Archive for the ‘wildfires’ Category
Posted by feww on August 21, 2011
Damage from Drought and Drought-Fueled Wildfires in Texas Exceeds $10billion and Mounting
In comparison, drought cost Texas agriculture $13.1 billion in the previous 13 years, an average of about $1 billion per year (peaking at a record annual loss of $4.1 billion in 2006 season.)
Dust Bowl Texas. Frame grab from video report by Agrilife Today
Disaster Calendar 2011 – August 20 Entry
[August 20, 2011] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,670 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History
- Texas, USA. Field surveys show livestock losses of $2.1 billion and crop losses of $3.1 billion in Texas from November 2010 to August 1, according to Texas A&M University’s Texas AgriLife Extension Service.
- “The drought of 2011 will have a lasting impact on Texas agriculture,” said Dr. Travis Miller, AgriLife Extension agronomist and a member of the Governor’s Drought Preparedness Council.
- “This drought is ongoing,” said Dr. David Anderson, AgriLife Extension livestock economist. “Further losses will continue if rainfall does not come soon to establish this year’s winter wheat crop and wheat grazing.”
- “Wheat yields were down from a five-year average of 30 bushels to 26 bushels per acre and abandonment was up,” he said. “Given this year’s plantings of 5.7 million acres, we would have harvested 2.8 million in a normal year. In 2011, harvested acreage is estimated at only 2 million acres, down 800,000 acres. The combination of yield losses on harvested acres and higher abandonment put Texas wheat-for-grain losses at $243 million.”
- Texas corn production is down by about 30 percent in 2011.
- “The drought began for much of the state in September 2010,” Miller said.
Texas Drought: Cracks are deepening. Frame grab from video report by Agrilife Today
- The Losses by Commodity:–
- Livestock: $2.06 billion (includes $1.2 billion previously reported in May);
- Lost hay production value: $750 million;
- Cotton: $1.8 billion;
- Corn: $327 million;
- Wheat: $243 million;
- Sorghum: $63 million.
- A list of economic drought losses from 1998 through 2010 – compiled by AgriLife Extension:
- 2011– $5.2 billion [losses caused by drought-fueled wildfires NOT included]
- 2009 – $3.6 billion
- 2008 – $1.4 billion
- 2006 – $4.1 billion
- 2002 – $316 million
- 2000 – $1.1 billion
- 1999 – $223 million
- 1998 – $2.4 billion
- [Total of $18.34billion excluding 2011 losses from drought-fueled wildfires; 14-year average annual loss: $1.31billion, calculated between 1998 and August 1, 2011]
- FIRE-EARTH estimates that the additional losses caused by drought-fueled wildfires in Texas, which have consumed 5,400 square miles [3,456,000 acres] of grazing land and destroyed thousands of structures in the past 10 months, amount to about $5 billion, making a tally of about $10billion.
Other Global Disasters
- Thailand. The govt has declared 28 of Thailand’s 76 provinces disaster areas because of flooding. The deluge has so far affected about a million people, a report said.
- Arizona, USA. USDA has declared five Arizona counties as natural disaster areas due to the ongoing drought. The disaster areas are Apache, Cochise, Graham, Greenlee and Santa Cruz counties, reports said.
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Posted in Texas wildfires, wildfires | Tagged: 2011 Disaster Calendar, 2011 Disasters, Arizona drought, first wave of collapsing cities, Global Disasters, Texas Drought, Thailand flooding, US Drought | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on August 20, 2011
Tsunamis of fire consume large parts of Calblanque natural park in Murcia region, SE Spain
Thousands of people are forced to evacuate the town of Portman, near Cartagena.
[August 19, 2011] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,671 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History
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Disaster Calendar 2011 – August 19 Entry
- Murcia, Spain. Raging wildfires, fueled by strong winds and high temperatures, have consumed large parts of Calblanque natural park in Murcia region, southeastern Spain. The raging fires have forced thousands of residents to flee the town of Portman, near the historic city of Cartagena, reports said.
Texas Could Experience Back-to-Back Fire Seasons
- Texas, USA. Raging wildfires continue to consume the drought-plagued state of Texas.
- Wildfires have consumed 5,400 square miles [3,456,000 acres] since mid-November, 2010, TFS reported [3,392,130 acres since January].
- Fire have destroyed 1,945 structures [2,650 according to FEWW estimate] since January.
- Fast-moving wildfires have destroyed dozens of homes/structures in the past few days.
- Louisiana, USA. Department of Natural Resources Office of Conservation has issued an Emergency Order in response the extended drought conditions in southern Caddo parish, a report said.
- South Caddo Parish has experienced “moderate” to “exceptional” drought conditions for 15 consecutive months.
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Posted in wildfires | Tagged: 2010 Disaster Calendar, 2011 Disaster Calendar, 2011 Disasters, Cartagena, first wave of collapsing cities, Global Disasters, Megadisasters, spain wildfires, texas wildfire | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on May 22, 2011
MUST BE NEWS FROM EARTH AGAIN!
[May 22, 2011] Mass die-offs resulting from planetary response to the harm caused by humans could occur by early 2016. SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,760 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History
- Siberia, Russia. Forest fires have consumed about 100,000 hectares of Far East Russian and Siberian forestry since April 5, 2011. Some 197 wildfires covering an area of about 66,284 ha are still burning, including 21 large fires which account for about a half of the total area on fire in Sakha Republic (Yakutia) and Amur region, a report said.
- “7,050 people and 1267 pieces of equipment have been involved in fighting forest fires.”
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Death toll from landslides that buried an orphanage near the Malaysian capital has climbed to 16. All but one of the victims are said to be children, according to the officials.
- Kansas, USA. A deadly tornado swept through the town of Reading in eastern Kansas, killing at least one person, injuring an unspecified number of others, destroying more than 20 homes and damaging 200 other building, a state emergency management official was reported as saying on Sunday.
- SPC had received at least 18 tornado reports, as of posting.
More Tornadoes May Be On the Way
US Weather Forecast Map for May 22, 2011. Click image to enlarge.
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2011 Disasters
Posted in wildfires | Tagged: 2011 Disaster Calendar, kansas tornado, landslides, Malaysia landslide, Reading tornado, Russia wildfire, Siberia forest fire, Tornado, Tornado Alley | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on April 21, 2011
TEXAS BURNING FROM STEM TO STERN: TFS
Texas Totals: 828 Structures and 1,779,788 acres consumed by 6,057 fires
Report: End of Wednesday, April 20, 2011
National Preparedness Level: 1
Southern Area Preparedness Level: 3
TFS Preparedness Level: 5
Texas Fires YTD Totals
Fires: 6,057
Acres Burned: 1,779,788
Structures Destroyed: 828
Source: Texas Forest Service (TFS)
Fatalities
Two firefighters have lost their lives, including one near Lubbock who was killed yesterday
Two sightseers were killed as their plance circled over fires Tuesday.
Livestock
NO official figures have been released so far. However, FIRE-EARTH estimates that up to 20,000 heads of cattle may have been killed or injured as a result of the deadly fires since beginning of the year.
Dry Conditions Decimating Texas Crops
Texas farmers produce about 100 million bushels of wheat on average each year, but they would be lucky to produce a third of that amount this year, says Texas AgriLife Extension Service .
“This year’s crop condition ratings show about 40 percent of the Texas crop in very poor condition, which compares with 65 percent very poor in March of 2006 and 53 percent very poor in May of 2009,” said Dr. Mark Welch, AgriLife Extension economist specializing in grain marketing and policy.
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Last Updated: April 21, 2011 at 09:28UTC
Posted in wildfires | Tagged: Drought, Livestock killed by fire, Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Crops, Texas Drought, Texas Fires, Texas wheat, Texas Wildfires | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on April 11, 2011
Wildfire Consumes W Texas Town of Fort Davis
Out-of-control wildfires scorching 400 sq miles across Texas
A wildfire scorches more than 60,000 acres, burns 50 homes, devastates the W Texas town of Fort Davis
A massive wildfire that devastated the small mountain town of Fort Davis in West Texas, was moving at 14 MPH, Texas Forest Service reported.
Another blaze burned a railroad bridge near Marfa, stranding about 180 passengers and crew members on an Amtrak train for about 20 hours.
List of Major Fires Erupting in the Past 36 Hours
- 62,000-acre blaze in West Texas has destroyed about 50 homes/buildings and devastated Fort Davis
- 16,000-acre blaze West Texas fire has destroyed up to 40 homes
- 71,000-acre fire in three rural counties about 175 miles west of Fort Worth
- 60,000-acre fire is threatening 2 towns north of Amarillo, in the Texas Panhandle
- 11,000-acre fire south of Lubbock, 70% contained
West Texas Wildfires
Click image for to watch video clip.
“This small town at the base of some of the most beautiful mountains in Texas now looks as if it’s surrounded by a giant, black lava flow. Once-golden rangeland is so black that Angus cattle are camouflaged.” Said a report.
Texas wildfires, fueled by high wind and ultra-dry conditions, have scorched since April 2 some 280,000 acres of ranchland, killing livestock and destroying homes throughout the state.
At least 64 fire departments from 25 states are helping to contain the fires.
Oklahoma Wildfires
In Oklahoma, Governor Mary Fallin extended a 30-day state of emergency she declared on March 11.
“One wildfire in Cleveland in north central Oklahoma charred more than 1,500 acres and forced 350 people to evacuate while another struck near Granite in southwest Oklahoma, said Michelann Ooten, a spokeswoman for the state Office of Emergency Management.” Source.
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Posted in Large Fire, US Wildfire, wildfires | Tagged: Amarillo, Fort Davis, Lubbock Wildfire, Texas Panhandle Wildfires, Texas Wildfires, West Texas Wildfires | 1 Comment »
Posted by feww on March 30, 2011
2011: The Worst Year for Wildfires?
Large parts of Alaskan (and Canadian) forests could be consumed by wildfires: FEWW forecast
US Drought Monitor
Click images to enlarge.
Temperature Forecast – 3 Months Outlook
Fire Information – National Fire News
Weather: Winds will weaken, but relative humidity will remain in the teens which will continue a heightened risk for large fire potential across New Mexico and west Texas today. Showers and thunderstorms will increase today in the southern United States. Scattered showers will continue from Washington and Oregon to Montana and Wyoming. Source
Click images to enlarge.
Source: NIFC
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Fire Information
Posted in wildfire, wildfires | Tagged: Drought, drought and deluge, Fire Information, National Fire News, Temperature Forecast, US Drought, US Wildfire, US Wildfire Pattern | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on March 25, 2011
New fire rapidly scorches large area SE of Denver, Colorado
The latest fire, which erupted as firefighters struggled to contain a separate blaze (Indian Gulch in Jefferson County), has scorched about [2,000] acres on the wooded cliffs near Franktown, Colorado, according to Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
“We’re not aware of any structures lost, but the high winds are pushing it close to heavily populated neighborhoods, so we called for mandatory evacuations.”
Fire at Miami International Airport
“A spectacular fire that led to cancellations of 179 flights and delayed dozens more at Miami International Airport may have been caused by an electrical failure in a complex grid of underground pipes that pumps fuel to hundreds of planes each day.” Said a report.
Large fires are currently reported in the following states:
- Arizona (1)
- Arkansas (1)
- Colorado (1)
- Georgia (1)
- Kansas (1)
- Missouri (3)
- Oklahoma (7)
- Texas (1)
Year-to-date statistics 2011 (1/1/11 – 3/24/11)
- Fires: 15,906
- Acres: 616,427
9-year average [2002 to 2010]
- Acres: 396,282
- Record: 1,792,721 (2006)
Red Flag Warnings
URGENT – FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service (NWS) has issued Fire Weather Red Flag Warnings for
- SE Colorado
- Northern Central and Southern New Mexico
- Western Texas
- Wakulla and Leon Counties, Fl
Click image to enter NWS Portal.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM — 9:57 PM MDT THU MAR 24 2011
…A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EARLY FRIDAY EVENING FOR ALL OF SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO AND FAR WEST TEXAS DUE TO WINDS GREATER THAN 20 MPH… RELATIVE HUMIDITY BELOW 15 PERCENT AND VERY HIGH OR EXTREME FIRE DANGER RATINGS…
…A FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR SATURDAY AFTERNOON FOR THE SOUTHWEST…SOUTH-CENTRAL NEW MEXICO LOWLANDS AND FAR WEST TEXAS FOR WINDS GREATER THAN 20 MPH…RELATIVE HUMIDITIES 15 PERCENT OR LOWER AND VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER RATINGS…
All Warnings List available at NWS website.
Today and tonight: A Pacific storm system and associated cold front will move across the area this evening. Snow will develop across the mountains by
this evening, continuing overnight. Snow accumulations of up to 2 inches can be expected over the higher mountains by Friday morning. Gusty south to southwest winds will continue to develop across the foothills and plains this afternoon, shifting to the west this evening with gusts to 40 mph possible behind the front. From Boulder to Denver to Limon and areas south, relative humidities are expected to fall below 15%. The combination of low humidities and
strong winds will produce a high fire danger. Strong winds will continue tonight along and near the foothills with gusts to 60 mph possible. [Source: NWS]
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Fire Information
Posted in wildfire, wildfires | Tagged: Colorado wildfire, Denver wildfire, Franktown fire, Indian Gulch Fire, Miami Airport fire, WILDFIRES Satellite | 1 Comment »
Posted by feww on March 2, 2011
US: Highest No. of Wildfires (y-t-d)
US Wildfires: 50-percent more fires than the 10 year average
Fueled by dry weather (drought conditions) and wind, between January 1, 2011 and March 1, 2011 at least 9,760 fires consumed more than 230,000 acres. [10-year average: 6,205 fires; 153,877 acres]
States currently reporting large fires:
- Florida
- Texas
- Virginia
- New Mexico
- Total no of new and active large fires: ~ 45
National Fire Activity:
- Initial attack activity: Moderate (271 new fires)
- New large fires: 7
- Large fires contained: 14
- Uncontained large fires: 12
Active Fire Mapping: USDA Forest Service. Click image to enlarge.
Wildfires have destroyed at least 80 homes in Texas and scorched some 300 square kilometers.
“From Feb. 21 through Feb. 28, the Texas Forest Service responded to 63 fires on nearly 140,000 acres — mostly in the Panhandle and Rolling Plains.” Source
Destroyed by Wildfire:
- Potter County, north of Amarillo: 30,000 acres and 30 homes
- Motley County: 40,000 acres consumed, and the entire town of Matador had to be evacuated
Fire bans were imposed in 144 Texas counties as of Feb. 28, the Forest Service reported.
MODIS Rapid Response System Global Fire Maps
Latest fire map available: 02/20/11 – 03/01/11 (2011051-2011060). Each of these fire maps accumulates the locations of the fires detected by MODIS on board the Terra and Aqua satellites over a 10-day period. Each colored dot indicates a location where MODIS detected at least one fire during the compositing period. Color ranges from red where the fire count is low to yellow where number of fires is large. The compositing periods are referenced by their start and end dates (julian day). The duration of each compositing period was set to 10 days. Compositing periods are reset every year to make year-to-year comparisons straightforward. The first compositing period of each year starts on January 1. The last compositing period of each year includes a few days from the next year. SOURCE: MODIS . Click image to enlarge.
Large Wildfires in Florida
Three large wildfires burning out of control in eastern Florida forced the authorities to close major routes, including Highway 1 and Interstate 95 on February 28, 2011 as MODIS on NASA’s Aqua satellite took this image. SOURCE: NASA-EO. Click image to enlarge.
MODIS on NASA’s Aqua satellite detected fires burning in southern Texas and Louisiana on March 1, 2011. Source: NASA-EO. Click image to enlarge.
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Posted in Drought, drought an deluge, US disasters, US Drought, wildfires | Tagged: Florida wildfires satellite image, Iron Horse Fire, Red Flag Warning, Wildfires in Florida, Wildfires in texas | 3 Comments »
Posted by feww on August 4, 2009
Climate change is permanently changing the face of Alaska, Earth
In Alaska, 35 percent forest, climate change is causing irreversible changes including droughts, forest fires, and infestations of tree-killing insects like spruce beetles and spruce budworm moths. In the last 15 years, the spruce beetles, which thrive in warmer climates, have destroyed a total of about 3 million acres (1.21 million hectares) of spruce forest in south-central Alaska.
More Than 1 Million Acres Burning in Interior Alaska
Large wildfires that began in July continued to burn in interior Alaska in the first week of August 2009. These images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite on August 2 show some of the state’s largest blazes and the thick pall of smoke they were creating. The top image is a natural-color (photo-like) view of the area, while the lower image combines visible, shortwave-, and near-infrared light to make burned areas (brick red) stand out better from unburned vegetation (bright green). In this kind of false-color image, the bright pink areas along the perimeters of the fires are often a sign of open flame.
According to the August 3 report from the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center, 483 fires were burning across the state, affecting about 2.4 million acres. The Railbelt Complex was the largest at an estimated 462,298 acres. The Tanana River appears to be creating a natural firebreak at the northern edge of the fire, which is spreading to the south. To the east, the smaller Wood River Fire (107,634 acres) has bright pink spots along both its northern and southern perimeters. Both these fires, as well as the Big Creek Fire (145,652 acres) and Little Black One Fire (292,907 acres) along the Yukon River, were triggered by lightning. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team. Caption by Rebecca Lindsey.
References: Alaska Interagency Coordination Center Situation Report, Monday–08/03/2009
Alaska Warming Rapidly
Alaska has experienced an average warming of 3 degrees Celsius (5.4 °F) and about 4.5 °C (8°F) in the inner regions in winter months since the 1960s, the largest regional warming of anywhere in the U.S., according to records.
The warmer temperature means Alaska’s peat bogs, which are nearly 14,000 years old, are drying up. Ed Berg, an ecologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, has discovered that shrubs and other plants have been rooting in areas of peat big normally too soggy for woody plants to grow during the last three decades.
As the areas of beetle-infested forest grow, more land is clear-cut and land speculation frenzy grows.
Wetlands are a natural defense mechanism retarding forest fires. The warmer weather and drier forest therefore could lead to more forest fires.
Drying or burning peat bogs, which comprise 50-60 percent carbon, would release additional carbon dioxide, the principal greenhouse gas, to the atmosphere.
An unusual pattern is left by forest fire as seen in this photograph of a mountain in Yoho National Park in British Columbia west of the Alberta border in this August 8, 2005 file picture. REUTERS/Andy Clark. Image may be subject to copyright.
Human activity is ultimately responsible for the intensity and frequency of most present-day forest fires like Alaska’s; to call them ‘wildfires,’ therefore, is disingenuous and unintelligent.
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Posted in Big Creek Fire, carbon dioxide, greenhouse gases, Little Black One Fire, wildfires, Wood River Fire, Yukon River | Tagged: Alaska, alaskan forest, Arctic tundra, Climate Change, Global Warming, natural defense mechanism, spruce budworm moths, Tanana River, wetlands | 3 Comments »
Posted by feww on April 11, 2009
Wildfires and tornadoes fueled by strong winds cause widespread destruction in the southern US.
A fraternal lodge in Mena, Ark., was in ruins yesterday after a tornado struck the town late Thursday. Storms also hit Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Alabama. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston via Boston Globe). Image may be subject to copyright.
A summary of events:
- About a dozen people have been killed in Texas, Tennessee and Arkansas, with about 200 hundred others injured, a half of them seriously.
- Several thousand people have been evacuated across the three states.
- The storms destroyed or damaged nearly 200 homes and businesses in Arkansas, spanning over 12 counties.
- Wildfires destroyed more than 180 homes in Oklahoma, injuring about 70 people and prompting the Oklahoma governor Brad Henry to declare a state of emergency in 32 counties.
- A storm system moving across the area has caused power cuts, damage and widespread destruction throughout the southern and mid-western US.
- Wildfires have scorched up to 100,ooo hectares of land. [About 95 percent of Texas is currently in some stage of drought. ]
- On Thursday, wind speed reached a category 1 hurricane with peak speeds of about 120km/hr (74mph).
- Texas wildfire burned down dozens of homes prompting evacuation of several towns.
- One of the fires in Oklahoma may have been started deliberately, officials said.
Flames illuminate a storage tank as a grass fire moves through Choctaw, Okla., Thursday, April 9, 2009. Fire crews in Oklahoma and Texas raced Thursday to control wind-whipped wildfires that destroyed dozens of homes, forced evacuations and shut down parts of a major highway. Photo: Sue Ogrocki /AP. Image may be subject to copyright.
These scenes are forecast to reoccur across the country throughout 2009.
Posted in Alabama storm, cat 1, Kentucky, tornadoes, wildfires | Tagged: Arkansas, North Carolina, storm system, Tennessee, Texas | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on February 15, 2009
Our regular readers probably remember Thought for the Day: A 2009 Forecast AND
The most widely used phrase by ‘scientists’ in 2009 : ‘We were completely surprised!’
The first of the ‘surprises’ in 2009 is a BIG one!
Global Warming is occurring at a faster rate than scientists had predicted, according to a climate scientist.
“The consequence of that is we are basically looking now at a future climate that is beyond anything that we’ve considered seriously,” Chris Field, a climate scientist and a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, said on saturday.
Smoke billows from an iron and steel plant in Hefei, Anhui province December 9, 2007. All nations must do more to fight climate change, and rich countries must make deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the worst impacts, a draft proposal at United Nations talks said on Saturday. REUTERS/Jianan Yu (CHINA). Image may be subject to copyright.
Field reported that “the actual trajectory of climate change is more serious” than any previously predicted in the IPCC’s fourth assessment report named “Climate Change 2007.”
“He said recent climate studies suggested the continued warming of the planet from greenhouse gas emissions could touch off large, destructive wildfires in tropical rain forests and melt permafrost in the Arctic tundra, releasing billions of tons of greenhouse gasses that could raise global temperatures even more.” Reuters reported.
“There is a real risk that human-caused climate change will accelerate the release of carbon dioxide from forest and tundra ecosystems, which have been storing a lot of carbon for thousands of years,” Field said.
“We now have data showing that from 2000 to 2007, greenhouse gas emissions increased far more rapidly than we expected, primarily because developing countries, like China and India, saw a huge surge in electric power generation, almost all of it based on coal,” Field added.
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325 words, 1 image, 3 links
Posted in Arctic tundra, Climate Change 2007, greenhouse gas emissions, permafrost, wildfires | Tagged: 2009 Forecast, Chris Field, Climate Change, Global Warming, IPCC | 2 Comments »
Posted by feww on February 9, 2009
The Australian govt. blames ‘arsonists’ for the worst bushfires in the country’s History
As the known death toll reaches about 120, and the bushfires incinerate up to 1,000 homes, the government blames ‘arsonists’ for starting the fires.
“We will throw the book at you if you are caught,” New South Wales Premier Nathan Rees reportedly said.
Below is a list of Australia’s recorded death toll and property damage from bushfires (Source: BBC UK)
- February 16, 1983. 75 dead, 2,300 homes destroyed in “Ash Wednesday” bushfires in Victoria and South Australia
- January 8, 1969. At least 22 dead, 230 homes lost in rural Victoria
- February 7, 1967. 62 dead, 1,300 homes destroyed in fires in Hobart, Tasmania
- January 13, 1939. 71 dead, 700 homes destroyed in “Black Friday” fires in Victoria
- February – March 1922. 60 died in Gippsland, eastern Victoria
Number of alleged arsonists arrested in the above incidents: NONE reported.
A bushfire burns in the Bunyip Sate Forest near the township of Tonimbuk, Victoria, Australia 07 February 2009. Authorities have issued urgent fire warnings to towns near a bushfire burning out of control east of Melbourne. EPA/ANDREW BROWNBILL. Image may be subject to copyright.
A total of 12 bushfires are burning out of control across Victoria, comprising about 26 blazes, covering up to 225,000 hectare of land.
Bushfires in Southeast Australia
This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite shows multiple large fires (outlined in red) burning in Victoria on February 7. Huge plumes of smoke spread southeast, driven by fierce winds. The large version of the image shows a large dust storm blowing over interior deserts to the northwest. These fires sprang up and exploded in size in just a few short hours. The image captured by the Terra MODIS sensor just a few hours prior to this image showed no sign of these fires. Twice-daily images of southeastern Australia are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Caption by Rebecca Lindsey.
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Posted in arson, bushfires, Living Hell, Mother Nature, wildfires | Tagged: australia, australian bushfires, New South Wales, Tonimbuk, Victoria | 3 Comments »
Posted by feww on July 17, 2008
Cyprus’ extreme environmental stress may lead to early collapse!
Former offical: “We are going through a visual process of desertification.”
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Posted in Climate Change, energy, environment, food, Global Warming, health, politics, topsoil, Tourism, Travel, water, wildfires | Tagged: collapse, Collapsing Cities, Cyprus, desertification, ecosystems collapse, environmental stress | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on November 1, 2007
An Alternative Viewpoint or Pseudoscience?
The “vibration researchers,” as they call themselves, believe that everything is made from energy vibrations and that “vibrational fields” protect our world from harm.
They assert that “negative energy” creates negative or dead “fields” by canceling out the benevolent “vibrational fields,” resulting in “negative zones,” NZ. Like a celestial death machine, NZ energize malevolent superbugs, generate and amplify energy pulses that cause wildfires, droughts, disease pandemics, hurricanes, earthquakes… . NZ, the “researchers” say, are created by pain, anger, grief and fear among other negative emotions.
Posted in Hurricanes, Pseudoscience, Superbugs, Vibrational Fields, wildfires | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on October 24, 2007
Mother Nature using her defense mechanisms to ensure the cycle of life? Or our lifestyles killing what’s left?
NASA satellites capture images of about 14 massive wildfires raging in Southern California, which have scorched about 1,500 square kilometers from Ventura to Mexico.
The devastating fires, enhanced by Santa Ana winds, have killed eight people and destroyed or damaged about 2,050 homes and 100 businesses. Two 500,000 volt lines and several 230,000 volt lines have gone out of service. More than 500,000 residents have been told to evacuate.
Total monetary cost: $2.2billion
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Posted in california, ecosystems, environment, Mother Nature, urban sprawl, wildfires | 2 Comments »
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