So check this out....I was out on Donner today on my boat just chillin'.....and then my buddy pointed out some smoke on the side of the mountain just above I-80. Within a few minutes there was some decent smoke and I snapped a pic. Within 20 minutes there was a full on inferno. Within 40 minutes there were planes and choppers over head fighting the fire. We had the best seat in the house. It was pretty cool having a helicopter come right next to us on the water and scoop out water.

All I have to say is that firefighters are the bomb. The fire was freakin' nuts and the guys in the planes and choppers just bombed in there with zero visibility. A big :beer: for all the firefighters out there...

Here's the pics...

First one is right before 2 pm.

FASTER FASTER FASTER!!!! COME ON!!!!!!!!!!! :flipoff2:

This one is about 15-20 minutes later :eek: Pretty crazy how fast things can go up in smoke...

where are the rest? :confused:

35-40 minutes after the first puff of smoke....:smokin:

Sorry for the delay....my dialup connection in Tahoe sucks!

Here's one of the chopper dropping right next to us....

Originally posted by Mike_Lib
Sorry for the delay....my dialup connection in Tahoe sucks!

Here's one of the chopper dropping right next to us....


Good way to cook some fish...:laughing: Cool pics, I agree it is amazing how fast that fire spread. :eek:

It was pretty cool having a helicopter come right next to us on the water and scoop out water.

Try being about 100' from where they're dropping it. :) Very exiting, but you hope that the driver knows exactly where he is, and where you are. :eek: :eek: Aparently it pretty common to get dropped on, and that's not fun. :eek:

I really wish I'd have gotten some pics from one of the fires we where on this summer. We had a rather large pine tree torch about 75' away. For those that don't know, torching is when the firs on the ground preheats the needles, and then they all go up at once. Very impressive. One minute there's a nice normal looking 75' tree, and the next a 100' collum of fire. And you can hear it quite a ways away. But, at that time, we were too worried about building a line around it to take pictures. Actually, when that went up, we did an rto (basically, run away in an orderly fashion :)) and build a differnt line. Then, we went back to the orignal one, since the *(^&%*()&* cdf ic couldn't find his own rear with both hands and a map. :) :rolleyes: :rolleyes: And then, we got these nice frozen lunckes, which where worthless, to the point where mre's where better. Amazing how good one of those tastes in situations like that. :) And, to make it more interesting, this was the last day of our dispach, and also happen to be my birthday. :) Definetly makes for an interesting story.
-John

Originally posted by jaluhn


Try being about 100' from where they're dropping it. :) Very exiting, but you hope that the driver knows exactly where he is, and where you are. :eek: :eek: Aparently it pretty common to get dropped on, and that's not fun. :eek:

I really wish I'd have gotten some pics from one of the fires we where on this summer. We had a rather large pine tree torch about 75' away. For those that don't know, torching is when the firs on the ground preheats the needles, and then they all go up at once. Very impressive. One minute there's a nice normal looking 75' tree, and the next a 100' collum of fire. And you can hear it quite a ways away. But, at that time, we were too worried about building a line around it to take pictures. Actually, when that went up, we did an rto (basically, run away in an orderly fashion :)) and build a differnt line. Then, we went back to the orignal one, since the *(^&%*()&* cdf ic couldn't find his own rear with both hands and a map. :) :rolleyes: :rolleyes: And then, we got these nice frozen lunckes, which where worthless, to the point where mre's where better. Amazing how good one of those tastes in situations like that. :) And, to make it more interesting, this was the last day of our dispach, and also happen to be my birthday. :) Definetly makes for an interesting story.
-John

Line around a torched tree aint gonna get ya far..

Fires spreak fast. was at the rodeo fire, fastest mover ive been to...

Originally posted by jaluhn
Try being about 100' from where they're dropping it. :) Very exiting, but you hope that the driver knows exactly where he is, and where you are. :eek: :eek: Aparently it pretty common to get dropped on, and that's not fun. :eek:

oh, you mean like this (http://www.explorerforum.com/tdavis/lc-2002/dumped-on.mpeg)?

Had it done at Los Coyotes, in July 2002. Tip of the day - Go wash your vehicle ASAP! That stuff is nasty to get off.

Originally posted by tdavis


oh, you mean like this (http://www.explorerforum.com/tdavis/lc-2002/dumped-on.mpeg)?

Had it done at Los Coyotes, in July 2002. Tip of the day - Go wash your vehicle ASAP! That stuff is nasty to get off.




NICE!!!

DUDE, where in Tahoe was that???? My house is riught up there in Tahoe Donner. That looks like it is RIGHT near my house!!!!!! Can anyone give me an update on where the damage is??? Street wise and what not?

Thanks guys
Dimitri

The fire started about 100 yards above I-80. You can't see the freeway in the pics, but I-80 is just below the smoke/flames. The fire spread up the hill and started to go over the other side. Tahoe Donner Ski area is immediately on the other side of the hill in my pics. We took a drive last night up near Tahoe Donner and some of the roads were blocked off so you couldn't tell how far the fire came down. The last news update I saw said it was pretty well contained and ~75 acres burned.