The Devil's Garden and Buffalo Wells fires (DIAL-UP WARNING)

[DemoTex]

We had a big lightning bust Thursday (9/8) afternoon. Thursday night, just
after it got totally dark, I spotted the open flames of a running fire
on a ridge to my southeast. I estimated it as 50-100 acres and
spreading like wildfire (Duh!). By 11 PM it was up to 500 acres. By
dawn it was 2000 acres, and growing. It is now a named fire: "The
Buffalo Wells Fire."

During the lightning bust on Thursday afternoon, I spotted a fire 15 miles south of my
lookout (in the Devil's Garden (lots of lava flow)). It was a very
small smoke, probably a single lightning-struck Juniper. It was
several miles south of the Deschutes NF, in Lakeview/BLM territory.
Since it is so desolate, Lakeview did not attack the fire. Long story
short, it blew up late Friday morning and ran like crazy. I watched the
fire go from a spot fire to 75 acres in 15 minutes. Thirty minutes
later, I estimated it at a quarter section (160 acres). It is now BIG (1300 acres).
It is a named fire: Devil's Garden Fire (that's a hell of a fire!).

The Devil's Garden fire had several big Convair twin-turboprop tankers
doing retardant drops all afternoon yesterday. I think the pilots must have
gotten the word that a former pilot is staffing the lookout tower that spotted
the fire. I got BUZZED a number of times!

Today (Saturday), the Devil's Garden fire ran again today. I am looking at a mile
long front of open flames and right now (8 PM PDT), with the fire moving toward the Deschutes
National Forest. I'm guessing that another 1000-1500 acres burned today. The
blow-up sent up a pyrocumulus cloud to about 25,000 feet!

Here are some photos. I've taken hundreds of photos today of
the Devil's Garden fire, so it will take me a while to go through
them. These include the only decent photo of the Buffalo Well Fire
Thursday night, and it ain't great (3-second exposure on a lookout tower
swaying in the wind).


A ConAir Convair tanker - silhouetted - dips its wing right over the lookout tower


Tanker 44 makes a last run to Devil's Garden just before sunset yesterday


A tanker puts down retardant on the Devil's Garden fire


Friday's pyrocumulus forms on the smoke column of Devil's Garden (Saturday's was
much bigger)


The Devil's Garden fire late yesterday afternoon (High Dynamic Range - HDR - B&W)


The Devil's Garden fire lays down for the night (Friday). It ain't doing that
tonight (Saturday)


Thursday night's view of the Buffalo Wells fire (3-sec exposure in a shakey lookout tower)

[kentuck]

1. Stay safe.

Thanks for the photos.

[classof56]

2. Once again, you've scooped the Bulletin and local TV.

Hadn't heard a word about these fires. I know where Devil's Garden is, unsure about Buffalo Wells, but certainly do appreciate your reports and photos. The tankers fly over me frequently, out of Redmond Airport, but appear to be headed west and north, I take it to Shadow Lake and the Warm Springs fires.

Appreciate you being a source of info not reported elsewhere. Be safe!

Tired Old Cynic

[DemoTex]

4. Buffalo Wells

Buffalo Wells is east of Christmas Valley. I am monitoring their fire frequencies also. Hectic.

BTW: The Bulletin is planning on doing a photo piece on my lookout. Maybe next week.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. My dear DemoTex!

Great pics, and great reporting both...

I often wonder how you have any time at all to tell us these stories, since you're busy watching and reporting to other folks.

Well done!

You and Nick stay safe, now, you hear me!

:hug:

[DemoTex]

5. Devil's Garden fire update photo (9:30 PM PDT 9/10/11)

This is the east end of the Devil's Garden fire at 9:30 PM PDT on Saturday night. This fire is 15 miles away, and this fireline is about 3/4 mile long. There is a smoldering break, and then open flames on the west end (not in photo).

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Goes without saying...stay safe

[DemoTex]

7. Roger THAT!

I've got my Shake-and-Bake (fire shelter) handy. This thing is going to be a MoFo tomorrow. Haines 5, ERC 79, RH 10%, east winds, possible lightning, high desert fuels, etc., etc.!

If anyone is hurt on this fire, heads will roll. I reported it within 20 minutes of the lightning strike, when the first small smoke popped up. The fire was 5 miles south of our district boundry. Lakeview choked on this one.

There was NO initial attack effort at all. I pleaded for attention, to deaf ears. Then, yesterday, it popped again up and ran like crazy. But it was at 300+ acres before the district south of us - Lakeview - came out of their coma.

A few helo bucket drops on Thursday, on the single lightning-struck Juniper spot fire (assuming that the fire was inaccessible in lava fields) could have saved taxpayers MILLIONS! Clusterfuck, redux.

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. Check your shake and bake

And make sure nick will follow...scared dogies are not fun.

[DemoTex]

9. 10-4!

It will be 150 motivated pounds against 60, with a choke chain on Nick. I'll drag him if I have to.

[NYC_SKP]

10. "Shaky" Lookout Tower???

Does Nick handle that pretty well?

And thanks for posting!

:hi:

[LWolf]

11. I'm ready for a break in the weather and some clean air.

A nice soft cool rain, without lightning, would be welcome at this point.