FIRES: STILL GOING STRONG

Fire Alert -- bright red on our local TV weather reports -- continues throughout this entire, vast region.  The following today's story on NBC website tells of the weeks old and still on-going Mustang Complex Fire in the general  Salmon River region -- near the "River Of No Return" country.  It's burned more than a quarter million acres and is essentially uncontained.  Another fire, the Halstead, has taken over 150,000 acres and is still going right along. In addition, there are smaller fires scattered throughout -- including a couple nearby in the immediate Jackson Hole [Jackson, Wyoming] area.  So far, fires in our immediate region -- Pocatello/Fort Hall reservation -- have been contained and, although a few buildings have been lost, there has been no repetition so far of the swift destruction of 66 homes near us that occurred a few weeks ago. Rain continues to be minimal.  Eternal vigilance prevails, of course.

Smoke from all of these fires, including those in California, continually blows in on the winds.

Somewhat encouraging signs involve the genuine beginning of Fall hereabouts and cooler temps, especially at night.  Pocatello now gets into the 40s as low, Jackson into the 30s, West Yellowstone into the 20s.  The days are slowly cooling. This, especially at night, slows fire growth. It also reduces lightning strikes. A problem is, when a "cold front" comes through there are initially high winds -- which increase fire dangers.  Some thinking feels that, on the really big fires, it will take snow to conclusively drive the figurative stake through their hearts -- and snow in substance may not come until very late October, or November, or even earlier December.  There could be, however, some significant rain before then.  (Join us in praying for that -- or at least send positive thoughts in that vein.)  Some National Guard units are being utilized -- but Federal troops in numbers, with both light and heavy equipment, would be most helpful.  But are there very many regular troops left in this country?

Massive wildfire drives hundreds from homes in Idaho  (NBC)

http://www.manic.msn.com/id/48964966/ns/us_news/#


HUNTER GRAY [HUNTER BEAR/JOHN R SALTER JR] Mi'kmaq /St. Francis 
Abenaki/St. Regis Mohawk 
Protected by Na´shdo´i´ba´i´ 
and Ohkwari' 
Member, National Writers Union AFL-CIO
www.hunterbear.org 
(much social justice material)

A Piece of the Scrapbook: 
(Three web pages on Mississippi):
http://hunterbear.org/a_piece_of__the_scrapbook.htm

And see the Stormy Adoption of an Indian Child [My Father]:
http://hunterbear.org/James%20and%20Salter%20and%20Dad.htm
(Expanded and with more photos in June, 2012.)
 
For the new, just out (11/2011) and expanded/updated
edition of my "Organizer's Book," JACKSON MISSISSIPPI -- 
with a new and substantial introduction by me.  We are now at 
the 50th Anniversary of the massive Jackson Movement of
1962-63. (This page expanded 9/12):  http://hunterbear.org/jackson.htm