Sunday, August 5, 2018

present State of the Carr Fire

https://mappingsupport.com/p2/gissurfer.php?center=40.635446%2C-122.509423&zoom=11&fire=CA%2CCarr

The Above URL should take you to the latest version of Satellite mapping of the fire from space and where it is so far.

It appears to still be moving north and West and Southwest. When I look at it presently the biggest danger I see is if it goes over to the dam and possibly undermines the dam in some way. The way it might do this is if all the brush burns near the dam and causes erosion and a weakening of the dam face. Also fire on a dam isn't the best for cement or concrete either but the metal reinforcements and metal piping used to cool and reinforce the dam might help.

Possibly studies into what happens when a fire denudes areas around dam faces might be in order. (Or more appropriately what can happen to prevent erosion or a weakening of the dam from winter storms after the fire burns one side or all around the dam itself. also, I think both dams both the Trinity Lake Dam and the Shasta Dam and lake could presently be in jeapordy. The problem likely wouldn't be now it would come this fall and winter if storms are big and undermine the dam through erosion on either dam. This could be a potential nightmare for anyone downstream from either Trinity Lake Dam or Shasta Lake Dam by the way. And if either went this water would continue downstream all the way to the ocean and not just wipe out Redding but also every city and farm in the Sacramento Flood plain vulnerable by altitude.

I suppose in an emergency one could drape 4 to 8 ml plastic over the denuded areas to avoid erosion around either the left or right side of either or both dams if the local shrubbery is completely burned away during the fire.

So, the danger would not be now but in the rain storms to come until maybe next summer when wild grasses might grow back in abundance once again.

No comments: