Now I know what's going on...

Contrary to what some people think, I have discovered what's going on in regards to the wildfire that went through my property. I went to the county on Tuesday and talked to the head of emergency services. She said I was about the 10th one to show up. I asked her about the disaster and wildfire assistance programs and she claimed she knew nothing about them but would look into it. Shouldn't the head of emergency services know about these programs? I explained that I was losing a lot of money beacuse of the fire and her response was, what about farmers who lost their crops? I don't think any crops were destroyed and farmers can get crop insurance. Anyway, as far as the reclamation and clean up, she said a new guy by the name of Mark is going to be in charge from sustainable resources(SRD) and to talk to him about repairing any damage caused by machines on my property.
I went out today and they had moved the water bladders off my property. I drove over to the next road and there was a bladder and one of the trucks there. A guy from SRD came up to me and I asked where I could find Mark. He asked who Mark was and said he was the new Div. supervisor. His name is Jesse and he was very good to deal with. The first thing he did was get the bladders off my property and tell everyone not to go there because it was already a big mess and the bladders didn't have to be there. I told him I keep getting different stories from everyone. He wrote down what I was told by the county and will be bringing it up at tomorrow mornings meeting. He explained that the county hired SRD to come in because they have the expertise to deal with brush fires. The county is still in charge but during the fire SRD handles all the water bombers and pretty much the whole fire fighting efforts because that is their specialty. SRD also handles putting out hot spots. SRD gives a bill to the county when they are finished or the county decides they don't need them anymore. Reclamation and clean up is the counties responsibility.
Jesse basically confirmed that I was getting the run around because the county, or at least the head of emergency services, is trying to save money. I explained to him that all I wanted as far as fixing the track was 2 or 3 piles of clay and I'd do the rest of the clean up myself. He then asked me, "That's all you want, a few piles of clay?" I said of course I want the driveway and parking lot fixed but for the track just some piles of clay so I can have something to repair it with. I don't know what they normally do where they knocked piles down or dug up a bunch of tree's and bush. Of interesting note, when I was at the county office and briefly talked to the planning and zoning person who's always been very good to deal with, she told me to keep on them(emergency services and/or SRD?) to get the work done that they have to do on my property. She also said I looked a lot better than when she last saw me. She was at the command center on the Sunday when I was in the middle of the fire watering around my trailer. I was black! I find it very interesting that she told me to keep on them. I'm thinking that maybe there have been problems in the past with land owners not getting things done that should have been. I think emergency services is going to be surprised when Jesse tells everyone what they told me. They even told me to talk to someone who doesn't exist. To the few people who think I wanted special treatment, I guess at least 9 others were getting the run around to. Typical with anything to do with the Gov't., whether it's federal or provincial. Dave

Pity the poor fire fighters....Had to deal with a major fire AND a mojor pain in the azz, all at the same time.

Is this ding-a-ling for real?

I agree. Everyone these days expects that they will be made whole by the government for ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. They want to live life RISK-FREE. And this guy is grousing because someone put water bladders on his property? To fight a WILDFIRE, no less??!!!

I think he's upset because they drove excavators through his MX
track and destroyed the berms.

I'm not sure what the FD does when they chop the heck out of your
house to put out a fire? Is it your own insurance that covers it?

Based on known past history, he's upset because he's irrational and has a prevailing sense of entitlement.

Yes, homeowners/landowners personal insurance covers damage/loss due to fire and collateral damage while it's being extinguished.

had similar deal several years ago with forrest service apart of the shawnee natl forrest was right behind the folks place alll the old roads from years ago were either closed or impassable, they needed to cross us to get to the fire they put the land back in shape(soft ground ,tracks) after they finished and payed for fence repairswhere they went in had some damage to fencing and pasture that insurance coverd from the fire kj

Ah, but what does the fire dept do if they park their fire truck in the living room of the neighboring house to put out your fire???? Are you responsible for that, or is the fire dept, or should your neighbor just smile & say oh well that's how life goes?

That's a little different.

--->Paul

Not speaking in "hypothetical terms", in this case, "the neighbors living room" was on fire at one point. I bet he didn't have any issues with them coming on his property when his house was surrounded by flames. After the fact, he wants something for nothing. And somehow I just don't see a fire crew driving around on a moto-X track, going over jumps, with an excavator. Some parts of this story sound very suspicious.

It doesn't matter what type of business I have on the land. They are required to repair damage done by equipment on anyones property. They did tell me that. It cetainly isn't the first time a gov't. or municipality tried to save money by giving people the run around or acting like they don't know what they're supposed to do. Why would I be told to talk to SRD when it's the counties responsibility and why would I be told to talk to someone who doesn't exist by the head of the counties emergency services? A fire in the next county flared up after a year because that county released SRD too early to save money. Then they had another fire to fight a year later instead of just putting out all the hot spots at the time of the first fire. If any of you had your lively hood destroyed through no fault of your own, I think you'd want to get some straight answers too. Going by some of the responses, some of you seem to have the same mentality as the county does. It's not just an MX track. It is a business like any other business with a few exceptions. I can't get the same insurance as a farmer or other business can. I need to be open in the summer in order to make a living. If any of you abruptly lost your income/business for over a month without any warning, you'd want some clear answers as well. The bills still have to be paid. Even the person in charge of public works for the county said it was good that I'm looking into things now instead of waiting. Someone who's lively hood is affected should have some priority over land that wasn't being used for income. That should be common sense and I'm trying to save them a lot of work so I can open up ASAP. Why is that so hard to understand? Dave

Dave

Trying to understand your situation completely. If the government services are there to get you back up and running then go for it and stay on them.

But help me out... Are you located in the US (state?) or Canada?

The reason the fire dept. "chops the heck out of your house" is for several reasons. They cut holes in the roof to vent smoke, hot gases and fire out to prevent fire spread and to make it more tenable for the firefighters inside. They also take out windows for the same reason, although on small fires, a good firefighters will just open windows. (unless they're painted shut). They tear out walls and ceilings to accurately find the limit of the fire damage. Fire can smolder in insulation and walls for hours, so they need to remove anything that has been exposed to direct flame or embers. The insurance should cover all this, as well as water damage. Most of the time, there is more damage from smoke and water than the actual flame.

So I'm making it up? A green JD 2054 forestry machine with black excavator boom and hydraulic thumb. It has narrower double bar grousers (with ice lugs) than a standard excavator which causes a lot more damage. The track weaves through the bush and they used to the hoe to spread out any piles of bush that had been cleared for the track and also to dig up trees and hot spots. There is a lot of loam and peat moss in the area and the fire goes under ground. The track was used as a road to get to everywhere because it was the easiest way to get around the property. There was a different operator on the weekend who drove over the 100 ft. long finish line jump a second time in the mud. Had someone told him or he had looked, he could have gone about 75 feet past the jump when entering the track, and drove right to the crown land he was working on. There is a cut line there and I even made a nice, wide pathway for all the fire fighters to get into the crown land. After the operator saw this path, he didn't go over the jump anymore. Some other jumps were damaged when the cats were originally sent in because they couldn't see them in the smoke. The regular operator of the hoe was one of the ones on a cat who got caught in the fire and told me this. He said he wanted to wring the neck of the guy that sent them into the middle of the fire. He also said the track being there probably saved his life because he had somewhere that was cleared to go to. Apparently the person who sent the cats in was either fired or severly reprimanded. I was using my water truck to spray down my 5th wheel trailer that was about 40 ft. from the fire. Several people from SRD were surprised that I was able to save it and it received no damage at all. Just because you don't want to believe that an excavator would rather drive on a cleared pathway than make a new trail through the trees's, shouldn't be a reason to think the story is suspicious. I want to open the track as soon as possible. I'll be cleaning up all summer but the track can be open in the mean time if the county finishes. I'm trying to make it easier for them and just want some straight answers. Dave

Thank you! I'm in Alberta Canada. The impression I got from the lady I've always dealt with at the county, is the same as yours, to keep after them. Dave

Governments and municipalities never try to weasel out of their responsibilities, pass the buck or mislead anyone? Dave

People like you need to realize NORMAL folks will bend over backwards to be as uncooperative as possible with you just because that's the way you approach them. You bring out the worst in people. That's not exactly a "gift", more like a curse.

Most of your story sounds like a little kid telling his rather imaginative side of the story. It just doesn't wash.

You need to move to New Orleans...You'd be a natural down there.

And self absorbed leeches don't try to get something for nothing at every opportunity?

Maybe if ya whine enough they will buy new disc blades even though they are not responsible

I can't help it if you can't believe what actually took place. Were you there? Did the fire go through your property? Do you know what I was told? Do you believe that gov't. agencies never try to pass the buck? Did you know that everyone from SRD, including the guy who seemed reluctant to help me, all told me that I have been very helpful and cooperative in the fire fighting and clean up efforts and they really appreciated it? Do you not think a 20,000lb.+ excavator can make a mess, especially after it rains? If you're basing your opinion on other posts is not a valid reason to think I'm making this up. Have you never had any problems in dealing with any form of gov't.? If you'd said no, you'd be about the only one. At least there's a few people who have gone through what I have and have a much better understanding of how gov't. works and what I'm going through. I'm sorry if you live in a bubble and can't understand that. Dave

(quoted from post at 11:52:23 06/03/10) So I'm making it up? A green JD 2054 forestry machine with black excavator boom and hydraulic thumb. It has narrower double bar grousers (with ice lugs) than a standard excavator which causes a lot more damage. The track weaves through the bush and they used to the hoe to spread out any piles of bush that had been cleared for the track

Click to expand...

SO by your own post they were on your land cleaning up piles of brush that had been cleared for the track. Piles that YOU made and left in a fire zone knowing full well they would be a hazard in a fire event. You are responsible for them having to do this and you also put your neighbors at risk from hot spots and flare ups from your brush piles and tied up resources that could have been used elsewhere. Your failure to properly dispose of the brush piles from constructing the track makes you responsible.

You are sadly mistaken. When I had a smaller fire go through about 4 years the county fire chief was very happy that my track was there. It acted as a natural fire break and prevented properties on the North and East of me from getting any damage. It also allowed them to get the fire under control because the large cleared areas saved them a ton of work when they had cats come in to make a new fire break because it had jumped the first one. Then even said my neighbors shouldn't complain at all about the track being there since it saved their properties. They went around the track because there is lots of peat moss and roots that can potentially burn for years. Most of the small piles around the track are less than 2 ft. high and the tree's had been cut up a few years ago. My neighbors property was also dug up for the same reason. They also dug up a lot of places that have never been cleared because of the peat moss.
Next you're going to tell me that all the farmers that have cleared bush and left piles to rot in plain sight should be fined for not disposing of the piles. Maybe having tree's in the first place shouldn't be allowed because they can burn. Maybe houses shouldn't be made with any flammable materials like wood because it can burn. Your logic makes no sense. You don't even need a permit to clear tree's on your own property. Please show me some official rules or laws regarding clearing tree's and disposing of brush piles on private land. I also have several dugouts that would normally be full of water at this time but are low because of lack of rain last year and very dry conditions. You should get your facts straight before you start trying to invent reasons why I'm responsible for an out of control wildfire going through my property. Had they not waited so long, they might have been successful using the track as a natural fire break for this fire. The cats were sitting a mile away for 4 hours and they only decided to do drive them to the track when the fire jumped the first fire break. By the time they got there the fire was literally on top of them. If my property was such a fire hazard why would they send the cats in there in the first place? The operator with an open cab sure wasn't complaing about the track being there. He said if the track hadn't been there, he doesn't think he would have made it! That's a pretty strong statement... in my favor! It would have been beyond devasting if someone had died trying to fight the fire. That's why the Division supervisor from SRD, that gave me a mask to wear, made such a big deal about the idiot sending the cats in when he did. Dave

Just like a typical 4-year-old.....Get defensive when someone points out your fantasy story just doesn't fly.

SOME of us actually deal with reality, take care of our own problems, and don't whine about being picked on, ESPECIALLY when we HAVEN'T been picked on. Try growing up. THat has been known to take care of a lot of life's problems.