From the on-going story:

Fire

When I was younger I fought fires, first, in the eastern mountains, and, then, in Colorado. I have been in one firestorm. It went from still to 60 mph winds in a few minutes and reversed the direction of the fire. It is an experience that you never forget. From time to time, it makes you wake-up sweating. It is amazing how high the flames can go and how hard it is to breath. If you have been there, you understand. But for pure luck, there go I and I never forget it.

Best Wishes,,,,,

Z

-- Anonymous, July 14, 2001

Answers

Not to get too morbid but what do you think actually killed these folks? Super heated air? Suffocation due to products of combustion? The flames directly? (shudder)

How might they have better protected themselves?

-- Anonymous, July 14, 2001

Lars:

Hard to say. In the case that I was involved with, we had {terminology has probably changed since the 1960's} a floor fire. It was burning the pine needles and low brush. When it reversed it became a crown fire. Sucked all of the oxygen out of the air. My team of 5 was at the point on the fire. You don't really get scared when you can't breath. You can't believe the heat. We didn't have heat blankets in those days. We just ran. I doubt that they will know which of the possible causes were important. When you die you just die. My point is you look back on it and say; well all of these living years are just gravy.

Best Wishes,,,,

Z

-- Anonymous, July 14, 2001

Closest I've ever come to a fire like this was when I was a kid; there was a HUGE wildfire about 25 miles away on the border between NC and SC. And yet, even from that distance, we could feel the wind rushing to "feed" the fire. It was an Otto B. Preminger, end-of-the-world type scenario, complete with gray skies and stuff.

My father was a firefighter, and he said you could get trapped quite easily if you weren't careful (or even if you WERE careful). They HATED brushfires.

-- Anonymous, July 14, 2001

Stephen:

What you are saying is that your father actually knew what he was doing. As late as the 60's there weren't any of the professional crews to fly in and help in the west [or in much of the east for that matter]. You really learned by doing.

Do you know Colorado east of the rockies. The wind can be high when a low drops the jet stream to ground level; you know well over 150 mph [as high as the gauges go at NCAR]. Go much east of the I road and rainfall is about 8 in/year. I saw the most amazing thing in the 60's; must of been 67 or 68, but I don't remember. There was a range fire. The front stretched as far as you could see. They said it was burning on a 50 to 100 mile front, but I don't really know. We were heading out to the place. We came to the point where we could just see the flames and one of these front range winds came up. Nearly blew the truck off of the road. It evidently blew out the fire just like you would blow out a match. We were stunned.

Best Wishes,,,,

Z

-- Anonymous, July 15, 2001

Follow-up for Lars:

More on fire

Best Wishes,,,,

Z

-- Anonymous, July 15, 2001