Seems like everything is on fire out here

[Moparal]

Yesterday I drove from Sacremento ca to ogden utah.  I passed 2 fires in Ca., 5 mountain fires in Nevada, and 3 mountain fires in Utah. Now I see there is 2 more fires here in Utah.   Devastating for both nature and humans.   Very sad out here.

[FM3V6M]

Yes but fires can be beneficial, nuatures ways of cleansing and renewing.  It is sad when there is loss of life or property though.

[71bigblock]

Yes but fires can be beneficial, nuatures ways of cleansing and renewing. 

Yep, youre exactly right.  Some coniferous trees cones dont actually release their seeds until they are heated to a certain temp.  Weird but true, we did it in Biology.  But the cone on a bunsen burner, and the cone opens right up, releasing the seeds. 

Good and bad, just like everything.   

[Topcat]

You may recall the Yellowstone fire. They said "Let it burn" and burn it did. Now I understand the re growth is specatular to see with everything all bright green. so fires can sometimes be good.

[72hemi]

I was watching the news a few weeks ago, and they had a map of states with fires and every state from like Utah west had at least one large fire burning. I was a little surprised to see that so many were burning, but I guess that is how it goes.

[Pistol Gripper]

Most fires like these happen over and over, like was said before, nature's way of cleansing.

I just hope people are smart enough not to build in these areas.  ( I bet they will )

P.G.

[HP2]

That is actually pretty typical summer time activity in mountain states. Unless the fires are particularly large or threatening to homes and people or close to some landmark, we don't hear much about it.

[LAA66]

 This is not what I want to see out my backyard window.

[Moparal]

One particular fire is over 28 sq miles. So it isnt about living in the wrong place.  They have evac'ed 5 towns.

So if you live 30 miles away from the area , you think your ok?   not.    It is very dry and lightening is starting them anywhere, shame to see the clensing of people. Just not safe anywhere with wind blowing.

[360 'CUDA]

Lots of burned down forest in Northern Arizona.  It seems alot more in recent years.   Some of the biggest fires were started by the local rangers in their "controlled burns"

Others were started by out of work firefighters  (no I'm not kidding)

I'm going up there so I will bring back pics

[70RTdroptop]

Man, I hope they get these fires under control soon - my wife and I are vacationing in western Wyoming for a couple weeks, about 1 1/2 hours east of Jackson Hole. I think I'd like to see something  besides haze and ash all over the place.

[Topcat]

If you've never been staying somewhere near a forest fire nearby before, lemme tell you, it sucks.
eyes, throat and sinuses burn. And if you happen to be a smoker. wheeeeezing and coughing real bad.

[360 'CUDA]

Here are a couple of pics on 40 just west of Winslow looking south this week.  The T-storms are causing lightning fires in the high desert.  We passed several burned down forest on the way up but my digicam wasn't handy 

[bentpshrods]

  Here in Idaho we have the most fires burning. So far close to a MILLION acres have burned. Most fires are burning in the desert country or remote mountain areas so not a lot of structures have been burned. The worst part is the air quality from the smoke and haze. Boise sits in a valley and we get a lot of smoke from fires as far away as Oregon traveling into the area. The DEQ issues air quality adviseries every day--- seems as if the whole month of July has been in the yellow (unhealthful) catagory with a few orange (worst) thrown in from time to time.  Seeing a forest fire burning up close is pretty impressive. Have to give the people who fight these things a lot credit for the work they do.  It's not easy work.