Wildfires Near Las Vegas In Kyle Canyon Nevada

Las Vegas Skyline With Smoke From Wildfire Looming Overhead

The wildfire north of Las Vegas has moved to the Kyle Canyon Area. 

It started apparently Monday. I thought it started on the 1st, Tuesday when we were going up on a retreat. The smoke was visible for miles over our city today and a huge dark cloud of it is spreading throughout the evening. 

This is the largest fire in my memory and it is frightening that it is this close.

Images from Tuesday evening July 1st, 2013. From the Mt. Charleston Resort.

In my cousin's words, our beloved mountain is on fire. It is heartbreaking to watch and even more devastating to those that have had to evacuate. In the event of an emergency of this scale, your life is the most important thing you bring with you. No matter what you have in your home that is of any importance it can be replaced. You and your family cannot. You must leave, don't look back. It is like trying to out run a ticked off dragon.

Over the week I have watched at a distance as this scene painfully becomes darker and more frightening. The images tonight are positively prehistoric. They look like something from the top of a volcano!




This area is so rugged a terrain that they are having difficulty getting to the area and trying to shut off the fuel supply for this fire. There are craggy drops throughout these mountain areas and they are only accessible through a hiking trails. I think all they can do is let it burn to the cliff face and try to prevent it from coming down to the small town atop Mt. Charleston.

Images from around 4:30 pm shot near the Airport

Video of the Mt. Charleston Fire smoke covering the valley this afternoon. Tonight it is even thicker than this! People with breathing problems are urged to stay indoors as this fire continues to spread an the air is tinged with the ashes, smoke, and dust.

Video time lapse video 

About all they can do at this point is dump flame retardant and water from airplanes. Its not like you can just drive a fire truck up 12,000 feet of mountain. It is really making things difficult for firefighters.

These images were from sunset this evening July 8, 2013 - All images: M Burgess

What do you do to prepare for a wild fire crisis? 

Hope you have a good vehicle to run like the dickens! Keep your gas tank at least at 3/4 full, keep a change of clothes or two for each member of your family in a bag ready to go. If we are still in a functioning society you can get somewhere to shelter and be fed so emergency and survival items aren't as pressing, unless you are suspecting your vehicle to break down on the way out.

Tend to a bag for each of you and the animals you can take with you. Water for all. If your home is in the wake of something of this magnitude, there isn't much you can do. We see people in California showering their roof down and trying to stand up to the fires. Fire doesn't give. It consumes. If you are careless enough to think putting your life on the line for stuff and things you will probably suffer serious and even fatal injuries. Another thing to have prepared is a dust mask and a bandanna or a cloth you can put over your face to breath through if you are close to the smoke. If you have to, moisten it down a little.

In the safety of our families, I am asking for prayers for those that have had to leave and those who cannot. Please, pray for rain and the protection of the animals still trapped on these hills! There are wild horses, burros, ground squirrels and chipmunks, lizards, birds and many beautiful things on this once pristine area.

Mt. Charleston our hearts and tears are with you tonight!

Related news stories:

http://www.fox5vegas.com/story/22780010/mt-charleston-fire-containment-estimated-for-july-19

Mt. Charleston Memories

Preparedness For Your Pets - Continued

Lynn Kaatz Tin Metal Sign : Golden Memories - Amazon

With our family pets it is important to make a preparedness plan that includes them. 

Readiness for a dog will be marginally different than the preparedness we would plan for our family cat. 

I understand there are many of you that will bring your animals with you in the event of a disaster in your area. This is excellent advice IF you have a secure location to go TO. Your shelter is already set up for your animals. 

Many people are not as fortunate. In the event you decide at the last minute to go to a shelter and intend to bring your canine or feline baby with you - know that they will not be welcome, no matter how much you love them! When this may be the conditions of your bug out, planning ahead with some reasonable ideas will prevent a heartbreaking and unsafe situation for your family critter and yourselves.

Think ahead for your animal. Know what they may have to deal with in the event you have to leave them home and plan well for their safety and well being. In a question I posed to two separate Facebook Groups, I asked what people were planning for their pets in the event of an emergency. There were several very helpful pieces of advice in these conversations.

What I learned from them will undoubtedly help all of us pet owners in emergency situations.

I will detail other animals later. I am addressing standard house pets at this time.

Kindness Two Cute Kittens Art Print Poster - Amazon

When a large storm rolls through or a noisy situation is in play I can't tell you how many dogs, cats, and other beloved animals will bust loose and try to get away. The noise and the energy is scary to them and they go into the flight mode. Know your animals will do this. Keeping them safely where you know where they are and being prepared for them is the kindest thing you can offer them. There are too many homeless animals after the wake of severe disasters.

Let's start with what to do in a minor situation. 

We can count that as a power outage or a situation where we can remain at home. This situation is simple. Make sure you have adequate food and water for your animals and your family. Ideally we should stock and store about 3 to 6 months of food or more if we want to remain on a preparedness level within our home for just in case. These preparedness measures are for anything not just storms or nature disasters, it can be for the event of something impacting our finances. Prepping their foods into our food storage list reduces an additional stress item from our crisis. Pack a minimum of 2 weeks into your storage areas for your pets required nutritional needs. Plan for their water, also. Add the same amount of h2o they would drink in a few days time depending on the size of the animal.

Medium level disasters would be a fire or a flooding of our home. In this case, a packed emergency kit ready to go for our animals and each of our family members that will tend our needs temporarily until we are able to find a temporary home and assess the damage to our property. IF this is the case, finding a hotel or a friend that is pet friendly with us is a good thing to seek out BEFORE an event of this kind strikes. Maybe we can set up a tent or a shelter in the yard at the home. If this is the case the animal can stay with us.

Worst case scenarios would be an earthquake, fire, or a hurricane totally leveling our home. What if it is a total civil unrest situation and we are caught up in it? We are now in a bug out situation and if we are to travel with our animals we must make sure they can come with us safely. A travel cage and leashes are needed for our dogs and for our cat, too. If you have a rodent or some other exotic pet, a travel box that is secured for their comfort and vented is required. The worst thing we can do is leave an innocent animal to fend for themselves.

Packing a 72 hour kit for a dog or cat

1 gallon of water (depending on size of animal. A couple of small water bottles would be good for a cat.)

Large Ziplock Bag(s) With dry food for 3 days

3 Large cans of food

Can opener

Blanket

Towel

Washcloth

Water dish

Food Dish

Travel Crate

Leash / safety harness

Medicines (if needed)

Pet Vitamins (needed for the stress of evacuation!)

Pet First Aid Kit

If you have a more exotic family pet, make sure you can take them with you safely! We mean to bring them gently along with us, not damage them by the exit. Always consider their needs and put some thought into what they are going to need to travel with you in the even of emergency.

What pets would you have to prepare for?

Can you add to this list of preparedness items for an animal?

Thank you for visiting! Please, sign the guestbook and let me know you were here! Have a great day!