ANGORA FIRE UPDATE

THE ANGORA FIRE HAS TAUGHT US A LOT, AND WE'D LIKE TO PASS ON A FEW THINGS THAT WE'VE LEARNED.

A "CROWNING FIRE" IS A FIRE THAT IS DRIVEN BY HIGH WINDS AND BURNS ACROSS THE TOPS OF THE TREES. EACH TREE LITERALLY EXPLODES INTO FLAMES FROM THE TOP DOWN. WINDS ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON WERE AROUND 25-35 MILES AN HOUR, PLUS THE FIRE CREATES WEATHER OF IT'S OWN, CREATING WINDS OF HURRICANE FORCE WITHIN THE FIRE. THE BURNING EMBERS ARE AIRBORNE AND FLOAT ON TO START NEW FIRES.

A "GROUND FIRE" TRAVELS AT GROUND LEVEL, AND IS MUCH EASIER FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS TO FIGHT AND CONTAIN. THIS FIRE BURNED OUT OF CONTROL AS A "CROWNED FIRE" SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. HIGHER HUMIDITY, OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES DOWN IN THE 30'S, AND DIMINISHED WINDS KNOCKED THE FIRE DOWN TO A "GROUND FIRE".

OBVIOUSLY A GROUND FIRE IS BETTER THAN A CROWNED FIRE, BUT MONDAY WITH NO WIND THE SMOKE ROSE STRAIGHT UP INTO AN INVERSION SITUATION UP AGAINST THE MOUNTAINS MAKING AN AIR ASSAULT IMPOSSIBLE. THE PLANES AND COPTERS HAVE BEEN GROUNDED DUE TO THE HEAVY SMOKE.

THE NEXT TERM I'D LIKE TO REPORT ON IS CALLED A "SNAG". A "SNAG" IS A DEAD STANDING TREE. THE GROUND FIRE BURNS UP THIS DEAD TREE AND CAN TRANSFORM THE FIRE BACK INTO A CROWNED FIRE. THE DEATH OF THESES TREES ARE CAUSED BY DISEASE AND BEETLE DAMAGE.

THE WEATHER HAS BEEN ON THE FIREFIGHTERS SIDE, BUT A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS ORGANIZED OVER THE PACIFIC OCEAN AND WILL ROLL IN HERE ON WEDNESDAY CAUSING THE RETURN OF HIGH WINDS. SO THE RACE IS ON !!!

THE FIRE WAS CLASSIFIED AS A "CLASS 1" AT 6:00 PM ON MONDAY TURNING THE MANAGEMENT OF FIRE CONTROL OVER TO THE HIGHEST, MOST EXPERIENCED, FEDERAL FIREFIGHTERS AVAILABLE, AND WITH DEEP FEDERAL POCKETS. THE NUMBER OF FIRE FIGHTERS IS AROUND 800 MEN.

LIKE YOU, WE TUNED IN ABC NEWS TO SEE WHAT KINDA NATIONAL NEWS COVERAGE THE FIRE WAS RECEIVING. WE WERE SHOCKED TO SEE ABC NEWS INTERVIEW THE SAME GUY WE HAD A BEER WITH MONDAY MORNING AT BROTHER'S TAVERN.

THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT HAS TOUCHED BASE WITH US, ON THE PHONE,E-MAILS, IM CHATS, AND BLOG COMMENTS. THE NUMBER ONE QUESTION HAS BEEN HOW CLOSE TO THE FIRE ARE YOU? AND ARE YOU SAFE? IF YOU CLICK HERE, YOU'LL SEE A GOOGLE EARTH MAP SHOWING OUR SITUATION. THE CAMPER SITS AT THE RED ARROW.