Hang in there, California: wild fires

[Gerald]

More than 10% of Oregon's population are fleeing, according to the Oregon Office of Emergency Management

More than half a million people in the US state of Oregon are fleeing deadly wildfires that are raging across the Pacific Northwest, authorities say.

Fanned by unusually hot, dry winds, dozens of fires are sweeping the state, and at least one is being treated as suspected arson.

Governor Kate Brown said the exact number of fatalities was not yet known, though at least four were confirmed.

More than 100 wildfires are currently scorching 12 western US states.

The worst affected are Oregon, California and Washington, where entire towns have been destroyed.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54113416

Sad to see and read about.

[Aktungbby]

Back at it again, A 1500 acre grass fire (the Glass fire)being fought largely by air tankers since 0400AM, NE of me, has jumped west into nearby Sonoma county. Temperatures at 100F. and steady rare easterly winds are creating difficulties. Additionally, this has precipitated a hill fire to the NW of me and a large evac order in what is dubbed the Shadey Fire. Temps tomorrow are still predicted above 100F. Neighbors on my street are taking in their north county relatives even as I post, that have been evacuated from the Glass fire. More as the situation developes...

[Catfish]

Phew, i wish you all the best! Did not look good in the News

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by Catfish

Phew, i wish you all the best! Did not look good in the News

Thanks. This one going from east to west and has jumped the main highway thru the Napa valley; which is indicative that no one's got a handle on the situation at all. There is now a third small 50 acre fire as well. All three current blazes are on steep rough terrain. The Glass fire is now 2500 acres.

[Jimbuna]

Keep yersels safe

[Aktungbby]

Thanks. All three fires are now at 12,000 acres; the NE shifty winds aren't helping, but are 5-15 mph with occasional 60mph gusts off the mtns; and the temperature will be in the 100's today. At least we now have 1,000+ ground fire crew to hand. Large mandatory evacuations are ordered. The fire at St Helena, 20 miles north of me is 1/4 mile from my daughter's museum. She's returning from a camp trip to Monterey as I post and will have to use the western Hwy 101 approach as the main Hwy 12 twixt Sonoma and her Santa Rosa home(40 miles) is completely shut down...with evacuations ordered on the Sonoma side of the Mayacamas mtn range just west of my abode, which burned terribly in 2018. It's very smokey but nuthin' my Covid mask can't handle! EDIT: my daughter's residence is barely outside the Sonoma evac warning area. She and her young man are within 10 minutes of their abode to collect his car and pack up to come to my house. What way to end a camptrip... with more camping at our place. Fortunately they're young and poor so not so much stuff! I do hope they salvage their Scotch whiskey collection!Two years ago we'd moved all our art, documents, cats and valuables to their downtown Napa apartment when the fires approached 8,000 ft....serious bugout mode 101...quid pro quo fuego! BBY

[Aktungbby]

This is getting close to home: my neighbors inlaw refugees across the street have lost their home around St Helena. My daughter's museum board chairman is sure her's is gone just north of St Helena. Fortunately the kids, who are fed and camped in our guest room have renters insurance...and brought most of the whisky collection! passports, car titles...and toothbrushes,
In a crisis, one must prioritise and we're certainly getting soooo good at it! I think I'm up one fire to Neal's hurricane tally....Currently the tally is 36,000 acres up from 11,000 this morning!! and 80,000 evacuated... containment is 0% on all three fires. The smoke while not heavy by previous standards, is pervasive and keeps the DC-10 tanker from operating. EDIT: world famous Meadowood Resort, where President Bush and Obama have stayed...is gone! My refugee daughter just showed me the totally-engulfed pic on her cell phone.

[Aktungbby]

As night falls: 36,236 acres are ash; with 0% containment. Over 1,000 firefighters, 133 engines 22 water tenders,5 copters, 26 hand crews, and 35 dozers currently committed to a two county blaze. All persons on standby are advised to have 'bugout bags' good-to-go and head South to Napa City. The entire City of Calistoga, 20 minutes north, is under mandatory evacuation. So if headed to safety,...have face mask, practice good hygiene and social distancing....

[Catfish]

man i hope all goes well and the fire does not spread further.. one should think there isn't much left to burn left.

[Jimbuna]

Sounds extremely bad, I'm grateful we don't experience these sort of conditions in the UK.

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by Catfish

man i hope all goes well and the fire does not spread further.. one should think there isn't much left to burn left.

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Sounds extremely bad, I'm grateful we don't experience these sort of conditions in the UK.

thanks all the acreage is now at 46,250ish predominantly in a new swath not previously consumed in 2018 or or this year's LNU massive affair all fitting to the south of the even earlier Cobb Mtn inferno in the early posts of this thread. The city of Angwin, where the fire started, in addition to Calistoga, is just been ordered evacuated. Containment is still 0% with 50 homes destroyed so far. There are no known dead! The entire western slope of the Mayacamas range along the 20+ mile hwy. 12 axis to within two blocks of my daughter's downtown Santa Rosa abode is evacuated. The easterly winds are blowing it toward Buddahaid's location and the ocean. Spare-the-air is in effect...no burgers on the grill for me and my refugee guests. Fortunately, humidity/night fog is increasing and the NE winds aren't ferocious. My prospective son-in-law beer maker actually went to work 40 miles NW in Sonoma County...but it's the long way 'round with hwy 12 closed. JEEZE! Talk 'bout Roman around! He brews a 'smokey' Pliny the Elder craft beer named for the admiral/naturalist who died in 79 AD in the sulphurous vapors of Vesuvius, rescueing refugees at Pompeii...pick yer disaster preference BBY!

[Aktungbby]

As of thos AM: 73 square miles burned; 97 structures destroyed; containment is 2%... The evac order is lifted in daughter's case but it's still pretty smokey; so no rush to get back home....especially as the temperature will be 100F. today and good ol' mommy and daddy have AC which her apartment does not! Winds are aberrant but under 20 mph. Fire crews from Mexico(100 from Guadalahara) and 165 Texicans (thanks Neal!) have arrived to help. As fires go, this isn't a real big one, but it's sure exactly in the wrong place$ and going the wrong way...east to west! Winds are still from NNE. A fog bank off the Pacific coast is contributing 30% humidity which is greatly appreciated.

[Aktungbby]

Skys are solid smoke preventing airtankers from adding 'firepower' to the massive effort. A Red Flag Warning is in effect as the winds are expected to be worse. Acreage burned 58,885; containment is at 5%...no doubt do to more troops arriving on the ground. We've been fortunate though, 220 homes destroyed; no fatalities as in the Zogg fire to the north. Of the 8,100!! fires so far in CA this season, most of those still burning are 25-100% contained, actually a technical term: 100%: "still burning but cannot spread". The Glass/Shady/Boysen is the least contained and real progress generally is nil until 35% containment is achieved. With the Red Flag Alert, the winds are shifting back to WNW from the ocean; but also improving humidity at 20% which is an asset. Also the large DC-10 and airplane tankers are back at italong with the 'copters; even as ground-crew #s are increasing...currently 2500.

[Aktungbby]

63,450 acres burned...2,000 just last night. 173 homes , 264 commercial properties destroyed...25 homes just last night. In Sonoma's side, 120 homes destroyed 57 damaged. 36,472 people still evacuated. CONTAINMENT IS AT 15%! Only 20% more to attain a more favorably operational 35%. Today at least the skys are blue, the sun is shining, and today I only wear a mask for Covid...not smoke! Most of my front room is currently a repository for my daughter's museum artifacts attained in a 2 Subaru convoy for safekeeping. What daddy does for baby!The two towns closest to the museum are still totally evacuated with damage. Additionally, the musum boardmember's threatend home, presumed destroyed, was saved in part by adroit firemen heros seriously 'put to it' using the swimpool's water and transferrering bugout readied valuables into one of the Jeeps. Some outbuildings and a garage were burned. These days: that's called "gettin' lucky"! Thus far, the burned CA lands would cover the entire state of Connecticut!

[ET2SN]

Originally Posted by Aktungbby

the skys are blue, the sun is shining, and today I only wear a mask for Covid...not smoke!

I realize its Cali, but you should also be wearing pants. Imagine if you sat on a hot ember.





Semi serious question: With all the devastation on the west coast, where are all the Sasquatch?

You would think they would all be hitching on PCH to get to Hollywood.

Keep yer head down and yer powder dry. At least the locust haven't shown up yet.