Summer Monsoon Moon
Forest service fire danger signs look like the tachometer on an engine revving too fast. And, they’re staying there. Just like the tach, the longer it redlines, the more possibility for something bad. The really big fires this season, the Spring Creek and 416 fires, are still burning though the Spring Creek Fire is at 91% containment after having burned 108,000 acres. The 416, now at 54,000 acres, is still only 50% contained, but the firefighters feel confident it’s under control*.
We have entered the monsoon season though it’s not reached us here on Shadow Mountain. Those late afternoon rain storms have hit some of the western and southern parts of the state, which is good. That’s where the extreme drought conditions have persisted all year.
*”If you see smoke on the 416 fire on a hot day, that’s perfectly normal! Its a big fire and it’ll take a lot of rain or snow to put it out completely. But for now, you have rain and by the end of the week, you will have a LOT of it. Please be careful if you live at the outflow of Dyke Creek, Tripp Creek or in the Falls Creek area. The severity of the burn means there could be severe flooding.” inciweb
Meanwhile, on the Big Island yesterday:
