Wildfire Again

[biku324]

This started last week when a med flight crashed on the north side of the Capitan Mountains. High wind drove it north northeast for a few days, just under 20,000 acres, and they had 7% containment. Winds shifted today and are blowing it back west southwest. It just over-topped the ridge of the mountain range and is starting down the southern and western slopes.

But we don't have tornados, earthquakes, ticks, chiggers, poison ivy, or armadillos.

 

[llowry61]

But you do have White Sands!

Being from Ohio where everything is green, we don't have these fires. We do have tornados, ticks, chiggers, poison ivy and nettles.

 

[LVSteve]

Saw the fire watch indicated on the NWS website. Also saw some thunderstorms in NM, so I'm hardly surprised.

 

[Phenix]

This started last week when a med flight crashed on the north side of the Capitan Mountains. High wind drove it north northeast for a few days, just under 20,000 acres, and they had 7% containment. Winds shifted today and are blowing it back west southwest. It just over-topped the ridge of the mountain range and is starting down the southern and western slopes.

But we don't have tornados, earthquakes, ticks, chiggers, poison ivy, or armadillos.View attachment 876884
View attachment 876885View attachment 876886View attachment 876887View attachment 876889View attachment 876890

Well at least the fires take care of a lot of the ticks and chiggers.
I live in somewhat of a tornado area, and they are much less destructive than fires and hurricanes.
I,will take the tornados anytime.

 

[llowry61]

I know nothing about wildfires other than what we saw at Yellowstone in the early nineties. It was pretty humbling to see charred pines as far as the eye could see. Yellowstone had very thick understory though with lots of fuel.

It's weird looking at the photos, it doesn't appear that there is much to burn. But clearly there is something there and what is there seems to be like short grass that would burn quick and hot.

 

[biku324]

Well at least the fires take care of a lot of the ticks and chiggers.
I live in somewhat of a tornado area, and they are much less destructive than fires and hurricanes.
I,will take the tornados anytime.

We don't have any ticks or chiggers anytime!

 

[biku324]

I know nothing about wildfires other than what we saw at Yellowstone in the early nineties. It was pretty humbling to see charred pines as far as the eye could see. Yellowstone had very thick understory though with lots of fuel.

It's weird looking at the photos, it doesn't appear that there is much to burn. But clearly there is something there and what is there seems to be like short grass that would burn quick and hot.

It's dry pine and cedar on the mountain - the fire got another few thousand acres last night. Thank God for open grassland between the fire and our area.

 

[Rule3]

It's a shame the fire was caused by a Med Flight crash. Those folks do amazing work!

Wild fires do have beneficial results in the circle of life kind of way, unless they destroy homes and kill people.

We have fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, sink holes, ticks , fleas, armadillos, poisons plants and all kinds of nasty critters

 

[Rudi]

Very sad about the Med. Flight. Hope that fire roasts some rattlers.

 

[TX-Dennis]

This started last week when a med flight crashed on the north side of the Capitan Mountains. High wind drove it north northeast for a few days, just under 20,000 acres, and they had 7% containment. Winds shifted today and are blowing it back west southwest. It just over-topped the ridge of the mountain range and is starting down the southern and western slopes.

But we don't have tornados, earthquakes, ticks, chiggers, poison ivy, or armadillos.View attachment 876884
View attachment 876885View attachment 876886View attachment 876887View attachment 876889View attachment 876890

I don't know about the chiggers part. I got a bad case of chigger bites near Ruidoso a few years back.

 

[lihpster]

Wild fires do have beneficial results in the circle of life kind of way, unless they destroy homes and kill people.

There are some species of plants, such as the Lodgepole Pine and the Giant Sequoia, that require fires to reproduce. The seed pods won't open until they get hot.

 

[JohnRippert]

We've had 3.6 inches of rain since about 3am this morning. And, a total of around 13 inches in the last month have fallen. No fire risk here ATM.

 

[Phenix]

We don't have any ticks or chiggers anytime!

Rats and rattlesnakes? Tarantulas?

 

[biku324]

I don't know about the chiggers part. I got a bad case of chigger bites near Ruidoso a few years back.

Lived in NM since 1980, mostly at 6000' plus - not even one tick nor chigger bite. Maybe they were imported from lowlanders!

 

[biku324]

Rats and rattlesnakes? Tarantulas?

I've seen one rattler up here at 6600' since 2004 but killed dozens when I lived in Deming at 4100'. Deming also had lots of kangaroo rats, which fed rattlers well....haven't seen many tarantulas, but when you do, you know them right away.

 

[tlawler]

Very sad about the Med. Flight. Hope that fire roasts some rattlers.

Prayers going out to the four brave heroes that perished in that crash.

 

[gila_dog]

Unfortunately that fire will burn until the monsoon rains start (hopefully by early July). All the fire fighters can do is protect some buildings, but they can't stop a big fire like that one. They say we have an El Nino coming, which should give us a lot of rain. But after a big fire, a lot of rain just causes destructive floods. Re the chiggers, I don't know what it was, but I got bit pretty bad near Ruidoso in the past.

 

[Hilldweller]

I've seen one rattler up here at 6600' since 2004 but killed dozens when I lived in Deming at 4100'. Deming also had lots of kangaroo rats, which fed rattlers well....haven't seen many tarantulas, but when you do, you know them right away.

By name ??

We’re considering moving and are visiting the Rio Rancho area as well as Santa Fe. I’ll have to mention the venomous critters to my wife! We have dogs so we’re a slight bit concerned.

 

[biku324]

Not by name, but they're hard to mistake for anything else! I see one every few years.

You won't see many rattlers where you're headed unless you go into the boondocks outside Rio Rancho, and hardly ever near Santa Fe - it's at 7000'.

 

[Hilldweller]

Thanks. My wife just advised me about the altitude in Santa Fe. Forgot it was that high up. We’ll probably pass considering my lung problems.

 

[biku324]

Lots of folks with limited lung capacity suffer at the high altitude - sorry you have to deal with such.

 

[TX-Dennis]

I live at about 3000'. We have ticks, but not chiggers (I think it's too dry for them here.) Lots of rattlers, though - several species, but western diamondback is the most common.

 

[wuluf]

Here in northern Nevada we have been warned that its going to be a bad fire season. Lack of spring rains and an anemic winter snow pack has us bracing for a bad time. Can't stop it, just hope it stays out of town..

 

[gila_dog]

Another problem at 4000-7000 ft is the juniper trees. Many people, like me, are horribly allergic to them. In late winter and spring the male trees dump pollen into the air and it makes us miserable for about 3 months. There's only one way to deal with it, and that's to get out of there and go to a lower elevation. We go to AZ in late winter where it's warm, there are no junipers, and some very good bass fishing. Re the rattlesnakes... well, they are here and there, but I don't think they are a major concern. We live in the NM boondocks at about 4700 ft and only see one occasionally. One rule is to never wander around outside in the dark in the summer without a flashlight. The lack of nasty bugs is a big plus.