Thanks, Peter, for your insights into the burning of grass and your mia culpa
story.
As with you, I see no evidence of a fire break. I think the farmer depended on
roads, creeks and Mamette Lake, to provide the barriers.
After all, he'd done it many times before and all was well. The fence posts
have some charring at their base, but that's all. I guess he figured that the
poles might suffer some exterior charring, but little else.
Perhaps they were old, a bit rotten and, this time, quickly caught fire. I
don't know.
But, our laws are similar to yours and he certainly made no effort to protect
the poles. I suspect he's in for a rather sizeable bill.
David.
A nice series, David, and I compliment you on your "let's go see"
attitude.
I couldn't see in the photos that the folk setting the pasture burn
had plowed a fire-break. Here in Florida under our Ag-Law not
having evidence of a current fire-break will open a grower and/or
property owner up to nearly unlimited liability, and even if they
have insurance coverage the insurance folk will be able to just
walk away from nearly all coverages. And it's a nearly
indescribable feeling of helplessness when a fire gets away from
you - kinda like I'd guess it must feel when you've hit a long
unseen patch of ice while driving and you suddenly realize that
gravity and future fortune have stepped in and put you firmly in
the "passenger-seat" without a seat-belt and without any say as to
how things will play out.
I had one burn get away from me back in 1992 and it over-burned
about 150 acres of adjacent property. I had my breaks all plowed
and everything looked good and even had gotten the ok from the
Forestry Dept. inspecting ranger the day before; but the next
morning I, stupidly, started the fire too late in the morning just
before noon, and when the heat of the day came on the wind shifted
unexpectedly and.... a gust pushed part of the blaze over the break
and... "stuff happens", as the saying goes. My only saving factor
was that the affected property next door was low, wet, and pretty
inaccessible. It smoldered and creeped for about a week - a
constant reminder to me of just how badly I screwed up... that and
the little "note-of-concern" that I received two weeks later from
the regional fire marshal listing the "what-could-have-been" the
potential bill if engines and fire crews would have responded. It
was a sobering, concise, and to the point bit of correspondence
that I've never forgotten... Thanks for the memories, as Bob Hope
would sing. :)
Best regards,
Peter S
On Apr 15, 2021, at 1:06 AM, David Young <dsy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Good Evening, Flexers.
When I awoke, very early this morning, I found it very dark and
very quiet. The power was out! Which meant no central heat; -
10C (or 14F if you prefer) outside and definitely chilling off,
inside!
Looking out the window, the only lights were the little solar
lights folks use to illuminate their walks and driveways. Rather
neat, actually.
The Milky was was phabulous!
When I awoke, again, the light was just coming up and I had a
brainwave ... check BC Hyrdro's website and see if they know why.
And they did. "Fire", it said.
Wildfires are Mother Nature?s way of renewing aging, infested
grasslands and forests. In rural areas, Mother Nature is often
helped along, by the intentional, periodic burning of pasture
lands.
Coming home from the Merritt Gallery last night, I'd noticed a
number of farmers were burning their pasture grass. At one point,
I stopped and took a photo.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/155735425@N05/51115998599/in/dateposted-
public/
So, I wondered ... might one of the farmer's burns got away on
them? Off I went, to find out.
About 10 or 12km, south of town, is our sub-station. I'd noticed
farmers burning there as well. So might they be the problem?
They were.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/155735425@N05/51115998559/in/dateposted-
public/
It seems their burning grass was left unattended and just before
midnight, the first of two poles succumbed to the fire.
Crews were on the scene by 1 am, we are told, and worked through
the night. By the time I got there, about 7:30, they had two new
poles, in the ground, and were busy wiring them up.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/155735425@N05/51116160883/in/dateposted-
public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/155735425@N05/51116248106/in/dateposted-
public/
Lastly, an overall view of the devastation.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/155735425@N05/51116160843/in/dateposted-
public/
Power was restored just before noon. An hour ahead of BC Hydro's
schedule.
If they send a bill to the farmer on whose land it happened, I'd
hate to see the total!
Clicking on an image should give you a bigger view.
Comments, criticism welcomed.
David.
--
David Young - Photographer
Logan Lake,BC, CANADA
Website: www.furnfeather.ca
Gallery: The Creative Co. Merritt, BC.
Flickr: https://tinyurl.com/dsy-photos
Photo E-book: https://tinyurl.com/ABHPhy
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