Disappearing mountains

We've had a good summer, here in BC, as far as forest fires go. There have been over 1500 fires so far this year, but they've been mostly small. At the moment, we have 8 fires burning here on the island, and another 6 on the mainland just east of us. They're small fires but there's a brownish haze over the hills; smoke. Not a lot, but enough to make a red spot on the air quality map. Enough to bring on a stuffy headache. Enough to disappear the mountain peaks.

I drove north, looking for cleaner air. I found it, in spots.

In the hills north of Roberts Lake, looking west. There should be mountains beyond those trees.

Fireweed, gone to seed. And smoky forest, invisible mountain.

Down on the lake itself, the view was better, though there is still a pinkish tinge in the sky.

And there on the far right, there's something in the water.

Looks like a seal.

Zooming in.

I found a fire/smoke forecast map. It shows more smoke in the next few days. But we have it mild compared to down south and in the centre of the province, where more and larger fires are burning. Rain, please, rain!

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Hemos tenido un verano bueno, en lo que toca a incendios del bosque. Hubo más de mil quinientos incendios, pero por la mayor parte, todos pequeños. Por ahora, hay 8 incendios aquí cerca en la isla, y otros 6 en tierra firma hacia el este. Cubren poco terreno, pero el aire lleva un tinte de color café por el humo. No mucho, pero suficiente como para poner una advertencia en el mapa. Suficiente como para causar un dolor de cabeza. Suficiente para esconder las montañas.

Tomé la carretera hacia el norte, buscando aire limpio.

Fotos:

1. Desde un cerro al norte del lago Roberts. Tras esos árboles debe haber montañas.
2. Adelfilla, produciendo semilla. Se llama, en inglés, hierba de fuego porque crece donde hubo incendios. Y tras la planta, un bosque con humo.
3. Ya abajo, al lado del lago, se ve todo mejor, aunque sigue ese tono algo rosado.
4. Veo un animal en el agua. Una foca, tal vez.
5. Haciendo zoom.

Encontré una mapa que muestra el humo al corriente. Nos pronostica más humo esta semana. Pero les va peor hacia el sur, y en el interior de la provincia, donde hay más incendios, y más grandes. ¡Necesitamos lluvia!

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!