I was right in the middle of a HUGE forest fire!

Anonymous-0 · May 17, 2010

The biggest fire in Alberta went through my motocross track yesterday. I had the water truck full and soaked all around my 5th wheel and old truck. All the equipment was in the middle of the parking lot out of harms way. The smoke was intense. I went down a cut line to look and the flames were as tall as the trees, probably 30 to 40 feet! I got back and started watering right away. My throat's still a little sore but my eyes felt almost like a welding flash last night without the feeling of being sandblasted. I didn't lose anything other than a lot of tres and brush. They had 4 water bombers when the smoke wasn't too bad, 4 planes dropping fire suppresent and 7 helicopter water bombers for when the smoke was too thick for the planes. It was nasty but thankfully all I've got is a little clean up work. Of course after my eyes feel a little better. HOLY SMOKES! Dave

John S-B · May 17, 2010

Glad to hear you"re okay, forest fires are VERY dangerous even if you know what your doing. The heat and smoke really affect you more than you would think.

DCM · May 17, 2010

135,are you talking the Opal blaze, she sounds pretty wild,I"m north of you 2 hrs, so far no smoke here but its hit Edm, too bad for those who lost bldgs, its a nasty one. Dan

Anonymous-0 · May 17, 2010

Yes, the Opal fire. Blaze is probably a better term. I had a fire go through about 3 or 4 years ago but it was tiny compared to this one. I learned to never park any machines near the tree's. I haven't lost anything major and don't plan too. I think it's good that I got there early enough or they wouldn't have let me get in. A scott air pack would have been nice but I'll be OK in a day or so. I saw a moose walking through the ruins. I would imagine a lot of wildlife didn't make it. That would be a horrible way to go. Dave

Anonymous-0 · May 17, 2010

I stayed low to ground when it was really bad. Actually I didn't mind when a big wind came through. It cleared the smoke enough that I could see what I was doing and breath some fresher air. They knew I was there which is a good thing. The guy that gave me a mask was going to check back with me but never did. He was probaly too busy. I would have left if it had got any worse. It's really dry but thankfully I had some water available, from a pond I dug at the end of a long drainage ditch, and filled the truck up right away. Dave

rustred · May 17, 2010

its a good thing there is minimal personal damage as any damage is not good. thats the second fire in that area in just a few years. it makes a person wonder why they cant get organized and get after it before it gets so big. even in the slave lake fire people lost homes that shouldnt have. cats and equipment sitting instead of working them. i didnt think it was all solid bush there, theres gotta be open quarters so they can get a handle on it. do you know how it started?

showcrop · May 17, 2010

Our small fire dept. got dispatched to a brush fire a few years ago. I was spreading manure nearby and was one of first there. Everyone went to the street address. I saw fire beyond and went up through the field (one of mine) and it was already up in the tops of tall pines and picking up speed towards a house. Fortunately I had taken my radio with me that day and was able to get resources coming in to get out in front of the fire and stop it. I am currently reading a book about one of the biggest fires ever around 1910. The fire started in Washington then across Idaho and Montana into Canada. It generated winds over 70 MPH. and occasional fire "tornadoes" 500 ft high. It easily jumped fire breaks, It uprooted enough trees to have produced enough lumber to rebuild Chicago at the time. It jumped streams rivers lakes and valleys They never stopped it but turned it aside in some places with backfires. It killed many people but even though it burned everything in it's path there weren't many structures in the area at the time to burn.

Jerry/MT · May 17, 2010

Glad to here you"re OK. Forest fires are terrible things and the big ones usuaully either burn themselves out our get stopped by a good rain. Firefighting might protect some structures but it seldom actually puts the fire out on these big ones. With all our beetle damaged trees, summer fire fighting has become a big business in our neck of twe woods. It would be nice to see some logging to get the damged trees out but it takes five years of lawsuits and you might be able to log; but by then, the trees are not good for anything.

gordey · May 17, 2010

I live near whitecourt and the planes keep flying by can't see any smoke though, that Redwater fire you mentioneed almost destroyed 2 of my tractors I had bought at an auction there, got them out a day before it got bad.

olgentdc · May 17, 2010

GLAD YOU can Tell US about it! ..Thats How YA get To be GREAT MAn !,, Doing whatever it takes, And surviving to Tell About it... And inspire others ,to give It THEIR ALL ... keep up the good worx !

Anonymous-0 · May 17, 2010

They said it's costing about $50,000 an hour to fight it! One of the guys from the gravel pit has the authority to hire extra equipment for forest fires. Looks like I'll be putting some hours in with my small Cat loader knocking some piles and hot spots down. I just have to take off part of the backhoe frame that's broke and I'm good to go. Dave

Billy NY · May 18, 2010

You're probably well aware, but make sure that belly pan is clean, and or what have you last thing you want is an ember in there, oil soaked dirt and and or the like, fire extinguisher etc,. good to hear something like that missed your place, hard to imagine for some, those fires stop for nothing it seems.

I was right in the middle of a HUGE forest fire!

Anonymous-0

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John S-B

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DCM

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Anonymous-0

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Anonymous-0

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rustred

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showcrop

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Jerry/MT

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gordey

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olgentdc

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Anonymous-0

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Billy NY

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