Comments on: The Forgotten Fire http://www.damninteresting.com/the-forgotten-fire/ A collection of legitimately fascinating information culled from the past, present, and anticipated future. Tue, 22 May 2012 01:30:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Mirage_GSM http://www.damninteresting.com/the-forgotten-fire/#comment-24110 Mirage_GSM Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:19:49 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=889#comment-24110 [quote]nona said: "One thing - raymann, from what I understand from the article 'fire from space' isn't that exotic, that it's a usual cause of wildfires out there - perhaps metorites also started the original fires? Any metorite that reached us would be tiny, barely more than a piece of coal, but white hot. Back then, it's a more likely cause of fire then now, when we have lighters, and cigerette smokers, and glasses lens around."[/quote] Repeating the link Raymann posted: http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/news/salisburymeteor.html Curious, the way I read this, the meteorite theory is extremely unlikely, as any meteorite that is still hot enough on impact to cause a fire would also have to be fast enough to leave a good-sized crater. Most meteorites are actually covered with frost when they are found on the ground. (Detailed explanation in the link) [quote]nona said: “One thing – raymann, from what I understand from the article ‘fire from space’ isn’t that exotic, that it’s a usual cause of wildfires out there – perhaps metorites also started the original fires? Any metorite that reached us would be tiny, barely more than a piece of coal, but white hot. Back then, it’s a more likely cause of fire then now, when we have lighters, and cigerette smokers, and glasses lens around.”[/quote]
Repeating the link Raymann posted:
http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/news/salisburymeteor.html
Curious, the way I read this, the meteorite theory is extremely unlikely, as any meteorite that is still hot enough on impact to cause a fire would also have to be fast enough to leave a good-sized crater. Most meteorites are actually covered with frost when they are found on the ground. (Detailed explanation in the link)

]]> By: oldbogeydog http://www.damninteresting.com/the-forgotten-fire/#comment-21773 oldbogeydog Tue, 17 Jun 2008 21:17:43 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=889#comment-21773 Here's another very interesting article on the comet connection: http://www.sott.net/articles/show/148414-Comet-Biela-and-Mrs-O-Leary-s-Cow Here’s another very interesting article on the comet connection: http://www.sott.net/articles/show/148414-Comet-Biela-and-Mrs-O-Leary-s-Cow

]]> By: xstarsunskyx http://www.damninteresting.com/the-forgotten-fire/#comment-21332 xstarsunskyx Mon, 12 May 2008 23:52:29 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=889#comment-21332 [quote]Radiatidon said: At the Yellowstone fire, they were fighting to protect the Old Faithful Inn. Backfires had been set to burn the fuel closer to the Inn. Fire brakes were dug looking like trenches from WWI. The various buildings where showered with water in hopes of keeping the well aged and tempered wood from looking too inviting to the voracious hell-beast encroaching upon this majestic area. When the main blaze reached the Inn, we all felt that the historic building and we were safe. That is until the fire leaped in an amazing fireball over the Inn. Many stood amazed as the sky above them erupted into flame as the fire traveled over 600 feet bypassing the firebreak and the inn. Setting the forest afire on the far side. This also cut off the only escape as the inn was completely surrounded by flames in under five minutes. Everyone thought that this was it, trust in a fire blanket that nothing more than a flimsy piece of foil was hard to swallow. “Wrap yourself in it and it may protect you from the fire if you get surrounded.” Yeah right, thoughts of a baked-potato wrapped in tinfoil come to mind. No, I can understand what those people feared and why they stayed in the river. I really do…"[/quote] This is true I worked out in Yellowstone National Park and they talk about the fire that missed the Old Faithful Inn. As for the people staying in the river if your scared and know that water keeps you safe anyone would stay to make sure that t hey were safe even if they weren't really safe. People do stupid things out of fear sometimes seeming smart at the time but later finding out was dumb. [quote]Radiatidon said:
At the Yellowstone fire, they were fighting to protect the Old Faithful Inn. Backfires had been set to burn the fuel closer to the Inn. Fire brakes were dug looking like trenches from WWI. The various buildings where showered with water in hopes of keeping the well aged and tempered wood from looking too inviting to the voracious hell-beast encroaching upon this majestic area. When the main blaze reached the Inn, we all felt that the historic building and we were safe. That is until the fire leaped in an amazing fireball over the Inn. Many stood amazed as the sky above them erupted into flame as the fire traveled over 600 feet bypassing the firebreak and the inn. Setting the forest afire on the far side. This also cut off the only escape as the inn was completely surrounded by flames in under five minutes. Everyone thought that this was it, trust in a fire blanket that nothing more than a flimsy piece of foil was hard to swallow. “Wrap yourself in it and it may protect you from the fire if you get surrounded.” Yeah right, thoughts of a baked-potato wrapped in tinfoil come to mind.

No, I can understand what those people feared and why they stayed in the river. I really do…”[/quote]

This is true I worked out in Yellowstone National Park and they talk about the fire that missed the Old Faithful Inn. As for the people staying in the river if your scared and know that water keeps you safe anyone would stay to make sure that t hey were safe even if they weren’t really safe. People do stupid things out of fear sometimes seeming smart at the time but later finding out was dumb.

]]> By: xstarsunskyx http://www.damninteresting.com/the-forgotten-fire/#comment-21331 xstarsunskyx Mon, 12 May 2008 23:43:11 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=889#comment-21331 I have lived in Wisconsin my whole life and until today never heard about this fire. Sad that we don't even get taught this and we live here. Thank you Dan for this History lesson on my home state :) I have lived in Wisconsin my whole life and until today never heard about this fire. Sad that we don’t even get taught this and we live here.
Thank you Dan for this History lesson on my home state :)

]]> By: OmegaMan http://www.damninteresting.com/the-forgotten-fire/#comment-21142 OmegaMan Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:26:01 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=889#comment-21142 Unlike most of the articles on DI, I do remember reading about this tragedy way back in the 60's or 70's (I think Reader's Digest) and the coincidence of a passing comet and fires about the same time in other parts of the world was brought up. Unlike most of the articles on DI, I do remember reading about this tragedy way back in the 60′s or 70′s (I think Reader’s Digest) and the coincidence of a passing comet and fires about the same time in other parts of the world was brought up.

]]> By: RogueBroadcaster http://www.damninteresting.com/the-forgotten-fire/#comment-19036 RogueBroadcaster Thu, 20 Dec 2007 02:12:42 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=889#comment-19036 A hellish nightmare indeed. The fire at Peshtigo also ignited the extreme drought stricken area of Southern Door County, that being the area lying 15 or so miles across the Green Bay waters to the East. We have a well known park here in Door County, Wi. that has an old well as it's centerpiece. This well was used by 6 residents as shelter from the firestorm, however they all perished in the well. Old timers in this area say the violent winds carried debris across the bay setting this area ablaze. These events are written of extensively in history of Door County books. A hellish nightmare indeed. The fire at Peshtigo also ignited the extreme drought stricken area of Southern Door County, that being the area lying 15 or so miles across the Green Bay waters to the East. We have a well known park here in Door County, Wi. that has an old well as it’s centerpiece. This well was used by 6 residents as shelter from the firestorm, however they all perished in the well. Old timers in this area say the violent winds carried debris across the bay setting this area ablaze. These events are written of extensively in history of Door County books.

]]> By: oddharmonic http://www.damninteresting.com/the-forgotten-fire/#comment-18402 oddharmonic Thu, 15 Nov 2007 14:06:25 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=889#comment-18402 Yesterday at Making Light there was a discussion of the Hinckley, Minnesota fire of 1894. Came back to Peshtigo in the comments, where a few other Peshtigo books were mentioned (see comment #19): http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/009586.html Yesterday at Making Light there was a discussion of the Hinckley, Minnesota fire of 1894. Came back to Peshtigo in the comments, where a few other Peshtigo books were mentioned (see comment #19): http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/009586.html

]]> By: Anonymousx2 http://www.damninteresting.com/the-forgotten-fire/#comment-17787 Anonymousx2 Thu, 18 Oct 2007 11:06:20 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=889#comment-17787 Last. Last.

]]> By: Im-postle-able http://www.damninteresting.com/the-forgotten-fire/#comment-17485 Im-postle-able Tue, 02 Oct 2007 04:11:19 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=889#comment-17485 And you're proposing that the very sparse particles of a comets tail, drifted ALLLLL the way down from the atmosphere, through all the winds etc, into one location and had enough density of flammable gas to cause a huge fire upon ignition? Think about it... seriously... And you’re proposing that the very sparse particles of a comets tail, drifted ALLLLL the way down from the atmosphere, through all the winds etc, into one location and had enough density of flammable gas to cause a huge fire upon ignition?

Think about it… seriously…

]]> By: joshuats http://www.damninteresting.com/the-forgotten-fire/#comment-17453 joshuats Sat, 29 Sep 2007 14:50:49 +0000 http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=889#comment-17453 Radiation, LOL, I could not stop laughing. A new stinky source of energy to power, faster than light travel! No wonder those green men are probing us. OH and keep that tin-foil hat handy! Now back to my earlier proposed theory of extra-terrestrial gasses causing fires on earth. At least we know it wasn't this comet: http://www.thunderbolts.info/tpod/2004/arch/041122comets-tail.htm "When comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 broke apart, astronomers reasoned that the fractured nucleus would expose fresh ices that would sublimate furiously. So several ground-based telescopes and the Hubble Space Telescope trained their spectroscopes on the tails of the fragments of SL-9, looking for traces of volatile gases. None of the gases were found." But that does not mean that all comets are the same. and occasionally, every astronomers knows, earth runs into the path of wide spread tiny particles/debris, if the pieces are larger we get meteor showers : http://www.thunderbolts.info/tpod/2004/arch/041122comets-tail.htm And, on even rarer occasions, earth plows into large, very thin clouds of gas left behind by comets. A comet like this one, at least has flammable gas: http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/hotshots/2001_05_17/ "Hydrogen cloud around Comet LINEAR as observed by the SWAN instrument, almost a month before the comet disintegrated. The field of view is 21 million kilometres wide." Now, I know Hydrogen, would be to light to reach the surface to he earth in any large pocket of gas, but what about all the other gasses out there. Most of the gas giants in our solar system have some methane, where did it come from?. And please no more flatulence jokes. Radiation, LOL, I could not stop laughing.
A new stinky source of energy to power, faster than light travel!
No wonder those green men are probing us.
OH and keep that tin-foil hat handy!

Now back to my earlier proposed theory of extra-terrestrial gasses causing fires on earth.
At least we know it wasn’t this comet: http://www.thunderbolts.info/tpod/2004/arch/041122comets-tail.htm
“When comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 broke apart, astronomers reasoned that the fractured nucleus would expose fresh ices that would sublimate furiously. So several ground-based telescopes and the Hubble Space Telescope trained their spectroscopes on the tails of the fragments of SL-9, looking for traces of volatile gases. None of the gases were found.”

But that does not mean that all comets are the same.
and occasionally, every astronomers knows, earth runs into the path of wide spread tiny particles/debris, if the pieces are larger we get meteor showers :
http://www.thunderbolts.info/tpod/2004/arch/041122comets-tail.htm

And, on even rarer occasions, earth plows into large, very thin clouds of gas left behind by comets. A comet like this one, at least has flammable gas:
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/hotshots/2001_05_17/
“Hydrogen cloud around Comet LINEAR as observed by the SWAN instrument, almost a month before the comet disintegrated. The field of view is 21 million kilometres wide.”

Now, I know Hydrogen, would be to light to reach the surface to he earth in any large pocket of gas, but what about all the other gasses out there. Most of the gas giants in our solar system have some methane, where did it come from?. And please no more flatulence jokes.

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