Caving After Wildfires

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Caving After Wildfires

Postby hiflier » Oct 24, 2016 7:36 pm

Hi everyone. Been a while since I checked in so I thought I would and at the sme time bring up something I've been mulling over. It's about caves and wildfires- especially forest fires. Have any of you gone into caves after fires or discovered new caves after fires? Some here know that when I first came here I was asking strange questions about Sasquatch, footprints around caves, signs of animals living in them and other odd musings.

I was also interested in the dynamics of cave acoustics. All of this was a while a go of course but recently my thoughts have been meandering around the aftermath of wildfires and so naturally became curious toward you folks.

And BTW, last week I succeeded in uploading an eBook to Amazon (my first) on the subject of Sasquatch. And as far as eBooks go? It's a jungle out there LOL. But for now the fire/cave subject has been rolling around in my head since the big fires last year in the PacNW and some of your thoughts if any on this would be welcome. Thanks
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Re: Caving After Wildfires

Postby ohiocaver » Oct 25, 2016 8:22 am

Can't say yes to either question - although in heavily wooded areas, a fire likely would make a cave entrance more obvious after the brush is burned away.
Would a Sasquatch go into a cave to hide during a fire? Or would it flee the area with the other animals who often can be seen in large, mixed groups of traditional predators and prey running en masse from the forest fire? I don't know...just a question.
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Re: Caving After Wildfires

Postby hiflier » Oct 25, 2016 1:10 pm

Thank you for responding :grin: You ask a fair question. I don't know either. But what you say about fleeing ahead of a fire is true. Animals seek escape so predation more than likely goes on the back burner. Depending on the direction of the wind and the slope of the terrain safer areas around or ahead of the fire line can quickly double in different populations of animals and in the aftermath the competition for immediate food can escalate. At the same time the concentration of prey can make for easy meals too.

After the fire though is a dynamic I've been curious about. I sometimes wonder how bat populations fare as the smell of smoke may not reach a colony bedded down for the night. It may seem a bit of a non-starter as subjects go but for me small things like this can easily hold my interest :-)
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Re: Caving After Wildfires

Postby Firefighter912 » Oct 26, 2016 3:35 pm

You mustve went to Fox Mtn.

If you see any foot prints..it could be firefighters truthfully mopping up hot spots.
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Re: Caving After Wildfires

Postby hiflier » Oct 26, 2016 5:13 pm

Hi, actually no as I live in Maine. And no doubt there were mop up prints galore in the ash beds covering the ground. And even though skeptics (including myself) bring up good dialogue for non-existence I try to help friends that I have in Washington who look for signs of the creature. At this distance though all I can offer to them are ideas to aid in possible avenues to pursue in their research. I know it seems like a waste of time but I find the subject interesting nonetheless. I have also presented some of these ideas and more in an eBook that I wrote on the subject.

The book also includes the caution regarding White Nosed Virus and the risks of cross contamination. Even though the virus isn't in the West as far as I know. The book generally targets North America so adding in the caution was mainly to alert those researchers in the eastern areas of the continent to Oklahoma where the virus has been detected as it does get spread by the bats that migrate West. Thank you for your comments and the footprint reality check :kewl:
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Re: Caving After Wildfires

Postby driggs » Oct 28, 2016 5:33 pm

hiflier wrote:Have any of you gone into caves after fires or discovered new caves after fires?


Wildfires can produce large amounts of carbon monoxide and other gasses which can fill caves or displace oxygen from them. Gasses can pool in low spots in a cave, like an invisible pool of water, which you may not even detect until you've plunged below it. Be aware of this risk if you choose to go into a cave that has recently been the site of a wildfire.
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Re: Caving After Wildfires

Postby hiflier » Oct 29, 2016 1:01 pm

That is great information. It was something I did not know and I very much appreciate your bringing the dangers caves can present after a wildfire. Any newbies who may read this will especially be the beneficiaries of this knowledge and your wise caution. Thank you.
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