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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum Listening Point - General Discussion Wildfire near Seagull Lake |
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07/31/2018 05:55PM (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
WTIP in Grand Marais is reporting a wildfire near Seagull Lake. Looks like it was caused by lightning. Sounds containable but ya never know. At least they are working to contain it.
Wildfire near Seagull Lake
Wildfire near Seagull Lake
We all have to believe in something. I believe I'll go paddle.
07/31/2018 10:01PM
OneMatch: "WTIP in Grand Marais is reporting a wildfire near Seagull Lake. Looks like it was caused by lightning. Sounds containable but ya never know. At least they are working to contain it.
Wildfire near Seagull Lake "
The fire may have been caused by lightening, but most likely caused by "One Match!" :)
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Great-Outdoors-Bait-Tackle/1606420532911075?skip_nax_wizard=true
08/01/2018 12:22PM
Thanks for the link & the map. Hopefully it stays small & fizzles out. Be near that area in just over 10 days.
When a man is part of his canoe, he is part of all that canoes have ever known. - Sigurd F. Olson, "The Singing Wilderness"
08/01/2018 01:01PM
Pinetree: "this year with all the fires out west again, they have no extra personnel,I think they will attack them a little sooner."
I think you have a good point. California spent 1/4 of its annual firefighting budget during July and that didn't even used to be wildfire season. We have firefighters from all over the country and even Australia and New Zealand and they are getting no breaks. They are just moving them around the state as fires approach built areas. And we have no reason to expect rain until October. I generally favor letting fires burn naturally but this might a difficult season to do that.
Hope the rain there helps keep things from burning.
BTW, I saw that two people were struck by lightening at the Fall Lake Campground a day or so ago.
While we were in Ely for the first two weeks of July, we lost power in multiple storms and one of the storms ripped up our docks. We've probably had three storms this year that took out significant trees in our cabin community. This is not an easy year, either place.
08/01/2018 04:44PM
Ontario is also having a tough year. Seven fires have started in Quetico in the past 2 days. Woodland Caribou Provincial Park has about 10-15 fires, some big, and is 70% closed. A wild land firefighter from Alberta was killed in Red Lake the other day.
Ontario Fire Map
Ontario Fire Map
08/01/2018 09:01PM
The Great Outdoors: "OneMatch: "WTIP in Grand Marais is reporting a wildfire near Seagull Lake. Looks like it was caused by lightning. Sounds containable but ya never know. At least they are working to contain it.
Wildfire near Seagull Lake "
The fire may have been caused by lightening, but most likely caused by "One Match!" :)"
LOL! That's all it takes!
We all have to believe in something. I believe I'll go paddle.
08/01/2018 09:12PM
OneMatch: "The Great Outdoors: "OneMatch: "WTIP in Grand Marais is reporting a wildfire near Seagull Lake. Looks like it was caused by lightning. Sounds containable but ya never know. At least they are working to contain it.
Wildfire near Seagull Lake "
The fire may have been caused by lightening, but most likely caused by "One Match!" :)"
LOL! That's all it takes!"
AHH very interesting.
08/01/2018 10:00PM
treehorn: "tumblehome: "Greeeeeat. They're gonna suppress it. So the next time it burns it explodes.
-T"
What is this implying? Serious question."
I’m the absence of firefighting truly natural fires will have a wide variety of sizes and old burns act as natural fire breaks. While there are still very large fires in natural systems they are very rare. When you suppress all fires, you don’t have the natural fire breaks and fuel builds up. Then large fires become more common. One strategy is to not immediately suppress fires so as to have more moderate size fires. But to do that you need the manpower to control them in case they start getting out of control and threatening structures.
08/01/2018 10:30PM
Jaywalker: "Ontario is also having a tough year. Seven fires have started in Quetico in the past 2 days. Woodland Caribou Provincial Park has about 10-15 fires, some big, and is 70% closed. A wild land firefighter from Alberta was killed in Red Lake the other day.
Ontario Fire Map "
70% closed? Damn.
"It is more important to live for the possibilities that lie ahead than to die in despair over what has been lost." -Barry Lopez
08/02/2018 08:38AM
Minnesotian: "Jaywalker: "Ontario is also having a tough year. Seven fires have started in Quetico in the past 2 days. Woodland Caribou Provincial Park has about 10-15 fires, some big, and is 70% closed. A wild land firefighter from Alberta was killed in Red Lake the other day.
Ontario Fire Map "
70% closed? Damn. "
They actually opened up a few routes and lakes, mostly in the north, yesterday. Amazing thing to me is all of those fire in WCPP started on or after July 15 - hardly 2 weeks ago. I was suppose to be heading up there this weekend but am on hold now.
08/02/2018 08:45AM
Keep in mind the icon for each fire is in most cases grossly larger than the actual fire, but when zoomed out it looks like half of Ontario is ablaze. Some of those fires are just 1.0 hectares or less. So far all 7 of the Quetico fires are currently 1.5 hectares or less, but the map has increased their sized each day by a little. (1 hectare = about 2.5 acres)
08/02/2018 02:19PM
Pinetree: "Wildfires hit the West hard: ‘We’re stretched to our limits’
Fires this year have covered 1 million more acres out west, than the 10-year average from January to July.
"
Its been a rough year so far. We still have a long way to go. The unfortunate part is the 4 firefighters that have been killed so far. Two on the Ferguson fire which is just north of us, and 2 on the Carr fire near Redding Ca. Just as bad is the 4 people that died on the Carr Fire. Lets hope things slow down a bit.
08/02/2018 03:41PM
I'm getting my gear ready, looks like I'm taking a fire engine out west next week. Not sure where yet, trying for the Big Horn area around Buffalo Wyoming.
May the rivers be crooked and winding, and your portages lonesome, leading to the most amazing view.
08/02/2018 03:55PM
MHS67: "Pinetree: "Wildfires hit the West hard: ‘We’re stretched to our limits’
Fires this year have covered 1 million more acres out west, than the 10-year average from January to July.
"
Its been a rough year so far. We still have a long way to go. The unfortunate part is the 4 firefighters that have been killed so far. Two on the Ferguson fire which is just north of us, and 2 on the Carr fire near Redding Ca. Just as bad is the 4 people that died on the Carr Fire. Lets hope things slow down a bit."
That is truely sad, and firefighters are getting very little relief or breaks.
08/02/2018 04:11PM
LindenTree3: "I'm getting my gear ready, looks like I'm taking a fire engine out west next week. Not sure where yet, trying for the Big Horn area around Buffalo Wyoming."
Hey! I thought you retired? Hard to get out isn't it. Be careful.
08/02/2018 04:16PM
LindenTree3: "I'm getting my gear ready, looks like I'm taking a fire engine out west next week. Not sure where yet, trying for the Big Horn area around Buffalo Wyoming."
What? Are they (Bighorns) having fires too? That was my Plan B when WCPP started burning!! Shall I start working on Plan C??
08/02/2018 04:46PM
Jaywalker: "LindenTree3: "I'm getting my gear ready, looks like I'm taking a fire engine out west next week. Not sure where yet, trying for the Big Horn area around Buffalo Wyoming."
What? Are they (Bighorns) having fires too? That was my Plan B when WCPP started burning!! Shall I start working on Plan C??"
They are not having fires yet, it is a preposition fire assignment in anticipation of fires.
It's an Interagency fire station with the BLM and Forest Service.
I think the Big Horns are pretty green, so any fires would most likely be on BLM land in the lower elevations, not in the Big Horns.
May the rivers be crooked and winding, and your portages lonesome, leading to the most amazing view.
08/03/2018 11:05AM
Jaywalker: "The Ogish / Onmatch fire was dropped from Inciweb reporting, implying it may now be out. I haven't seen anyone state that, but I don't see reporting on it anywhere anymore. "
I'm sure I am getting technical, they probabally have a good handle on it by now.
It is probabally not officially out yet, those calls are not usually made until weeks later.
It is pobabally not even contained/controlled yet, usually the fire crews will not call it controlled till they get all the fire gear off the incident.
If they call it controlled before they get their gear off the fire, then it is no longer an emergency and are not allowed the use of motorized means to extricate themselves and gear.
PS, Jaywalker
Looks like I have gotten my marching orders to travel to Buffalo Wy on Tuesday,
if you are in the area stop by the Forest Service ranger station and say howdy.
Just look for the old guy ;-)
May the rivers be crooked and winding, and your portages lonesome, leading to the most amazing view.
08/05/2018 02:55AM
We camped on Jasper on that day it hit around 3ish pm and saw the storm roll thru over ogish. Lighting was popping over there as well as Alpine the over to seagull. After a brief rain on Jasper we headed at about 5,over to fish ogish for dinner. But rounded the bend after king Fisher and saw smoke. Then we thought ( here we go with the new guy comments.) We Only 2 trips in, and decided to canoe closer. I'm not an idiot but and as a 45 year old guy with military wildland fire fighting experience, should never travel to a wild fire with a fishing pole and a granola bar, but we should travel to ear shot in case we hear a distress call. I would think. But as the we padled we saw campers watching and... Who knows, and I know the campsites saw the smoke. but is there at least a protocol for a wild fire for campers to try to assist. And not to battle the blaze. But to be in ear shot for a call from near by. But so we canoed closer but pulled back after the plane flew over head. And at 6 in ogish we thought we'd be lost( again 2nd time in). And headed back. But just wondering if there is a common sense protocol?
08/05/2018 10:13AM
browndog, I 'm sure there is no protocol for what to do on a wildland fire that you happened upon. What I am sure of if you ask the Forest Service what to do, they will more than likely tell you to stay out of the way and let them handle it. Any fire department will tell you the same thing. They are more concerned about your safety.
That being said, I can't tell you how many times we responded to any type of fire only to find the public fighting the fire with garden hoses, shovels, throwing hand fulls of dirt, beating it out with jackets, etc. etc.
The same goes for vehicle accidents, how many time have you seen folks stop at a accident to help, even though they have no training.
Most, if not all don't carry firefighting tools with them on a canoe trip. What I carry is a collapsible bucket. If the fire has just started and is very small and is creeping with very little flame, a bucket with water will sometimes work.
In your case, you did the right thing. The plane overhead was aware of the fire. If it was a water dropping plane they will not drop if they see people on the ground near the fire.
I always hesitate to use common sense as a gauge to take action or not. A lot of different levels of common sense!! Best I can offer is what a doctor told me once after some minor surgery. I asked him what I can do and not do. His response, If you don't think you should do it, don't! Hope this helps.
That being said, I can't tell you how many times we responded to any type of fire only to find the public fighting the fire with garden hoses, shovels, throwing hand fulls of dirt, beating it out with jackets, etc. etc.
The same goes for vehicle accidents, how many time have you seen folks stop at a accident to help, even though they have no training.
Most, if not all don't carry firefighting tools with them on a canoe trip. What I carry is a collapsible bucket. If the fire has just started and is very small and is creeping with very little flame, a bucket with water will sometimes work.
In your case, you did the right thing. The plane overhead was aware of the fire. If it was a water dropping plane they will not drop if they see people on the ground near the fire.
I always hesitate to use common sense as a gauge to take action or not. A lot of different levels of common sense!! Best I can offer is what a doctor told me once after some minor surgery. I asked him what I can do and not do. His response, If you don't think you should do it, don't! Hope this helps.
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