TBN Members Near California Fires

[California]

Still hangin' at home. The evac line is now the hwy we live on, exactly at the intersection in front of us ... from the other side of the road and for about 10 miles north being evacuated, about 9000 people. Late last night the evac line was 5 miles north of us.

Anybody curious for more info can find it at HOME - Chico Enterprise Record

Phil

Phil, you ok?

The SF Chronicle said the evacuation zone was expanded this morning.

More evacuations in Butte County as fire rages on

 

[Phils]

Yep, we're smoky (cough, cough) but fine. Visibility is 1/2 mile. The trailer is hooked up and ready to go. I'm closing my office tomorrow and will be helping cook meals at one of the evacuation centers. My partner will be cooking at the other evac center.

I stayed home yesterday but the fire never got closer than 5 miles and the ashes didn't start blowing our way. If that changes with the winds we'll leave. I've got over 40 acres of dry brush and forest and if embers start falling I'll let my clearance preparations do the defense. And the insurance do the rest.

The evacuation line is from the north end of the east side of Paradise..... down TO the hwy I live on (SR70). In other words, if I lived across the street I'd be evacuated. About 10,000 evacuated so far.

We've had our parcel for 30 years (and lived in the area since the '50s). This is the worst I've seen overall but we've had closer calls to our place in the past. The bad thing is that IF I needed a firetruck there's a good chance I wouldn't get one. "one house, or a neighborhood?... Sorry, Phil"

Phil

 

[3RRL]

3rrl lives maybe 150 miles south of here, however with ~350 fires still burning in the state (MUCH BETTER than the 1400 a week ago) he may have his own nearby fire. Plenty to go around, and more fun than usual with the daytime temps over 100 (111 here at our house yesterday).

Phil

Thanks for you and schmism thinking about me.
Indeed I am at least that far down from you with no fires nearby (that I know of). However, you can see the sky in the distance is loaded with smoke. Not only that, temps here last Tuesday was 109F. We are lucky we don't have any fires burning nearby or in the Park (Sequoia).
I hope the rest of you guys are OK and don't have to evacuate or worse, have any fire damage.
On the flip side, we are supposed to have thunder showers tomorrow (Sunday). Now that will help with the temperatures and the existing fires, but it could start another one too? Lucky I just cleared a giant perimeter around the home and barn. What a mess doing that work in this heat with bone dry shrubs and grasses. We have to be careful just doing that. I did most by hand weed eating and such, because I'm scared to run the rotary cutter it's so dry. Next week it should be a little cooler up here.

 

[SLOBuds]

It seems like all of Ca is smothered in smoke. My house in Los Angeles area doesn't have much, but the ranch in central coast definitely does. There is a large fire outside of Santa Barbara that we need to travel through for getting home. 9400 acres, 80% contained as of yesterday.

The California style: Fires, rain, floods, mudslides, earthquakes, then riots to top it off! Can't imagine why everyone doesn't want to live here!!! Must be the low taxes and lack of government intrusion.

 

[MarkV]

The California style: Fires, rain, floods, mudslides, earthquakes, then riots to top it off! Can't imagine why everyone doesn't want to live here!!! Must be the low taxes and lack of government intrusion.

 

[mjarrels]

I hate to say it... but I wonder how many fires may have been set by homeowners in FORCLOSURE... Yep, insurance money is better than FORCLORSURE!

mark

 

[California]

wonder how many fires may have been set by homeowners in FORCLOSURE.

Interesting. Could be. But so far as I have read, these fires started as lightning strikes in uninhabited areas then burned toward communities.

The one incident that might be relevant was a landowner in the Big Sur region who was arrested for setting his own backfire. It worked as he presumably intended, it burned up the hill behind his home until it met the main fire and saved his home from the force of main fire arriving.