17 September 2012, Idaho leads the U.S. with seven large fires. Montana, Washington and Wyoming have four each. California and Utah with one each.
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- PV-2 Neptune comes in for landing at Pocatello Tanker Base, as little Air Tractor speeds past to refuel/retardant recharge stations, 17 September 2012.
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- Jet Ranger gets a bath, 14 September 2012.
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- Ducks in a row. BAe 146-200s and the old Convair CV580, at Pocatello airport during Idaho’s 2012 wildfire outbreaks. Photo by AAron B. Hutchins.
The weather is being blamed for an increase in smoke. Two counties in Idaho have been issued Purple Air Quality alerts, the second worst condition after Maroon (Hazardous). Purple means visibility is only one to one and a half miles (1.6 to 2.4 kilometers).
The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) issued the alerts to Lemhi and Custer counties.
The smoke is hurting local business: “It has been smokey up here off and on for six weeks. It looks like everybody has fires in their yards because the smoke is hanging in between the trees. It burns your eyes and it smells like you are standing over a campfire. We’ve lost a tremendous amount of business.”-Sharon Osgood, Greyhouse Bed and Breakfast
Jan Flynn, Idaho Director of the American Lung Association, says she’s never seen it so bad in the Gem State: “I’ve never experienced smoke like that before.”
The problem is a low pressure system off the California coast, and a high pressure system near Washington/British Columbia. They are not moving, holding the building smoke in the Rocky Mountain area. Weather forecasters don’t think the pressure systems will move until after this coming weekend.
IDAHO WILDFIRES, POCATELLO TANKER BASE: 13 SEPTEMBER 2012, SIKORSKY & USMC IN TOWN
IDAHO WILDFIRE UPDATE, 12 SEPTEMBER 2012: MORE AIR TANKERS ARRIVE AT POCATELLO TANKER BASE. EVACUATIONS IN EFFECT!