Thank you, Canada ...

Dan S · May 20, 2023

For sending us your wildfire smoke. I feel like I'm living in Beijing. But seriously, my thoughts are with any folks in Alberta who are threatened by fires, I know it's a scary experience.

The smoke came into Colorado like a tsunami. Bad air quality and terrible particulate levels. If there are any members in Nebraska, you'll be enjoying this in a couple of days.

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Larry S · May 20, 2023

Been horrible out here in Chicago until today.

Canuck · May 20, 2023

Calgary area covers over 82,000 hectares. One hectares is 2.47 acres. So that equates to 205,000 acres. The forest fires in Alberta cover an area twice the size of Calgary. So over 400,000 acres! We have had firefighters from most provinces in Canada, and firefighters from a number of U S states (thanks folks) as well as many volunteers with firefighting experience, and firefighters from municipal fire departments fighting these fires. On a personal note, our son is in hospital right now, suffering from the effects of all this air pollution. Believe me, we didn’t ask for this! I realize that @Dan S thank you was tongue in cheek, but we have no more control over the situation than we have over the weather!

MtV · May 20, 2023

Wow. This hasn’t really been on the news here, I had no idea it was this bad. Feels strange to have a flight booked to Calgary soon(ish) for something as profane as a holiday, looks like we might not drive up to the Yukon from there after all… All completely irrelevant compared to people threatened to loose their homes, let alone lives due to this. I’ll cross my fingers for some rain sooner rather than later. And may your son get well soon @Canuck !

How does one deal with wildfires in extremely remote areas anyway? I assume the focus will be on protecting villages/cities, not much mankind can do against a raging fire in the middle of nowhere?

Dan S · May 20, 2023

Canuck
Calgary area covers over 82,000 hectares. One hectares is 2.47 acres. So that equates to 205,000 acres. The forest fires in Alberta cover an area twice the size of Calgary. So over 400,000 acres! We have had firefighters from most provinces in Canada, and firefighters from a number of U S states (thanks folks) as well as many volunteers with firefighting experience, and firefighters from municipal fire departments fighting these fires. On a personal note, our son is in hospital right now, suffering from the effects of all this air pollution. Believe me, we didn’t ask for this! I realize that @Dan S thank you was tongue in cheek, but we have no more control over the situation than we have over the weather!

I know, it's awful, and I certainly didn't mean to make light of it. Obviously much worse for Albertans. I just wanted to start a thread on the topic and share my experience. The effects are very widespread.

MtV
How does one deal with wildfires in extremely remote areas anyway? I assume the focus will be on protecting villages/cities, not much mankind can do against a raging fire in the middle of nowhere?

Assuming the approach is similar to what is used here, the emphasis is definitely on protecting structures and preventing spread to the extent that is possible. But unless the weather cooperates (and that often means snow), our ability to influence these massive fires seems quite limited. Several years ago, a wildfire started in mid-June on the Colorado/Wyoming border near a wilderness area that I like to visit. The firefighters just basically did their best to contain it until snows finally extinguished it in October. And that was a relatively small fire. In the absence of strong wind, sometimes the fires die out when they reach an area with less fuel or are blocked by high ridgelines.

Canuck · May 20, 2023

MtV
Wow. This hasn’t really been on the news here, I had no idea it was this bad. Feels strange to have a flight booked to Calgary soon(ish) for something as profane as a holiday, looks like we might not drive up to the Yukon from there after all… All completely irrelevant compared to people threatened to loose their homes, let alone lives due to this. I’ll cross my fingers for some rain sooner rather than later. And may your son get well soon @Canuck !

How does one deal with wildfires in extremely remote areas anyway? I assume the focus will be on protecting villages/cities, not much mankind can do against a raging fire in the middle of nowhere?

Go ahead, plan your trip. Depending on when you plan to arrive, there may not be anything left to burn! Over 19,000 people have been ordered to evacuate their homes. One renegade firefighter almost took out a crew of firefighters as he plowed a fire break with his Caterpillar!

Firefighting in remote areas? Where there’s smoke, there’s firefighters! Lots of the effort involves fighting fires from the air. Some of these planes can take on a load of thousands of gallons (Canadian gallons) of water in as little as a few seconds, by skimming a lake. No need to land.

Larry S · May 20, 2023

Smoke blew in Monday with a cold front. Between the pollen, dust from major infrastructure work on our street and the fires, Mrs S is in sinus hell and is mad as a wolverine. Hoping for rain in Alberta.

Fritz · May 20, 2023

In the past I’ve been chased out of my home by fire, twice now... its not a nice experience. My prayers go out to those in Alberta living through this now.

pdxleaf · May 20, 2023

Here in Portland we don't have smoke, at least not yet. Last few years we've had similar smoke from BC fires. It's been the new normal. Not to diminish the impact, but instead to emphasize that the impacts are magnified when they reoccur year after year.

Canuck · May 21, 2023

At present, there are 17,000 firefighters deployed in 1,100 crews, fighting these Alberta forest fires. City firefighters yesterday, had to fight two fires in a local 2,800 acre park. At least one of them was believed to have been caused by a discarded smouldering cigarette!

Walrus · May 21, 2023

That’s frightening. When the fires “out west” get real bad we get bad air quality notices and can see the smoke. Almost 3,000 miles away. Doesn’t happen often but shows you the scope of things.

Aroxx · Jun 7, 2023

The sun here in NJ has turned orange/red and you can look directly at it. Smoke is pretty thick and obviously smells. Air quality is terrible. This afternoon it was basically yellow outside. I’ve never seen it like this in my life. Kid’s field trip was cancelled today. Schools keeping kids inside today and tomorrow. Tomorrow is actually an early dismissal because of it. Crazy stuff.

Phone...

Camera...

gbesq · Jun 7, 2023

This was the view from my office window this morning in South Central Pennsylvania. Normally there is a clear view of the Blue Mountains rising up behind that line of trees. They were totally obscured by smoke and haze today.

Dan S · Jun 7, 2023

I didn’t get a photo, but even Raleigh, NC was pretty bad today.

timoss · Jun 7, 2023

NYC quite hellish today on and off. It got so dark the streetlights came on at one point. Bright orange sky at another point. “Fog” in the streets at other points.

dsio · Jun 7, 2023

Canuck
At present, there are 17,000 firefighters deployed in 1,100 crews, fighting these Alberta forest fires. City firefighters yesterday, had to fight two fires in a local 2,800 acre park. At least one of them was believed to have been caused by a discarded smouldering cigarette!

There’s even a couple hundred Aussies and kiwis over with them. The Canadians and Americans are always kind enough to help down under during our bushfire season too which is nice.

The Canadians also have these really cool planes the CL-415s, purpose built water bombers which are just awesome and designed and built right there in polar bear country.

Dsloan · Jun 7, 2023

I had to wear a mask outside all day, and it's a horrible situation...

... But the haze gave us some really interesting light for a project I'm filming. It was like filming on a bright, overcast day, but the color of the light was pushed warm instead of cold.

ghce · Jun 7, 2023

I remember way back when here in New Zealand when Australia was going thru a bad patch of Bush Fires.
On the West Coast of the South Island where I was the sky was red, hazy, smoky and twigs of partially burnt trees were sucked up in the updraughts caused by the fires and transported all the way across the Tasman Sea and dropped all around us having travelled more than 2000 KM to reach us.

RevZMan123 · Jun 7, 2023

Here was my view down in the pine barrens.

Archer · Jun 7, 2023

We barely had any rain here all May. 4.3 mm for the entire month, and not a drop in June yet. Total fire ban is in place.

We are getting smoke here from the fires in Northern Ontario and Quebec.

As for sending it down to the US, well sorry about that, but it’s just minor payback for all the smog that has come North over the decades I guess...

This may be the new normal. Fire season starts earlier every year...

Thank you, Canada ...

Dan S

Larry S

Canuck

MtV

Dan S

Canuck

Larry S

Fritz

pdxleaf

Canuck

Walrus

Aroxx

gbesq

Dan S

timoss

dsio

Dsloan

ghce

RevZMan123

Archer

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