Monday, July 25, 2016

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

Pelham brush fire Saturday 4:45 PM
Pelham brush fire Sunday morning 6:00 AM

 UPDATE:  Monday noon FIRE IS OUT
What a forest should look like (from 300 feet)

For the 3rd hot day in a row fire crews from a bevy of area local and state departments will go toe to toe with a stubborn brush fire in the woods of Pelham.  Crews have managed to encircle it with a fire line, so hopefully today they can close in for the kill.

Brutal today


 Pelham brush fire Sunday 3:00 PM

Pelham Brush fire Monday morning 6:00 AM

The blaze was first reported on Saturday and since then over 30 firefighters have traipsed into the Pelham woods each day for the past three days just off Old Pratt Corner Road, a rocky dirt road that had me singing John Denver's "Country Road" every time I was headed back out to paved Buffam Road.
Early Saturday morning meet up at Pelham Fire Station
Staging area off Old Pratt Farm Road 
Pelham Engine 1
Large 3,500 gallon tanker left refills Hadley 1,000 gallon tanker on right
Water is vital to fight fire and stay hydrated
 AFD treated one female firefighter for dehydration/heat exhaustion


Monday morning 6:00 AM

18 comments:

  1. So, you are reporting on a brush fire, what could have become a serious fire, and you include in your writing the inane remark that the dirt road near the fire has you singing the lighthearted and sappy "country road." The fact that you fail to see why the story and your reflection on beautiful country roads don't connect in the least speaks volumes to your perception and why your writing often misses the mark.

    No one cares about your Mr. Rogers emotional moments interrupting a story about a fire. You always want people to take fire fighters so seriously, as we should, but why the John Denver schlock?

    Is the story about your silly thoughts on Denver's over-played song, or is it about a potentially serious fire in the Pelham woods?

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  2. Boy, some people were just born miserable, I guess.

    Thanks for reporting on this, LK. I saw the trucks out there this weekend and was curious to know what was up.

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  3. Your welcome.

    Anytime I can demonstrate the public safety value of drones I'm all over it. Although Birdie may only have one or two missions left in her.

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  4. Wow, that looks like a very remote section of woods. Any idea's on how it was started?

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  5. Hey Larry, what's wrong with your drone? Most parts (including batteries and motors) are easily replaceable.

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  6. Electronic feed from camera to monitoring device is glitchy.

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  7. Any word on the cause of the fire?

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  8. The dept of Interior just launched tech to stem the problem of hobby drone users flying over fires.

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  9. For fires that are a tad larger than this one where firefighters use airplanes in close support to drop water.

    Cause was probably lightening.

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  10. Yeah, real fires.

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    Replies
    1. You weren't in there. I think next time you think about saying that you should jump in there with us. It's why it was only a brush fire and not worse.

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  11. Omg!! Thank you Larry! Im glad you cover it all! In your own Larry Kelley way.. I am so glad all the local FD were able to contain it.
    Rebecca

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  12. I was a totally unpaid volunteer firefighter, it was about helping people, and I suspect it still somewhat is..

    But in terms of manpower hours and gear -- for three days -- that's not cheap.

    You complain about UMass "not paying it's fair share" -- well Cinda isn't either --she pays a LOT less than her land is assessed at.

    Now the General Court, seeing "a public good", taxes her a lot less and UMass not at all. Both get fire protection. Why aren't you demanding that Cinda pay her fair share too?

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  13. Larry, I vaguely remember something about fires producing EMP, notwithstanding that, fire/police vehicles produce EMP when they talk on their radios. Your cell phone sends out a 1/3 watt signal, I doubt your drone is much more, while they transmit at least 25 watts. This well may be messing up your drone.

    If it is just confusing your drone, if you unplug the battery and let it set for a fewdays, that might fix it, but if the board is fried, you are SOL....

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  14. Ed
    What don't you do...Firefighter, lobsters, big babbling mouth who knows it all.living in Maine & Massachusetts, ....so looking forward to your book. when is it coming out?

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  15. I'm actually in DC right now, but by attacking me, you affirm the validity of my arguments, which you lack the ability to attack.

    What are your oh-so-brilliant-thoughts on the issue of public good versus equal taxation? I'm waiting, in the lee of the AC....

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  16. Hey Larry, just chiming back in re your drone......I would at least try a firmware update on the drone, especially if your monitoring device has been updated in any way. Good luck!

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