Not So Super Volcano

And the Mega Fire update

• On Tuesday, July 23, at about 10:19 a.m., a localized hydrothermal explosion occurred near Sapphire Pool in Biscuit Basin, located just north of Old Faithful.  

• Biscuit Basin, including the parking lot and boardwalks, are temporarily closed for safety reasons. The Grand Loop Road remains open. 

• No injuries were reported and the extent of damage is unknown at this time. 

• Park staff and staff from USGS will monitor conditions and reopen the area once deemed safe. 

• No other monitoring data show changes in the Yellowstone region. Today’s explosion does not reflect a change in the volcanic system, which remains at normal background levels of activity. 

• This is an evolving incident, and additional details will be shared as more facts are known. 

• Learn more about geology in Yellowstone. 

• View a joint statement between Yellowstone National Park and U.S. Geological Survey about the hydrothermal explosion: USGS Volcano Notice - DOI-USGS-YVO-2024-07-23T19:18:45+00:00

  ‘Nothing to see here folks! It’s all good. We will be open again before you know it! See, our rangers and people in-the-know are safe and effective. We swear!’

  

  Sorry folks! Part of the park is closed!

Just a little UNSAFE. Nothing to see here! “Biscuit Basin, including the parking lot and boardwalks, are temporarily closed for safety reasons”.

What it looked like before.

Meanwhile, here on the east side of The Snake River, we breathe in the cremains of 31 fires in burning Oregon. Close to 800,000 acres are currently blazing out of control. A warning was texted to us from Idaho Power about a weather front scheduled to come through this afternoon with winds up to 70 MPH.

So, naturally, I filled up our bathtub with water.

The critters around my place are acting crazy. We are over-run with mice and I saw a jack rabbit for the first time here. Bunnies and jacks are not the same…jacks are hares, all gangly and awkaward looking while bunnies are cottontaily and bring warm fuzzies akin to something you wouldn’t mind having in your house. Why do you think the debris under your furniture is called dust bunnies? You tend to let it live just a little longer if it has a cute name. Can you imagine living with dust hares? That just sounds gross.

Idaho Power Weather Alert: We are tracking a storm system moving into the region tomorrow, July 24, bringing with it the possibility of high winds. Please prepare in case of wind-related outages and keep an eye on local weather forecasts. Find tips at idahopower.com/outagetips.

Surprisingly, when I click on the link, there is no tip that says “RUN FOR YOUR LIVES.” Why isn’t that on there? Isn’t that what everyone does when things really start to suck? Like in Independence Day or World War Z? Just RUN. Anywhere. Follow the traffic! Because nothing bad ever happens when you do that. EVER.

Mega-Fire

The giant fire has been upgraded to a Mega-Fire. People have been evacuated and Interstate 84 has been shut down. It is the main trade route between Oregon and Idaho, and beyond.

I seriously hate summer.

“As firefighters continue to battle the Durkee Fire, an extreme weather system is forecast to roll into the local area Wednesday afternoon, pushing winds of up to 70 mph and triggering lightning.”

My question is how do they know a front is coming in when it is not visible on any radar we are allowed to see?

Jessica Reed, public information officer with the Durkee Fire incident command, said should the wind gusts pick up, firefighters would need to maintain a safe distance from the blaze, but crews would remain close enough to engage once the extreme weather system passes over.

Reed said the expected winds this afternoon are similar to those from the 2020 Labor Day wildfires in Oregon and along the West Coast that scorched thousands of acres and destroyed hundreds of homes.

Reed added that it’s important to note that the Durkee Fire has an incident management team with a meteorologist who can help firefighters prepare and protect structures and lives.  

Maybe, just maybe, because some of the logs that make up my house came through the Yellowstone mega-fire, there is a certain juju to this place I choose to call home. And if prayers are considered juju, then we are covered.

News from Alberta Canada:

Jasper National Park and surrounds have been evacuated due to wildfires burning there. Good Lord.

Prayers for all the firefighters, pilots and residents who have been forced to leave their homes or are on a get ready order. Prayers for America. Prayers for Canada. Prayers for The World.

God be with us all.

Hang on people.