Tahoe...Wild Water...Wild Fire

Becky, CHUB and I headed to Tahoe. Met Zilla on the water around 7:30.
Weather was nice and bait EVERYWHERE. I have never seen so much bait in fresh water in my life.
I had one fish that kept hitting my minnow. I even watched as he kept trying to inhale it, but he never stuck.
Zilla managed 2 rainbows and mac. That was it before the winds kicked up.
They kicked up BIG time too. The paddle back was quite the adventure; but a fun one.
We all shared lunch at Steamers then the 3 of us headed home on 89 towards South Shore.
We noticed some haze in the air; then we saw it.
The beginning of what is now called the Angora Fire. It was not too big at first but we kept our eyes on it as we drove thinking it might interfere with our drive home.
Watching the fire I kept looking for the planes. As Becky drove and I took pics I kept saying Where are the planes? Where are the planes? WHERE ARE THE DAMNED PLANES?????
For over 1/2 hour while we stopped for gas not a plane in sight. Then finally one showed up, but not a tanker, just a spotter.
As we drove up and over the summit ,and to my dismay, I never saw a single plane make any kind of drop.
Here are a few pics of the rough Lake and the even rougher fire.

Glad you made it out before they closed the highway. I'm watching the news coverage now...very sad to see those homes burning.
Thanks for the report and pics.

Al

Man, that totally sucks... Too bad about the rough conditions out there... what a difference a day makes. That fire with those Tahoe winds... that's bad news unless they can get a grip on it quickly.

Freddie

It was those winds that kept the tankers from flying. A spotter can safely fly above the fire to act as a lookout for the folks on the ground, but air tankers flying low and slow can't make their drops safely when the winds are up. Today the wind is down, but without wind the smoke won't clear so that tankers have to wait for visibility.

On the plus side, low winds has allowed dozers to work in front of the fire and reports from the fire sound like they might get a handle on the fire today. But, there are a lot of factors involved which could change at any moment. Hopefully the smoke clears so the tankers can support the hand crews as they build more line.

It was those winds that kept the tankers from flying. A spotter can safely fly above the fire to act as a lookout for the folks on the ground, but air tankers flying low and slow can't make their drops safely when the winds are up. Today the wind is down, but without wind the smoke won't clear so that tankers have to wait for visibility.

There was not so much as a helicopter with a water bucket while I was there.
Apparently some showed up later that day and the wind was still there. I see no reason why it couldn't have been sooner.

The aircraft did begin flying later in the day. It's easy to say that the aircraft should have flown earlier when it is somebody else flying the aircraft.

The short answer is that no home or forest is worth losing a life over, and in this case there hasn't been a single injury. The long answer looks back at the history of fire aviation and the average of 3 pilots killed every year prior to the more strict aviation rules implemented in 2003. As this fire currently stands, the only thing lost is "stuff." Everybody's husband, wife, and child gets to go home alive.

Glad you made it out before they closed the highway. I'm watching the news coverage now...very sad to see those homes burning.
Thanks for the report and pics.

and now they are saying it's MAN MADE.....bad man!

I hear this has the potential to destroy the water for Lake Tahoe.  Once the rain hits again all of the ash, topsoil, left over crap, etc get washed down into the lake, it may ruin it for years to come.  Very sad.... Very sad....

The aircraft did begin flying later in the day. It's easy to say that the aircraft should have flown earlier when it is somebody else flying the aircraft.

The short answer is that no home or forest is worth losing a life over, and in this case there hasn't been a single injury. The long answer looks back at the history of fire aviation and the average of 3 pilots killed every year prior to the more strict aviation rules implemented in 2003. As this fire currently stands, the only thing lost is "stuff." Everybody's husband, wife, and child gets to go home alive.

A-Men,  The Comander on this one is one of the best, and they are doing the best with an impossible situation,

 That place has been a Tinder Box for years as well as most of our forest, but put all those Homes put in harms way,

  well thats part of the price of admission if your going to do that,

 I admit that it is frustrating to look at something like this and wonder why more is not being done,  But my experince

has taught me that most of the time, these things are delt with very well with ever dwindling resources,

  Still a shame this happened, and a ton of work for those there,

We have a couple crews there now, Hard Work.......Danglin

That place has been a Tinder Box for years as well as most of our forest, but put all those Homes put in harms way,

I carry a VHF radio when I am on the ocean, I wear a PFD when I kayak. I am prepared in case something bad happens.
I just find if very frustrating that given everyone knows it is a tinderbox, there are many homes in the area, it is a major tourist spot and, as many call it, " A National Treasure" that there wasn't anything  nearby on a moments notice to address the start of the fire. Especially when you have a lake and airport within a mile of where it started.
I think this is something that will be seriously addressed once things have settled down and I bet air support will be better prepared in that area next time.

Ya, I saw on Sac TV last night the " Granola Tahoe Planning Commission " in their I-Zod Pollos Taking the heat they Desever,

  It was no secret that this could happen, and they build and build, everywhere with no thought towards fire/hospitals/police.....It's really criminal...

  There plenty more areas in the same situation,  And As far as the tankers, last I heard, you would not believe the age of most of the tankers these brave/incredibly experience pilots fly, with not much in the way of replacement.

  But, I'm with ya on how unprepared most, if not all cities and comunities really are....

  You would not believe our Flood Disaster Plan in Sac, which is inevitable ,

 Even in the Bay Area, none of these different Kingdoms can talk to each other, to much $$$$ for proper communications, and once communications fail, it's basically over and it's everyone for themselves.

  So lay back on the High Ground with Superior Fire power and you and your Family will be Fine 

   Waiting for the other shoe to Drop.................Danglin