[pct-l] pct-l] update: Chips Fire explodes

[Gerald King]

I have a "campfire gone wrong" story from my very first PCT hike in August 1970.
Heading north on the PCT in the Three Sisters we had just passed above Obsidian Falls to that gorgeous spot with views of Middle & North Sister to find a small nylon tent in flames! We started pulling the tent apart and bucket brigading water from the nearby creek. Then we heard angry screams from high above us on the slopes. Two angry, and later grateful, climbers made their way down to us, taking maybe 30 minutes to reach us.
We finally were able to piece together the likely history...these climbers hadn't built the fire. Rather, they had staked their tent over a large buried fir tree root. And a long ago abandoned fire had had been smoldering through this root.
The take-away here is that fires can appear OUT and then smolder quietly without notice for days before finally erupting; thus the Chips fire culprits could be much further up the trail than you might first expect.
Jerry

Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 3, 2012, at 10:13 AM, "Clifford McDonald" <clifmcdon at comcast.net> wrote:

> I believe that I read in a newspaper account that the fire started at 2am.
> It would seem that whoever might have started the camp fire went to sleep
> earlier without putting it completely out, awoke later when the fire may
> have been out of control, and left in a hurry in the middle of the night. I
> wouldn't be surprised if they left in such a hurry, and in the dark that
> they left behind many clues as to who they may have been.
> 
> 
> 
> From: Colleen Osland [mailto:colleenko at sbcglobal.net] 
> Sent: Friday, August 03, 2012 12:55 PM
> To: Clifford McDonald; pct-l at backcountry.net
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] pct-l] update: Chips Fire explodes
> 
> 
> 
> What if they are oblivious to even starting this fire and they continue to
> do so?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  _____  
> 
> From: Clifford McDonald <clifmcdon at comcast.net>
> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Sent: Fri, August 3, 2012 9:45:25 AM
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] pct-l] update: Chips Fire explodes
> 
> It would appear to me that fuel canisters are even heavier if you carry them
> but don't use them.
> How difficult might it be for the Forest Service to track which hikers may
> have been on that section the trail on the day and time the fire started
> (2am on Sunday) who may have been responsible? 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net]
> On Behalf Of goslowgofar
> Sent: Friday, August 03, 2012 12:29 PM
> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] pct-l] update: Chips Fire explodes
> 
> When I hiked from Belden to Old Station in early July, I met some folks at
> the Williams cabin site who built a fire in the large fire pit there to cook
> their dinner.  They said they did it whenever they could in order to save
> stove fuel - since fuel canisters are heavy. They hiked on after eating and
> I made sure the fire was out before I went to sleep.  I wonder if using a
> wood fire to save fuel is a common practice by thrus?
> Katy
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> I find it astounding that people build fires while hiking the PCT in any but
> extreme emergency cold/wet conditions.  To me this shows a combination of
> cluelessness, lack of common sense and selfishness.
> 
> Leave no trace hiking sets a high standard.  It's easier and easier to hike
> the trail with all the different written and online guides and proliferation
> of people offering support.  That doesn't mean principled hiking gives over
> to a slacker mentality.
> 
> No one is ignorant out there about the potential destructiveness of fires.
> Why not be rational and act on this knowledge?  I just don't get it...
> 
> Jeffrey Olson
> Rapid, City, SD 
> 
> 
> GoSlowGoFar
> _______________________________________________
> Pct-L mailing list
> Pct-L at backcountry.net
> To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
> 
> List Archives:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
> All content is copyrighted by the respective authors. 
> Reproduction is prohibited without express permission.
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Pct-L mailing list
> Pct-L at backcountry.net
> To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
> 
> List Archives:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
> All content is copyrighted by the respective authors. 
> Reproduction is prohibited without express permission.
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Pct-L mailing list
> Pct-L at backcountry.net
> To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
> 
> List Archives:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
> All content is copyrighted by the respective authors. 
> Reproduction is prohibited without express permission.