Sunday, August 23 through Wednesday, August 26
While the Search and Rescue shelter at the school provided me with a safe and comfortable base of operations, not everything was rosy. When people see their lives turned upside down, and get placed in the company of others whose lives are similarly affected, there can be conflict. And when rigid bureaucratic rules meet a rapidly changing natural disaster, there will be more conflict.
One new development was the recent Level 2 evacuation order for Republic, which basically means “be ready to leave on a moment’s notice.” Level 3 means “get out.”
A Level 3 evacuation means current conditions present specific and immediate threat(s) to the life and safety of the persons in this area.
You are advised to evacuate immediately.
Pets get displaced by natural disasters, too
All photos Lightboxed; click to enlarge.
As I prepared to check into the school/shelter early Sunday afternoon, everyone was wearing Red Cross vests. But the American Red Cross was already in the process of pulling out. Citing rules against maintaining an active shelter in locations with a Level 2 or higher evacuation or higher, they moved their shelter to the town of Colville. Not only is Colville 52 miles to the east on State Highway 20, the safety of traveling on Highway 20 was in question. Another wildfire, known as the Graves Mountain fire, burned along the north side of the highway. Crews struggled to keep the blaze from crossing the highway and shutting down the critical travel route.
The guests at the shelter had already evacuated once. With fires steadily moving towards their homes, and a Level 3 evacuation order from officials, they had come to the shelter with expectations of being able to stay in a safe place that was close to their homes. Moving a second time to a distant town was not a popular idea. Ferry County Search and Rescue took over the shelter and gave everyone the option of staying. I tried to stay out of the drama because it was none of my business, but I could not help but overhear some very unkind words for the Red Cross. By moving out, taking with them their resources and national clout, they had pulled the relief version of taking their ball and going home. Local citizens were none too happy about this. Angry conversations ensued.
Once upon a time, the sun was shining and Red Cross was in town
As for the evacuees, they had their own issues with the authorities and with one another. At first the parking lot in front of the school was cluttered with RVs, tents, pets, and even livestock. Accommodating such a diverse group with differing needs, and doing so on short notice, strained a few tempers. Before long a dry field across the street was being watered by tanker trucks, and a camping area was prepared there. Besides easing some of the conflicts, there was once again room for emergency vehicles in front of the school.
Watering the parched land
Camp area across from the emergency shelter
The people who slept in the school itself tended to get along quite well, considering the circumstances.
Plans were made to use the school as a last stand against the fire, in the event the North Star blaze surged into town. Fire hoses, sprinklers, fire engines, and personnel were ready to protect the grounds.
The fire is several miles away, but ashes rain from the sky
Since I was able-bodied and had plenty of free time, I helped out around the kitchen and dining area. I also became the unofficial Purveyor of Fire Information and Squelcher of Unfounded Rumors. Armed with a laptop and a wifi hotspot, and having accumulated several sources of information, I was often approached by anxious evacuees who wondered whether their home had survived another day and night. I'd compare fire maps with a road atlas of Okanogan County (the county is so vast that the atlas is more than 100 pages), and see how close the fire had approached to the property in question.
Also, a rumor was circulating to the effect that volatile gases such as methane were trapped in Aeneas Valley by a thermal inversion. Allegedly the valley could erupt in one giant fireball whose blast would be felt miles away in Republic. The story seemed implausible to me, but to be sure I asked three fire experts who also concurred. To those who believed the rumor, I asked this very logical question: If this is true, why are firefighters still in the valley, and why is Highway 20 still open? The fireball, after all, was unlikely to obey the stop sign at the west end of the valley. It would roll along Highway 20 and continue its carnage, mowing down trees, buildings, and cars along the way.
At this point, I'd like to express my thanks to fellow Kossack ecologydoc, who posted this comment in an earlier diary:
Watch your flank (31+ / 0-)
You're in a better position than many. I'm doing some fire behavior analyses for the North Star. My models couldn't really keep up with its initial run to the north last week. Yesterday the east side of the fire, a 15 mile continuous line of fire in heavy timber, made a three mile easterly push towards route 21 and the winds today or tomorrow may push the fire over that road. The SW Type 2 team doesn't have enough bodies or equipment and are focused on point protection around Nespelum, south of the fire.
At least you're not directly downwind of North Star, but I say watch your flank because the Tunk Block fire to your west (I think, based on your descriptions) is spreading your way. The pruning was good, looks like you have a metal roof, and hopefully no grass right up against the structure. Good luck never hurts either.
I contacted ecologydoc by kosmail and asked for his expertise. He has provided me with daily fire maps, plus a wealth of information about fire behavior. I am very grateful for his assistance. This is an excellent example of the Daily Kos community bringing together people who would otherwise be total strangers, and working towards a common goal.
By now the multiple blazes in Washington, and elsewhere in the West, had become major news stories. KREM2 reporters showed up at least twice. The fires dominated statewide news stories.
On Tuesday afternoon, yet another fire briefing took place at the school. While the crews had managed to stop the fires at critical locations, many dire facts were presented. Fuel moisture levels were extraordinarily low, meaning that the fires were spreading quickly and burning hot. On windy days, hot embers would start new fires a mile away, even three miles away. Large sections of fire perimeter were still burning and advancing. The North Star fire was charring about 15,000 acres per day, and the other fires were doing similar damage. The Okanogan Complex has now burned more than a quarter-million acres.
Fire status meeting in school gymnasium
In addition to giving priority to safeguarding homes and cabins, the fire managers also must protect the many towers and repeaters located on mountaintops within the fire perimeters. The Colville Tribes, the Department of Natural Resources, the Okanogan County Sheriff, and cell phone customers all rely on facilities that are at risk of being scorched.
Rich Nieto, Incident Commander, discusses the fire
By Wednesday, the days are beginning to run together. Each day brought the same monotonous haze where the sun was barely visible, and going outdoors was bad on the lungs. That afternoon I took a long walk through town and back to the school, taking pictures along the way. Every scene was tinged with the sepia tones of a smoke-filled sky.
Anyone for football?
Hanging basket adds color to a drab day
Looks like I picked the wrong week to sell my house
A bit of the town's history
Mural on Public Utilities building
Downtown Republic smothered by smoke
Republic fire station is a busy place
Signs of gratitude are everywhere
Later I would learn that the residents of the shelter were being asked to leave in the morning. The Sheriff’s office, which oversees Search and Rescue, wanted the school to become a refuge of last resort in case the fire made a sudden run at the town. Most of the evacuees dispersed to homes of relatives or friends who lived outside the danger zones. As for me, I had already planned to leave in the morning. I needed to get farther away from the smoke, and get ready for the next batch of work that would soon come my way.
Previous diaries in this series:
Fire on the Mountain describes the beginnings of the North Star Fire.
The Accidental Journalist, Part 1 covers the events of Monday, August 17 and Tuesday, August 18.
The Accidental Journalist, Part 2 covers Wednesday's action.
The Accidental Journalist, Part 3 continues the story through Friday.
The Accidental Refugee: More Reports from the Washington Forest Fires covers the weekend of August 22-23.
Up next, a return trip to the cabin, and my first pictures of the aftermath of the Tunk Block fire.