Fires~~~

[Catherine]

The forest fires are super, super bad here in Western Montana. Remote areas, steep and rugged terrain and close to homes and businesses too. Eastern Montana got hit hard too. Grasslands and more.

We lost a SECOND firefighter in about a months time yesterday. (Western Montana.) Falling tree - bad snag up by Lolo Peak. You can see the LOLO PEAK fire flumes from my windows too. I have mountain views from all of my windows here in the valley. I live in town for now in the house that I built. May they rest in peace and condolences to their family, friends and fellow firefighters.

This town and area are literally almost surrounded by fires when you look at a map online, in person, on the news or on the Incident Web. The IW website is NOT being updated as it was in the past several times a day. The valley is smoke filled and the sun AND moon look like something out of the Bible - Revelations. We have firemen in from Alaska and all over the country.

You can watch the water bucket planes fly all around the valley (HERE from my windows.) to and from the fires. They cleared off one lake (Seeley Lake - 55 miles away.) and maybe will clear (?) some more LAKES from ALL SWIMMERS, BOATERS, ETC. so they can fill up with water. There are several places VERY CLOSE to where I camped and stayed in a tiny log cabin (Private ranch.) for the first year that I lived here that are HIT really hard - it was butt up to wilderness. Those 3 or more BIG and growing fires are called the Sapphire Complex fires now. Sapphire Mountains.

The smoke from BC, Canada is coming down into parts of WA state, the panhandle of Idaho and NW Montana.

Prayers for ALL of our paid and volunteer firefighters and for the ALL of the peace officers in Montana and across this country who have come in to help us. Prayers for them in their home states too. They are GOOD people and I am very grateful to have them work for us in any capacity.

I have emergency bags ready just in case even though I live in town and not in the boonies as I used to live years ago and, back east, for many years with my late husband. My MT husband has his truck and the car ready too.

What GUN or guns (?) other than your concealed/open carry handgun if you do 'carry' on a daily basis would you have SET ASIDE if you have to leave your house quickly and safely even if your emergency bags are READY TO GO? My husband has his CCW handgun always by his jeans and I already have the 45acp ammo set aside for him to GO if need be.

I have a CZ 455 Lux - 22lr, a Henry 45-70 and his 2nd and last handgun - 45acp pistol SET aside. Some 22lr, some 45acp and some 45-70 ammo is ready to go too. The Glock 45acp pistol is the same exact model and caliber as his carry gun so I only have to be concerned for 2 handguns total. He only has 2 handguns total and I don't own/carry/shoot handguns any longer.

I did set aside OUR favorite knives - he always carries a knife and I do too. Me? A couple of Bucks and Kabars which don't take up much room and his do not either. A couple of axes too.

I ALWAYS have the spare eyeglasses and so forth ready to go at any time.

He and I have always had emergency bags in the truck and/or car.

Stay safe!

Cate
Typos!

[Les]

I hope you manage to stay safe, Cate. I experienced a couple of wildfires in South Africa, and they are very frightening.

Condolences to the families of the brave firefighter's that have lost their lives.

[CT_Shooter]

That's a terrifying place to be, Cate. I've seen videos of the devastation there and find it hard to comprehend the scope of those fires. I hope the best for you, your husband, and your neighbors. Be safe and please be vigilant. I look forward to reading better news from you soon.

[JEBar]

heard about the fires on the news but hearing it from you makes it personal .... be safe .... thoughts and prayers sent your way

[PT7]

I echo the posts already made, Cate. Really, really tough stuff to watch -- for us at a distance in the various news reporting, and especially for you and neighbors being eye-witnesses. Thanks for sharing your update with us, and especially for asking us to pray for so many who are living there, and for those good folk who are helping.

Take much good care...PT7

The forest fires are super, super bad here in Western Montana.
We lost a SECOND firefighter in about a months time yesterday. (Western Montana.) ..... May they rest in peace and condolences to their family, friends and fellow firefighters.

This town and area are literally almost surrounded by fires when you look at a map online, in person, on the news or on the Incident Web. ....... The valley is smoke filled and the sun AND moon look like something out of the Bible - Revelations. We have firemen in from Alaska and all over the country.

Prayers for ALL of our paid and volunteer firefighters and for the ALL of the peace officers in Montana and across this country who have come in to help us. Prayers for them in their home states too. They are GOOD people and I am very grateful to have them work for us in any capacity.

Stay safe!

Cate
Typos!

[Catherine]

Les,

Thanks and we were going to go North for a few days before or after the BIG Adams Center (U of M) famous, yearly gun show this weekend. I think that we should stay home just in case this MESS really blows up. Not just with the thunder/lightning storms but with any high winds if a cold or cooler front comes in.

What part of Africa and/or country did you live in and did you live there for a long time?

I have paid city firefighters here and I am on city water and city sewer. I watered last night and wore a safety nose/mouth mask and even with my limited time OUTSIDE with my husband's help... it took a LOT out of me. I have worn Rx eyeglasses since I was 5 years old so my EYES were shielded as best as they could be - safety Rx glasses. But they are not what firemen use!

I have been to RURAL fires back east (VFD, teacher, captain and EMT = my late husband NOT me.) and helped bring them food, coffee, etc. for some big/nasty fires but it was NOTHING LIKE THIS even with those FIELDS ON FIRE - farm land, barns, houses and some businesses.

Cate

[Catherine]

Thanks for your warm wishes and prayers, people.

Cate

[Catherine]

The original SMOKE JUMPERS SCHOOL (National home.) started here in Missoula, Montana.

It is right behind the Fire Science Laboratory.

https://www.fs.fed.us/fire/people/smoke ... /missoula/

https://www.fs.fed.us/rmrs/research-lab ... laboratory

Cate

[BrokenolMarine]

Years ago.... MANY years ago as a Young Marine, I was visiting with my Grandparents in Murphy NC in the mountains. Granddad was a LT in the Volunteer Fire Department at the time and they were called to TWO forest fires during my week long visit, and I tagged along to help. Every man that could work a shovel, or carry a back pack was needed during both those fires, which we were luckily able to control the fires after about eight hours in the woods... Granddad wrote that the investigations revealed both fires were started by accident, people careless with cigarettes or matches.

A year or so later, I attended an Aircraft Firefighting class, and the somewhat arrogant instructor made a bold statement...
"There is NEVER any reason to fight a fire downwind, you ALWAYS fight the fire upwind."
"You mean an aircraft fire, right?" I asked.
"No, I mean any fire, you never fight a fire downwind... NEVER." he said... striding back in forth in front of the group of us on the flight line.

"Well, okay then, if you say so." I said.
"You know different?" He said sarcastically.
"Two forest fires last year, we were downwind of both of them.... the ONLY way to stop them." I said calmly. I was a Corporal, he was a Gunny after all.

He looked stunned.
"Well, um... yeah... ah... forest fires are a whole different animal and the subject of a separate class entirely."

Smoke Jumpers and those who fight forest fires are at a very HIGH risk and have my utmost respect. They PUT themselves in the path of the oncoming fire to cut firebreaks and to start controlled back burns to deny the big fire the fuel it needs to continue to move. I met a few of these guys over the years. Consummate professionals, adrenaline junkies, and somewhat nuts. Hats off. My condolences to the families. It's a dangerous job, and we are grateful to those who choose to do it.

As for the gun question?
I would take as many as I had time for, and as much of the ammo as I could haul out. We have TWO trucks.
Short Notice: The Sig P220, the Glock 23C for the Boss, the Second Glock 23 and the two snubbies. The two ARs and the Henry Big Boy Carbine. Everything Else in the big safe, which has a good fire rating and hope for the best. But, we have a Scheduled rider policy and all the guns are listed for replacement value.

[Les]

Les,
What part of Africa and/or country did you live in and did you live there for a long time?
Cate

I lived in South Africa for 25 years. We lived in a rural area on a 20 acre smallholding, and we were renting out the adjacent 56 acre plot to another family. It was in a beautiful spot, close to the Magaliesberg mountains. We always lived on or around what was known as the Witwatersrand, which is the Pretoria-Johannesburg area of South Africa.

We left to come to the UK because there was so much violence in the rural areas, with farmers and smallholding owners being murdered on a very regular basis - i.e., several a week. We had a few incidents, but managed to stay reasonably safe because we had firearms and were prepared to use them. You can only take living like that for so long, though, and eventually the odds are not in your favor.

[RanchRoper]

We've been on fire watch for a month. Take care Cate. We'll be shoveling snow before you know it.

[Catherine]

Les,
What part of Africa and/or country did you live in and did you live there for a long time?
Cate

I lived in South Africa for 25 years. We lived in a rural area on a 20 acre smallholding, and we were renting out the adjacent 56 acre plot to another family. It was in a beautiful spot, close to the Magaliesberg mountains. We always lived on or around what was known as the Witwatersrand, which is the Pretoria-Johannesburg area of South Africa.

We left to come to the UK because there was so much violence in the rural areas, with farmers and smallholding owners being murdered on a very regular basis - i.e., several a week. We had a few incidents, but managed to stay reasonably safe because we had firearms and were prepared to use them. You can only take living like that for so long, though, and eventually the odds are not in your favor.

Thanks for the information. I have seen pictures of that part of Africa and it is beautiful!

I have heard, seen and read about several people that lived in South Africa who finally left due to the violence. Many of the U.S. news stations did not cover the murders, threats, destruction of personal property and farm land but some short wave and AM radio stations had guests on talking about what was going on. I read about it online too. People who were born and raised there and had families who homesteaded there for generations were murdered and some of the other family members finally moved away from their land/home to another country. I am sorry that you had to move but it would be a VERY HARD thing to live with day in and day out. The risks would be great! The emotional/physical stress and trauma would make a person's daily life miserable.

Take care and thanks for sharing.

Cate

[Catherine]

We've been on fire watch for a month. Take care Cate. We'll be shoveling snow before you know it.

I am used to 4 FULL SEASONS. East Coast - born and raised and the Great Lakes region with my late husband.

Out here, we have 5 seasons - fire season is the ONE that really bothers me. My MT born/raised husband said that they had fires on and off in his lifetime but NOTHING like what has happened HERE in the last 15 years.

Cate

[ssonb]

It seems you have the firearms covered..CCWs a 22lr and a centerfire rifle a couple of boxes of ammo for each(you said that)..You can't carry all of them,(I once was told that the only time you have too many guns and ammo is when your house is on fire) and here you are facing such a possibility .Do you have a fireproof gun safe and is it mounted in the corner of a concrete basement. If you do almost anything you store in there will survive even if the house burns down. The concrete on the bottom and two sides will help increase the fire resistance rating also stacking sheetrock on the top the front and exposed side will do the same. 28 years as a firefighter,EMT I lernt a few thangs.

[Henry88]

Good Luck to you Cate, have faith.

If I lived there, I would have one full time job, and that would be looking out the window shaking.

At least hurricanes come and than they leave, these fires subsist for what seems like an eternity.

I live about 50 miles from the Daytona track and I remember they cancelled the July race a few years back. When you consider the track is pretty much downtown Daytona, that is pretty scary stuff.

BTW, about the guns, and talking about bleak times, In 2008/9 I pretty much lost everything but my car, boat, truck and home.

Besides relics that don't shoot and were valueless, I sold all my guns, even my dad's service revolvers.

The two I kept were the P-38 he brought home from the war and my M-70.

God bless you and good luck, Cate.

[Catherine]

My husband said that he does not see a big fire coming right into town yet parts of this college town are BUTT up to wilderness - not my house but other houses. We have forests, hiking and bike trails, horseback riding and NO motorized vehicles in designated areas. In those areas and in some maintained parks, they have had punks and careless people drop their cigs and they even found some small fires a few weeks ago that were deliberately started. How stupid, mean and CRIMINAL is that garbage?! Geesh.

There is a huge no build zone way behind us with several small and large ponds, brush and trees, not our land, all of the way, way down, down to the river, a small cattle ranch two houses down from us not in this small subdivision AND another property one house over (NOT a ranch.) that has NOT DONE fire mitigation in a safe and sane manner. In fact, I have NOT seen any of those very tall grasses mowed or any of those old, diseased and 'lousy' trees cut down since I built here with NEW good trees planted IF those property owners should desire to do that. I see NO water applied there on and off even though it is a large area all of the way to the water rights ditch that those of us in this area have absolute legal rights to. WE can use it or not use it for gardens, grass areas, etc. Plus we can use our city water if we choose to use it too. Some places have city water and wells on the same property too.

Anyway... it is hard for me to sleep at night with this going on. I can relate to hurricanes growing up on the East Coast and as a USN bride living in a beach cottage. Evacuation.

HIGH wind storms and tornadoes stink too but FIRES are a whole other THING.

Hurricanes... you have warnings and most of the time... much more time to plan for them.

Cate