For those living near the forest fires and smoke:
Baking soda: I don't know if this is smoke-related but am posting it just in case it is.
My goat feeder with baking soda in it has never been below a third full - today it was empty, like licked off the sides empty.
Please check yours in case the goats are consuming more to deal with the toxins in the smoke.
Replies
Thank you, Naomi, for all of us. For us personally (my goats and me), it is likely behind us. We finally got rain early Friday morning, complete with a lightening storm. Yesterday afternoon, I actually saw blue sky and soft clouds for the first time in over a week! It was like a new beginning. Our air quality meter finally made it to the green part of the gauge yesterday - we've all been watching it closely. For days, it was over 500. We have had smoke issues before but never more than a day or two; this is unprecedented. The good thing about the smoke versus Mt. St. Helen ash eruptions is the smoke does not clog the carburetors on our vehicles.
What has happened to so many hundreds/thousands is absolutely heart wrenching. Last year it was the horrific floods in the Midwest. Mother Nature rules, something many tend to forget.
Naomi D'Andrea said:
Glenna, I just read what you replied. Have you gotten rain yet? Any relief in your area?
I'm so sorry. It's heartbreaking to have animals depending on you and looking to you for help, when you can do nothing. How are they doing?
Thank you. There are thousands who need good thoughts and prayer.
As you can imagine, our air index is quite high - it has been in the hazardous zone for days. It varies a lot from location to location. For instance, my son lives two miles from me and his is almost always higher (20 or more points), while in north county (lots of trees, uncleared land) it can be 50-100 lower. Also, we are near the Columbia River so depending on air movement, it changes a lot. We are also getting a lot of smoke from Oregon (a few years ago, it was from California but only for a day or two, not like this) as well as from east of us (fires in the Gorge as well).
We have not seen the moon for days and when we can see the sun, it doesn't look like the sun. Visibility is usually less than half a mile. We are being told to stay home - I doubt many want to get outside anyway.
I don't think we have ever had more than 2-3 days smoke before (in recent years anyway). One of the problems is that, in Oregon anyway, professional firefighters and equipment are inadequate. The military helicopters usually used to help fight fires were sent to Afghanistan so there are four significant pieces of equipment not available - they are downplaying that because they said they could not fly because of the haze (though they did before!) and planes absolutely cannot fly though they are on standby. That means that all control has to be from the ground as well as no new supplies being dropped.
They are really encouraging people to use whatever they can - shovels, buckets of water, etc. - in their areas. More animals have had to be evacuated than ever before and many of the areas to take them to have been in evacuation zones. Some animals have had to be moved more than once. To top this off, there are people going around and setting fires! Several have been arrested. The mentality of someone like that is not even on the understand-it meter!!!
For me, because I live in town rather than a forested area, I am much safer than most. Right now, there are no fires that would jump the river (like two years ago with the fire started in the Gorge by the teenager's firecracker).
My poor goats come to me every time I go out, wanting me to fix it which I cannot. One of my sold babies has had to be moved twice but is safe though her family evacuated. She and her buddies were moved to another farm with other goats and seem to be doing well.
We are, currently, in no danger in our county, thankfully, but those south of us are suffering greatly. My niece, who lives in Bonney Lake (near Seattle), had to evacuate even though they live in a development because it is forested all around them with fires not too far away. One does not think of western Washington, as wet as it can be most of the year, would ever have a fire hazard but we do.
Of course, there are the looters trying to benefit from the evacuations so that is keeping law enforcement busy - they even have cars at the ends of private and dead-end roads to keep people out of evacuated areas.
On the positive side, major work on one span of the Interstate-5 bridge (lasting for days) was postponed to keep the freeway open for equipment movement. They have planned this work for years for when the river would be lowest but the fire danger took priority. For this time, at least, those in power made a good decision.
Rain was forecast for Tuesday (tomorrow), but now it doesn't look like it's going to happen - they changed the forecast for Thursday. Even a light rain would clear the air temporarily. Sadly, it will take more than a light rain to help bring the fires under control.
Of course, we have a fire-related issue that is heartbreaking as well. As the fires rage, animals are driven from their homes, those that can escape, meaning more predators also. People are being asked to put out water for all the animals so they wander less into populated areas. When this is over, they will have no place to go, those who do survive.
As of half an hour ago, our air index was at 523 - their graphs only go to 500 as does the meter though the meter gives the exact number. Message: "Everyone should stay indoors and reduce activity levels. Stay tuned to local news media for advisories." On the positive side, our ozone layer is good - like anyone cares at the moment.
I've noticed my goats are all laying on the ground, under a tree, where the air is likely a little cleaner. I'm glad they are being quiet but also concerned they are. I am wondering if this intense smoke can cause pneumonia (since ammonia smell does). My lungs ache when I go outside; I can only imagine what theirs are doing out there all the time.
From all reports, there is no end in sight - we are just hoping for rain, enough rain to help but not cause flooding.
Frankly, I feel almost guilty for being safe (except for breathing the smoke). Since my husband had to die, I am grateful he missed this as well as the pandemic (he died in December). He was having breathing issues toward the end so would likely not have survived this.
Again, thank you from all of us, people, goats, and all the others.
Aside: On the positive side, because of C-19 everyone has masks!
Naomi D'Andrea said:
I've been thinking about you, Glenna--and all the West coast folks with their kids! My heart is breaking for the land and lives.
Interesting! I'd love to hear if others are experiencing the same thing!