INSANITY lives

[Power Wagon]

This came in my email. Though I can't personally vouch for it's absolute truth... I'm sure it is. My source is very good.











Sent: Friday, August 02, 2002 3:11 PM

Subject: FIRE 555,000A & Counting





FOREST FIRES IN OREGON, 555,000 Acres and counting

INFORMATION IS BEGINNING TO SURFACE



Firefighters are coming forward with information. Some of which you will

not believe. The fires in our Jackson County were started by lightning on

July 12-13th. We had over 1,000 lightning strikes. Thirty-eight fires are

identified in Jackson County, within the first week. One fire, 3 miles from

Gary and Rebecca's log home, is not know for a week after the storm. Smoke

from other fires fill the air. It is indeed, hard to tell where the fires

are actually burning.



Most of our trained firefighters and air craft are working fires in other

States. The Oregon National Guard resources are brought in, at no cost.

They are considered secondary resources, used when Federal contracted

personnel and equipment is unavailable. Once the Federal contracted support

arrives, the National Guard is taken off the fires.



Our forest lands are a variety of ownership. Rogue River National Forest;

U. S. National Forest, Bureau of Land Management, State owned, private

logging firms and local residents. Each has its own rules and regulations

to follow. Unfortunately, most of the fires are on National Forest Land.

They CAN NOT be extinguished due to environmental impact regulations. It

must be allowed to burn, like Yellowstone Park experienced, not long ago.

U. S. Inspectors are sent to fires to be certain Federal rules are being

followed. Most of these inspectors are college students. They check "time

sheets" and log books kept at fire headquarters. The inspectors remain at a

safe distance from the dangers of the raging fires. They are not experience

firefighters and have little (if an) first-hand knowledge. They just enforce

the rules with fines, withholding of Federal funding, etc.



While our fires are raging, burning totally out of control, it takes these

U. S. Inspectors two days or more to arrive. In the mean time, 70 "rigs":

graders, tractors, engines, bulldozers, water-hauling tankers, fire engines,

pumpers, etc. can not unload or be put into action until the inspectors

arrive and give permission.



Helicopters can drop an average of 75,000 to 100,000 gallons of water daily

on an area fire. They carry as much as 3,000 gallons per drop. They are

most effective in depressing spot fires. These start when hot sparks or ash

is carried up to two-miles in front of the fire's own wind. It can blow up

to one-mile on either side. Every minute counts when suppressing a new fire

or hot spot. Lakes and rivers nearby help the turn-around-time. Elk Creek

Dam project was approved by Congress in l962. Environmentalists shut down

and stopped construction of the $62. 8 million, half-built dam, in 1987. This

could have provided instant water for the Timbered Rock blaze threatening

Gary & Rebecca's home. Water is being taken from Lost Creek Lake creating a

turn-around-time of twenty minutes. These big helicopters cost us tax

payers up to $7,000 per hour. The time lost refilling and the forced

"coffee breaks" is astronomical and should not be necessary. Every 2 1/2

hours crews must take a break (Federally mandated). This includes returning

to the airport and landing. The engine must be shut down and the personnel

must depart the aircraft. The replacement crew must restart the engine &

return to the fire. This is time consuming and costing Oregonians $7,000 an

hour per their "contract. "



These pilots and their supporting team, of up to 5 in each helicopter, can

remain in the air for long hours when on private logging and personal

contract to other businesses and foreign countries. They transport cargo,

troops and weapons among other things. Helicopters normally, work up to 100

hours a week. They can fly 20 hours a day on some of these missions.

(Without FEDERAL regulations) Yet, while on the fires here, they are forced

to comply with the "coffee break" rules because they are working on Federal

Land. Isn't this ridiculous?



Firefighters have restrictions once they enter the fire. They can draw a

line around a burning tree or log but they can not put the fire out. It

must be left to burn; Federal regulations. Some of our local fires have

been burning for two weeks before it burns into State Forest land; there it

can be fought aggressively and be brought under control. Protection of

homes is about all most of the fire crews can do on Federal land. They

stand by, watching the fires rage out of control. When the flames are too

high or moving too quickly, erratic and rapidly growing, firefighters are

taken off the fire lines and away from the flames.



The extreme heavy smoke obscures the fire, preventing air tankers and

helicopters from working. The thick haze is causing health problems for all

citizens or Oregon. There is a State wide Health Hazard Alert.



Where are the environmentalists??? No where to be seen! They remain at their

headquarters instead of helping save the wildlife, spotted owls, Lynxs etc.

they once protected. Damn the Enviornmentalists.



Oregon is ablaze. Mother Nature started these fires; where is she with rain

when we most need it? The restless monsters are raging on! God, help us,

who help themselves and their neighbors. ( by rrr )







Insanity prevails. May God save us from our self-appointed saviors. .

 

[Peter Campbell]

Forest fires have been there forever. We are just late-comers. The policy of letting natural fires burn does make sense. And anyone with a flammable construction house, with trees within feet of that house, who thinks it is interfering with nature to manage the amount of fuel around thier house, should not have any complaints when a naturally started fire burns thier naturally made and maintained house to a pile of ashes. If these waco's think that the firefighters should risk thier lives for thier stupid policies and enviro-ideas, someone is not in touch with reality. An evil thought- Let the logging compaies get permits to log and do fuel management. If it makes you feel better- no skidding logs, no tracked vehicles, all low ground pressure vehicles. They exist- then when there is a fire it is fast, it is not intense, and is easy to put out- or let burn with minimal impact. And the healthy trees live through it. But that is like common sense. Not in the enviro-wacos vocabulary.

 

[illflem]

What does it matter anyways? Once a fire gets going it's very rare for firefighters to put it out, it's most always the weather that brings it under control. Let it burn and put the effort into protecting structures, most of which should be protected by the owners efforts to keep it clear around their buildings. I have no pity for a person who's home in the woods with trees rubbing against it burns to the ground. Most forests need to be thinned anyways, if they aren't going to be logged let them burn.

 

[Power Wagon]

I'll ask a wheat farmer if the next time his field catches fire from lightning if he just plans to let it burn.



No?



Oh, well, if we're managing forests to be "untouched and natural" then, golly, let the fires burn, let's cook the critters and scorch the ground to sterility. Let's let the runoff kill the fish and foul the water and soil wash downstream into the ocean. NO PROBLEM.



But, if some semblance of sanity ever prevails, and we decide to manage our forests... "Farm" it for trees - make productive forests, and retain our source of water and fish, then this kind of idiocy can be forgotten.



For those of you who haven't paid attention, this is just roughly a 100 year cycle. About the turn of the century (100 years ago, give or take 20 years, depending on the location), a HUGE amount of northwest burned. These areas grew back with mostly shortlived pines, and are burning again or in danger of burning again. If we just let them burn, they'll do the same again in another 100 years... .



But, back to the post. Read the stuff about how the USFS works, the complete and total ineptitude and stupidity about how it's strangled with regulations, and how regulations and procedure are the altar on which everythign is sacraficed.



Then just remember, it's these people, and this kind of mentality, we're turning over vast areas of farmland, wildlife, and on and on. Every environmental group in the country is hell-bent on giving this same government every last acre of ground that isn't under your house, and millions of acres that ARE, and moving YOU into the city.



To be blunt... I am absolutely dumbfounded that ANY sensible person would defend this insanity... dumbfounded.