The Tumblebug and Boze/Rainbow Creek fires in Oregon (PIC HEAVY)

[DemoTex]

The Tumblebug Complex fires in the Willamette NF and the Boze/Rainbow Creek fires in the Umpqua NF to my west continue to burn. The Tumblebug is up to 6000 acres and the Umpqua fires are at 4000. The Tumblebug Complex fires, which have been burning for a couple of weeks, were at 500 acres a week ago. On Wednesday the fire blew up and spread to 5100 acres.

Don’t worry about me. I’m safe. These fires are 50 miles or so to my west. But do worry about the firefighters on these fires and those in the fires’ paths. There was a near disaster a couple of days ago on the Tumblebug fire when a torching 100’ Hemlock fell on top of a USFS fire truck. Thankfully, there were no injuries.

Rain and snow is in the fire weather forecast for Monday night and Tuesday. The more the better!

I move out of the lookout tower two weeks from today. I've already packed a bunch of stuff out to my storage facility in Bend. Will everything go in my truck? That's the big question.


The Tumblebug Complex fire last Wednesday morning with smoke being borne by a south wind up the I-5 corridor.


Smoke from the Boze and Rainbow Creek fires (left) mixes with that of the Tumblebug fire (right) and blows north toward Eugene.


By mid-afternoon last Wednesday the wind shifted and the Tumblebug fire blew up. That smoke column tops out at about 25,000 feet!


With the winds from the west the Tumblebug smoke (right) and Boze smoke (left) start drifting toward my location.


By late afternoon the drift smoke from the Tumblebug and Boze fires is rolling in like a sea-fog. A lot of the lookouts to the west of me closed early as their visibilities dropped to zero in choking smoke.


At sunset the smoke was almost on me. It closed in right at my normal closing time (7:00 pm) and I was down to zero visibility for the next 15 hours.


This is the Tumblebug fire smoke column as of today (Sunday 9/27).

As always, thanks to EarlG for allowing my dispatches from the fire lookout tower in DU's GD Forum.

[JohnnyLib2]

1. Thanks. You open a door that most of us never could.

Hoping for the best in those areas.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

2. Thanks for posting, K&R

Prayers and Vibes for the Firefighters.

[BlooInBloo]

3. Awesome - thanks!

[Old Codger]

4. good pix

Been getting a lot of that smoke over here lately... take care...

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. My dear DemoTex!

GREAT pictures!

Now, I know you know what you're doing, but........please stay safe, OK?

:hug:

[DemoTex]

9. Thanks Peggy

How are thinks in Cali, fire wise? I worry about Cali more than I worry about Oregon. There is something about eucalyptus trees, Santa Ana winds, and sparks that scares the hell out of me. Stay safe down there my friend.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. Ah, not to worry, sweetie!

I am very far from any fire.

Thank you, still, for your concern.

I'm not sure of the status actually. I think the Station Fire is out or nearly so. The Santa Ana winds didn't arrive in the amounts we had been warned about.

Yes, the eucalyptus trees are worrisome. They just explode on contact, what with all that oil. Yikes.

We're supposed to have the Santa Ana winds later this week...we shall see...

:hug:

[DemoTex]

12. Well, that's good news.

But I always think of California and gasoline when I think of fire danger.

Know what I mean, Vern?

[Hekate]

6. KnR. As always, thanks for sharing your spectacular pictures.

Stay safe.

Hekate

[Morning Dew]

7. Thank you ! I've really enjoyed your posts from your post.

:)

[DemoTex]

8. Monday Update

I had 45 mph SW winds at the lookout before I left for Bend this
morning. I could see the smoke covering Bend to the NNW. When I got
into town it was much worse than I had thought. Visibility was as low as 1/2 mile in drift smoke.

The choking smoke from the Tumblebug fires was the talk of the town
(especially on AM radio). I hated to tell them that we had been
dealing with the smoke for a week in the Deschutes NF, and that it was
not just the Tumblebug fire smoke, but also smoke from the Boze and
Rainbow Creek fires in the Umpqua NF. But I suffered in silence, with
them.

Tonight and tomorrow bring much colder temperatures and rain (snow
above the 5000' level). That is fine business indeed for the
firefighters. More rain and snow on tap for the weekend too. I'm so
glad I have about 80% of my packing done.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. I hate that drift smoke

realize twenty years ago I was a smoke eater.

These days that drift smoke has me hacking with the asthma.

Last year during the fires here in So-Cal I literally had to wear a mask.

Take care and I am sure you are to a point happy to almost be ready to go back to civilization

[DemoTex]

13. I don't understand how the firefighters can work so close to and in the smoke.

It's killing me. I've managed to be downwind of the Tumblebug/Boze complex for way too many days now. It seems to be chasing me. But what was that old belief from my childhood? Smoke follows ..?

:hi: