Wildfires – Syndication Server

Hawaii-born Saints center Max Unger encourages Maui wildfire relief

Hawaii-born Saints center Max Unger encouraged fans to support Maui wildfire relief efforts: ‘There’s a lot of people out there who are in dire, dire need of help’

Several former New Orleans Saints players are stepping up to support their home state — the Hawaiian island of Maui was recently ravaged by deadly wildfires, and guys like retired linebacker Manti Te’o and Pro Bowl center Max Unger doing their part to help relief efforts. Unger recently spoke about the situation and encouraged anyone with the means to help out to do so.

“It’s hard to read the articles and kind of follow it blow-by-blow, just because it’s so unthinkable,” Unger said on Seattle sports radio with hosts Brock Huard and Mike Salk. “I know that area pretty well. I haven’t spent a lot of time there but I know a handful of people who live there, people I played (football) with, it’s hard. You drive by there and realize it’s, for the most part, completely gone. It doesn’t compute with me.”

Unger acknowledged that something he’s cherished about life on the islands — he’s a fifth-generation Hawaiian, with long-running family ties on The Big Island — is the isolation and privacy from busy life on the American mainland, but that same partitioning becomes a challenge when emergency strikes. So he’s all the more grateful to see so many people reaching out to help.

He also spoke on the topic on another Seattle sports talk show with Dave Mahler and Dick Fain: “There’s just a lot of need right now, it’s just a call to anyone who’s got anything to spare. Donate to your favorite charity, I know there’s a lot there. There’s a lot of people out there who are in dire, dire need of help.”

The Saints got a good one in Unger, and odds are the Seahawks would love the chance at a do-over — they’re still searching for his replacement after cycling through nearly a dozen different centers since trading him to New Orleans back in 2015. Unger went on to win Pro Bowl recognition with the Saints before retiring on his own terms and going home to the islands.

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Devastating images of the Maui Fire aftermath

Thousands of acres have been destroyed, including businesses, homes, and tourist destinations.

York Fire burns Joshua trees, brings ‘fire tornado’ to Mojave National Preserve

Firefighters are working to contain the blaze.

At Mojave National Preserve, a wildfire and intense winds are whipping flames across the land. The blaze has been dubbed the York Fire and is California’s largest of the year. As of August 2, the fire is 30% contained. National Park Service (NPS) officials report that the region’s famous Joshua trees face irreversible harm from the fire.

According to data from InciWeb, the York Fire began on July 28 in California’s New York Mountains. Since then, the fire has spread into Mojave National Preserve and crossed state lines into Nevada. The blaze has covered 82,437 acres and “continues to grow to the northeast.”

Firefighters working to contain the flames are reportedly experiencing difficulties due to fire whirls, aka “fire tornadoes.” InciWeb defines a fire whirl as “a vortex of flames and smoke that forms when intense heat and turbulent winds combine, creating a spinning column of fire.” This unpredictable phenomenon can cause flames to spread and make conditions more dangerous for firefighters.

Yuccas on fire with blurry fire in the background. — Yuccas burning during the York Fire in Mojave National Preserve on July 30, 2023. / *Photo by DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images*

As containment efforts persist, conservationists and Mojave National Preserve staff worry over the fate of the region’s native vegetation. Many of the Mojave Desert’s iconic Joshua trees have already been destroyed in the fire. According to the NPS, “If an area with Joshua trees burns through, most will not survive and reproduction in that area is made more difficult.”

Laura Cunningham, the California director of the Western Watersheds Project, emphasized the fire’s devastating effects on Joshua trees when speaking with CNN affiliate KVVU. “It will take a lifetime to get those mature Joshua trees back.”

While native plants remain at risk, Mojave National Preserve reports that the local desert tortoises have been minimally affected. “Fire crews carefully balance fire suppression with resource protection. They will be on the lookout for desert tortoises, making sure to avoid burrows and active individuals,” Mojave National Preserve said in a Facebook post.

Greece wildfires and aftermath in images

Over 19,000 people have been evacuated as the fires continue to burn.

Yellowstone issues alert as smoke from distant fires reaches park

Distant wildfires are creating smoky conditions in Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park to the south.

“Heads Up! Smoky conditions are expected to continue this week in the park,” Yellowstone cautioned Monday night via Facebook. “Wind can blow smoke from far-away wildland fires for hundreds of miles, which is what’s causing the current smoky conditions in the park.

“As record-breaking heat and historic drought conditions continue in the western U.S. this summer, be sure to check air quality conditions before spending a lot of time outdoors!”

Yellowstone, which has Stage 1 fire restrictions in effect, posted the accompanying images showing the Roosevelt Arch in a smoky haze on Monday (top images), and the same park-entrance landmark in Gardiner, Montana, on a typical summer day.

Grand Teton National Park has not issued any alerts but smoke extends throughout portions of the park and at least as far south as Jackson, Wyoming.

Prospective visitors can access an interactive map showing active wildfires and air-quality conditions pertaining to smoke in the region.

–Images are courtesy of Yellowstone National Park

Air quality concerns linger for Seahawks vs. Patriots Sunday

Air quality concerns still linger for the Seattle Seahawks when they take on the New England Patriots Sunday night at CenturyLink Field.

In the midst of wildfires raging all over the west coast of the United States, speculation has risen over whether air quality will be a factor in the Seattle Seahawks’ Week 2 game against the New England Patriots at CenturyLink Field.

Coach Pete Carroll told reporters Wednesday he is in communication with the NFL to determine how things will turn out on Sunday. He expressed hope that the game would proceed without complications.

“We’re in direct connection with [the NFL] and they are monitoring what’s going on as we are as well,” Carroll said. “Hopefully we get a good shift in the weather here by the weekend. It looks it could change tomorrow some and into the weekend, but we’re very cognizant of it and we’re working to figure it out.”

The Seahawks did move practice indoors on Wednesday to be safe and will likely do the same on Thursday.

Early weather reports indicate the Seattle area should be experiencing an improvement in air quality by the end of the weekend . . . just in time of the “Sunday Night Football” matchup.

We will keep you up to date on this story as it develops.

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Amid an eerie haze of smoke, whales emerge to feed

A surreal orange haze that has prevailed across portions of California this week also has spread across coastal waters, casting marine critters in an unearthly light.

A surreal haze that has prevailed across portions of California this week also has spread across coastal waters, casting marine critters in an unearthly light.

The accompanying images, captured Wednesday by Blue Ocean Whale Watch in Monterey Bay, show humpback whales and a Risso’s dolphin in what Capt. Kate Cummings described as “a natural sepia filter” created by wildfires.

“Yes, it was apocalyptic on the ocean too; and no, it didn’t stop the humpbacks from being humpbacks,” Cummings wrote in a video post on Facebook.

Cummings’ charter encountered humpback whales and Risso’s dolphins as a patchy orange sky darkened considerably in late afternoon.

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“My instrument panel lights were visible the entire day, when typically you can only see the lights before or after sunset,” Cummings told For The Win Outdoors. “It was surreal to say the least.”

The mammals weren’t always easy to spot in such conditions.

“The photographers on board had to be watching their ISO settings constantly, at one point up to ISO 4,000 to adjust to the low light,” Cummings said. “It was eerie, creepy, and sometimes beautiful.”

The entire Bay Area – and many other areas in California – have been affected by smoke from wildfires for the past several days.

Cummings said conditions improved markedly on Thursday, however, as she motored into Monterey Bay with another charter group.

–Images are courtesy of Eric Austin Yee (top two) and Doug Croft

Air quality at Australian Open ‘totally fine,’ per players

Air quality has been a major concern around the Australian Open in Melbourne, but conditions have improved as the tournament officially got underway on Monday from Melbourne Park.

How to Help the Animals Affected by Australia’s Wildfires

How to Help the Animals Affected
by Australia’s Wildfires.
Australia has been dealing with some of the
continent’s worst wildfires since September.
The fires have already wiped out 30% of the koala population and are expected to worsen as temperatures rise.
Here are a few ways to help
the animals fleeing the fires.
Donate to WIRES, New South Wales Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service Inc. is actively seeking donations.
Leave water out, If you’re in the area, leaving shallow bowls of water out for fleeing
animals and birds helps.
Contribute to the
World Wildlife Fund, The WWF is preparing to restore homes and care for affected wildlife.
Get involved with a
GoFundMe for koalas, A campaign was started to aid the efforts of the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital
in rehydrating the koalas and treating their burns