As a point of reference, BC and the NWT’s current wildfire season is smashing records. BC’s stat count starts April 1, and has a current total of approx 1845, of which over 1300 are estimated to be lightning caused. Total affected area to date is over 1.65Mha = 16,520 Km^2, or 58% of the land surface area of the entirety of the State of Hawaii.
The NWT stats are even scarier, and both of these areas are not yet showing any signs of letting up.
On the relatively cozy little tip of Vancouver Island, we’ve so far only been affected by some occasional smoke, but the situation is certainly “dynamic”
The NWT stats are even scarier, and both of these areas are not yet showing any signs of letting up.
On the relatively cozy little tip of Vancouver Island, we’ve so far only been affected by some occasional smoke, but the situation is certainly “dynamic”
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Sorry for drifting off focus again but I thought pinapples were big business on the islands which is why there is a ban on hummingbirds as the pollinate them, rendering the fruits inedible?
I noted on the news the first hurricane is headed for the west coast since 1936. Should only be a tropical storm when it hits but still an odd event.
So far this summer the area of canada burnt is about half the total area of the UK. That gives me something to get my head around, sort of.
Stay safe everyone.
Pineapple was big business in Hawaii, but that ended decades ago. Costa Rica is the largest supplier today.
We get both haze and wood smoke odors from some of the closer Canadian fires pretty regularly here on the coast just south of Boston.
The sirens were primarily intended as tsunami warnings -- telling folk to move to higher ground -- in this case (from what I understand) they would have been moving toward the direction of the fire.
Medical reasons -- I wouldn't doubt the seriousness of his reasoning. PTSD
I believe they are talking about what the sirens mean these days and in that place, not generally speaking.
Then of course sirens may be used for different purposes.
You could also use a different sound pattern as a kind of code for different alarm types using the same hardware.
People would soon learn to distinguish different codes for different meanings.
It's only a question of will and capability to predict events.
There are people who are paid for this, but sometimes they seem to be subjected to different logics.
On social media in my country there are speculations that I do not even feel like reporting,
Hawaii has always been a myth for me (just as for so many people) and I'm very saddened by what has happened.
It seems impossible that such a thing could happen, really.
I'm really disconcerting, but it is so real that it is even humiliating on a human level.
And still I did not know whether the initial cause was a natural disaster or the consequence of negligence.
Then of course sirens may be used for different purposes.
You could also use a different sound pattern as a kind of code for different alarm types using the same hardware.
People would soon learn to distinguish different codes for different meanings.
It's only a question of will and capability to predict events.
There are people who are paid for this, but sometimes they seem to be subjected to different logics.
On social media in my country there are speculations that I do not even feel like reporting,
Hawaii has always been a myth for me (just as for so many people) and I'm very saddened by what has happened.
It seems impossible that such a thing could happen, really.
I'm really disconcerting, but it is so real that it is even humiliating on a human level.
And still I did not know whether the initial cause was a natural disaster or the consequence of negligence.
More info…the Deputy Directof Water Resources waited five hours before allowing the diversion of water to Lahaina reservoirs. He has since been transferred to another department.
The fossil fuel industry as The Great Arsonist is where our rage should concentrate, not each other.
Having said that, only rain will help... I believe.
Hugo
Having said that, only rain will help... I believe.
Hugo
Let them perform their investigation and have enquiry. I suggest we all take a break and mourn the loss of life. I would think they want to have it all out and take corrective actions to try to prevent such occurrences from happening again.
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Interestingly, I read a report that said that the reason the warning sirens were not activated was that they were Tsunami warning sirens and they didn't want people to take the wrong action. Whatever that would have been.
Jan
Jan
From the 8/20/2023 New York Times:
Hours before the wildfire became an inferno that wiped out the historic Hawaiian town of Lahaina, officials at the West Maui Land Company reached out to the state with an urgent request.
The company, a real estate developer that supplies water to areas southeast of Lahaina, took note of the dangerous combination of high winds and drought-parched grasses Maui was facing. It asked for permission to fill up one of its private reservoirs in case firefighters needed it.
But there was no active wildfire in the area at that time, and state officials, apparently concerned that the diversion could affect water allocations to a nearby farmer, took several hours to approve the request, according to the company. In the interim, a brush fire that had been contained that morning flared up once again and swept through Lahaina, burning everything in its path.
It is unlikely that filling up the private reservoir would have changed the course of the Lahaina wildfire, state officials say, and winds were so high that day that helicopter crews would have been unable to reach it. But the incident is causing a political uproar, the latest in a long-running debate over how Hawaii’s water is doled out among the state’s competing interests — real estate companies, large farms, tourism facilities and residents.
That seems to bring up as many questions as it answers. I haven't researched it but...
How large are the reservoirs?
How quickly can they be filled?
In such a short time, would there have been enough water to make a difference?
Can it be delivered to the fire other than by helicopter?
What are they normally used for?
Why are they not kept full in case of emergency?
I am hoping these things will be answered. The last thing Lahaina needs is a bunch of finger pointing.
How large are the reservoirs?
How quickly can they be filled?
In such a short time, would there have been enough water to make a difference?
Can it be delivered to the fire other than by helicopter?
What are they normally used for?
Why are they not kept full in case of emergency?
I am hoping these things will be answered. The last thing Lahaina needs is a bunch of finger pointing.
Its strange that apparently water has to be doled out by officials when the mountain area above Lahaina ( Iao valley ?) is one of the wettest places on earth I believe.
Is it just a lack of investment to tap the water source or some other reason.
Is it just a lack of investment to tap the water source or some other reason.
Well I got a call checking on my age! Definitely too old to allow to firefight.
For those who seem to not know it, most sirens are motor driven, not giant PA Loudspeakers. Hard to even pulse. So they are usually limited to one use.
I can’t imagine how hard it must be to fight a fire where the ambient temperature is hot normally.
Now that all you nice folks have participated in this chat, have any of you cleared your own dead brush or fire fuel?
I expect one thing to come back into fashion is maintaining fire breaks.
Locally we lost a few folks and a few houses from natural gas leaking from a hot water heater.
So how many here have smoke detectors and gas leak alarms.
How many here have small fire extinguishers at home. I have a small one in the kitchen and one in my bedroom.
How many have a pre-planned fire exit route at home for all the family members…even the mother-in-law! And even have a safe assembly point to verify everyone made it out.
Any of you keep a rope ladder under upper windows? (With an attachment cleat.)
Next we can talk about what you might want in an organized first aid kit!
Maybe even talk about a more common emergency, running out of TP!
For those who seem to not know it, most sirens are motor driven, not giant PA Loudspeakers. Hard to even pulse. So they are usually limited to one use.
I can’t imagine how hard it must be to fight a fire where the ambient temperature is hot normally.
Now that all you nice folks have participated in this chat, have any of you cleared your own dead brush or fire fuel?
I expect one thing to come back into fashion is maintaining fire breaks.
Locally we lost a few folks and a few houses from natural gas leaking from a hot water heater.
So how many here have smoke detectors and gas leak alarms.
How many here have small fire extinguishers at home. I have a small one in the kitchen and one in my bedroom.
How many have a pre-planned fire exit route at home for all the family members…even the mother-in-law! And even have a safe assembly point to verify everyone made it out.
Any of you keep a rope ladder under upper windows? (With an attachment cleat.)
Next we can talk about what you might want in an organized first aid kit!
Maybe even talk about a more common emergency, running out of TP!
We have an earthquake kit. And flashlights in every room. Turns out that very big earthquakes tend to knock out power and break windows, dishes, glasses. So you're in the dark and there's lots of broken glass everywhere. What you need right away are shoes and a flashlight.
We also have several fire extinguishers, stationed in the kitchen, garage, and hobby labs. Check the replace-by dates on those please, they have a finite lifetime.
The only time I'll eat this food, ever, in my life, is if we have an earthquake and are forced to eat from the kit.
We also have several fire extinguishers, stationed in the kitchen, garage, and hobby labs. Check the replace-by dates on those please, they have a finite lifetime.
The only time I'll eat this food, ever, in my life, is if we have an earthquake and are forced to eat from the kit.
Sounds like Mark and I are prepared in a similar manner. I also have one of these as I live on the second floor. There are potential exits both front and rear.
I live with a woman. We will never run out of toilet paper.
We also had this happen in our complex a month ago in one of the upper units like ours.
I live with a woman. We will never run out of toilet paper.
We also had this happen in our complex a month ago in one of the upper units like ours.
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The Iao valley is part of the West Maui Mountains and yes, it receives a great deal of rain. Both ends of the island do actually.
I found a map showing how much difference there is on one small island. It's all about the mountains.
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