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Snowmaking system saves American ski resort from wildfire
Anthony Sharwood, Friday September 13, 2024 - 06:00 AEST
As late summer* wildfires ravage California, a ski resort in the mountains outside Los Angeles has saved its infrastructure from potential devastation at the hands of the Bridge Fire by a unique method.
Mountain High ski resort is located in the San Gabriel Mountains east of the LA urban area, about a 90-minute drive from downtown. It has 11 chairlifts plus numerous buildings, so plenty was at stake as the Bridge Fire roared up the slopes of the resort on Wednesday.
But the resort had unique defense: snow making equipment.
Just shocking video of the #BridgeFire tearing through Mountain High ski resort in Southern California. pic.twitter.com/KXGWBPPz9j
— Colin McCarthy (@US_Stormwatch) September 11, 2024
The resort has invested millions in snowmaking infrastructure to supplement natural snowfalls which blanket its slopes which sit at an altitude between 2000 metres and 2500 metres (for Australian context, Mt Kosciuszko sits at 2228 metres and its latitude is also similar).
In winter, snow is produced via a combination of water and compressed air blasted out into the chilly air under the right conditions. As fire engulfed the ski slopes this week, resort operators effectively used the snow guns as giant sprinklers – and they did the trick.
Image: Thank you, snow guns. Source: Mountain High ski resort.
The fire is not yet contained and has thus far consumed some 20,000 hectares and around 40 structures, including many homes.
Unfortunately, homeowners didn’t have a built-in sprinkler system as effective as Mountain High's snowmaking equipment.
"Fire raced through the area yesterday but GREAT NEWS! All the main lifts & buildings survived with little to no damage. THANK YOU to the fire fighters & employees for their hard work! Our hearts go out to the Wrightwood community,” the resort posted on social media network X.
BRIDGE FIRE UPDATE
Fire raced through the area yesterday but GREAT NEWS! All the main lifts & buildings survived with little to no damage. THANK YOU to the fire fighters & employees for their hard work! Our hearts go out to the Wrightwood community, WE ARE WITH YOU. #BRIDGEFIRE pic.twitter.com/pLw9rXWmyP
— Mountain High (@mthigh) September 11, 2024
"We're singed and dirty but hanging strong," resort staff added on its website. "We're not out of the woods yet (no pun intended)."
At least three major wildfires continue to burn in southern California, in what has been the worst season since 2021 in terms of the total area burnt.
As of September 11, almost 400,000 hectares have burned with a total of 6,078 fires recorded.
*While seasons in Australia end at the end of the month according to BoM protocols, in America they end on the equinoxes and solstices, so America’s summer ends this year on Sunday, September 22. Therefore the current wildfires are still classified as summer fires.
- Weatherzone
© Weatherzone
2024
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