Category: Fire and Flood


Fire at CFB Wainwright.

No evacuation on…

Strong winds involved.

Confirmed fatalities and injured.

A major tragedy occurred at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Wainwright in central Alberta.
What Happened
* The Incident: An explosion and subsequent fire broke out within the base’s training area at approximately 4:00 p.m. local time on Saturday, October 17, 2026.
* The Fire: Driven by severe regional windstorms featuring gusts of up to 100 km/h, the blaze rapidly spread beyond the boundaries of the military base and into the surrounding rural area. Fire crews and emergency responders worked into the night to control the flames.
* Casualties: The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and Defence Minister David McGuinty have confirmed that the incident has resulted in fatalities and injuries.
Current Status and Response
* Official Information: Precise details regarding the exact number of casualties or the root cause have not yet been publicly released. Officials stated that the immediate priority is supporting those affected, executing an active investigation, and ensuring next-of-kin notifications are completed first.
* Emergency Support: Hospitals in Wainwright and Edmonton faced a surge in patients, and multiple agencies—including the RCMP, civilian fire departments, and STARS air ambulance—mobilized to assist. Neighboring provinces, including British Columbia and Saskatchewan, have also reached out to offer support.
* Local Impact: While the fire spread past the base fencing, local authorities and municipal districts have not issued formal evacuation orders for the nearby town of Wainwright, though the situation remains delicate as crews monitor remaining hot spots.

The ten RMRs on course are well “safe”

T. Newal

Wild fire,18 KM from Merritt,

Well we thought it was over,but a new fire reported on the 12th has our attention.

Report all wildfires…*5555

K62220 not on now… Status Out Extinguished…

Moth

No Mouth lives a Week

Àntheraea Polyhemus moth, Photo KDG

Merritt BC,CA

At the height of the smoke infested Nicola Valley this month appeared on the third floor on my walkway into my apartment.

This moth has no mouth and only lives a week. Some of the fire conditions that were out there when I found this thing. I took the picture and I moved a little closer and it flew away on it. So in power I guess time is very important to edit this point. But it’s alignment I have to. You know ask and maybe ignorantly ask that if conditions were right for this thing to be out and about and only had a week to live and to reproduce. And what does that say about the fires and the natural ecology of fire?.

The Polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus) is one of North America’s largest and most striking giant silkworm moths. Named after Polyphemus, the Cyclops from Greek mythology, it gets its name from the large, translucent, eye-like spots on its hindwings that serve as a defense mechanism to startle potential predators.
Geographic Range
The Polyphemus moth has an exceptionally broad distribution across North America.
* Reach: Found extensively across all 10 Canadian provinces and virtually the entire contiguous United States, extending south into central Mexico.
* Exceptions: It is absent from extreme northern regions (Alaska and far-northern Canadian territories) and arid desert regions in the American Southwest (such as Nevada and parts of Arizona), as well as Hawaii.
* Habitat: Deciduous forests, suburban parks, orchards, and rural woodlands where host trees like oak, birch, maple, and willow are plentiful.
Lack of Mouthparts & Impact on Lifespan
Like other members of the Saturniidae (giant silkworm) family, adult Polyphemus moths have vestigial mouthparts.
* No Feeding or Hydration: Their functional proboscis (mouthpart) and digestive tract are entirely absent or reduced to non-functional remnants. They cannot eat, bite, or even drink water.
* Impact on Adult Lifespan: Because they cannot ingest energy, the adult moth’s life is a ticking clock. Adults live only 4 to 7 days on average (rarely up to 10–14 days in cool conditions).
* Biological Purpose: The adult phase exists solely for reproduction. Every action is powered entirely by the energy reserves stored as lipids and fats during the caterpillar stage. Males fly continuously at night searching for female pheromones, while females conserve energy by remaining mostly stationary until mated.
Total Lifespan
While the adult phase is ephemeral, the total life cycle spans roughly 3 months to 1 year, depending on climate and diapause:
| Stage | Duration | Primary Activity |
|—|—|—|
| Egg | 10 to 14 days | Incubation on host leaves |
| Larva (Caterpillar) | 5 to 6 weeks | Heavy feeding through 5 instar stages |
| Pupa (Cocoon) | 2 to 3 weeks (or 8+ months if overwintering) | Metamorphosis inside silk shell |
| Adult Moth | 4 to 7 days | Mating and egg-laying |
Dormancies & Generations (Voltinism)
The Polyphemus moth manages harsh winters and regional climates through diapause (a dormant state during the pupal stage inside its silken cocoon).
* The Cocoon: In late summer or autumn, the mature green caterpillar wraps a host tree leaf around itself and constructs a tough, oval silk cocoon. When leaves fall in autumn, many cocoons drop to the forest floor to hibernate in the leaf litter, though some remain anchored on branches.
* Overwintering Diapause: As daylight shortens and temperatures drop, the pupa enters a hormonal state of suspended animation. It stays dormant throughout the freezing winter months and only re-activates when spring temperatures consistently warm up.
* Regional Generations (Voltinism):
   * Northern Regions (e.g., Canada, Northern US): Uni-voltine (one generation per year). Adults emerge in early summer (May–July), lay eggs, and their offspring pupate in late summer to sleep through the winter.
   * Central/Southern Regions: Bi-voltine or multi-voltine (2 to 3 generations per year). Early summer adults lay eggs that produce a second summer brood without diapause. Only the late-autumn generation enters winter dormancy.
Life span

Monitor Merritt fire watch..

No fires within 100 k?

There are a number of items that you can register in this service that will suit you and your sense of well-being. Don’t confuse it with the Emergency BC and Evacuations.

Editor’s note:

I free option ie: other options for fee.

Please let us know about your satisfaction level if subscribed or dissatisfaction with availability of info through other sources. PP.

Pyrocumulus effect…

New Regime

Sixth Generation fires

Sixth-generation fires—often called mega-fires—are catastrophic, climate-driven blazes so intense that they generate their own localized weather systems, such as pyrocumulonimbus storm clouds and erratic, hurricane-force winds, rendering conventional suppression methods largely useless. Adapting to this new reality requires moving away from purely reactive firefighting toward proactive landscape management, accepting that these fires cannot be simply extinguished until weather conditions shift. The potential costs of this phenomenon are staggering, spanning millions of dollars per event in direct suppression, billions in property and infrastructure destruction, lasting economic strain from timber and tourism loss, and severe long-term public health impacts due to toxic smoke exposure. To aid in prevention and mitigation, the general public must take proactive ownership of their surroundings: homeowners can implement “defensible space” strategies by clearing dry brush and maintaining a non-combustible buffer within 30 to 100 feet of their homes, harden structures using fire-resistant roofing and screened vents, adhere strictly to burn bans, and support local agroforestry or prescribed burning initiatives that reduce hazardous fuel loads in nearby wildlands.

A opportunity to view resources

The city of MeThe city of Merritt put out tables at the Civic Center on Tuesday, August 18th. in attendance was provincial MLA  Tony Luck, Merritt Mayor Mike Goetz City  Councilor Aron (Adam) Etchert, and local volunteer fire men and ESS Workers.

” Quote paraphrase “we are always concerned about the perceptions of an isolated senior..”

The presence was professional and the fire smart program was available in print and prose

.

August 18th, 2026

Tuesday late afternoon looking west from Railyard mall, Merritt BC

There is also a thirty percent chance for rain ☔ tonight

Have restful sleep

I’ll

Information matters…

https://youtu.be/llqW7jRLXBs?si=HeuhQEZNOH8xHtr5

Bald range fires…

Orange Warning Air Quality..

84 Percent waning gibbous.

Photo KDG

A cooling by a cold front bringing wind gave a clear sky and a view of the moon waning 😞 in the eastern sky as it moves west to a new moon on August 12th at 10:36 AM.

Merritts overnight low is forecast to go to single digit into August 3rd… -(8)

Condolances to Spokane on their loss…

Update

Merritt at mid-afternoon has no alerts in effect, surrounding hills have a din of smoke. While most community’s going north west of here remain with yellow stage one air quality warnings.

As of 3:23 PM

At this writing 2:00AM August 2nd 2026 a yellow warning remains in effect.

The air quality is notable as caused by wildfires and not substancualy to industry at this time

The air quality in Merritt is at medium warning Orange.

Heat at this hour remains Yellow, smoke lessins heat by blocking sun light.

Only one alert as of  Six PM the heat warning is lifted, Air quality remains orange.

This evening a  lawn mower is working on our block

Well, land is where you find it.

Grasslands are where you run to…
So, troubling so not passive…