my home, my husband, my cats. My life. But it’s right in front of me this time.

Five short miles away, people are standing on scorched pavement, staring at ashes.

The community will pitch in and help; that’s what communities do. But some things will never be regained. Some will never make it back to where they were.

I feel very grateful and humbled by my good fortune.
 

Tobermory

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Tobermory Tobermory - Just a little note to say I'm thinking of you and yours. :redheartpump:
Thank you, mama africa mama africa . That’s so kind of you. :hugs:

We’re still at risk. We now have a red flag warning for wind gusts up to 25 mph. The fire is only 60 percent contained with the leading edge about three miles away so it won’t take much to launch it again. Bless the firefighters. They’re heroes.

We’ve been told to be ready to grab and go. I’ve loaded almost everything in the car so if the cats cooperate, we should be able to leave within about 15 minutes. My fear is that we’ll get the evac call during the night which will frighten the cats and cause them to hide under the beds. I will NOT leave them, so we’d have to quickly disassemble the beds to get to them. Aargh.

Mocha and Iris must sense my anxiety because they’re both acting skittish. Neither one is eating well, even with toppers on their food.

The air quality continues to be hazardous not only in my area but also throughout the entire state. People are being advised to stay indoors. Zero to 50 is good air quality; we’re over 300. The scale tops out at 500. There are places in the state that have gone beyond 500.

Here’s the view from my back door. Somewhere above the smoke, it must be daytime! I have two air purifiers running constantly, and I wish I had more.
D89D2807-9D26-4A08-8F84-7454B0143027.jpeg
Thanks for thinking of us. We’re safe for now.
 

jcat

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My thoughts are with you, and I can only imagine what you're going through. It must be a nightmare. Our nephew is in Portland, so fairly safe, and says the air quality there is so bad it's like living in a fireplace.
 

Tobermory

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My thoughts are with you, and I can only imagine what you're going through. It must be a nightmare. Our nephew is in Portland, so fairly safe, and says the air quality there is so bad it's like living in a fireplace.
Thank you, jcat jcat . Yes, the Portland area is really suffering. Here’s what it looks like right now. :(
9318F6BF-9167-4720-B1F5-CF73EF21074F.jpeg
 

mama africa

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Keeping everything crossed, Tobermory Tobermory .
I can only imagine how stressful this situation must be for you and your dear ones. Sending the most positive thoughts and support your way, and extra strength and support to the firefighters :redheartpump:
 
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Tobermory

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Have you evacuated?
Thankfully, the forecasted high winds did not materialize! Whew! There was barely any wind at all. The girls were quiet all night, and I’m sitting here with my first cup of coffee of the day. Lily and Iris each sat briefly on my lap, and waited for me to lean over so they could put their foreheads against my face. Mocha is curled up against my leg, purring. It’s their daily routine. Comforting. :petcat:

A friend in Portland posted on FB overnight that their air quality was 518. Ours is currently 312. No going outside today.
 

Tobermory

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The front page of the newspaper had an article on the area vet clinics that are doing triage on burned animals, most of whom are cats. Other people are finding lost and/or abandoned animals and turning them into clinics and shelters. Again, mostly cats. The fire roared to life during the morning of a weekday when everyone was at work so their animals were trapped. Heartbreaking.
 

doomsdave

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Sadly, Oregon has had more than its fair share of experience with fires. This is a terrible problem of long standing, and long-term thought needs to be put into it.

The Tillamook Burn back in 1933 was horrific, and very reminiscent of what's happening now. Lots of fuel, lots of wind and a huge fire.

Tillamook Burn - Wikipedia

The first fire started in a ravine at the headwaters of Gales Creek on August 14, 1933. The exact cause of the first fire is unknown; however, the common narrative states that as the crews were wrapping up operations early due to fire hazard restrictions, a steel cable dragging a fallen Douglas fir rubbed against the dry bark of a wind-fallen snag. The snag burst into flame, and the wildfire that grew out of this burned 350,000 acres (1,400 km2) before it was extinguished by seasonal rains on September 5.[1] An oppressive, acrid smoke filled the neighboring valleys; ashes, and cinders, and the charred needles of trees fell in the streets of Tillamook; and debris from the fire reached ships 500 miles (800 km) at sea. A Civilian Conservation Corps member was the only known human casualty of fighting the fire.[1] The loss in processed lumber was estimated to have been $442.4 million in contemporary (1933) dollars—a serious loss not only to the timber industry at the time, but also to a nation struggling with the Great Depression. A massive salvage operation was immediately begun to harvest usable portions of the burned wilderness.

The speed with which a forest fire can spread in heavy fuels under the most hazardous conditions is well illustrated by this fire. From August 14 at 1 p.m. until the early morning of August 24 the fire had burned about 63 square miles (160 km2) and it appeared that it might be brought under control soon. Thus, for over 10 days it had burned at an average rate of about 6 square miles (16 km2) a day. On August 24, the humidity dropped rapidly to 26 percent and hot gale force winds from the east sprang up. During the next 20 hours of August 24 and 25 the fire burned over an additional 420 square miles (1,100 km2), or at a rate of 21 square miles (54 km2) per hour along a 15-mile (24 km) front. The fire was stopped only by the fact that the wind ceased and a thick, wet blanket of fog drifted in from the ocean.[2]

1280px-View_of_Tillamook_Fire,_Oregon_from_airplane_-_NARA_-_299308.jpg
 

Tobermory

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Sadly, Oregon has had more than its fair share of experience with fires. This is a terrible problem of long standing, and long-term thought needs to be put into it.

The Tillamook Burn back in 1933 was horrific, and very reminiscent of what's happening now. Lots of fuel, lots of wind and a huge fire.

Tillamook Burn - Wikipedia

The first fire started in a ravine at the headwaters of Gales Creek on August 14, 1933. The exact cause of the first fire is unknown; however, the common narrative states that as the crews were wrapping up operations early due to fire hazard restrictions, a steel cable dragging a fallen Douglas fir rubbed against the dry bark of a wind-fallen snag. The snag burst into flame, and the wildfire that grew out of this burned 350,000 acres (1,400 km2) before it was extinguished by seasonal rains on September 5.[1] An oppressive, acrid smoke filled the neighboring valleys; ashes, and cinders, and the charred needles of trees fell in the streets of Tillamook; and debris from the fire reached ships 500 miles (800 km) at sea. A Civilian Conservation Corps member was the only known human casualty of fighting the fire.[1] The loss in processed lumber was estimated to have been $442.4 million in contemporary (1933) dollars—a serious loss not only to the timber industry at the time, but also to a nation struggling with the Great Depression. A massive salvage operation was immediately begun to harvest usable portions of the burned wilderness.

The speed with which a forest fire can spread in heavy fuels under the most hazardous conditions is well illustrated by this fire. From August 14 at 1 p.m. until the early morning of August 24 the fire had burned about 63 square miles (160 km2) and it appeared that it might be brought under control soon. Thus, for over 10 days it had burned at an average rate of about 6 square miles (16 km2) a day. On August 24, the humidity dropped rapidly to 26 percent and hot gale force winds from the east sprang up. During the next 20 hours of August 24 and 25 the fire burned over an additional 420 square miles (1,100 km2), or at a rate of 21 square miles (54 km2) per hour along a 15-mile (24 km) front. The fire was stopped only by the fact that the wind ceased and a thick, wet blanket of fog drifted in from the ocean.[2]


View attachment 351009
Oregon is a tinderbox. People think of Oregon as rainy, but in southern Oregon, it might rain once between early June to late September. Humidity in the afternoons is typically in the single digits, and the sun shines almost every day. Every fire season seems to be worse than the last. There are a number of nonprofit environmental organizations that try to manage forests wisely, and The Nature Conservancy is a major partner, but the state typically shoots itself in the foot.

I have friends in the local Bureau of Land Management, but they’re low level and bound by a lot of ridiculous bureaucracy and stupid political maneuvering and contradictory directions by their bosses—most of which come from regional and D.C. It’s gotten much worse lately. Not that they’ve said anything. They’re too nervous to say much. It’s more what they don’t say...the silence when you ask them a question.

The latest update is that the fire is 70% contained. There are many relief efforts underway. Air quality along the I-5 corridor is hazardous.
 

neely

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I have a close friend whose daughter lives in Portland and I worry because she's pregnant. Another friend who recently moved to Seattle sent me pictures outside her bedroom window yesterday that resemble your pics.

Please stay safe and keep us updated since we worry about all those affected by the wildfires. :hugs:
 
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