Category Archives: The Evidentialism Files

Snorkeling Lake Balboa

Los Angeles County Fire Department primarily uses the Sikorsky S-70i Firehawk helicopters to fight wildfires, including Tuesday’s at Lake Balboa. These are advanced, specially modified versions of the UH-60 Black Hawk military helicopter.

Key features of the LA County Firehawk include:

  1. Water capacity: They can carry up to 1,000 gallons (3,785 liters) of water or fire retardant.
  2. Quick refill: They can refill their tanks in about 60 seconds using a retractable snorkel.
  3. Multirole capability: Besides firefighting, they’re equipped for rescue operations and can transport firefighters.
  4. Night flying ability: They’re equipped for nighttime operations, which is crucial for round-the-clock firefighting efforts.
  5. Speed: They can travel at speeds up to 160 mph, allowing for rapid response.

The process you’re witnessing is called “snorkeling” or “drafting.” The helicopter hovers low over the water surface, lowers a snorkel or pump, and fills its tank in a matter of seconds. This allows for rapid refilling and return to the fire site.

Lake Balboa, being a reliable water source in the San Fernando Valley, is frequently used for this purpose during wildfire events in the Los Angeles area. This strategy allows firefighters combat fires in urban or wildland-urban interface areas where traditional ground-based firefighting might be challenging.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

A Frozen Bouquet

Some factslaps about “Ice Flowers:”

  1. Formation: Ice flowers, also known as frost flowers or ice crystals, form under specific conditions. They typically appear when the air temperature is below freezing, but the water or ground beneath is not completely frozen.
  2. Process: As water vapor escapes from small cracks or pores in the freezing surface, it immediately crystallizes in the cold air above. This process continues, building up intricate structures over time.
  3. Appearance: As seen in the image, they often resemble delicate flowers or feathers made of ice. They can vary in size but are usually quite fragile and can range from a few centimeters to several inches across.
  4. Occurrence: While they can form on various surfaces, including plants and thin ice, the ones in this image are forming on a frozen body of water, likely a lake or fjord in Norway.
  5. Rarity: Ice flowers are relatively rare and ephemeral. They require very specific conditions to form and can disappear quickly when those conditions change.
  6. Variations: Depending on the exact conditions, ice flowers can take on various shapes and sizes, sometimes appearing more feather-like, needle-like, or as in this case, flower-like.

The Love Cat Highway


The Pench National Park Highway

A 16-kilometer-long elevated highway in India built to allow wild animals to peacefully pass underneath it.

The underpass is said to be the world’s longest highway underpass.

Camera traps fixed on the pillars of the underpasses have captured pictures of movement of tigers, leopards, wild dogs, chitals, Indian bisons, wild pigs, jungle cats and porcupines.