Folks Of Interest Santa Rosa fire

This is terrifying. I have friends up there with livestock, vintage cars, homes, and lives.

We have every tow vehicle that can be pressed into service ready to pull out the horses, and whatever else we can get.

As for "controlled burn" comments, those are not helping. These fires are less than 15% contained, rapidly growing, and have already consumed 115,000+ acres and upwards of 2000 homes and businesses.

You cannot do a controlled burn in a residential neighborhood:

 

That was the house, sadly. The shop was untouched, thankfully.

I am going to see if he needs any help, so he can focus on more important things.

 

It was pretty bad! Many of our friends lost everything! I praise the Lord that we were left unscathed!!
We went to bed midnight Sun night and saw a newsflash about a 200 acre fire south of Napa. Didn't give me too much concern as that's a good 30 miles from my house with large swaths of populated areas, large towns and hills in between. At 4 am my wife's phone rang and her sister said turn on the TV and look outside. The whole sky was red with ashes and embers falling into our backyard. Long story short, we're safe but the bulk of the devastation is less than a mile north of us. The weird thing is there's destruction to the east and south of us also! Businesses, entire shopping malls, hundreds and hundreds of homes all burnt to the ground! Freak 60 and 70mph contributed to the carnage and this all happened between 1am and 4am. The blaze just laughed at the 8 lanes of Hwy 101 as it lept over it and lit everything on the other side! This city literally looks like a war zone!

Right now it's so smokey it's not even safe to go outside. We're gonna stay off the roads for a couple of days so we don't contribute to the chaos that's going on right now. Please keep the entire North Bay area in your prayers. There are literally thousands of people who've lost everything!!

 

My thoughts exactly,I've been through a devastating fire but I got my wife and kids out safely,you don't wish this on anyone,they are all in my prayers. HRP

 

Dam. Prayers to all. Snowman

 

Thoughts and Prayers to all in area
From your Aussie Mates

 

So so Sad. My heart aches for those involved.

 

Those fires seem to move faster than the sage brush and cheetgrass fires we have on the hills here all too often. My Cousin lives in Sonoma and so far is safe but ready to bug out. She was worried about her ex and her daughter though.

 

There were wind gusts up to 50mph, and sustained winds around 40mph.

Humidity had been at 14-15%. Everything is so dry right now.

Winds are expected to pick back up, as a dry cold front moves through tonight.

 

Here's his Instagram feed with videos of his property. Its all gone:
https://www.instagram.com/chucklesgarage/

 

Let me nail this down for you who still seem to be having trouble with this being an abstract concept:

This is the Coffey Park neighborhood. The red dot that the arrow points to is where Scott Birdsall, his wife, child, and Grandmother lost everything.

RIGHT THERE:

 

The good out weighs the bad. The gulf coast has hurricanes, yet I stay here. I'm kinda sure Wisconsin has quite a few tornadoes, but have you moved? Shit happens, but if you dwell on it, then you are truly lost. This winter, when those northern winds are whipping down your street, Google the weather in SoCal. People take the good with the bad and carry on. That's the American spirit.

These people are strong and will get through this. If they need help, it should be given unconditionally. They will make it, just like all strong people do, when faced with disasters. If it wasn't for that will to survive and over come, there'd only be 13 states and unknown wilderness.

 

Absolutely heartbreaking sad to see the devastation for those affected. Gimpy's picture is incredible how it just wiped out the entire neighborhood. Had not seen pics like that here in Cincinnati.

 

btt

 

Can't comprehend.

 

We had a house fire and lost everything in it. I had someone state to me you burnt it for the insurance. I stated it was paid for not a penny of insurance. Next thing they say stupid you shoulda had insurance? We where lucky that we had cattle that we sold and bought a house trailer. Losing your home is almost the same type of feeling as a death in the family. You just have to begin again and eventually over time things will improve. I used to belong to the local volunteer fire dept. I went through all the fire training at the academy. I enjoyed being able to help others. They kicked me out for not regularly attending the meetings. I was driving truck and was usually gone when they had the meetings.

 

We are sending a crew to help out. Only one rig, but it's all we can spare. Man, it's bad.....

 

I suspect these fires are not fueled by dry brush and tinder. I think when one structure catches on fire the heat driven by high wind ignites the structures close by and it just leap frogs destroying everything. You are correct and I was wrong controlled burning cannot prevent this kind of disaster. I wrongly assumed it was a more urban rural type setting.

 

Whats a more urban rural type setting?

 

I guess it is hard for people that haven't lived in and around this kind of devastation to comprehend, I spent much of my early years in Southern California and have family and friends there yet. I know what these wild fires can do! It is not an issue of land management it's mother nature at her worst. California, as well as other western states, have been suffering thru the worst drought in many, many years. They haven't had the rain, which in turn dry's up the water shed, September & October Southern California gets the "Santa Ana" winds and all it takes is one little spark and the water shed is burnt away. When it does finally rain, the water shed is gone and you get the mud slides. It's just a vicious cycle.
Thoughts and prayers for everyone effected, both Southern and Northern Californians. Stay safe...

 

You will find that most, if not all, of these fires started in the foothills. Drought has dried out the "brush and tinder" and it doesn't take much to start a fire. A brush or forest fire is self propelled, the heat creates wind which in turn drives the fire into the neighborhoods. Glowing embers are blown onto the roof tops of these homes and businesses and then all hell breaks loose!

 

The recent devastation in California is horrific...our thoughts and prayers go out to those affected.

Up north here in British Columbia we have had the worst wild fire season...ever! There have been over 1100 wildfires, tens of thousands of acres lost, hundreds of homes, but thankfully no lives.

I have recently retired from the helicopter industry and learned from experience to respect fire, which is the single thing I fear. A few of my old colleagues are still at the fore-front battling wildfires in western USA...one in particular is an ex-Viet Nam vet flying a S-64 Skycrane for Erickson. Joe A is now 70 years old and is one of the best at what he does.

When the fire 'season' is over in the States he goes to Australia to work on fires there...Those persons on the front line are an extraordinary group of selfless individuals that put themselves in harms way on a daily basis.

 

Where folks live on a spot of acreage. Our closest neighbor lives 1/4 a mile from us.

 

I read that a lot of the yards had eculaplisis trees and that they are very flammable? In the Ozarks shingle roofs are disappearing. Colored metal roofing and siding is becoming very popular.

 

Vern's place, centered on the map: https://www.google.com/maps/place/4...175773724b00f!8m2!3d38.5390376!4d-122.7769431

The Tubbs Fire perimeter, as of a few hours ago, centered on Vern's: https://www.google.com/maps/place/4...175773724b00f!8m2!3d38.5390376!4d-122.7769431

 

I am not getting any weather station reports from around him. The power is likely out.

The next closest stations to him are showing winds that would not push the fire towards him, but wild fires do produce their own weather, and the terrain is varied.

 

Absolutely horrifying! Best of luck to all involved.