Wildfire!

[antmary]

I mentioned this fire in "This weather is awful" thread, but, I think this subject is beyond weather. On Wednesday afternoon at 3:30 a fire broke out in the foothills of the Northern Sierra Nevada mountain range in Northern California. It started in the American River Canyon near Colfax, Foresthill, and Iowa Hill - which are small towns located in rugged terrain.

Yesterday the fire had burned over 700 acres; this morning (Friday), it has burned over 1,100 acres. Containment stands at 10%. 150 homes are in the pathway, and the fire is spreading in three directions. Yesterday the thermostat read 106 degrees, which, of course, contributes to the dryness.

What has helped is that our small home is very well-insulated, and I will just keep the air conditioning on and have a "stay-cation" unless law enforcement tells us to evacuate. So, the inside air is breathable. We do live on acreage, and have cleared 100+ feet around the house. It is smokey outside, and I am considering taking off to the coast for a few days.

This year our community voted down a small property tax increase to pay for more firefighters. I must say that I deeply appreciate all those who are on the frontlines!

 

[RockyMtn]

Having seen the mayhem first hand caused by the fires in Colorado the last month I would strongly suggest you pack your valuables, keepsakes, etc and be ready to roll with the first evacuation notice.

Good luck!

 

[antmary]

Having seen the mayhem first hand caused by the fires in Colorado the last month I would strongly suggest you pack your valuables, keepsakes, etc and be ready to roll with the first evacuation notice.

Good luck!

Thanks RockyMtn...yea, we're going through the evacuation list now.

 

[bbbamI]

That must be such a helpless feeling. Do what needs to be done to stay safe.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Oh my, that is just frightening! Take care of yourself and keep us posted.

 

[KB]

I was up in your area yesterday and we hit some pockets of heavy smoke. I hope the firefighters can get this one contained pretty soon. Scary stuff.

 

[antmary]

Thankfully, the temps are cooler today. But, the canyons are so steep that they have to just let it burn. The firefighters did manage to stop the fire from being funneled into a canyon right into the town of Colfax. The National Guard has been called in to help.

I saw a friend on TV that was in the process of being evacuated. You know, it seems to me that national disasters seem to be surreal when I can watch at a distance - say, on TV. It makes a world of difference when this happens to someone I know. Thanks everyone for your kind thoughts!

 

[W2R]

Oh antmary, that is so scary! I would hesitate to bet my life on getting an evacuation warning at the right time. These fires can move fast. What about a nice vacation on the coast, as you mentioned? So what if everything turns out to be OK. You deserve a vacation anyway. Hopefully you could have some fun. And if (heaven forbid) the fire comes close to your house, you will be away from there and safe.

 

[Purron]

Doing the rain dance for you....

 

[brewer12345]

Having seen the mayhem first hand caused by the fires in Colorado the last month I would strongly suggest you pack your valuables, keepsakes, etc and be ready to roll with the first evacuation notice.

Good luck!

Let me underscore the word "valuables." During the High Park fire in northern CO there were concerns about looting. No doubt the useless scumbags elsewhere would not hesitate to do the same. If you don't plan on staying (with something that goes bang for extra fun), bring the valuables with you.

 

[East Texas]

I'm glad to hear you have an evacuation plan (that also includes when to leave). I get frustrated at the people who are interviewed on TV after a <fill in the crisis> and all they do is cry that they didn't know what to do. I'm yelling at the TV "why didn't you know what to do and when to do it?"

Antmary, you get major kudos on thinking this out. Are you running room size air filters?

 

[Helen]

Good luck, AntMary! Please keep us posted.

 

[antmary]

Antmary, you get major kudos on thinking this out. Are you running room size air filters?[/QUOTE]

Purron - yes! We need a major rain dance! Unfortunately, the rains don't typically arrive until September at the earliest.

East Texas, we finished our small, 1300 sq. ft. house two years ago, and it has a wonderful air conditioning unit. We just purchased new air filters. It was smokey yesterday, and I didn't smell a thing inside.

W2R, a vacation sounds wonderful! That is in the plans, because I'm afraid these fires are here for the season. San Francisco or Carmel sound like a plan...maybe just take Amtrak.

Today the fire is now over 1,400 acres, and there are more than 1,600 firefighters at the scene. We are all cheering them on...

 

[Moemg]

AntMary , Please stay safe !

 

[antmary]

AntMary , Please stay safe !

So far so good...and, for now, the smoke hasn't settled where we are. And, it seems that the troops have arrived
Almost 2000 firefighters
14 helicopters
165 engines
55 crews
2 air tankers
19 bulldozers
17 water tenders (whatever that is)

The fire was 10% contained this morning, and it's up to 20% contained.

 

[Dancer373]

I'm glad you're prepared and have an evacuation plan... so many people don't. I have my hurricane evacuation kit always ready. Good luck antmary!!

 

[Nords]

... bring the valuables with you.

We went through this exercise a few years ago when a brush fire started working its way across to our side of the gulch. It didn't quite relandscape our back slope but it gave us plenty of time to load the car.

We've rehearsed it every June for the kickoff of hurricane season, and our list gets shorter every year:
The computer tower, laptops, & spare hard drives.
The little lockbox of "important papers".
The two file boxes in my office desk and the one in my computer desk.
The drawer of photo albums.
Whatever jewelry spouse has stashed in her dresser.
My wedding ring.

Everything else in this house... well, some days it seems pretty cluttered.

Having watched the contractors building our new familyroom, when the hurricane comes I'm more inclined to stay here.

BTW in the spirit of disaster readiness, the CDC has published official guidelines on handling the zombie apocalypse:*
CDC - Blogs - Public Health Matters Blog – Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse

*Thanks to Mike of the U.S. Army at Live the New Economy. - Blog for that link. I never would have found it on my own...

 

[brewer12345]

We went through this exercise a few years ago when a brush fire started working its way across to our side of the gulch. It didn't quite relandscape our back slope but it gave us plenty of time to load the car.

We've rehearsed it every June for the kickoff of hurricane season, and our list gets shorter every year:
The computer tower, laptops, & spare hard drives.
The little lockbox of "important papers".
The two file boxes in my office desk and the one in my computer desk.
The drawer of photo albums.
Whatever jewelry spouse has stashed in her dresser.
My wedding ring.

Everything else in this house... well, some days it seems pretty cluttered.

Most of the crap in my house I would not consider to be worth stealing. The important papers, DW's jewelry box, a few odds and ends, and the firearms (hate to have one stolen and used in a crime) would definitely get loaded in the camper or pickup. After that, I would be a lot more focused on making sure the dog food and MREs got on board than any "valuables."

 

[Purron]

Always keep cat carriers within easy access in case of an emergency. All the other stuff is insured or not worth fretting over....

 

[Dawg52]

Always keep cat carriers within easy access in case of an emergency. All the other stuff is insured or not worth fretting over....

Glad things are looking up antmary.

The only valuables I have are my golf clubs and they are stored at the country club. Outside of that, there is only my good buddy to consider. I sure won't forget him.

 

[antmary]

Always keep cat carriers within easy access in case of an emergency. All the other stuff is insured or not worth fretting over....

We do have cat carriers, thank goodness. Your friend looks like a real sweetie, Dawg52....We also have an old Airstream trailer that is ready to go, should we be forced into an adventure.

 

[Purron]

So far so good...and, for now, the smoke hasn't settled where we are. And, it seems that the troops have arrived
Almost 2000 firefighters
14 helicopters
165 engines
55 crews
2 air tankers
19 bulldozers
17 water tenders (whatever that is)

The fire was 10% contained this morning, and it's up to 20% contained.

Yeah! Keep the faith baby. Lots of good peeps working on it. A situation like this sure does inspire a deeper appreciation for firefighters. Dangerous work and thank goodness we have men and women brave enough to do this.