By Ted Grussing
… that is the term that the USFS is using to describe the prescribed burns that we are going to be choked out by this week … in fact it is already underway and they are going to be igniting them with full knowledge that the smoke will be coming down into the valleys and tens of thousands of human beings will be forced to breathe the horrible pollutants that they are putting into the air.
There are many studies showing the harm to humans from wood smoke and the fires planned for this week will be especially dangerous to us because of the low temperature fires they are starting at night … low temperature fire equals incomplete combustion and very dense thick dangerous smoke with many more toxins than a hot fire. The message that the Coconino Forest has sent out states that the winds are NE at night which will bury us in smoke, but switch to SE driving the smoke back out of here to the NE … looking at 48 hour forecast the winds are going to be from the NE and ENE for each of the next 48 hours … Amazing to me how the USFS always seems to burn during peak tourist season periods too. The News Release from the USFS has numbers you can call and make your views known. There is also a link on their website to register a complaint. Please be respectful when calling or writing, they will see to it that your opinions are shared with the fire managers who do this stuff … these are good guys!
The photo tonight I took on a midmorning flight today and shows a burn that is originating SSE of Mormon Lake and draining down into the Village of Oak Creek, Rim Rock, Camp Verde and spreading to the west to Cottonwood and other communities in the Verde Valley. The white line on the horizon is another fire which looks like it is draining into Payson, maybe Showlow and other communities. Enough with the smoke already … with all the fires we have had this year it would be nice to get a break, but that is not what happens. On the lower left of the photo is Schnebly Hill Road making its way up to the rim and on the back side of the near rock formation is Jacks Canyon and the Village areas filled with low lying smoke.
They know they are going to create health problems for many people in Sedona, the Village and all of the Verde Valley … and yet they do it … there has to be a special name for this kind of callous disregard for human health!
Cheers, we are here, breathing and we can vocalize our concerns over our health and we can make a difference.
Ted
And in this journey over a thousand hills and valleys called life, he is wisest who
is patient where the way is hard, has faith when he does not understand, and carries
into the dark places the light of a cheerful heart.
— Max Ehrmann
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The easiest way to reach Mr. Grussing is by email: ted@tedgrussing.com
In addition to sales of photographs already taken Ted does special shoots for patrons on request and also does air-to-air photography for those who want photographs of their airplanes in flight. All special photographic sessions are billed on an hourly basis.
Ted also does one-on-one workshops for those interested in learning the techniques he uses. By special arrangement Ted will do one-on-one aerial photography workshops which will include actual photo sessions in the air.
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