It was a dark and orange day ..... smoke from wildfires!

[Penderic]

Wow! Woke up this morning and the sky is very dark and orange colored. Wildfires supposed to be causing the smoke that is causing the orange color but I am surprised at how evenly dark the sky got. The entire sky looks like it is just after sunset now.

This area is under an extreme fire warning since the first of July - no power tools, gas equipment or spark making hand tools within 300 meters of grasslands or the forest (almost impossible to find on my island).

But every year we worry about the many new visitors that forget that or don't read the 'no fire anywhere' warning signs posted and put us at risk. Yesterday there was a couple of incidents that happened and might have gotten out of hand if not for the nearby alert people. And at the same time our power, telephone and internet went down.

The rumor was an 'unrelated' accident of a tree falling down and taking out a power line. The cellar phones service was ok and working, otherwise we would have had to rely on word of mouth, ham radio, semaphore or smoke signals to find out what was going on.


There was a power utility crew working just up the road from here - changing the utility power poles, one at a time, in one stretch - hmmm? -maybe related?

Well, my reason to post this - a fire here could easily destroy a large part of this island and the chances for that seems to be increasing as the number of people visiting the island increases each year - this year was the busiest I have seen yet. (Paradise found = Paradise lost?)

Anyways.... just wanted to vent ....

NO FIRES!

[SED]

Yes, orange in Bellingham, but not as dark.  There's been a fire burning on Portage island about 25 miles from you (Pender Island correct?) since about 4pm yesterday - human caused.

Sounds like there may be more closer to you.

Stay cool!

And here's an interesting link about wild fires and the 4th of July:
http://cliffmass.blogspot.com/

[leafman60]

Where is this located?

 

[rodekyll]

Vancouver Island (San Juans) area north of Washington St.

Good luck to the BC folks -- you exported your firefighters to Alaska and Washington.

[Penderic]

Yes, Pender Island.  We are a couple of miles north of the San Juan Islands, just north of the Seattle area.

Thanks for the info re Portage Island - that means most of the islands on both sides of the border are affected by it.

Going to check my fire alarms now.

[O]

Yes, Pender Island.  We are a couple of miles north of the San Juan Islands, just north of the Seattle area.

Thanks for the info re Portage Island - that means most of the islands on both sides of the border are affected by it.

Going to check my fire alarms now.

Penderic, thanks for the laughs!  Hope your air quality improves, and your island stays fire-free.   

[smdl]

Wow, brings back memories.  Having grown up in the lower mainland, I spent a great deal of time on the Gulf Islands, and particularly enjoyed Pender.  Back in the eighties, I seem to recall that the full-time population was about 2000, which swelled to about 15000 with the summer tourists. 

Hope the majority of people can continue to be responsible, and additional wildfires fires can be avoided.  I'll be in the Ladysmith area later this month, and will take every care to avoid contributing to the very real risk!  Best of luck!

Cheers,
Shaun

[idahorider]

Had a fireworks-caused grass fire 200 yards from home last night. Quick response from firefighters stopped it about 20 yards from neighbor's home. Some idiot shooting rockets over a field with waste-high dry grass.

Paul Emerson