Fire in BC; the role of lightning

Ehecatl:

My son found this abandoned beside a path. I call him Ehécatl, the Mexican god of wind. He sits beside my carport, sheltering spiders, and here, a helmet crab carapace.

About the fire situation: there have been 76 new fires in the last two days, mostly caused by lightning. 51 are listed as "out of control".

The smoke, heat, and ash from the fires creates billowing clouds, called pyrocumulonimbus clouds. 

These clouds can become so intense that they create their own weather and emit lightning that can start new wildfires on the ground. (SFGate).

In the last few days, over 100,000 bolts of lightning struck the ground over BC and parts of Alberta, most over the northern part of the province but the zone reaches down into the populated centre of BC. Many struck harmlessly; where they meet tinder-dry forest, they start a fire.

"I watched, once, years and years ago, as we sat under a tarp in our campsite, sheltering from the pouring rain. On the mountain face (Nusatsum) across the valley from us, lightning struck; immediately an answering flare shot up, a tree bursting into bright flame. And then, almost as quickly, the flame shrunk and died, sputtering out under the deluge."(It's on fire, 2018)

It's not raining this week.

I have written before about the fires, once during a trip when I drove twice through the burning zone. 2018: It's on fire,  2017, and 2010: BC on fire!, The culprits, The wisdom of the elders, Final glimpse.

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Foto: Ehecatl. Mi hijo encontró esto abandonado al lado de un sendero. Ahora guarda mi cochera, protegiendo arañitas, y aquí, la concha de un cangrejo. Le llamo Ehecatl.

Acerca de los incendios:

En los últimos dos dias, han brotado 76 incendios nuevos; la mayoría a causa de relámpagos. 51 están contados como "fuera de control".

El humo, el calor, y la ceniza que producen estos incendios crean nubes grandes, a las que llamamos nubes pyrocumulonimbus.

"Estas nubes pueden llegar a estar tan intensas que crean su propio clima, y producen relámpagos que pueden prender nuevos incendios en la tierra." (SFGate)

En los últimos dias, más de 100,000 relámpagos han caido en tierra sobre la provincia de BC y parte de Alberta, en la mayor parte sobre las areas al norte, pero alcanzando a la zona central, donde hay varios pueblos y ciudades. Muchos de los relámpagos cayeron sin hacer daño, pero donde encuentran bosques secos, prenden un incendio nuevo.

"Hace algunos años, nos sentábamos bajo un tarp en nuestro campamento, fuera del alcance de la lluvia que caía a cántaros. En la cara de la montaña en frente (Nusatsum), al otro lado del valle, cayó un rayo. De inmediato una llama brotó, como en respuesta; un árbol hecho antorcha brillante. Y luego, casi tan rapidamente como empezó, el fuego se encogió y se apagó, inundado bajo la lluvia." (2018)

Esta semana no está lloviendo.

He escrito antes sobre nuestros incendios, una vez durante un viaje cuando cruzé la zona de fuego dos veces. Pueden ser de interés estos posts:  2018: It's on fire,  2017, and 2010: BC on fire!, The culprits, The wisdom of the elders, Final glimpse.

It's on fire

The rainforest is burning.

Current BC Wildfire Service map, Aug. 22, 2018

Large areas of the province's wildfires are raging, with many areas under evacuation orders. The mid-province fire zone is dry country, prone to fires, burnt off only last year; this year, the fires feed on dry sticks left behind from previous fires.

But the coastal areas, our Vancouver Island neighbourhood, is rainforest. Rainforest with no rain. I counted 50 small fires in the northern part of the island on the map, with the Zeballos fire under an evacuation notice.

Most of the fires are started by lightning. I watched, once, years and years ago, as we sat under a tarp in our campsite, sheltering from the pouring rain. On the mountain face (Nusatsum) across the valley from us, lightning struck; immediately an answering flare shot up, a tree bursting into bright flame. And then, almost as quickly, the flame shrunk and died, sputtering out under the deluge.

This year, there's no deluge. The fires catch and grow, crackling through oily evergreen branches, jumping to the next tree, and the next.

We're breathing smoke. The sun is a pale orange, when it's visible. The moon turned up tonight, a pale yellowish shape in the haze.

On the Lower Mainland, an air quality alert is in effect. Older people, children, people with asthma and other lung complaints, etc. are warned to stay inside, out of the smoke.

Over here on the island, I'm staying inside, near my air scrubber. My throat hurts.

Coastal communities will see a gradual improvement in air quality beginning Thursday as Pacific air moves onshore. While the trough will deliver enhanced mixing of the atmosphere and even a chance of showers, the forecast rainfall amounts will do little to abate the current wildfires. Communities downwind of wildfires will continue to experience high concentrations of fine particulate matter and poor air quality for the foreseeable future. (East Van Isl. alert)

Rain! We need rain! Real rain, drenching, soaking, persistent rain, BC rain!