From a friend: “Scanner just went off for a smoke investigation on the Nacimento/Coast Ridge Road. Somebody from Lucia called it in– Nakarubi area. Forest Service is investigating – non burn day.”
” Ok – Martha talked to the owner at the fire site – old stump from Chalk Fire flared up – sending pump truck. Sounds like everything is under control.”
And FWIW, I cannot see ANY smoke from here, so whatever it is is very small.
WOW! Chalk Fire stump flare-up? Amazing! I guess anything can happen! Take care everyone.
It is amazing that a stump could burn for over a month and a half, through two sets of storm systems, several inches of rain, and record cold. But it DOES happen. A snag could keep smoldering underground through the roots, perhaps connecting to other roots in a burned-out stand of trees, on and on, until it reaches another remote stump and emerges. Called a “sleeper”, I witnessed just such a thing happen in the mountains of Idaho. A lightning strike that hit a slash pile and was extinguished by firefighters found its way underground through the root systems of a doug fir and ponderosa forest near Smith’s Ferry on the Payette River. About a month later,it erupted into a surprise fire that did a high-speed run up the slope, crowning all the way. Highway 55 was closed and we we got to see the action first-hand. Fortunately, it was contained after burning about 500-1000 acres in a few hours. So, I’m a believer here.