California Fires

[Fetch]

My brother and I grew up north of the city of Napa up in the Soda Canyon area in the '60's and early '70's. We saw a couple of fires burn through the area right up to our property back then.

My brother still lives in Napa and got evacuated Sunday but was able to return last night after the winds died down.

 

It can be tough, my thoughts are with those affected by the fires North and in SoCal. Stay safe.

[racerx]

Supposedly 11 dead. Hoping for more people to get evacuated safely. This is horrible.

[Jesse C.]

These fires are some of the worst I have ever seen and I was in the '03 Cedar Creek Fire down here in San Diego! 

 

Hope more folks don't loose their lives on these fires. 

[KoHeartsGPA]

Terrible fire year for sure :(

[Mattndew76]

The fires being closer to dwellings has made this an exponentially more memorable fire year. 

[KoHeartsGPA]

Just got off the phone with my mom, we have family in the fire area that have been evacuated, rumor has it that this could be the handy work of an arsonist....oh I hope that if is they catch him/her and torch the mother fucker!

[Ranman72]

Just got off the phone with my mom, we have family in the fire area that have been evacuated, rumor has it that this could be the handy work of an arsonist....oh I hope that if is they catch him/her and torch the mother fucker!

if it is burn them slow 

the death toll is up to 15 and 200 or so missing or un accounted for yet 

hoping the weather cooperates and blows the fire back into the already burned zone as this will slow it down 

to all in the fire zone our thoughts and prayers are with you 

[morisabel]

I am praying for everyone safety, I hope that they will be able to evacuate the affected areas immediately. 

[datzenmike]

Well this is the result of building in these areas. Like building in a earthquake, tsunami, lowland flood or avalanche prone area. How could they not know that history has shown that fires blow through here every year. Why the surprise? This is shitty but totally to be expected. 

[Fetch]

Just got off the phone with my mom, we have family in the fire area that have been evacuated, rumor has it that this could be the handy work of an arsonist....oh I hope that if is they catch him/her and torch the mother fucker!

I don't know about the other fires, the one that is burning Napa / Santa Rosa was started by high winds and arcing power lines.

My brother stated the winds have come back and driving the flames east toward Fairfield. He is ready to bug out again.

[EastBay521]

I did a service call for a truck that was down in Napa on Monday morning. You couldn’t see for more than a mile, my nose was burning from the smoke and ash was falling from the sky. I thought it was just a brush fire then I seen the news and the neighborhoods. Crazy stuff I wish the best for those effected.

[KoHeartsGPA]

Wind is blowing pretty good from the Northeast now.... ugh

[tr8er]

I don't know about the other fires, the one that is burning Napa / Santa Rosa was started by high winds and arcing power lines.

My brother stated the winds have come back and driving the flames east toward Fairfield. He is ready to bug out again.

Sounds like the utility company's insurance is liable to me

[KoHeartsGPA]

California is never liable, ever!

[Ooph!]

Well this is the result of building in these areas. Like building in a earthquake, tsunami, lowland flood or avalanche prone area. How could they not know that history has shown that fires blow through here every year. Why the surprise? This is shitty but totally to be expected. 

 

Of course it is the result of building here, but these area's like the Oakland hills fire in 1991 rarely burn at this level.

[datzenmike]

Big difference between rarely and never. If a history of seasonal dry weather and seasonal wind that's all you need. In 'light years' the fire dept probably puts them out fast enough and there's complacency with home owners.

[paradime]

Big difference between rarely and never. If a history of seasonal dry weather and seasonal wind that's all you need. In 'light years' the fire dept probably puts them out fast enough and there's complacency with home owners.

Mike, your 'it's their fault for living there' argument is some seriously stunted shit. If we only build were "never" happened we'd still be living in caves. The oak and redwood trees in those neighborhoods that burned were hundreds of years old. Dry weather and seasonal wind has happened many times during the life of those trees without a fatal fire incident. Honestly pal you need to start thinking before you open your mouth. 

[DanielC]

I believe this year was kind of unusual, because northern California got a lot more rain that average.  Remember hearing about Oreville dam last winter?

Lots of rain means lots of vegetation growth.  In summer, the vegetation dries out, and becomes fuel for fires.

[paradime]

I believe this year was kind of unusual, because northern California got a lot more rain that average.  Remember hearing about Oreville dam last winter?

Lots of rain means lots of vegetation growth.  In summer, the vegetation dries out, and becomes fuel for fires.

 

Agreed, kind of a perfect storm scenario. Friends homes, places I've partied and slept in are ash now. So fucked up. 

[tr8er]

Trees often survive these fires.

[datzenmike]

This. Redwoods bark and their sheer size can easily allow grass fires to pass by them.

 

 

Mike, your 'it's their fault for living there' argument is some seriously stunted shit. If we only build were "never" happened we'd still be living in caves. The oak and redwood trees in those neighborhoods that burned were hundreds of years old. Dry weather and seasonal wind has happened many times during the life of those trees without a fatal fire incident. Honestly pal you need to start thinking before you open your mouth. 

 

 

Actually you are right.... it is their fault for building there, and for the reasons given. Do you build on the side of a volcano? On the San Andreas fault line? Below a dam? Everyone in the world knows about California's dry windy fire season. Happens every year. Bet there's a history of grass fires there every year and the odd home lost to this so it shouldn't come as a surprise. Complacency sets in. Dry and windy seasons. Does this happen to this extent in every other state????? Hopefully people will rethink about building there or have better fire fighting preparedness but most certainly they will now know the risk.. Here's another.... when people move into an area the natural burning and removal of the grass and undergrowth is stopped... it builds up as stored fuel. Besides this, human occupation... motorcycles, 4x4, power lines, camp fires back yard burning increase the risk.       

[racerx]

Big difference between rarely and never. If a history of seasonal dry weather and seasonal wind that's all you need. In 'light years' the fire dept probably puts them out fast enough and there's complacency with home owners.

...could be but a lot of times its the association. A huge tree branch fell on my wife's car 2 years ago and talked to the landscaper supervisor about the tree that fell and he said that the tree was dry rot from the inside and the townhouse association were notified about the tree several years before it fell and the association did not want to pay for the damage until I told them I got a statement from the landscape supervisor that the association should have acted before hand.

[flyerdan]

I remember when I was a kid back in the 60's, the forest circus would do controlled burns, late spring or early summer when the ground was still wet and the trees were greened out.  It would keep the tall grasses from piling up into a massive tinder box.  They did it in no wind conditions and the fire never got hot enough to kill the trees.  There was also a lot of logging going on, and they would burn or bury the slash piles so that took a lot of fuel out of the equation.  If a fire did start later in the season, it would run into one of these areas and slow down, making them easier to contain. 

Mike is somewhat correct, if one chooses to live in an area where fires can rage through, you should clear the area around your structures, at least.  And put some sprinklers on the roof to wet down the structures and immediate area if needed.  Gov. moonbeam and his water police can wrap their lips round a stiff one, saving homes trumps deranged idealistic environmental policy.

[KoHeartsGPA]

We live in a planet that went through several extinction level events, every region has it's own set of dangers that conflict with life and at any given time eventually another asteroid or super volcano will wipe out most of life in this planet, nobody is safe from danger, to suggest building there to begin with was a bad idea is idiotic, bad idea would be building at the base of an active volcano.

[datzenmike]

... or a ELE fart.