I have a post about dealing with the ash after a wildfire that people find useful: Cleaning Up.

If you have large animals and outdoor water troughs that have ash in them, if you can’t flush them out, you can add lemon juice, vinegar, even beer, to lower the pH. Wood ash is caustic, as in you add wood ash to water to make lye. If you have a pool chemical kit, there should be a pH test included to check the standing water outside that your animals might drink from. Buying one if you don’t have one, would be cheaper than a vet visit.

The current raving going on among politicians seem to be missing the rather important point that access to health care is quite often the difference between life and death.

About 20,000 Americans die every year because they have no access to health care. Almost 100,000 die from medical mistakes. Almost 100,000 die from infections they acquire in our hospitals. Is this “The Best Health Care In The World?”

The political decisions in the US Senate are being made by 6 people from the Finance committee. Who gave them the power to do this? When did the Constitution or the people decide this was a good idea?

I saw this yesterday – Democratic senator: Public health insurance option dead

WASHINGTON (CNN) — A key Senate negotiator said Sunday that President Obama should drop his push for a government-funded public health insurance option because the Senate will never pass it.

Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota said it was futile to continue to “chase that rabbit” due to the lack of 60 Senate votes needed to overcome a filibuster.

If the Senate Majority Leader cannot command that the 60 members of the Democratic Caucus, that were supplied to him by voters, vote for cloture, no matter how they vote on a bill, they need a new leader. If you have 60 members in your caucus, every bill a majority wants in the Senate, should get a vote.

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The fire in the San Rafael Wilderness area has now burned about 87,500 acres and is 75% contained. A significant portion of the rapid increase in the acreage is do to back fires.

Investigators now say that the La Brea Fire was started by a cooking fire at a drug trafficking camp.

InciWeb Notes: “An evacuation order is still in place for the 23 threatened residences on Foothill Road in Cotton Canyon. Two structures have been destroyed by the La Brea Fire one was the non-operational White Oaks Ranger Station and the other a hunter’s cabin.”

There have been 2 minor injuries fighting the fire. The fire has already cost $6.3 million.

Currently there are 126 engines, 56 crews, 30 dozers, 5 air tankers, 12 helicopters, 59 water tenders and 2,078 total personnel assigned to the fire.

The Martin Mars water scoop aircraft is now on station, using Cachuma Lake for refilling its tanks.

Links: The KEYT La Brea Fire article, the Santa Barbara Independent La Brea Fire page, InciWeb La Brea page with a map, KSBY has videos and the Enplan Wildfire Viewer, which used satellite sensors to spot fires.

[For more information go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Fires” for all of the posts related to wildfires on this site.]

The fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains has now burned over 7,000 acres and is 65% contained. The weather has been cooperating, with lighter than expected winds. So far only 5 injuries have been reported and 2 outbuildings have been damaged by the fire. More than 100 residences are threatened and there are mandatory evacuations for Swanton affecting 200 people.

The primary fuels are redwood and pine trees. The area is mountainous with few roads for access.

Currently there are 295 engines, 21 crews, 28 dozers, 21 water tenders, 14 helicopters, 6 air tankers, and 2,165 personnel assigned to the fire. To date cost $9.8 million.

Links: Cal Fire Lockheed Fire page, the Enplan Wildfire Viewer, the Santa Cruz Sentinel local news page, and their map of the Lockheed Fire.

[For more information go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Fires” for all of the posts related to wildfires on this site.]

Position: 15.0 N 48.3 W [10 PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West-Northwest [285°] near 17 mph [28 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 100 mph [160 kph].
Wind Gusts: 120 mph [190 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 150 miles [240 km].
Hurricane Wind Radius: 30 miles [45 km].
Minimum central pressure: 967 mb ↓.

It is 865 miles [1395 km] East of the Lesser Antilles Islands. Currently on track to be a large powerful annoyer of fish and shipping, but steering currents change.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Position: 17.5 N 68.0 W [ 4 PM 2100 UTC].
Movement: West-Northwest [285°] near 24 mph [40 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 35 mph [55 kph].
Wind Gusts: 45 mph [70 kph].
Minimum central pressure: 1011 mb ↑.

It is 140 miles [225 km] West-Southwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico. All tropical storm watches discontinued as Ana has degenerated into a remnant low pressure trough.

This is the final advisory.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Position: 31.3 N 87.2 W [ 7 AM CDT 1200 UTC].
Movement: Northwest [320°] near 12 mph [19 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 35 mph [55 kph].
Wind Gusts: 45 mph [70 kph].
Minimum central pressure: 1011 mb ↑.

It came ashore a little after midnight near the Coast Guard station on Okaloosa Island which would have made things exciting on the Destin bridge. It is now in Southern Alabama as a rain event. While the center of the storm was within 5 miles, it passed to the East and didn’t have much of an effect. It mauled the West coast of the bend from from Apalachicola, by Panama City, Freeport, South Walton, etc., but didn’t have much effect on anything West of the center. This is the final report.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]