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Vitit Kantabutra | all galleries >> Galleries >> California > California Burning Gimp-autoleveled _DSC4888.JPG
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18-JUN-2008 Vitit Kantabutra

California Burning Gimp-autoleveled _DSC4888.JPG

The original photo is actually much smokier, but I ran Gimp's "autolevel" command on it to accentuate the fire and make it more visible.

Nikon D300
1/400s f/10.0 at 150.0mm iso250 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
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Vitit Kantabutra04-Aug-2008 03:03
I'm not sure where this was. The airplane at that point had entered land from the ocean, and we eventually landed at LAX. I don't know the California rainfall record this year either, but I do know that they have been having a bad fire year.

Here in Idaho which is not far at all from California, we initially received a lot of rain. However, since I return from Thailand on 18. June, each square foot here at home has received literally only a few drops of rain!! Strangely enough, the trees and plants are still mostly green due to rain received much earlier. The soil and roots must be incredibly good at holding the water!

I don't know much about the firefighting capabilities either. Many large fires do take more than 3 days to extinguish. Also, different states out here in the West help each other fight the fires. Every year the university sends letters to us the professors to give the students who are firefighters special consideration because they often have to fight fires here in Idaho or out of state around the beginning of the semester.
Jürgt 31-Jul-2008 14:10
Mo, this picture is frightening. Is this uninhabited land, or is it again near L.A.?
I understand the fires last year were the result of an unusal draught. But why these fires this year?
Does California have the same firefighting special troops with airplanes and fire-proof tanks as the French built-up in recent years to combat the fires in the Provence. We experienced such a fire not far from Lourmarin and watched the "battle" from a safe distance. It was like real war, with airborne water attacks supporting ground troops with water cannons, conducted by an airborne combat command and took 3 days to overcome the flames.
regards Jürg