# 2021 US West drought and wildfire thread
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-us-west-drought-and-wildfire-thread/943991
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [June 10, 2021, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-us-west-drought-and-wildfire-thread/943991 "2021-06-10T18:17:30Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2021, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-us-west-drought-and-wildfire-thread/943991/21 "2021-06-13T05:43:12Z")
> [@blondebear](#):
>
> If you live in the western states it’s probably a good idea to buy an air purifier now before the inevitable fires start burning out here.
Before? Here in Arizona, [we have already lost over 165,000 acres](https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-wildfires/2021/06/12/telegraph-slate-mescal-fires-crews-make-progress-on-arizona-blazes/7670902002/).
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### Author:  [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2021, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-us-west-drought-and-wildfire-thread/943991/22 "2021-06-13T13:56:21Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#):
>
> Because this drought isn’t just along the Colorado: there’s no water west of the Rockies and south of Seattle.
To be more accurate, south of Portland. We’ve gotten adequate amounts of water here in northwest Oregon. The Klamath Falls area in southern Oregon is in major drought. In fact, last night was rainy here, as was the day before, and I don’t think Klamath Falls got any. So somewhere in between is where the drought starts in western Oregon.
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### Author:  [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2021, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-us-west-drought-and-wildfire-thread/943991/23 "2021-06-13T14:43:55Z")
Thanks; appreciate the correction and clarification.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2021, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-us-west-drought-and-wildfire-thread/943991/24 "2021-06-13T16:27:18Z")
> [@dtilque](#):
>
> To be more accurate, south of Portland. We’ve gotten adequate amounts of water here in northwest Oregon. The Klamath Falls area in southern Oregon is in major drought. In fact, last night was rainy here, as was the day before, and I don’t think Klamath Falls got any. So somewhere in between is where the drought starts in western Oregon.
Here’s the current U.S. drought conditions map (at least, current as of last week). Southern Oregon is definitely in worse shape, but the entire state of Oregon is experiencing some level of drought conditions.
[https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/](https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/)
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### Author:  [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2021, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-us-west-drought-and-wildfire-thread/943991/25 "2021-06-14T15:41:36Z")
We are in drought conditions way up near the Canadian border. I am dreading the smoke season. Last year was a bit of a respite, but I’m guessing those breaks come much more rarely.
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### Author:  [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2021, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-us-west-drought-and-wildfire-thread/943991/26 "2021-06-14T16:29:35Z")
Yeah. Live in a forest in the Colorado mountains. It’s scary. And yep, the smoke from other fires can be bad.
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### Author:  [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2021, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-us-west-drought-and-wildfire-thread/943991/27 "2021-06-14T17:03:33Z")
Wandering around spots like Mt. Diablo this spring I’ve been increasingly alarmed by the large number of dead and dying pine trees virtually everywhere you look. The conflagration is primed, we just have to pray ignition sources are controlled.
Last year was a little unusual in the number and frequency of dry lightning strikes - we aren’t necessarily foredoomed to a worse fire season this year. But conditions are absolutely worse. All it will take for it to get really ugly is the flip of a coin.
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### Author:  [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2021, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-us-west-drought-and-wildfire-thread/943991/28 "2021-06-14T18:02:01Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#):
>
> Southern Oregon is definitely in worse shape, but the entire state of Oregon is experiencing some level of drought conditions.
Of course, that map is from about a week ago. In the last few days we’ve gotten lots and lots of rain here in the Portland area. And will probably get much more in the coming week or two. I don’t know how far south and east this rain extends, but I’d say any drought conditions here are likely over.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2021, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-us-west-drought-and-wildfire-thread/943991/29 "2021-06-14T18:09:34Z")
Good point, and the “S” that is on that map, over the Portland area, indicates that the drought conditions which were in place as of early last week were “short term” in nature, indicating that a few days of heavy rainfall would have a good chance of ameliorating the water deficit. OTOH, over a lot of the country that’s in drought, the map shows “SL,” meaning that the drought situation is both short-term and long-term in nature.
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### Author:  [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2021, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-us-west-drought-and-wildfire-thread/943991/30 "2021-06-14T20:52:52Z")
[inciweb Incident web portal](https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/) Is a great place to look for information about current fires.
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### Author:  [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2021, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-us-west-drought-and-wildfire-thread/943991/31 "2021-06-15T04:25:56Z")
The Cornville AZ fire near Sedona has forced evacuations already.
We have a a fire burning outside of Las Vegas in Cottonwood Valley.
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### Author:  [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2021, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-us-west-drought-and-wildfire-thread/943991/32 "2021-06-15T04:44:42Z")
The Casitas Fire near Ojai CA is causing some evacuations.
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### Author:  [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2021, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-us-west-drought-and-wildfire-thread/943991/33 "2021-06-15T04:51:12Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#):
>
> Wider strategies may include outlawing non-functional/ornamental grass and other plants, reducing power consumption, increasing local water reclamation, etc. Many places, such as Las Vegas and Phoenix, already have decades of experience doing these kinds of things and always moving towards greater efficiency.
>
> The thing is, it won’t be enough. It already isn’t enough. And this is going to affect more than just the 40 million people in 7 states that rely on the Colorado River water to live and work.
>
> And the first thing that people are going to really notice, IMO, is food. Food prices are going to go up and food itself may become scarce.
>
> Ranchers are already in the process of selling of cattle. Feed prices have more than doubled in the past year and they can’t find enough water to keep their herds alive. So they sell them now and hope to re-stock next year. Except next year may be worse than this year, and this year is already worse than last year. Many are leaving the business, unable to continue any longer.
>
> Farmers are also having trouble. Some farmers have planted crops and now can’t get enough water to bring them to market. And some are already cashing out, unable to continue financially any longer.
>
> All of the means that there may be less food available, both meat and produce, in the near future _and_ what is available is almost guaranteed to cost substantially more than it does today.
>
> Because this drought isn’t just along the Colorado: there’s no water west of the Rockies and south of Seattle. This is a big, big problem.
In case folks think I’m exaggerating, here’s some news stories:
California:
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lx6LLR-C40)
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgmjdAcIu1U)
Utah:
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL2RaRl1UWQ)
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### Author:  [@Tride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tride)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2021, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-us-west-drought-and-wildfire-thread/943991/34 "2021-06-15T12:50:39Z")
72 degrees at 6 am and windy. Got to 99.7 yesterday, in Montana. In June. When it’s supposed to be the rainy season. And we’re doing better than most of the rest of the West!
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### Author:  [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2021, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-us-west-drought-and-wildfire-thread/943991/35 "2021-06-15T14:00:25Z")
Here is another for you:
> **[Idaho's ongoing drought halts some irrigation months early](https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/jun/14/idahos-ongoing-drought-halts-some-irrigation-month/)**
>
> Associated Press
Irrigation shut off in June rather than September. I grew up in alfalfa land and that first cutting typically required very little irrigation. That it was a stunted cutting w/ irrigation is scary. Plus, it will be their only cutting.
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### Author:  [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2021, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-us-west-drought-and-wildfire-thread/943991/36 "2021-06-15T17:40:38Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#):
>
> The Cornville AZ fire near Sedona has forced evacuations already.
The Telegraph fire (which forced evacuations before the Cornville fire had started) is the largest fire in recorded state history.
The sky is so hazy that last night I wasn’t able to make out a single star and usually our nights are very dark.
Fire season has only begun, half the state is going to be char by the end of the year.
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### Author:  [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2021, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-us-west-drought-and-wildfire-thread/943991/37 "2021-06-15T18:05:32Z")
Too late to edit, but I misread the report, the Telegraph fire is the 10th largest fire in recorded state history. So far, we’ve lost 170,000 acres.
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### Author:  [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2021, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-us-west-drought-and-wildfire-thread/943991/38 "2021-06-15T19:00:52Z")
> [@dtilque](#):
>
> Of course, that map is from about a week ago. In the last few days we’ve gotten lots and lots of rain here in the Portland area. And will probably get much more in the coming week or two. I don’t know how far south and east this rain extends, but I’d say any drought conditions here are likely over.
No, our water supply in Portland and the northern valley is mostly driven by snowpack on Mt. Hood. Hood had negative accumulation (i.e., snow was melting, not falling) over the last few days. The rain provided a very short-term benefit in that lawns and fields don’t need irrigation for a few days, but it didn’t really touch the water supply for this summer and fall.
As of last week, Portland was on the edge of moderate and severe drought, and the northern valley (where most of the agriculture is), is squarely in severe. That’s not fixed by an inch of rain.
> [@kenobi\_65](#):
>
> the “S” that is on that map, over the Portland area, indicates that the drought conditions which were in place as of early last week were “short term” in nature, indicating that a few days of heavy rainfall would have a good chance of ameliorating the water deficit.
“Short-term” means over the next six months. Crop failure in 2021 would be considered a short term effect, although we’d think of that as pretty severe. Long term would be things like an aquifer being drained. Short term certainly doesn’t suggest the drought can be ameliorating by heavy rainfall for a day.
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### Author:  [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2021, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-us-west-drought-and-wildfire-thread/943991/39 "2021-06-15T19:15:19Z")
> [@JaneDoe42](#):
>
> The sky is so hazy that last night I wasn’t able to make out a single star and usually our nights are very dark.
Today on my morning outing I noticed that the sky was hazy in all directions. Arizona, to the SE of me, is noticeably worse than any other direction.
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### Author:  [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2021, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-us-west-drought-and-wildfire-thread/943991/40 "2021-06-15T20:38:49Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#):
>
> Truckee in California
Ouch man. I know Las Vegans pretend the rest of the state doesn’t exist but come on.
I expect fires for sure. Along with air purifiers, make sure you have a backup supply of house filters. I got a cleanable one.
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