Texas Fires..

Mello,shine,and all you other Texans out there..Whats the update on the fires??Saw a bit on FOX a little while ago,,and they are talking 30%contained,they hope..How many of you up there are badly affected?I saw that one guy lost his car collection,of over 100 cars..Thats sad..:( It sounds like the fires in Aussie a few years back,where hundreds of houses were destroyed,and lots of lives lost,,including the daughter of one of Lyndas old NZ NSRA friends..Our prayers go out to you folks up there,and hope the fires are brought under control soon,with the minimal loss of life and property..I hope,that if it was arson,the cops catch the perpetrator(s) real quick..

I often wondered why someone hasn't sugested a ditch from somewhere like Missouri or Arkansas (Mississippi River) to Texas that would give Texas water for there drouts and releave the flooding in New Orleans. Just a thought.

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Originally Posted by cffisher

I often wondered why someone hasn't sugested a ditch from somewhere like Missouri or Arkansas (Mississippi River) to Texas that would give Texas water for there drouts and releave the flooding in New Orleans. Just a thought.

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or a pipe line ...

that is a really good idea charlie and hoss.

just got off the phone with my sister. there having a hard go of it in TX she telling me that her big trees are dying from no water .no feed for the horses hauling it in out of state

We were never in danger from the Leon County fires, however, they lost over 100 homes about 20 minutes from us and Bastrop was hit real hard and they still haven't got it contained.

I got this from a Classmate this evening and thought I'd share it with Y'all.

From local newspaper in Central Texas , The Gonzales Cannon....'Come and Read It' (J 'Come and Get It')

Bureaucracy at work......the fed agencies got off to a bad start with many state volunteer fire departments who were there to help fight the fire........apparently, they had not followed proper protocol.

Feds to assume control of Bastrop Co. fire; volunteer firemen turned away | The Gonzales Cannon

Meanwhile, a friend sent this impressive photo of the Bastrop fire....I think this is on Hwy 71 going East into Bastrop.
.http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...astropFire.jpg

GOD BLESS TEXAS !

I moved here in 1968 and this is the worst year I can remember. The colorado feeds Lake Travis and it is w/n 3 feet of an all time low. Millions rely on water from the colorado river. We are on once a week yard (sprinkler) watering and no water served at restaurants unless requested.

We had 5 fires going Monday w/n a 30 mi.radius and hundreds of homes torched. We back up to a reserve and are staying on alert with bags packed in case we have a fire. It is a spookey feeling as every thing is dry and will ignite so easy. We have had only 2 inches of rain this year in our area and they are saying we are in for another year or longer in this drought.

Came back from Houston Monday on US 290 and the most bizzare feeling coming into the Bastrop fire. It looked just like the picture MelloYello posted. They have today got all contained except the big one at Bastrop and it is 35% contained. Hundreds of homes torched and 2 fatalities.

Keep us in your prayers .

What a mess!!!! The drought and the fires combine to really kick butt!!! What started out as a really messed up summer around here weather wise has turned into another great year for crops.... A few in this area have already began shipping extra hay South!!!! Don't see how the ranchers down there have a prayer of making it through the winter if they have to buy all their feed! I've heard many in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas have already started selling off their cattle and making some serious reductions in herd size.

Mello.......... Thats a scary photo

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Originally Posted by cffisher

Mello.......... Thats a scary photo

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Ill second that..not a pretty sight at all..Wouldnt want to sleep at night..

Probably a lot of folks with respiratory issues not doing so well around there. I live close to Yellowstone during that fire, and it was hard to breath, not to mention waking up to orange skies ever day. Hope you all are o.k. in Texas.

I have a good Hot Rod buddy in the Magnolia area where there are even more fires threatening homes and he and his wife spent their second night in a Motel Room because the fires were too close to go home. Sure do hope his 65 Chevelle is OK also.

Hey Don, it's been a long time since I've been on Hwy 71 and in Bastrop so could you tell me about how far was the photographer that took that pic from Austin. Austin would have been directly behind him, right???

Here's an interesting link showing fire locations in Texas Fire Activity

If this keeps up there won't be a cow left in Texas next year.

most everybody has sold off everything but their breeders or shipped them north to pasture them . there is no grazing here. last thing we needed were the morons from fema here . everything they have done is wrong. typical gov help. they might want to go easy. some texas rancher may just kick the hell out of them.maybe it will break and start raining soon. this is just about the worst i have seen.

Me too, Shine, stay safe my friend !

I'm sure rain would help the efforts to put out the fires but Rain will turn all the burned out land into mud.

Bless you all, and I hope you don't need any extra. Just remember, stuff is stuff, and though it would be a pain to start over, don't try to be a hero and tough it out if it gets close.

Aw, ---t!

Yesterday we were told that our old buddy "El Nina" ... or el nino ... or whatever, has re-appeared (cooling of tropical Pacific Ocean waters) and that means that Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma will probably be blessed with continuing drought, heat, and all the other happiness that goes with it, for coming months or years.

It's just gotta be man-made global warming.

This summer has been miserable. Close to 100 days of 100+ degrees, and that ain't exactly easy on us "high mileage" (geezer) types. Yesterday we had a grass fire less than a mile from our house but it was handled quickly by a close by fire house. It got only two or three acres.

The fire started right beside the highway, which would probably indicate a tossed cigarette butt.

In my opinion, the wrong butt went out the window.


Jim

YellowMello, that appears to be taken around the Austin Airport,looking east. Torched homes now stands at over 1400 in the Bastrop Fire. The elite search teams are now going house to house in search of more fatalaties. People have evacuated to realatives and other places,so it's hard to get a handle on the head count.

Credentials of some volunteer fire fighters were not the type required for this type fire and they were sent home. This just blows my mind,I suspect that FEMA came in and took the effort over from the good ole boys. That will come out later, right now the fire should be their main concentration. A plane from the west coast got here wed. and is sitting because no pilot is available to fly it. I guess we Texans don't fly that type of aircraft. Just venting sorry ???

Attachment 51178Or you can be in my part of the country where we have the opposite of drought - 14 plus inches of rain in the past week or so
"CAPITAL REGION — The cresting Mohawk River washed out the approach to the Route 103 bridge in Glenville, temporarily closed all bridges across the river in Schenectady County and once again rose into the city’s soaked Stockade neighborhood Thursday afternoon."

Some of the bridges are open now after inspection. In the photo are gate houses for the Erie Canal


You Texans - stay safe !!!

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Originally Posted by Don Dalton

YellowMello, that appears to be taken around the Austin Airport,looking east. Torched homes now stands at over 1400 in the Bastrop Fire. The elite search teams are now going house to house in search of more fatalaties. People have evacuated to realatives and other places,so it's hard to get a handle on the head count.

Credentials of some volunteer fire fighters were not the type required for this type fire and they were sent home. This just blows my mind,I suspect that FEMA came in and took the effort over from the good ole boys. That will come out later, right now the fire should be their main concentration. A plane from the west coast got here wed. and is sitting because no pilot is available to fly it. I guess we Texans don't fly that type of aircraft. Just venting sorry ???

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Thanks for the pin point on the locale - - - I've been there many times but not in about 10 years and things change so much. I got some more pics from my buddy today and I may post them up later. As far as whose fault it is, it has been my experience that "anything" the GOOBERMENT has their finger in it, then it will take a loooooong time and cost loooooots of taxpayers money. Just my "onion" !

(Current Photos from Yesterday and Today)
A close friend of my Son in Law's sent him these pics today with HIS comments.

Choppers at Colorado River about 5 miles from the fire.
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...Wildfires1.jpg
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...Wildfires2.jpg
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...Wildfires3.jpg
A Friend's House
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...Wildfires4.jpg
View from Smithville looking West into Bastrop
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...Wildfires5.jpg
State Park Entrance
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...Wildfires6.jpg
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...Wildfires7.jpg
Austin Skyline
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...Wildfires8.jpg
Smithville yesterday afternoon
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...Wildfires9.jpg
Taken from his mother-in-laws back yard.
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...ildfires10.jpg
Down the road about a mile on the right is his Dad's neighborhood.
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/h...ildfires11.jpg

Wholey crap! I hope everyone has sense to evacuate. Like Bob said, possessions are just that, not worth our lives!

that is a horrible sight. please everyone stay safe.

Texas is really hurting right now !
WARNING: Some of these are VERY GRAPHIC a

Dry Season: The Texas Drought of 2011 - Collective Vision | Photoblog for the Austin American-Statesman

thanks for the link mello. unimageable.

The pictures speak volumes about how bad things really are in Texas! Going to take a long time for the state to recover from this catastrophe!

Man!
That's bad!
Those cows were in very poor condition, so even when they're sold they won't realise much; they're virtually valueless.
My heart goes out to all those trying to make a living in conditions like that.
Nothing upsets a farmer more than watching his stock die in front of his eyes and being powerless to do anything about it.
And then there are those who have lost their lives and possessions in fires...

That's tragic.

(Thanks for the links Mello...they really brought the situation to life.)

sad to see the conditions people are living in with the fires and drought. Poor cattle, fish and other animals, not to mention the farmers and tourist businesses

the stress level is killing me. every time i hear the train i cringe. if i can just last until it rains and the leaves drop i'll be ok. then i'm gonna be a firewood farmer for a while . :) i gave my hay to a friend who is trying to save his breeders. just could not charge 85 bucks for 35 dollar hay.

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Originally Posted by shine

the stress level is killing me. every time i hear the train i cringe. if i can just last until it rains and the leaves drop i'll be ok. then i'm gonna be a firewood farmer for a while . :) i gave my hay to a friend who is trying to save his breeders. just could not charge 85 bucks for 35 dollar hay.

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Shine the thing that worries me is there is little rain in site,I'm talking about a period that is frightening . We have had over 80 days of triple digit temperatures,Sept. is usually cooler. Today it is, as yesterday going to be another record temperature day. Like you I am starting to worry about the neighbors that are trying to keep their ranches hoping to see better times. I sold my ranch back about 6 yrs ago and I consider my self lucky. The people are having it rough with the drought plus all the fires,and etc.

I'm thinking of a move (not running) to a cooler area as I can not take the heat. I am heat stroke prone since a near attack and have been in all summer.

Shine that was a nice thing you did. Don it sounds pretty rough. One of the gals who works at our hospital, commutes there from Texas. She said where she lives they have water rationing, to twice a week at specific times! I hope for rain for you guys soon!