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  1. mhambi Burning Hunk

    joined: Sep 10, 2010
    107 posts
    UT
    Hi! I haven't been around a ton this spring/summer, but thought y'all might enjoy seeing this. This is from the Wood Hollow Fire in central Utah. We were evacuated for 3 or so days. Always a fun time having someone show up and say you have 30 minutes to get out. :)

    The good news is that the fire is out and no damage to our place... though several people I know lost everything.

    This was Sunday at the house, about 15min before the Sheriffs Deputy showed up...

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    On our way out... sorry about some of these pics... they were taken on the fly, usually out a window or through the windshield.


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    #1

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    fox9988, Backwoods Savage and quads like this.
  2. mhambi Burning Hunk

    joined: Sep 10, 2010
    107 posts
    UT
    The follow were from the first day I was able to get back to my house. It's also the day when the north end of the fire blew up because of wind.

    There really wasn't much smoke noticable on the way down, which was encouraging. This picture was the first we really noticed it. Remember that green roof on the left for later...

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    Coming out into the valley proper and man, the fire didn't look near as bad as in times past. Really just one major pocket, with several smaller hot spots here and there. They had really done some good work!

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    Then the winds really started. We'd been at my house for about 40 minutes from the last pic and this is what it was turning into...

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    Line of flames

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    Time to get back outta Dodge. Worried they might shut down the highway again.

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  3. Adios Pantalones Minister of Fire

    Terrible situation, but great pictures
  4. mhambi Burning Hunk

    joined: Sep 10, 2010
    107 posts
    UT
    ...and yes, I know I need to clean my sensor. lol

    my neighbor - he came ok... but that's too close for comfort

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    then it turned into a race to get to the head of the valley before they shut everything down. We followed a convoy of about 30 emergency vehicles that were racing up to start staging to protect some houses.

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    Going through the smoke

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    Looking back...

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    Remember that green roof?

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  5. mhambi Burning Hunk

    joined: Sep 10, 2010
    107 posts
    UT
    Indian Ridge.. one of the hardest hit as far residences lost. Oaker Hills is to the left (the other hard hit area)


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    The following pics are all from the north end of the fire... the one that blew up on my previous trip down to check on things. Looks like they did an admirable job of keeping the structures safe.

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    The North end...

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  6. mhambi Burning Hunk

    joined: Sep 10, 2010
    107 posts
    UT
    47,387 acres burned
    Residences lost: 52
    Outbuildings lost: 108

    One civilian was killed in the fire


    Cause? Some (deleted to keep it family friendly ;) ) had stolen copper ground lines from multiple power poles. An arc traveled down a guy wire instead and sparked the blaze.



    Anyway, things are slowly returning to normal. A good reminder though of the power of fire!
  7. jwoair23 Member

    joined: Oct 2, 2011
    234 posts
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Unbelievable pictures, thanks for sharing, wildfires are not something we ever experience here, and I have never seen a series of pictures like this from this vantage point.

    Really glad you and your family/house were OK!
  8. Defiant Minister of Fire

    joined: Dec 5, 2007
    1,878 posts
    Old Lyme CT
    Wow!! Thanks for sharing, what a disaster, nice photo's and glad you and family are safe:cool:
  9. fishingpol Minister of Fire

    joined: Jul 13, 2010
    1,898 posts
    Merrimack Valley, MA
    Thanks for putting these up. It is hard to fathom a fire that large. Around here there are occassionally small ones along the highway that might take an acre or two, but that's about it.
  10. fossil Super Moderator

    joined: Sep 30, 2007
    9,152 posts
    Bend, Oregon
    Yeah, that was a bad fire. Anytime even one home is destroyed it's a tragedy. I'm very happy for mhambi & family. Very sad for others. For us out here in the dry climes of the West, wildfire is an everpresent danger. C'mon out west and see it for yourselves...

    http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/

    Here are a couple of fires in Colorado earlier this year, perhaps you missed the news...600 homes, half a $Billion in property damage:

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...8m-in-damage/2012/07/17/gJQAVSEWrW_story.html
  11. ironpony Minister of Fire

    joined: Jan 22, 2010
    1,396 posts
    mid-ohio
    when I lived on Long Island we had a fire in the pine barrens, nothing like yours, but it was scary enough. probably 200 feet from the house, I had the garden hose read, like that was going to do anything
    ahh to be young and dumb again
  12. firebroad Minister of Fire

    joined: Nov 18, 2011
    1,029 posts
    Carroll County, MD
    Oh My Grandmothers, you must have thought it was the end of the world. Glad you are all safe, as well as your home.
  13. firefighterjake Minister of Fire

    joined: Jul 22, 2008
    13,475 posts
    Unity/Bangor, Maine
    Thanks for sharing . . . it's hard to imagine trying to fight a fire of that scale. Glad you and your family came through unharmed and unscathed.
  14. Weird tolkienish figure Member

    joined: Jan 15, 2012
    171 posts
    Ma
    Maybe living in the Boston area isn't so bad... ;)
  15. blacktail Feeling the Heat

    joined: Sep 18, 2011
    368 posts
    Western WA
    Humbling.
  16. bogydave Minister of Fire

    joined: Dec 4, 2009
    7,779 posts
    So Cent ALASKA
    Awesome pics.
    It still looks pretty dry there, not much left to burn though. Sad.
    Thanks
  17. Eatonpcat Minister of Fire

    joined: Jul 24, 2011
    2,039 posts
    Eaton Township, Ohio
    Wow...Thanks for sharing and I'm glad you and your property made it through the fire safely!
  18. lukem Minister of Fire

    joined: Jan 12, 2010
    3,139 posts
    Indiana
    I was in Custer State Park in the Black Hills of SD last week. They had a very small lighting-sparked fire on one of the mountains. I was minding my own business and a chopper swooped down and got a bucket full of water out of one of the lakes. It was really amazing to see those guys work.

    I'm glad you made it through with your person and property intact.
  19. Beetle-Kill Minister of Fire

    Buy the guys/ gals that did the mobile attack a beer. They deserve it. Good job on their part. glad you came through OK.
  20. osagebow Minister of Fire

    joined: Jan 29, 2012
    747 posts
    Shenandoah Valley, VA
    Glad you made it out ok - these pics fit the wonderful proverb in your signature line, what dialect is it?
  21. MasterMech Minister of Fire

    joined: Aug 2, 2011
    4,789 posts
    Hudson Valley NY
    And here's hoping that the men and women fighting that fire all made it out alive and well.
    Eatonpcat and Beetle-Kill like this.
  22. save$ Minister of Fire

    joined: Sep 22, 2008
    1,684 posts
    Chelsea Maine
    Glad you have your home intact. Good lesson to learn about the need to have anything you need to have in a spot you can grab and go.
  23. mhambi Burning Hunk

    joined: Sep 10, 2010
    107 posts
    UT
    Thanks all for the kind words. Definitely a eye opening experience!



    Swahili.
    osagebow likes this.

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