Thursday, August 7, 2014
Fire On the Mountain........part one
***************************************************************************
Rowena Fire
Columbia Gorge Oregon
August 2014
Sometimes words cannot do justice to describe a situation; this is one of those times. The following pictures pretty much speak for themselves. I've added just enough commentary to explain time of day, location, and some other trivia. If you are interested in more detail please feel free to email me, google "Rowena Fire", or hop on a plane and come visit.
According to various reports The Rowena Fire, located in The Columbia Gorge....Oregon for those not paying attention.....started approximately 9:30pm Tuesday evening August 5, 2014. Rowena is a small community along I-84 approximately 15 miles east of Hood River and 7 miles west of The Dalles. I first heard about the "fire" Wednesday morning as I was preparing to leave for work. Note: I live in Hood River and currently work in The Dalles, approximately 24 miles.
I was chatting with a friend in Savannah, yes I was using a headset, as I approached the fire area along I-84. Some smoke, steep cliffs-it is a gorge, lots of grass and a scattering of trees. No real big deal. The wind had started gusting Tuesday evening; blowing approximately 25 miles per hour and gusting upwards of 35. The wind had blown the flames thru the grass fast enough the trees appeared untouched. So, no big deal. It would be out by end of day.....you have to remember, I know absolutely NOTHING about wild fires. Except they're hot, dangerous and I don't want to be in the path of one. My "no big deal" thoughts soon vanished as I took a late lunch and drove up to the state park across from the biggest hot spot.
 |
| Wednesday from the office |
 |
| Headed west on I-84 |
 |
| Okay so there are some homes in the way |
 |
okay now what..... |
 |
| Look for the house..... |
 |
| Here comes help! |
 |
| Crowd had gathered at Meyer State Park, across the interstate.....along with the owners of the house..... |
"Two Brave Souls.."
enlarge photo, can you find Waldo?
Three hours later and the house gets an all clear....whew, another 30 feet and it's "hope you got insurance"BUT....as the wind blows, so goes the fire. First photos of house were around 3pm, this one, shortly after 6pm.
and now comparing the first photo from 2:30pm Wednesday to this morning......... Apparently grass is highly flammable.
This morning as I came off the interstate I noticed the burnt out hillside. The wind had fueled the fire from approximately 200 acres to over 2600. According to locals, last night the fire dragon was a spectacle to watch as it approached town. This final picture of the day was taken from the office (similar to picture #1) due to the sudden increase in the plume of smoke. Obviously something was brewing.
Due to the late hour I will elaborate on this plume, and several others that cropped up this afternoon....as well as any that I photo tomorrow. Part two will include some cool video.....wow, ah, ooh......till then...
as always,
bkd
Marshall Tucker.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qhl4UW_gFfY
"The very existence of flame-throwers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done."
George Carlin
****************************************************************************
