Ewww, that looks nasty!!

Here's the cause:



This fire is about 1 mile to the east of Johnson Creek, burning up Reardon Lake.

I haven't even seen Johnsson Creek in a week.

Hey nice picture of that smoke.

In the late 70's I was a ground pounder on a couple of dudes like that. One fire we lost over 8000 acres of timber. Wind came up and started to crown, I spent 7 hours neck deep in a little pond with about 20 other fire fighters. Saying to myself WTF am I doing here!

Thanks for the updates and pictures, keep'em coming when you have a chance. Since I imagine your working your tail off.

Be safe, Bub

There does not appear to be a TFR next to J.C. The closest one that I can see is the Krassel TFR which is to the west of Yellow Pine. Is there a fire without a TFR next to Johnson Creek?

There appears to be one plane or two there most days. It also does not appear to be IFR there all day.

flyer

There isn't a TFR there, but IMO, there should be. This morning 3 planes (I was in trail) climbed up Indian Creek right into a swarm of 2 SEATs, a leadplane and air attack. Nobody was talking on the radio, and nobody had been flying it all week. So that was a little surprising. If you're going to work a fire, put up a TFR, that's what they're for.

We finaly got some rain in the area yesterday, and that cleaned up there air and calmed things down a bit. Maybe the USFS can get a couple of these reigned in a bit, we've still got a lot of summer left.

Well it doesn't look like things are getting much better.

Low&Slow, John, do you have any updates on the fire situation?
Anything found out about your oil pressure issue on the 206?

Come on RAIN!

See ya, Bub

Just checked the JC website. It's the clearest I've seen it in days. Has the strip been closed? I saw that it was right on the edge of the TFR. Just curious.

L&S, how are things up that way? Getting better, worse, same? I really want to head up that way but I'm telling my friends that want me to take them that we may need to wait until the fires die down, i.e. late September/October. Hopefully it won't be that long.

Better wait man it's still UUGLY

With conditions like they are, all it takes is a quick shift in the wind direction, and you could BE THERE till October.

MTV

Hey Bub:

I'm flying home to Grangeville, ID to see the parents this afternoon. What has it been looking like in your neck of the woods in the afternoon.

Looks like I'll have to skirt the huge TFR over Hells Canyon (over go over it).

375HandH

375,

Around Burns things aren't bad. A lot of SEAT activity going east about 25 miles and one fire south east about 65 miles.

So if you coming into BNO keep 122.8 tuned in to catch the traffic. SEATs have been taking off on 30 and landing 21. There is also a mix of Rotorheads.

I'm not sure of your route, but don't belive up though here you'd have any issues.

Hotshot would proably have good info on the Hells canyon fire since it's in his backyard.

See ya, Fly Safe, Bub

The fire is slowing down around here but the TFR is still here, you can get over it at 10.5 I think I would check before you came through to make sure.


Surface to 10K Ft MSL as of today

Tired of the smoke.

I wouldn't go to Johnson Creek. Heck, if it wasn't what put food on the table, I wouldn't even fly in Idaho right now. Every day is totally different than the one before. Some days it's clear, others it's 2 miles, which sucks when you're flying around tall mountains.

Some guy flying around in a Super Cub this morning called out on .9 asking if anyone had been into JC 'today.' I told him I hadn't even seen the strip in a month.

I'd watch the weather from home, wait 'till we get a good low pressure with some rain/snow, and then come visit Idaho. See what's left.

Take care,

John

Thanks for the update, John. I'm sorry it's not a happy one, though. From the fire maps, it looks like the whole confluence of the main Salmon and the South Fork of the Salmon has been burned over, including Mackey Bar and Wilson Bar. I sure hope that's not true, but the maps make it look grim, and there's no relief in sight. Good luck, and thanks again for keeping us posted.

CAVU

Bub et al:

Departed Santa Rosa, KSTS, direct for Grangeville, S80, at 12:45 PM PDT arrived 4:45 PM PDT. Flew at 11,500, 9,500, 7.500. Nice and bumpy all the way. Fires everywhere. No lightening. Dodged a few clouds, but not many. Landing at S80 was fun: 90 degree crosswind at 15-20 knots. I couldn't complain, though, the jumper planes and retardant planes had been landing there one after another like no big deal.

Good to be home, even if it is smokey.

375HandH

CAVU wrote:From the fire maps, it looks like the whole confluence of the main Salmon and the South Fork of the Salmon has been burned over, including Mackey Bar and Wilson Bar.
CAVU

The Main Salmon has been closed for the rest of the season to boaters. I think Mackey Bar made it. I've got a friend with a place up the South Fork, and the fire ran through there and burned several cabins. His made it, but he lost his generator shed and every single tree on his property. I don't think the fire is at Wilson yet, but I haven't been that way in a month. I've flown over the area several times, but you can't see the ground.

I heard Johnson Creek was clear this morning. I wouldn't do anything but go in and back out again though, you're likely to get stuck if you overnight.

The Middle Fork was about 1-3 miles this morning until the wind picked up.

John

John,

Thanks for the updates. They are invaluable. Hopefully it won't be a long, dry, hot Fall.

Says a lot for going early in June doesn't it.

Just wondering why the link at the top of this thread is still getting images from the JCreek camera and the http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~yellowpinecm/

Link says down for maint.?

Different link?

TD

TomD wrote:Just wondering why the link at the top of this thread is still getting images from the JCreek camera and the http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~yellowpinecm/

Link says down for maint.?

Different link?

TD

The camera is probably still updating the image file on the server but they removed the image from the HTML on the page. I wonder why?