# Southern California Wildfires



## gnipgnop (Nov 10, 2018)

My heart is aching for all those families who have lost loved ones and homes due to this wildfire. My prayers go out to you.   It appears as though this is one of the worse fires I've seen as it is so out of control..  Prayers for the firefighters who risk their lives to control this devastating nightmare.


----------



## Panina (Nov 10, 2018)

gnipgnop said:


> My heart is aching for all those families who have lost loved ones and homes due to this wildfire. My prayers go out to you.   It appears as though this is one of the worse fires I've seen as it is so out of control..  Prayers for the firefighters who risk their lives to control this devastating nightmare.


My cousin and aunt had to evacuate twice already.  Smoke is thick in all surrounding areas.  Contact is limited in many areas, cable down, WiFi down,  cell service occasionally works.


----------



## Luanne (Nov 10, 2018)

My bff and her daughter live in Paradise, CA where the Camp Fire wildfire is currently devastating their community.  They evacuated Thursday morning to Chico, then moved again to Roseville.  I am devastated for them.  Even if their house escaped the town/community is gone.


----------



## pedro47 (Nov 10, 2018)

gnipgnop said:


> My heart is aching for all those families who have lost loved ones and homes due to this wildfire. My prayers go out to you.   It appears as though this is one of the worse fires I've seen as it is so out of control..  Prayers for the firefighters who risk their lives to control this devastating nightmare.



I agree my heart goes out to anyone in Southern Calif. This have been a very tough year for the whole state of California.


----------



## Luanne (Nov 10, 2018)

pedro47 said:


> I agree my heart goes out to anyone in Southern Calif. This have been a very tough year for the state.


Please don't forget those in Northern California. They've been hit very hard this year as well.


----------



## presley (Nov 11, 2018)

I live in San Diego County which is not close to any of the fires (for once), and I've been smelling the fires for the last 2 days. I can't see smoke or anything - sky looks clear and beautiful, but I still smell the fire smell. 

I was really blown away watching the news last night and hearing them say this is the most devastating fire in California history. I've been through some whoppers, so referring to this being the worst ever is very significant.


----------



## BJRSanDiego (Nov 13, 2018)

All of this is so sad and tragic.


----------



## b2bailey (Nov 13, 2018)

Having lost my home in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, my thoughts immediately go to the task of finding a temporary place to live. With 2 children in school and a good job -- I needed to stay in the area. With rental prices already sky high in Socal, I don't know how this will be accomplished by those who need to relocate. In Paradise fire area, it will be nearly impossible. This is the type of crisis that may cause a person to lose faith, or find it.


----------



## VacationForever (Nov 13, 2018)

I read that PG&E transmission tower problem is suspected to have started the Camp Fire from downed lines, and Southern California Edison by a substation outage for the Woolsey fire.  So many homes and lives were lost.


----------



## Luanne (Nov 13, 2018)

VacationForever said:


> I read that PG&E transmission tower problem is suspected to have started the Camp Fire from downed lines, and Southern California Edison by a substation outage for the Woolsey fire.  So many homes and lives were lost.


And the extreme drought and winds have made things so much worse.

I am still waiting to hear if my bff lost her home in Paradise.  At least she and her daughter are safe and staying with family.


----------



## Fredflintstone (Nov 13, 2018)

Luanne said:


> And the extreme drought and winds have made things so much worse.
> 
> I am still waiting to hear if my bff lost her home in Paradise.  At least she and her daughter are safe and staying with family.



Gee, California has had a drought for many years now. Let’s pray for rain to reduce these awful fires and green up California. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## SmithOp (Nov 14, 2018)

VacationForever said:


> I read that PG&E transmission tower problem is suspected to have started the Camp Fire from downed lines, and Southern California Edison by a substation outage for the Woolsey fire.  So many homes and lives were lost.



Thats a hot button issue out here right now since our esteemed governor just signed a bill to raise utility rates to pay for remediation efforts.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/09...ss-costs-of-wildfire-lawsuits-onto-consumers/

The newly signed bill, SB 901, obliges the powerful state Public Utilities Commission to determine whether a utility can recover its costs and expenses arising from a destructive fire that occurred in 2017. This narrowly worded provision would include the Wine Country firestorms, a number of which have been deemed to be caused by PG&E equipment.

When the PUC allows a utility, such as PG&E, to recover its costs, that typically is enabled through higher monthly power bills for consumers.

“We are very disappointed the governor signed the PG&E bailout bill,” said Mark Toney, executive director of The Utility Reform Network, a consumer group.

The legislation also includes a plan for the state to spend $1 billion over the next five years to reduce wildfire risk.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## klpca (Nov 14, 2018)

Well without some rainy years it seems like any money spent will be the proverbial drop in a bucket, no pun intended. Driving up to Yosemite this year was sobering. Everything that wasn't already burned was tinder dry.

We considered buying a cabin in Idyllwild but insurance (if you can get it) is cost prohibitive, and for once I don't blame the insurance companies. I wouldn't insure that risk either.


----------



## klpca (Nov 14, 2018)

SmithOp said:


> Thats a hot button issue out here right now since our esteemed governor just signed a bill to raise utility rates to pay for remediation efforts.
> 
> https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/09...ss-costs-of-wildfire-lawsuits-onto-consumers/
> 
> ...


We went through something similar after the 2003 or 2007 fires (can't remember which). I don't understand why this isn't a shareholder risk/expense. SDGE has started turning off transmission lines in our backcountry during red flag warnings. It's about time.


----------



## bbodb1 (Nov 14, 2018)

First and most of all, I hope all those still missing are safe and found soon.  Nothing is more important than that.  

But not long after, there needs to be some serious thought given to NOT rebuilding in these areas.  I've listened to several reports this week that all seem to have one common denominator - many of these cities / towns are located in areas easily and extremely susceptible to forest fires.  As B2bailey said above, in many of these areas there was little (if any) available housing before the fires.  The next few weeks are going to be very hard on those displaced by the fires.  I hope some of the victims 'make lemonade from lemons' and use this opportunity to find housing in safe area (fire wise).


----------



## klpca (Nov 14, 2018)

bbodb1 said:


> First and most of all, I hope all those still missing are safe and found soon.  Nothing is more important than that.
> 
> But not long after, there needs to be some serious thought given to NOT rebuilding in these areas.  I've listened to several reports this week that all seem to have one common denominator - many of these cities / towns are located in areas easily and extremely susceptible to forest fires.  As B2bailey said above, in many of these areas there was little (if any) available housing before the fires.  The next few weeks are going to be very hard on those displaced by the fires.  I hope some of the victims 'make lemonade from lemons' and use this opportunity to find housing in safe area (fire wise).


I am not familiar with the current fire areas, but in 2007 many of our friends in nearby Rancho Bernardo lost their homes. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witch_Fire The fire jumped an entire freeway (10-12 lanes) and burned suburban neighborhoods. The issue is the winds (up to 90mph in the Witch Fire) and the dry conditions in the backcountry. It blows from the unincorporated, sparsely developed areas right into suburbia. The same thing happened in Santa Rosa last year.

Edit: Just found this picture on the wiki for the Cedar fire. My daughter was trying to get home from SDSU and called me to say that there was fire on both sides of the freeway and that she was going back to school. I truly couldn't imagine that. I hadn't seen this picture before. Wow. Terrifying. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Cedar_Fire_crosses_Interstate_15.jpg


----------



## clifffaith (Nov 14, 2018)

klpca said:


> I am not familiar with the current fire areas, but in 2007 many of our friends in nearby Rancho Bernardo lost their homes. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witch_Fire The fire jumped an entire freeway (10-12 lanes) and burned suburban neighborhoods. The issue is the winds (up to 90mph in the Witch Fire) and the dry conditions in the backcountry. It blows from the unincorporated, sparsely developed areas right into suburbia. The same thing happened in Santa Rosa last year.
> 
> Edit: Just found this picture on the wiki for the Cedar fire. My daughter was trying to get home from SDSU and called me to say that there was fire on both sides of the freeway and that she was going back to school. I truly couldn't imagine that. I hadn't seen this picture before. Wow. Terrifying. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Cedar_Fire_crosses_Interstate_15.jpg



Amazing photo!


----------



## BJRSanDiego (Nov 14, 2018)

klpca said:


> I am not familiar with the current fire areas, but in 2007 many of our friends in nearby Rancho Bernardo lost their homes. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witch_Fire The fire jumped an entire freeway (10-12 lanes) and burned suburban neighborhoods. The issue is the winds (up to 90mph in the Witch Fire) and the dry conditions in the backcountry. It blows from the unincorporated, sparsely developed areas right into suburbia. The same thing happened in Santa Rosa last year.
> 
> Edit: Just found this picture on the wiki for the Cedar fire. My daughter was trying to get home from SDSU and called me to say that there was fire on both sides of the freeway and that she was going back to school. I truly couldn't imagine that. I hadn't seen this picture before. Wow. Terrifying. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Cedar_Fire_crosses_Interstate_15.jpg



I live close to Rancho Bernardo.  I survived the 2003 fires, the 2007 fires and also the Cedar fire.  In RB, a portion of the houses that burned had wooden shake roofs, and wooden fences that attached to the house as well as attached to the neighbor's fence.  The homes were evacuated and sparks carried by the winds would land on the roofs, would be blown in through the attic vents or would land on the wooden fences.  Then, as time passed, some would go out but some would burst into flame.  Since then, I think shake roofs have been removed from the building code and the pitch of the attic vents has been reduced.  But I think that wooden fences connected directly to a wooden sided house is still allowed (even though dangerous).

Last December I toured the area of Santa Rosa where 20 plus people parished.  I was told that the fires started in the hills, first burning down many of the cell towers or otherwise taking them off line.  Then when authorities tried the reverse-911 calls, many failed to go through.  It was the middle of the night.  The worst area was heavily populated and looked like about 1 mile x 2 miles with every house gone.  I noted that the space between houses was narrow - - perhaps 8 feet or so and that the entire community had wooden 6 foot high fences.  Some of the fences that came close to the front of the lot lines by the street survived to the point that you could make out that it was part of a fence surrounding the home.  What I found really tragic was houses where the burned wrecks of cars in the garage could be seen and where the driveway also contain 3 or 4 burned vehicles.  I suspect that they were houses where no one made it out alive.


----------



## Luanne (Nov 14, 2018)

BJRSanDiego said:


> Last December I toured the area of Santa Rosa where 70 plus people parished.  .


I'm not trying to argue with you, just to understand something.  I thought I kept reading that the Paradise Camp Fire was now the deadliest in California.  I assumed that meant in terms of deaths, but maybe it's acreage.  Anyway, I looked up the deaths in the Santa Rosa fire and I keep seeing 22 people died.  Where did you find the number of 70?  Again, I'd just like to clean this up.


----------



## klpca (Nov 14, 2018)

My fire captain BIL says that palm trees go up like Roman candles (full of oil) and that draperies and blinds will combust (inside the house!) because of the radiant heat. When we have fires like that you just have to get out. My youngest daughter went to Sonoma State. I remember reading an article where the university president and her husband slept through the evacuation orders (sheriff driving through using their speakers) and woke up and barely escaped.  https://www-sfgate-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.sfgate.com/news/amp/Sonoma-State-president-husband-describe-12268258.php?amp_js_v=a2&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQECAFYAQ==#referrer=https://www.google.com&amp_tf=From %1$s&ampshare=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Sonoma-State-president-husband-describe-12268258.php We had total gridlock during the 2007 evacuation. My 80yo mom is already fretting about being able to evacuate.  I hate the santa ana winds and hope we make it through again this year. These fires are just devastating.


----------



## klpca (Nov 14, 2018)

Luanne said:


> I'm not trying to argue with you, just to understand something.  I thought I kept reading that the Paradise Camp Fire was now the deadliest in California.  I assumed that meant in terms of deaths, but maybe it's acreage.  Anyway, I looked up the deaths in the Santa Rosa fire and I keep seeing 22 people died.  Where did you find the number of 70?  Again, I'd just like to clean this up.


You are right Luanne. Paradise is now first on the list that no one wants to make. I googled deadliest Ca fires and it brought up a pdf from Calfire. I can't figure out how to link it on my phone.

Such tragedy. It just boggles the mind.


----------



## Luanne (Nov 14, 2018)

klpca said:


> You are right Luanne. Paradise is now first on the list that no one wants to make. I googled deadliest Ca fires and it brought up a pdf from Calfire. I can't figure out how to link it on my phone.
> 
> Such tragedy. It just boggles the mind.


My bff still doesn't know if her house is there or not.

Just found out their house is gone.


----------



## BJRSanDiego (Nov 15, 2018)

Luanne said:


> I'm not trying to argue with you, just to understand something.  I thought I kept reading that the Paradise Camp Fire was now the deadliest in California.  I assumed that meant in terms of deaths, but maybe it's acreage.  Anyway, I looked up the deaths in the Santa Rosa fire and I keep seeing 22 people died.  Where did you find the number of 70?  Again, I'd just like to clean this up.


I think that you are probably correct.  To see the post Santa Rosa devastation first hand was a chilling and sobering experience.  It looked like pictures of Hiroshima.


----------



## Luanne (Nov 15, 2018)

BJRSanDiego said:


> I think that you are probably correct.  To see the post Santa Rosa devastation first hand was a chilling and sobering experience.  It looked like pictures of Hiroshima.


I saw a picture of where my bff's house used to be.  Just the chimney is left standing, and there is still smoke all around.  A friend of theirs with the fire department was able to get it, they still aren't letting residents back in yet.


----------



## klpca (Nov 15, 2018)

Luanne said:


> I saw a picture of where my bff's house used to be.  Just the chimney is left standing, and there is still smoke all around.  A friend of theirs with the fire department was able to get it, they still aren't letting residents back in yet.


So awful. I hate to hear this.


----------



## Passepartout (Nov 15, 2018)

There are recovery teams going house to house looking for tiny fragments of human remains. Still around 100 mostly elderly people unaccounted for, so general access will not be allowed for a while.
I can't imagine the final horror of evacuating with nothing but the clothes on your back, and getting caught in traffic jams and gridlock while fire closes in from EVERY angle. The panic and darkness in the smoke, and finally incineration in their cars or abandoning them and running to who knows what fate.

Frightening thoughts.

Jim


----------



## Luanne (Nov 15, 2018)

Passepartout said:


> There are recovery teams going house to house looking for tiny fragments of human remains. Still around 100 mostly elderly people unaccounted for, so general access will not be allowed for a while.
> I can't imagine the final horror of evacuating with nothing but the clothes on your back, and getting caught in traffic jams and gridlock while fire closes in from EVERY angle. The panic and darkness in the smoke, and finally incineration in their cars or abandoning them and running to who knows what fate.
> 
> Frightening thoughts.
> ...


What my friend was told by someone who works for the fire service was that the first step is containment of the fire. Once that happens then teams can go in and check for survivors, or bodies.  After that residents will be let back in.  There was no real time frame given.


----------



## Fredflintstone (Nov 15, 2018)

I look at these horrible fires and drought and wonder when California will get a break. It almost seems they need to divert water from other sources somehow. I know that won’t help the tinder dry conditions but at least might help keep the lakes from turning into dry beds.

I feel so bad for those who lost their homes and some, their lives. I pray they will rebuilt quickly. I always love California. Great place, great people and beautiful country. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## VacationForever (Nov 15, 2018)

Fredflintstone said:


> I look at these horrible fires and drought and wonder when California will get a break. It almost seems they need to divert water from other sources somehow. I know that won’t help the tinder dry conditions but at least might help keep the lakes from turning into dry beds.
> 
> I feel so bad for those who lost their homes and some, their lives. I pray they will rebuilt quickly. I always love California. Great place, great people and beautiful country.
> 
> ...


California has to get utility companies to stop lighting fires...


----------



## Fredflintstone (Nov 15, 2018)

VacationForever said:


> California has to get utility companies to stop lighting fires...



That’s how it was caused? Oh my. Yes, I agree


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## Luanne (Nov 15, 2018)

VacationForever said:


> California has to get utility companies to stop lighting fires...


They think a spark from a PG&E facility may have started the Paradise Camp Fire.  But what really caused the problem was how very dry it is, and the winds.


----------



## Fredflintstone (Nov 15, 2018)

Luanne said:


> They think a spark from a PG&E facility may have started the Paradise Camp Fire.  But what really caused the problem was how very dry it is, and the winds.



It’s just so tinder dry. I wonder if this is the worse drought on record in California.

Right now, someone flicking a cigarette out a car window can cause a horrible fire. As I said earlier, I pray for a good, long rain.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## Luanne (Nov 15, 2018)

Fredflintstone said:


> It’s just so tinder dry. I wonder if this is the worse drought on record in California.
> 
> Right now, someone flicking a cigarette out a car window can cause a horrible fire. As I said earlier, I pray for a good, long rain.
> 
> ...


Even though they did have some rain, it wasn't enough to overcome the drought.


----------



## VacationForever (Nov 15, 2018)

Luanne said:


> They think a spark from a PG&E facility may have started the Paradise Camp Fire.  But what really caused the problem was how very dry it is, and the winds.


The Woolsey one down in Southern California is suspected to have been started by Southern California Edison Electric company as well.


----------



## Fredflintstone (Nov 15, 2018)

Luanne said:


> Even though they did have some rain, it wasn't enough to overcome the drought.



By rain, I’m almost thinking the one during Noah’s time with some breaks though to hinder flooding.  it would take that much to replenish. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## Luanne (Nov 15, 2018)

Fredflintstone said:


> By rain, I’m almost thinking the one during Noah’s time with some breaks though to hinder flooding.  it would take that much to replenish.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Just about two years ago they had so much rain that one of the spillways of tne Oroville Dam collapsed.


----------



## geist1223 (Nov 15, 2018)

From having lived in Southern California you do not want Gully Washers after major fires. Then the hills and cliffs start to slide. You want long term gentle rains.


----------



## pedro47 (Nov 16, 2018)

I am praying for cooler temperatures, light fog and light rain for two (2) days.


----------



## Luanne (Nov 18, 2018)

Passepartout said:


> There are recovery teams going house to house looking for tiny fragments of human remains. Still around 100 mostly elderly people unaccounted for, so general access will not be allowed for a while.
> I can't imagine the final horror of evacuating with nothing but the clothes on your back, and getting caught in traffic jams and gridlock while fire closes in from EVERY angle. The panic and darkness in the smoke, and finally incineration in their cars or abandoning them and running to who knows what fate.
> 
> Frightening thoughts.
> ...


The list of missing is now up to 1200.  They think some of the names on the list may be duplicates, but it's still a very high number.


----------



## Passepartout (Nov 18, 2018)

Luanne said:


> The list of missing is now up to 1200.  They think some of the names on the list may be duplicates, but it's still a very high number.


Yes, you can see how the numbers of the missing are escalating. It's heartbreaking. And tens of thousands of people essentially refugees in their (our) own country. They were called upon to evacuate, some with just night clothes or sweats on their back and nothing else. I saw the Chico animal shelter pleading for blankets and sheeting to line and cover crates for pets that are not allowed in the shelters, or that have been found abandoned. 

Paradise Lost. Indeed.

Those folks will need help for some time, and soon the rains traditionally start, and with it, landslides. 

Jim


----------



## Luanne (Nov 18, 2018)

Passepartout said:


> Yes, you can see how the numbers of the missing are escalating. It's heartbreaking. And tens of thousands of people essentially refugees in their (our) own country. They were called upon to evacuate, some with just night clothes or sweats on their back and nothing else. I saw the Chico animal shelter pleading for blankets and sheeting to line and cover crates for pets that are not allowed in the shelters, or that have been found abandoned.
> 
> Paradise Lost. Indeed.
> 
> ...


My bff never received an evacuation notice.  They had been notified PG&E might shut off the power, so they were staging things to leave if that happened.  At some point her dd saw the flames and they decided to leave then.  By the time they left the town sign was on fire, they were getting flames across the road.  Fire started at 6:30 a.m., in a neighboring area, they got out by about 9:30 a.m.


----------



## bbodb1 (Nov 18, 2018)

Fredflintstone said:


> I look at these horrible fires and drought and wonder when California will get a break. *It almost seems they need to divert water from other sources somehow*. I know that won’t help the tinder dry conditions but at least might help keep the lakes from turning into dry beds.
> 
> I feel so bad for those who lost their homes and some, their lives. I pray they will rebuilt quickly. I always love California. Great place, great people and beautiful country.
> 
> ...



The issue and questions around water in California are seriously significant. California does not have nearly enough potable water sources to adequately support its current population but it should also be noted there are not exactly numerous water sources waiting to be tapped either.

In the west, water is always a major concern.  

But to be fair, in talking about potable water, that does nothing to reduce the thousands of acres of dry timber land.  
Timber land management practices need to be reviewed - and fast.


----------



## taffy19 (Nov 18, 2018)

This is so awful what these families are going through.  We know two couples who lost everything.  One in the Napa fire and another one in Malibu.  One famility wasn't able to save anything (not even one single picture, etc.) because they were out of town.


----------



## klpca (Nov 19, 2018)

taffy19 said:


> This is so awful what these families are going through.  We know two couples who lost everything.  One in the Napa fire and another one in Malibu.  One famility wasn't able to save anything (not even one single picture, etc.) because they were out of town.


A friend lost everything in the Witch Fire in 2007. She said that there were a lot of people who had photos of her family - lots of people sent those along. The one thing that she desperately missed were her Christmas ornaments. So now those are at the top of our evacuation list, if we have time to grab anything that is.


----------



## Luanne (Nov 19, 2018)

klpca said:


> A friend lost everything in the Witch Fire in 2007. She said that there were a lot of people who had photos of her family - lots of people sent those along. The one thing that she desperately missed were her Christmas ornaments. So now those are at the top of our evacuation list, if we have time to grab anything that is.


Unless you have everything boxed and ready you'll never know what you'll end up grabbing.  My bff did have a small file box of important papers ready to go, so that definitely got taken.  She also got some photos.  But she said she did things like took her curling iron, but forgot the hair dryer.  She got all of her daily meds, but forgot the pain pills she's been taking 4 times a day.


----------



## TravelTime (Nov 19, 2018)

The smoke is so thick throughout California. It is affecting everyone’s health so I can only imagine how awful it is for the families who are living directly in the affected areas and especially for the families who have lost everything. This is a terrible crisis. I hope my state can get its act together and fix the forest fire problem.


----------



## klpca (Nov 19, 2018)

Luanne said:


> Unless you have everything boxed and ready you'll never know what you'll end up grabbing.  My bff did have a small file box of important papers ready to go, so that definitely got taken.  She also got some photos.  But she said she did things like took her curling iron, but forgot the hair dryer.  She got all of her daily meds, but forgot the pain pills she's been taking 4 times a day.


Sadly we already have those boxes marked. Whether we have time to grab them is another issue.


----------



## richardrose (Nov 24, 2018)

clifffaith said:


> Amazing photo!



I was driving go up north and drove thru the witch fire on the freeway, i could feel the heat. Hot hot HOT


----------



## WinniWoman (Nov 25, 2018)

Our son was just out there for work and he said all his clothes smell like smoke. He said the air was horrible to breathe- he should have worn a mask.

Anyway, he attended a benefit for the victims of Paradise at a brewery with one of his clients. 

I feel so bad for all those people. Just horrible.


----------



## Luanne (Nov 25, 2018)

My friend has not been back to Paradise to check out where her house once stood.  I don't know if they are letting all residents back yet.  She's seen pictures, but doesn't think that will prepare her.


----------



## richardrose (Nov 25, 2018)

My heart is pained by the loses as a child i went thru two house fires at differnt locations, on by lightening and faulty flue, and one by an expoding hot water heater. So yes i know how it feels loseing your home, your belongings, starting over in a new place in a new area, you freinds and school left behind. Its very painful to write this. So i have an intimate understanding of what these familys going thru. I watched both fires on youtube and reminded the weel to do to remember those in paridise which looking back at it, no paridise at all, your living in a matchbook. GD bless those who survived and the souls of those who didnt. Richard


----------



## LisaH (Nov 25, 2018)

Luanne said:


> My friend has not been back to Paradise to check out where her house once stood.  I don't know if they are letting all residents back yet.  She's seen pictures, but doesn't think that will prepare her.


Sorry for your friend’s loss. We had a good rain last Wed and Fri and the Paradise fire is now contained. A week ago Thursday we left Tahoe and made a stop in Sacramento. The air was so full of smoke that one could hardly breath. We had dinner at our favorite restaurant and the entire place was nearly empty. Asked the owner what’s going on and was told the smoke was so bad that most people just stayed home these days. Later at night, we drove on Bay Bridge on our way home and could hardly see any skyscrapers in San Francisco which normally should be brightly lit and beautiful. For your info, Paradise is 90 miles from Sacramento and 170 miles from San Francisco. This has been an awful year for us Californians. Friends down south in Agoura Hill and Thousand Oaks were all evacuated. Luckily no one lost their homes and were allowed to return for the holidays. My heart goes out to those who are affected by these terrible fires.


----------



## Luanne (Nov 25, 2018)

LisaH said:


> Sorry for your friend’s loss. We had a good rain last Wed and Fri and the Paradise fire is now contained. A week ago Thursday we left Tahoe and made a stop in Sacramento. The air was so full of smoke that one could hardly breath. We had dinner at our favorite restaurant and the entire place was nearly empty. Asked the owner what’s going on and was told the smoke was so bad that most people just stayed home these days. Later at night, we drove on Bay Bridge on our way home and could hardly see any skyscrapers in San Francisco which normally should be brightly lit and beautiful. For your info, Paradise is 90 miles from Sacramento and 170 miles from San Francisco. This has been an awful year for us Californians. Friends down south in Agoura Hill and Thousand Oaks were all evacuated. Luckily no one lost their homes and were allowed to return for the holidays. My heart goes out to those who are affected by these terrible fires.


Our daughter and son in law live in Sunnyvale.  They had been wearing masks and staying indoors as much as possible until this latest rain.  A friend whose son just started at UC Davis told him mom they'd shut down classes prior to Thanksgiving.  I just can't imagine how bad it's been for everyone that's been affected.


----------



## LisaH (Nov 25, 2018)

We were lucky that we were in Tahoe when the air was the worst. Tahoe was sunny with blue sky. Yes masks were all sold out locally. Glad the rain is finally here...


----------



## taffy19 (Nov 25, 2018)

LisaH said:


> We were lucky that we were in Tahoe when the air was the worst. Tahoe was sunny with blue sky. Yes masks were all sold out locally. Glad the rain is finally here...


I hope it will continue but not all at once.  We had rain too in Southern California and it was pretty hard but didn't last long.  The next day the sun was out again.

We do not notice the smoke here but there has been a good breeze lately.


----------

