Thursday, August 18, 2016

Heat, Volunteer Firefighting, and a moonlight paddle

It has been a hot summer.  July was the second hottest since they started keeping records in Savannah and the average temperature of the month was 86.1 F.  We have had nearly 60 straight days of 90 degrees or above.  It has also been humid, often at 90%, yet the humidity hasn’t resulted in much rain.  We’ve only had a little over an inch in all of July and about the same in August.  Everything is dry.  Those south of Jacksonville or just to the north or a bit inland have been getting rain.  But the warm landmass have created strong sea breezes that keeps the moisture from reaching us along the coast.
Photo by another volunteer
On top of the heat, life this summer has been a bit chaotic as a volunteer fireman.  We have had numerous calls into homes where the air conditioning air handler motors have burned up and filled the home with smoke.  Thankfully, no one has been hurt (although without air conditioning in this climate, they run the risk of burning up with a fire).  But last Wednesday, we had a call that I didn’t want to hear.  My pager went off at 4:25 AM.  The dispatcher announced that a neighbor had called in that his house was fully engulfed.   Although the fire was on the island I live, it was a good six miles from my house.  I arrived after the first trucks, but the house was already gone with the roof caving in.  We were there for seven hours.  At first, it was putting out grass fires that threatened neighbors, while trying to keep the fire cooled as it burned.  Once the fire was contained, we were able to put it down, but only with a lot of water. 


Photo by another volunteer,
shooting water over the creek 
The past week, we’ve had many calls for smoke and a fire.  A hammock (a high sandy place in the middle of a marsh where there are trees (pines, live oaks, myrtles, palmettos, etc) has been burning and every wind shift we get a call.  The hammock is about a 100 yards from a Continuing Care development and on Monday night, when it was burning on the side of the development and spreading sparks, someone through we should try to do something.  We set a line out into the marsh on the edge of a deep creek separates the hammock from the mainland.  We poured water through a blitz nozzle that could shoot several hundred feet.   We had two trucks and I manned the hydrant, filling one truck while the other was employed in pumping water.  We cooled the fire a bit, but we were unable to put it out.  That’ll have to wait for rain.  We poured water for about an hour and when I got home, my T-shirt was soaked with sweet.  The fire continues to burn, but not as hot as much of the undergrowth is already consumed. 

Preparing to head out
On Tuesday evening, another volunteer and I decided we’d check it out while enjoying a moonlight paddle.  At the last minute, the other guy wasn’t able to make it, so I went by myself.   I put in at Butterbean Beach at sunset and paddled up the Intracoastal Waterway.   The moon, as it was a few days before full, was above the horizon and rising.  Bottlenose dolphins greeted me as I paddled out through the bridge and toward the creek running up toward the hammock.  As the light faded, you could see a bit of smoke from the hammock.  The moon’s rays shimmered as I paddled up into the creek.  The fire was laying down.  The night before the flames were jumping up five or ten feet.  This evening, there were only a few small visible flames that looked like campfires.  What was neat was seeing the vortexes of dead pines, which were burning from cavities inside the trees and spewing out sparks.  After paddling around the hammock, I returned back to the waterway.  Stars were beginning to come out, although dimly with the bright moon.
Approaching the smoking hammock
I could faintly make out the Big Dipper, the North Star, and Cassiopeia to the north.  When I turned around, and headed back south, I could see all of Scorpius including his tail above the southern horizon.   To the east was Sagittarius, the archer, his bow drawn as he chases the scorpion from the sky.  Fish jumped around my boat.  I paddle down to Pigeon Island, then turn around and head back toward my car.   It’s been a nice evening and as long as I’m on the water, there are no worries…


Today, I washed my bunker gear and tomorrow, I leave to help move my daughter into her college dorm.  :(  

27 comments:

  1. Your small fire department has a better response time than our big city one Jeff, not to mention they never know if a hydrant is going to give them what they need. You sound like you have been having the exact same weather as us, though we finally got a couple of hours of rain two days ago.

    The Sirens are non stop.

    Well the--bonne chance to your daughter, nose to the tablet and all that, I pray she finds a path as fulfilling as the one her father travels.

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  2. I don't remember all their names, but I like to look at the constellations. I didn't know you were a volunteer. I can picture the fires made with a/c's running all the time.

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  3. Volunteer firefighters are special people. I am not surprised in the least that you are a volunteer.

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  4. My hat goes off to you for volunteering with the fire department. That is a rough job! Our neighbor's house had that issue with their AC motor and it's really scary. Keep on paddling!

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  5. I didn't realize you were a volunteer. Your community is lucky to have you. With the humidity, I don't think of the southeast being at high fire risk the way the west is. But if there's no rain...

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    1. You are right, the humidity helps keep open area fires at bay. But the plants are dry and burns, thankfully not as fast as out west with single digit humidity. There have been bad wood fires in Southeastern swamps.

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  6. I did some volunteer firefighting when I was a teenager. Don't think I'm fit enough for it anymore.

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  7. I think what you are doing in volunteering is commendable! Thank you so much for sharing, and I hope your daughter's move to the college dorm goes smoothly.

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  8. It's so great that you are a volunteer fireman.

    And that red kayak - I'll bet it's pretty in the water!

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  9. I still think its amazing and extremely brave of you to volunteer are a firefighter.

    A moonlight paddle sounds breathtaking. That atmosphere would make me want to just sit in the middle of the lake and not paddle at all. :)

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  10. We have had similar weather here, even this far north. Fortunately, fires are rare.

    Taking my son back to school tomorrow, too. Always hard.

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  11. It's been ht here too and there have been several fires in the area. People leaving candles burning too close to drapes and paper towels and just not paying attention.

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  12. Bravo to you for volunteering! I find fire scary, so I truly admire you.

    I can relate to heat and humidity. Thankfully the past week has been damp and cooler, unusual for August.

    Hope the college move goes well - a milestone.

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  13. Being on the water can be so relaxing. And good for you that you're a volunteer firefighter.

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  14. All these fires ..
    In summer always we have more fires.
    Good you ard a volunteers firefighter .Take care.

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  15. I'm sorry about moving your daughter. I imagine that's heartbreaking, though she's likely over-the-moon with excitement.

    You're a hero for your work against raging fires - so scary and destructive. I can't imagine. I imagine a moonlit ride on the water makes it all better for the moment.

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  16. I applaud you and your fellow volunteer firefighters. Here in the UK we have seen some of the TV footage of many fires. My thoughts are with all those who have been affected in any way.

    Your two pictures by the water look so peaceful.

    Keep safe and I hope your daughter's move to her new college dorm goes well

    All the best Jan

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  17. It’s been a nice evening and as long as I’m on the water, there are no worries...

    I feel the same way, I can think far more clearly just sitting on a beach watching the waves.

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  18. Blessings to you for being a volunteer. Yes, it is very dry here, too, and it worries me. It has been rather humid which I don't like but it is better when we are without rain. Good work.

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  19. well done for being a volunteer, these fires are terrible

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  20. I always like seeing fires at night. Of course I would prefer it if they weren't in houses.

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  21. Tremendous praise for the firefighting work.

    There was a big building fire near where I live a couple of weeks ago...middle of day...95 degree heat...don't know how they do it.

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  22. Firefighting is hard work and sometimes can be quite frightening and upsetting, I would think. I commend you for being a volunteer. Best of luck to your daughter (and to you) as she begins this new phase in her life.

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  23. We've had one fire after another out here in CA. Thanks to the firefighters, they're getting the flames under control.

    I'm imagining the calm of that night water excursion. Beautiful.

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  24. An interesting post, Sage, with lovely photos to go with it. Kudos to you for being a volunteer fireman. That is a tough job, but a very important one. It must be wonderful to paddle under the stars and decompress. The weather has been hot, but thankfully not humid here. The approach of fall is bringing cooler air here. Good luck to your daughter as she goes off to university ~ bittersweet for you though!

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  25. I didn't realize your part of Georgia was so dry. We've had a lot of thunderstorms roll through the north Atlanta area. I don't envy you and your job. Thanks for giving your time to fight those fires!

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  26. I sure know what you're involved with, since my son has become a volunteer fire-fighter too I have discovered so much! Stay safe and thank you for your hard work! There are so many people counting on you and all the others.

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