Southern California Wildfires

[gnipgnop]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

All of this is so sad and tragic.

 

[b2bailey]

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]

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]

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]

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.


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[SmithOp]

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.


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[klpca]

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]

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.


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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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.