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upndown
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# Posted: 8 Jun 2016 23:11
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Closely watching the status of a fire near my cabin again. The little town of Yarnell that was devistated by fire three years ago has been evacuated again. At that time the Yarnell Hill Fire also claimed the lives of 19 Hotshot firefighters
Fingers crossed!!
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 9 Jun 2016 17:16
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What state upndown?
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upndown
Member
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# Posted: 9 Jun 2016 18:01
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Arizona. Couple hours NW of Phoenix. Last check it has grown to over 1200 acres. Weather conditions are favorable, but hey it's wildfire, things change in a heartbeat without notice! That's how we dodged a bullet 3 years ago.
Nothing to do now but let the pros do what they do best.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 10 Jun 2016 11:16 - Edited by: toyota_mdt_tech
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I had a close call last Aug/Sept. It should of burned down twice in a weeks time. It ended up going all around me, sparing myself and others in a little pocket. I have since cleared well back from the treeline. As much as I wanted a little cabin snuggled into the trees, it wasn't practice. I cleared way back, added 60 yards of 5/8 minus gravel. Nothing stored under my porch, no firewood near the cabin. I have metal roof already. I will add a chamfered piece of wood on top of my belt trim (wood wrap that hides the Z flashing between siding and gable siding) and also seal all grooved going behind it (T1-11) so no sparks in a firestorm can collect there. I will add a baffle in from the the attic gable vents. Hardi trim where my deck meets siding. I have a covered deck, cover deck with a fire resistant coating. Its natural treated wood which si somewhat fire resistant now.
All large trees, usually survive the fire. But the lower branches need to be cut off, at least 10 feet up, I went 16-20 feet up. Also raked all cones away from the base and pine needles.
I use to store my picnic table on the porch, no more, I keep it away from the cabin. I think "wildfire" on anything I do now. I'm pro active and will always be improving it from here forward. I am looking into a HD chipper/shredder and need to really think that grove of pines.
If you are closer to trees, hardi fascia and also hardi-soffit, nice product, enclose soffits with cement board. Already has the vented holes in it.
I have greatly reduced my chances of losing the cabin in a fire 10 fold or better. My theory is "gravel doesnt burn"
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Clearing 3 days ahead of fire (scary)
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area cleared ahead of fire after stumps pulled and graveled
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upndown
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# Posted: 10 Jun 2016 14:22
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Toyota, I was following your thread as you were going thru that ordeal, so glad to see your place survived with all your hard work!
The fire has spread to over 5000 acres but at the moment it's not threatening any homes. This is due to the forest service as well as property owners learning some valuable lessons from the tragedy 3 years ago! No one wants a repeat of that.
The FS had the DC3 spreading fire retardant as well as water tankers when it was only like 400 acres. The little community has worked hard to clean up brush and creating their own firebreak which fire officials have said numerous times has aided them tremendously in keeping it away from homes with controlled backburns etc. it takes a team effort to try to protect a community from those monsters! It does pay to be pro active, that's why I have a metal picnic table.  but as we both know it's never really safe or over till that last ember is drowned out.
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azgreg
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# Posted: 10 Jun 2016 14:48 - Edited by: azgreg
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Quoting: upndown Closely watching the status of a fire near my cabin again. The little town of Yarnell that was devistated by fire three years ago has been evacuated again. At that time the Yarnell Hill Fire also claimed the lives of 19 Hotshot firefighters Fingers crossed!!
Good luck. My brother in law lost his cabin in the Heber-Overgaard fire years ago.
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 10 Jun 2016 15:12
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I hope your cabin stays safe, upndown!
Wildfires seem to be starting early this year.  One popped up in Gary and Cabi's region, from what I saw online several days ago. I haven't seen an update.
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upndown
Member
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# Posted: 10 Jun 2016 15:42
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Thanks all. Nothing to do now but wait and let the pros handle it. Can't get close anyway, the command center as well as the tent village for the firefighters is at the school about a 1/2 mile from my place.
I just pray for everyone's safety! Cabins can be rebuilt.
azgreg, sorry to hear of your BIL's misfortune!
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 10 Jun 2016 16:05 - Edited by: toyota_mdt_tech
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Quoting: upndown Toyota, I was following your thread as you were going thru that ordeal...
The fire crew had went in ahead to look for cabins etc. They did cut my gate lock, they recon'd it to see if it was defendable and they did save many cabins in the area. As the fire came in close for those other members, they hosed the places down with water. The fire did burn in the edges of my community. One guy had burnt siding and melted vinyl windows. The fire team hung there keeping it wet. He lost loads of trees, has to reside his cabin, the post/supports all made it, he replaced his siding and window already. Some members did lose everything
What did happen was looters going in ahead and grabbing items and even after the fire, looting cabins etc. So this is an area of concern.
Learn from this, increase buffer, get pro active. Good luck upndown, hope you get through this OK. Keep us posted.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 10 Jun 2016 16:10
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Quoting: Julie2Oregon One popped up in Gary and Cabi's region
Julie, I see that.
http://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/information/firemap.aspx
http://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/information/fire_info.aspx
I suspect they are close to the Akawana fire.
I had the Timm fire start the last day I was at my place, we had massive rains all last night, so I should be good for now.
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upndown
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# Posted: 10 Jun 2016 16:30
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Looting is always a concern whether your place burns or not. In 2013 there was only one case I can recall. Two young punks, lucky for them the police caught them or I'm pretty certain things would have not turned out well for them. Most people will not tolerate that sort of behavior. I have neighbors that watch my place because I don't live there..yet. And I do the same for them when I'm up there. Kinda tuff to do when everyones been evacuated tho.
Back then the sheriffs office as well as the FS issued stern warnings..Yo do not want to get caught in there.
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 12 Jun 2016 09:24
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Quoting: upndown Back then the sheriffs office as well as the FS issued stern warnings..Yo do not want to get caught in there.
We had a few armed folks that was stationed out of the local grange hall (not grange members) and they just kept an eye and patrolled the area. Many people were hauling stuff out, but it was the land owners trying to save property. They knew who was who.
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upndown
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# Posted: 12 Jun 2016 11:18
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Happy to say, with hard work and favorable conditions it seems their gaining an upper hand on the situation. 
Maybe now a little more effort can be put toward finding the SOB that started it!
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 12 Jun 2016 23:34
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Oh, it was set?! That thoroughly sux.
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upndown
Member
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# Posted: 13 Jun 2016 00:19
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Yes ma'am. Whether it was an accident or intentional, ya just can't fix STUPID!
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donbell
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# Posted: 4 Jan 2017 04:04
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How is it now?Best of luck..
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upndown
Member
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# Posted: 4 Jan 2017 08:13
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Thanks donbell! The neighboring community escaped without any loss of structure. Lessons learned, unfortunately it seems to be human nature to require a tragedy before people open their eyes and become pro active.
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 4 Jan 2017 14:29
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I find there is a lot of resistance to tree thinning and fire wise cleanup from some people. We have a group in our area who can not seem to get it through their heads that the condition most of our forests are in is not natural. Too many trees in most places gives a wildfire everything it needs to jump the crowns.
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upndown
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# Posted: 4 Jan 2017 21:29
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People in general seem to have short memories. I was up at the cabin over the holidays and it seems people in my community are right back to their old ways, storing firewood on their porches, against their cabins and sheds as well as propane tanks being too close. I guess because we were sparred, it must be safe. 
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