The IA threads are wondering into conversations for fire folks that have nothing to do with the fire itself. In situations like we are currently experiencing many people look to the IA Threads for any news and information that may provide answers to the question, Is my house ok? They are jumping at every new post and to see a discussion about some side line issue of interest to only firefighters, many retired like me is, well, cruel. I have a list of friends, friends of family that are hoping I can use my knowledge to get information for them sooner rather than later. I keep looking for information to help. When I retired I thought I left it behind, but you never really do, and I am more than happy to help when I can. So please keep the IA posts for fire information and observations related to the current fire situation as long as a fire is active.
northbayfcret,
You are very correct, the IA threads are not meant to be for individual, personal concerns. They are meant for exactly what you described, fire intelligence. I will say, however, that any discussion thread on the site is not intended to be the answer for someone’s personal interests. For anyone wanting information on their own property/home they need to consult the authorities in their area or the agency with jurisdiction for their incident. Those details will likely be the most accurate and up to date.
High-Sierra
The new in-tell problem is with so many large fires impacting thousands of people the incident in-tell is lagging multiple days behind. While I agree this site does not provide official information it greatly assists in answering many questions. Similar to the information on the old site assisted when I was involved in operations responding to different fires, not official information but usually very helpful. I was an Information Officer and usually ran the Field Information Operation on large incidents and I can tell you from experience no information is the second worse thing, bad information os the worst. Often times posted factual information, particularly maps answer many questions for people.