California Fires

[LeftCoastLurker]

We'll my city will probably need FEMA help soon. So far our house is ok but several people we know have lost theirs. My 91 year old dad was evacuated at 4 am!  Damn fires. Cars are packed and ready to leave at a moments notice. 

[GreyhoundFan]

@LeftCoastLurker -- I'm so sorry about your friends and your dad. Please stay safe.

[LeftCoastLurker]

3 minutes ago, GreyhoundFan said:

@LeftCoastLurker -- I'm so sorry about your friends and your dad. Please stay safe.

Thanks. We will. I am at my brothers house now. Will probably go home tonight but we lost cell and cable service this morning. We may end up back here if they expand the evacuation zone...winds are supposed to pick back up to over 50 mph again tonight. 

[GrumpyGran]

17 hours ago, LeftCoastLurker said:

Thanks. We will. I am at my brothers house now. Will probably go home tonight but we lost cell and cable service this morning. We may end up back here if they expand the evacuation zone...winds are supposed to pick back up to over 50 mph again tonight. 

Are you near the Santa Rosa fire or the one east of Anaheim? Or another? Please be careful, I know you are worried about your home but stay safe, these fires move so fast. Hope your Dad's ok.

[LeftCoastLurker]

8 hours ago, GrumpyGran said:

Are you near the Santa Rosa fire or the one east of Anaheim? Or another? Please be careful, I know you are worried about your home but stay safe, these fires move so fast. Hope your Dad's ok.

Santa Rosa. We voluntarily evacuated yesterday. Went back home today and two hours later had to mandatorily (is that a word?) evacuate. We have no idea what tomorrow will hold, but we have each other...material things can be replaced. My dad is fine, but looking forward to going home. His senior living center is not destroyed, but has no power and we have no idea when that will be restored. I'll keep everyone updated. It is getting worse, not better.

[Destiny]

Fuck fire season.

[OtterRuletheWorld]

Fuck fire season.

Agreed. We have friends staying with us right now. They drove down yesterday. So we have a house full of people. 3 extra kids and our friends. I am thrilled to see them and hug them, but wish it wasn't because of such scary terms.

[GrumpyGran]

Keep us updated, @LeftCoastLurkerwe're here hoping for things to get better. And you're a good friend @OtterRuletheWorld, I'm sure it's appreciated.

[TuringMachine]

@LeftCoastLurker you'll be in my thoughts today.

My parents are up in Sonoma so I'm starting to get worried. They're bringing down their bird and some important items to my place today. They haven't been evacuated as of now but it seems like the fires are getting closer. This is my first time dealing with wildfires. Shit is scary.

[Destiny]

Shit is terrifying. I hate fire season.

I'm thinking of all you guys that are in the path of this one. I know from experience that it's terrifying. 

[OtterRuletheWorld]

3 hours ago, GrumpyGran said:

Keep us updated, @LeftCoastLurkerwe're here hoping for things to get better. And you're a good friend @OtterRuletheWorld, I'm sure it's appreciated.

I know it is appreciated and I know they would do the same.  Our neighbor's family arrived at their house yesterday.

We also felt a decent earthquake the other night (Nothing major, we are south of San Jose and it was a 4.4 there) but it made us all talk about how we could do without earthquakes ever, but absolutely do NOT need anything of that sort right now.

[onekidanddone]

My husband's father and step-mother lost their home to a wild fire in Colorado in 2010. I can't even fathom  what you are going through right now. Stay safe and keep FJ informed when you can.  

[LeftCoastLurker]

Hi All...thank you for all your kind words and thoughts. My husband is watching water drops on the flames that are threatening our neighborhood, so that is good. But, they've got a red flag warning (high winds) up for later today. If the wind blows the wrong way we're pretty much toast. The kids, the dogs and myself may just bag it and head on up to my sister's house in Nevada (they've cancelled school for the rest of the week). The air quality sucks. At my current location I'm at least 5 miles from any of the fires and we are getting heavy smoke and ash here. My older daughter is also starting to have respiratory issues from it. 

My heart goes out to everyone who has lost their homes and/or business. The fact that this monster jumped a 6 lane freeway and burned down an asphalt surrounded K-mart is just mind boggling.

If anyone has loved ones in the area, pm me and I'll see what I can do if you can't get a hold of them.

[candygirl200413]

@LeftCoastLurker sending you positive thoughts!

 

The videos so far have been so heartbreaking.

[GrumpyGran]

5 hours ago, LeftCoastLurker said:

Hi All...thank you for all your kind words and thoughts. My husband is watching water drops on the flames that are threatening our neighborhood, so that is good. But, they've got a red flag warning (high winds) up for later today. If the wind blows the wrong way we're pretty much toast. The kids, the dogs and myself may just bag it and head on up to my sister's house in Nevada (they've cancelled school for the rest of the week). The air quality sucks. At my current location I'm at least 5 miles from any of the fires and we are getting heavy smoke and ash here. My older daughter is also starting to have respiratory issues from it. 

My heart goes out to everyone who has lost their homes and/or business. The fact that this monster jumped a 6 lane freeway and burned down an asphalt surrounded K-mart is just mind boggling.

If anyone has loved ones in the area, pm me and I'll see what I can do if you can't get a hold of them.

Oh, Lordy, I hope you've gone to Nevada. Just get out.

Ok, not meaning to be disrespectful but I'm appealing to Borrum, the Celtic god of wind, because that's what we need, for the winds to die down. That's my heritage so that's what I'm going with.

Whatever you believe, start praying to it. This country can't take much more. 

[Howl]

10 hours ago, GrumpyGran said:

Oh, Lordy, I hope you've gone to Nevada. Just get out.

Second this.  Please, please flee to safety.  These fires are terrifying and moving so incredibly fast.  Five miles for a fire moving at 50 mph is a heart beat away. 

Be safe!  My heart goes out to all those affected. 

[TuringMachine]

Update: My parents voluntarily evacuated last night. It was mandatory but the police were apparently knocking on doors and encouraging people to leave. They spent the night in Petaluma but it looks like Petaluma might get evacuated too, at which point they'll probably come stay with me. 

[OtterRuletheWorld]

We can now see smoke where I live. Last night and this morning it was very obvious that it was smoke and not the fog that we so normally see. We had a red flag warning until 5pm tonight, which has now expired and downgraded. None of the kids in my house have been outside in almost 48 hours because of air quality and I skipped my run. Scary stuff.

[LeftCoastLurker]

Looks like there are a few FJers impacted by this shit storm. I'm back home and just keeping kids and pets inside. We still have power but no internet or cable. Husband went to work today and got to watch the 747 drop retardant from his office! 

Good thoughts and wishes going out to all affected by this. 

[Ozlsn]

Hoping everyone in the fire regions is safe. We haven't started fire season here yet, fortunately, but the predictions for this year are concerning. Hoping for rain for where the fires are.

[LeftCoastLurker]

WARNING....LONG!  SORRY

Hi All, just wanted to check in and give you an update. We have been back home for a few days. We got cable and internet back so felt safer staying here since we could stay updated. This is the first time I have truly faced something like this and all I can say is WOW! I'm exhausted all the time, not from physical exertion but mental stress. We are safe (so far, the fires aren't out but are under some level of control) but so many aren't. In my "city" of 175,000 we have lost at least 7% of our housing (3500 dwellings) and many, many businesses. The loss of housing, jobs, etc... is mind blowing. The fires have touched all, showing no mercy for any race or economic background. We lost high end hotels and fast food restaurants. Neighborhoods of multi-million dollar homes, tract homes and trailer parks have all been reduced to ashes. The family of a soccer teammate, the checker at the local grocery store, the owner of our neighborhood pizza joint...all they have left is what they managed to grab as they ran out of their houses as the fires burned all around them. That said, at least we all, even those who lost everything, have access to clean water, a safe place to sleep and warm food for their bellies...more than can be said for those in Puerto Rico and many other places in this world.

All we can do at this time is help those who have lost all, with our time and money and always keep in perspective that even as bad as it is here, it is many times worse in many other places in this world.

As I type this I just heard what was obviously a fire tanker fly over. It could still get worse before it gets better so we aren't unpacking yet. Everything is staged by the doors or in the garage. The dogs will not be left in the house alone in case we aren't allowed back in to get them. My 15 year old will also not be left alone anytime soon. A car and licensed driver will always be home in case the fires flare up and we have to evacuate. But at least we are home. All kind of surreal since literally two streets away (less than a quarter mile) those homes are blocked off and have National Guardsmen standing strong to keep looters (which are around!) out.

It's going to be a new "normal" here for a very long time.

Sorry about the length everyone, but this helps.

[TuringMachine]

Another update: The evacuation was lifted, and my parents were able to go home today. There's no power but the house is fine. So all good news for now. Finally. 

[LeftCoastLurker]

Yea for your parents!

[PumaLover]

I'm down in the Central Valley and have been watching and reading the news stories. I am so glad you and your friends/families are ok. We recently bought a place up in the foothills, aka fire country, and are well versed in keeping land cleared, being ready to leave at a moment's notice, etc. But what's really gotten to me is that these entire neighborhoods and businesses that burned weren't rural! They were surrounded by concrete and asphalt. That is truly scary.

There has just been so much awful news for the past few weeks that I can barely even stand to watch it. A few months back there were some massive fires near Yosemite, down our way. A lot of people lost everything. It's just so scary and awful to think about.

Again, I am glad you fellow CA FJers are safe.

[LeftCoastLurker]

Yep...California just doesn't exist to those in the White House...screwed again. Additional disaster relief for areas devastated in the US except California!

Spoiler

https://mikethompson.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/reps-thompson-huffman-condemn-administrations-supplemental-disaster-funding