Inciweb

So I live in a southern border state near the border.
Very rural remote and sparsely populated. Neighbors separated by 1/2 mile to 1 mile typically.
Questions below (story after):
What would count as evidence to my defense....
-Recorded conversations with neighbors saying they smelled or saw smoke?
-Facebook comments?
- Text messages?
- Any suggestions?
Story:
I called in 2 fires within 7 days, including follow up calls. First one turned out to be a fire couple miles away. I called it in before it was on any social media or on the web at all. Both times I called they had a skeptical tone of voice. It also felt like they didn't want to be bothered.
The 2nd time I called--several days later-- there was a sudden surge of massive smoke and ash (this was at 9pm at night so harder to see direction, but could still see smoke and ash in air). It reminded me exactly of previous mega-fire that I lived by a few years ago at a different location around the time it started. Due to their skepticism on the phone, I assured them it is not backyard burning or wood stoves due to how tall and wide the smoke/ash was (nobody was doing anything like that recently or has ever created anywhere near that much smoke with fireplace/wood stove). Also it had a natural vegetation burn smell characteristic of wildfire which ruled out backyard burning (as well as the height/width of smoke/ash mentioned earlier). Note that they were skeptical too when I called the first time several days before when there was a fire very close. So I called it in and told them exactly all of this above. This was around 9 pm. This massive level of smoke/ash continued till around 130 am or so and then fizzled away gradually by 6am...surprisingly since given how prominent it was for several hours it seemed like a mega fire was starting.
I was outside. Most were likely inside during those hours. 9pm to 130am.
One person on facebook said they
"woke up to a faint scent of smoke smell in the morning."
​
Another person via text message said
[in the morning]" it was very hazy like there was a lot of smoke but I didn't smell it".
It turned out according to the officials that there was no wildfire at least immediately nearby . Later, I was told by the operator later that there were multiple controlled burns nearby.
Sheriff claims deputies went there when I called and didn't smell anything. Hmmm.
Sherriff said:
A state entity was urging them to press charges (this is same entity that sounded uninterested on the phone during my report).
"they [referring to state entities sending out resources searching for a "ghost"] are going to start and requesting charges be filed...we do it all the time for people who make false reports"
The sheriff told me they sent 2 helicopters. However I didn't hear any.
I also looked at flightradar24's website replay and didn't see any helicopters either. Typically fire response is on the flightradar maps.
Sheriff also told me:
"if you can't actively see the origin of the fire and know exactly where it is, I would not report it...""
The implication was they will charge me if this happens again.
I live by a big mountain blocking view or any fire coming from the direction of the smoke and ash. Mega fire can easily break out here (and historically have).As noted, It's super sparsely populated and just not enough people out here to be able to catch it precisely and then you have the type of people who assume others will report it, and so it may never get reported until it's way too late.
Internet searches for fire maps, at least that early in fire progression, are historically really poor and unorganized and spread across multiple sites and/or social media, very often published much later. When I called in the first fire which turned out to be 1-2 miles away, there was nothing on the internet at the time. As as far as I know there is no one site ( yes I've tried inciweb and others)that captures all the active fires (there are many more fires than you read about on the news) at least in the early stages, and some are mentioned across multiple different social media platforms so it's hard to cover all your grounds searching. Even now the first fire was mentioned on sheriff's facebook but not other county facebook fire pages....corroborating my claim above...how you have juggle through so many sources many of which most don't even know about.
It seemed he wasn't going to charge me this time but not entirely sure yet, and I'm concerned that if I say or do something in the future that triggers them that they may use that as an opportunity to bring this back up and charge me. I'm talking about something as simple as a social media post that they disagree with on whatever topic, perhaps political. I don't want to walk on eggshells.
I don't know how I can be expected to give perfect directions, especially at night. feel the operators should be trained to calibrate for this. It's not like I have military grade technology googles and lights and such. I thought I did a great job and did the right thing. What if there was a fire and it burned away everything here and they tried to charge me for not reporting (if that's even a thing?)? Last year during a mega fire, it looked like it was coming from about 10 or 20 degrees from its actual location so there is an aspect of potential spatial distortion as well when reporting and I think the operators should have training to adjust for that. People can't be expected to know how to adjust for that.
Just in case they change their mind and follow through I want to hire a lawyer (what kind of lawyer?) to get instructions on how to get as much evidence as I can to support my defense.
I want to start now before people forget last Sunday night. Questions are in the beginning of the post.
By the same token, they should probably pay people who call and report fires early and precisely since think about how much money they would have saved on response doing that.
You simply can't be perfect every time. Nobody can take any action with that level of expectation. This kind of threat of being charged I think makes it worse because then if people find about how easy it is for them to charge you and willing they are, nobody will want to report and then there will be more fires and more money will have to be spent on response.

Does anyone have a scrape of inciweb or calfire? Inciweb in particular is bad for going down.
I am looking for records of historical fires.

Did anybody see the large amount of brown smoke rising up over the southwest corner of the Gorge earlier this afternoon, on the Oregon side? It looked like it was coming from one of the hills just past Troutdale. I first noticed it on my ride this afternoon as I was going down Ellsworth to grap Evergreen... "WTF? It's 1:30, this can't be sunset already..."
With all the rain lately I can't imagine it being a forest fire though I could fathom a fire getting out of control with the strong wind. It was still going when I last had a view of the area around 1545 or so, going north through the barracks. Prescribed burn, maybe?
EDIT: At present (1738 PST) Inciweb shows nothing.

I see smoke from the Lobo trail. Unclear from where
Possibly a controlled burn? https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-information/coarf-slash-pile-burning-20222023

Official info sources including maps...
Official Map https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/19ce354ba5854fd1850e5aca55e4c534
http://cresa911.org/2022/10/11/nakia-creek-fire-updates/
https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/8443/72621/
https://twitter.com/ClarkCoSheriff
https://twitter.com/hashtag/NakiaCreekFire

From https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/photographs/8443

I apologize in advance if this is a frequent theme here, but I am not familiar with the area and can’t find a reassuring answer online.
I am trying to arrange a last minute trip to Tahoe/Yosemite for next week (10/1 through 10/9) after having to cancel a trip due to Hurricane Ian and am concerned about the Mosquito Fire and air conditions. Is this a reason that I should avoid visiting the area?
I have been searching online, and it looks like the air conditions were very bad a couple of weeks ago due to the fire, but it seems that there was rain and that conditions have markedly improved since then.
Looking online, InciWeb the Incident Information System (nwcg.gov) shows 85% containment and the fire/air conditions map on Fire and Smoke Map (airnow.gov) shows good air conditions around Lake Tahoe currently, but I am not sure how likely this is to change. It also looks like the fire is mostly West of Tahoe and prevailing winds are forecasted out of the South, so it seems that this would help air conditions, but I have never lived in an area with frequent fires and don’t know anything about this stuff.
Edit - just wanted to thank everyone for the responses. That was reassuring and I decided to book tickets. I have wanted to come visit for a long time now and am excited that I am finally getting the chance.

NASA FIRMS hotspot detection map (Updates a few times per day)
AlertWildfire Towercam System - Dead Mt.
AirQuality and Smoke map
Windy - Amazing weather visualization tool, excellent for wind vector presentation based on WX station data interpolation
Lane County Cedar Creek Fire Info
Cedar creek evacuation map
Inciweb link for Cedar Creek Fire
Video updates from the Fire Incident Team
Daily satellite image map
​
Edit: Will be adding things as I find them.

From SGWA:
The Radford fire started September 5 and according to Inciweb, is currently burning north of Hwy 38 in the Barton Flats area. Hwy 38 is once again closed and the San Bernardino Sheriffs Department has issued evacuation orders for the area between Glass Road and South Fork River Road.
https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8390/

Looking to fly cross-country with my partner and do ~6.5 days in the PNW in late Septembeearly October. I've been using national parks' websites, AllTrails/WTA, and Google/Youtube to research for weeks. Suffering from information overload. Thought perhaps some knowledgeable folks could help me identify ideal places within our parameters.
Our parameters: We are both pretty fat, but also decently active. I think we could handle hiking a total of 5-6 miles in a day, but we'd want to avoid anything too steep or precarious. Bad knees and not a lot of experience with heights. Definitely prioritizing areas where the car can get us close.
Assuming that we will fly in/out of either Portland or Seattle and do some kind of squiggle or loop route. Neither of us have ever traveled very much so we want to take in as diverse a set of experiences as possible without going too fast that we can't appreciate anything. Will rent a car and have a comfortable budget.
​
A couple of general questions:
A. Wildfires. We live thousands of miles from any wildfires, so excuse my ignorance regarding them and the extent of their effects (I've been looking at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/ to research and follow). Is this something we should be concerned with? How far away should we stay? I had hoped to see Bend, OR, Crater Lake and Redwood National Park, but I see many fires that nearby. Is it possible they might be ensconced in smoke 6 weeks from now? Would the Seattle airport be more reliable than Portland as far as avoiding potential delays or cancellations in air travel?
B. What are some general travel tips that you have found to be especially important in the PNW? We have very little experience with air travel, major city travel, mountains/higher elevation areas, and well, anything, apparently.
C. Night-time travel. Our packed itinerary is going to include some post-sunset driving in unfamiliar (and unusually rural, to us) areas. Up in Maine I was told to be extra careful driving, since the moose they have there are big enough to seriously injure people in automobiles (not to mention what happens to the poor moose).
​
That said, here's my list of things that have me so jazzed about visiting the PNW. If anyone has any recommendations, words of caution, or whatever, regarding any of the following, I would love to read it! Thank you!
​

1. Glaciers. I've never seen a glacier and am very excited to. Would absolutely love the opportunity to get right up to one (though I'm sure the "no steep hikes" might rule that out). What park/trail might give me the best opportunity to see one without a perilous hike/climb?
2. Glacial lakes. I'm fascinated with the chalky blue colors of glacial melt lakes. What might be a good one to visit that isn't too far out of the way from western WA (and not too difficult of a hike)? Again, the opportunity to get up close would be great. I am torn about trying to squeeze the North Cascades in with everything else. Seems like the best or only place to find this?
3. Mountains/grand vistas. Never seen much beyond driving through highways in stubby Appalachian mountains. I would like to experience some of those grand, sweeping views that give you a special feeling of perspective. Assuming Rainier will be the top destination. Still trying to figure out where to go, specifically. Also, I am oddly fascinated with mountain wildflowers, but I assume they'll be just out of season by the end of Sept.
4. Rainforest. Very excited to see this area of Olympic park! Read good things about both Hoh and Quinault. Where are the best places to get that ethereal, otherworldly experience? It's been difficult to map a route that can incorporate these areas conveniently, but seeing the rainforest is a must.
5. Coast. Neither of us have ever seen the Pacific ocean. No idea what to see or do here, but would definitely like to see it. A rocky beach cave a la Goonies? Some kind of seafaring adventure? Peaceful coves? Fat people have historically been at odds with beaches, but I am willing to extend an olive garden branch here and attempt to have a positive experience. Would consider splurging for a nicer hotel here for a unique experience. Assuming we'll be in the coastal area between Hoh/Forks area and as far south as Tillamook.
6. Astronomy. I love the night sky and we live in an area of high light pollution. Any good areas or general suggestions on finding safe and easily accessible areas for stargazing? I don't think we'll be comfortable hiking around any remote areas in the dark. Maybe one of the major parks has an observatory or runs a telescope night for people? Perhaps not. Now that I think about it, I'm guessing that the land of perpetual rain and mist doesn't have many starry nights... But if we get lucky weather-wise, I'd love to know a couple of good options.
7. Volcanoes or anything geothermal-related. Never seen or been near a volcano (active or extinct). Hot springs, vents, lava flows, lava tubes--never seen anything like it. In the first iteration of this journey we were going to end up down at Lassen, but it's just too far to stretch. Thinking Bend, OR might be good? Are there cool things to see and visit further north/west? Is Mt. St. Helens worth visiting over other possible sites?
8. Old growth forests/tree tourism. I'm fascinated by superlative trees. Tallest, oldest, biggest, mossiest, etc. Our initial plans were to dip down to Crescent City (by way of Crater Lake) and go to Redwood National Park. If it's safe to do so with the fires, we might try (though it chews up a lot of hours to drive that much). It seems like the West coast has some of the most special trees in the world.
9. Unique Landscapes - I was looking at Smith Rock Park in Terrebonne, OR. It looks like a slice of the southwest! Did I just see one carefully shot photo or is this place the real deal? Any other unique places to see, similar to this? Also interested in ice caves, caves in general, waterfalls, cascades. Anything you don't get in a cookie-cutter suburb, I guess!
10. Science/Culture/History - We talked about the Willamette Valley being the end point to the Oregon Trail and how that would be cool to see for us. We are interested in museums, parks, historical sites, or similar places. Ideally places that highlight or emphasize features that are unique to the region. (Like, I don't want to cross the country just to spend a day inside a museum that feels identical to a museum in Toronto)
11. City destinations. Not sure if Portland is our jam, but we'd give it a quick shot, I suppose. We'd definitely like to do a fancy downtown night in Seattle--perhaps with a hotel nicer than an Econolodge on this special occasion. Space Needle, Pike's Market, sushi/Ramen/seafood, and coffee on the list so far. I loved all the Seattle bands growing up in the 90s. Are there old venues from the grunge era still going today? If we want to travel more than a few blocks without a car, is it more of a public transit city or a find a taxi kind of city?
12. Canada - Any good day trips or over-nighters to be done in British Columbia? And is the border even open? I went through the Canadian government's website and did their questionnaire, and it just said that I was "likely" to be admitted to Canada, but it was up to the discretion of the agent. I don't know if that was always the language, but it has us reluctant to count on any international travel in this trip. We do have passports and covid vaccination cards. Have people been able to travel to and from BC back to the US for leisure travel? Or is it wiser to not risk a potential hang-up?

https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/2022/08/10/oregon-hit-by-5400-strikes-igniting-124-mostly-small-wildfires-inciweb/65399118007/

• https://www.sfgate.com/california-wildfires/article/McKinney-Fire-explodes-in-Northern-California-17340155.php
  
• https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-07-30/fire-near-california-oregon-border-grows-explosively-overnight
  
• https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-07-29/mckinney-fire-near-yreka-evacuations-all-time-high-temperature-record
  
• Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8287/
  
• CalFire: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2022/7/29/mckinney-fire/
  
• https://wildfiretoday.com/2022/07/30/mckinney-fire-prompts-evacuations-northwest-of-yreka-ca/
  
• https://twitter.com/Weather_West/status/1553394981460578304?t=GVcXc4-mQBRt3TmRxx3I0Q&s=19
  
• https://twitter.com/Klamath_NF/status/1553405595209715712?t=kxGp6pymqghHWjjOoOVYEw&s=19
  

Over the past several years, I have developed the habit of visiting this useful--although not cheering me up--website.
"InciWeb is an interagency all-risk incident information management system. The system was developed with two primary missions:

1. Provide the public a single source of incident related information
2. Provide a standardized reporting tool for the Public Affairs community"

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov
I consider it a responsible practice.

So, serious note: Please send any kinds of good vibes or thoughts or prayers or whatever your jam is in the direction of Wawona, a small town within Yosemite National Park in California. I just got back from spending an amazing getaway there with two really awesome people, and within just a couple of hours after I left, the Washburn fire started and that whole area - including where we had just stayed - was evacuated and remains that way. There's a lot of concern for both the small town and for the Mariposa Grove, a big sequoia forest, and it's been painful to watch.
But, the truly great good-thing item is that so far the trees and the buildings and the people all seem to be faring OK. Which is wonderful to hear.
I do have quite the mail pile-up from my traveling (Yosemite was bookended by two long weekends in Washington state), so please excuse that these thanks might not be the most verbose:
u/welshfancy (x2) - You are AMAZING. Your Christmas-in-July card and your other postcard with its amazing gifts absolutely made coming home much more bearable!
u/AppleCritter723 (x2) - My friend, you rock! This rainbow card and "You Make the World a Better Place" postcard are both lovely.
u/malozing_running (x2) - Yay! Both Aeor and Rexxentrum CR postcards arrived and joined my growing collection. But your big news was the happiest part - I hope you had a wonderful day and are enjoying the aftermath as well!
u/TigerLady13 (x2) - I loved your vintage postcards from Iowa and New York! I realize I think I have been waiting for a new address for you to send some things - would you be willing to send me whatever the best one is? (Also, that Kelvin Klein joke was great!)
u/robusto_esplendido - This William Blake tarot postcard is awesome. Thank you!
u/birdiebennett - Hello, friend! I am so glad to have gotten your postcard. What's new with me... woof. The good news is if I write it all out, I might finally use up some of my card stash, it'll take a FEW! :) I hope the per-diem move has been helping give you time to think!
u/Alli_cat - Hi there! I was glad to get your feather postcard. I hope your new craft projects are going well! I just did my first pour paintings and love them.
u/lonelytwatwaffle (x2) - I LOVE YOU. I got your miss-you postcard which is making me sure we need a Zoom date, and your Pensacola postcard, and they both made me think of you and say "Her. I'm glad she exists in my world." So there.
u/K_the_Engineer_ - Hello! Thank you for sharing the awesome gnome postcard and telling me your good thing - I'm glad you got to share your friends' special day! Nice to "meet" you too.
u/Starboard44 - Thank you for the amazing flower card! And welcome to RAoC - I hope you end up loving it here as much as I do!
u/mikepenpal6 - I adore your Pride card, friend! Soooo pretty and perfect. I think discovering myself is exactly my favorite part of Pride even though I really only just go with generally "queer" as my label. That's the best part, to me - just a chance to be in a space where I don't have to be anything in particular, you know?
u/cswl (x3) - Hello dear one! Your three cards were a delight - but hearing from you is the best part. Your boundary with your mom makes TOTAL sense to me. And as far as optimism... basically my only strategy is exactly the reframing one, trying to make sure I am actively noting the positives as well as the challenges. Seeing your gratitude list card was an amazing reminder for me to note some of my own!

Inciweb- https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8209/
Yosemite webcams (to check real time conditions)- https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm
Yosemite park closures and restrictions- https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/conditions.htm
Purple Air (air quality sensors)- https://map.purpleair.com/1/i/mAQI/a10/p604800/cC5#8.22/37.579/-119.424
@yosemitefire is posting some videos and updates on instagram

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8198/

Heya! We were just up at lodgepole and the day we drove through the giant forest we discovered a prescribed burn is going on in the area from June 9th through june 19th! The smoke was getting pretty thick in the general Sherman area when we drove out yesterday so I just wanted to share the info on this prescribed burn for anyone heading there this weekend.
https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8130/
https://www.nps.gov/seki/learn/news/dates-selected-for-tharps-hazelwood-prescribed-burn.htm

I spent a few years as a wildfire PIO (Type 2) and tried sharing a link to the fire information page here. It got deleted. So I’ll try one more time…
https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8152/
This is a national group that consolidates reports from incidents all over the country. These are the same briefings and products that the media uses to generate their reports. It’s a useful site for when things go sideways.

These high winds are stressing me out! And now I have reduced visibility to the west and I can’t tell if it is dust or smoke. I keep going to this sub for updates. But is there a better website to go to for breaking news? Reddit seems to often be well ahead of any of the local news stations. Inciweb doesn’t seem to be as current as Reddit it either.