California Fires 2018

[Gobbles]

I'm sort of "interested" in all the articles about the fires and it is truly frightening to see the videos and pictures and how freaking fast the fires move. I don't know but fire has and will always be on of my biggest fears. We don't have fires like that here, there is sometimes high risk and they tell you not to use the public BBQ spots but if a fire breaks out, it is nothing compared to the fires in California.

The house of a German showmaster burned down due to the Malibu fire (Thomas Gottschalk - for the Germans). He had a house with a windmill and there is a video on Instagram showing it burning. (He was in Germany, his wife and the two cats are safe according to the newspaper articles.) 

I read also about all the people looking for their pets in the Camp fire region. Heartbreaking to see those. 

I hope no one on here is affected by the fires and if you or friends/relatives are I hope everything is okay and nobody got hurt. 

[Howl]

Stats on the fire just flashed on the TV screen:  31 dead and over 200 missing.  This just tore at my heart. 

[JillyO]

I can only stress what Gov. Gerry Brown has said (Source):

Quote

"We’re in a new abnormal. Things like this will be part of our future,” Gov. Jerry Brown (D) said at a news conference. “Things like this and worse.” He repeatedly cited climate change as a factor and said those who deny it are complicit in the disasters.

“The chickens are coming home to roost. This is real here,” the governor said.

Donald fucking Trump, of course, is busy victim-blaming California for its "poor forest management" (even though the majority of California forests are federally managed) as he does away with more environmental protections and denies climate change.

I'm about 160 miles away from the Camp Fire, in the Bay Area. The air quality is terrible - we haven't been able to breathe properly since Thursday morning. But I can't even imagine the devastation the people in the town of Paradise and surrounding communities must feel. If we have any FJers local to this or any of the other California wildfires currently burning, I hope that you, your families, friends, and pets are all safe. If you are in the possible path of one of the fires, please evacuate safely and early. I know the thought of losing everything to the fire is daunting, but it's not worth risking your life over! Hope everyone is safe! ❤️

 

[PennySycamore]

Donald fucking Trump can go fuck himself with a chainsaw.  

[Ozlsn]

On 11/13/2018 at 1:24 AM, Howl said:

Stats on the fire just flashed on the TV screen:  31 dead and over 200 missing.  This just tore at my heart. 

I keep checking for updates, and hoping the tolls will stop rising. I live in a similar climate to California, and between these and the fires in Greece this year it has been an horrific year for wildfires. Hoping everyone with family/friends in the fire regions has made contact. 

[PumaLover]

I was wondering if there had been a thread about all of this. I live in eastern Fresno County, CA. Knock on wood, the fires are several hundred miles north and south of us, at least this time. Three years ago, we had devastating wildfires in our region. This is near and dear to me because a year ago, my husband and I sold our house and moved up to the mountains. This could very well be us going through this and that is not lost on me. My heart goes out to everyone who has been affected by these fires. Yes, maybe we are taking a huge chance by living where we do, but it's because we love the mountains and forest, and the solitude. It's a chance we are willing to take.

But I am absolutely devastated by all of the destruction. I used to live very close to where the Malibu/Ventura County fires are. It's such a beautiful area. It's not even actual forest, just low, scrubby,  desert-like bushes. I was stunned that the fire has spread so quickly.

Here in California, our pine trees have been decimated by decades of drought and as a result, the bark beetles have started killing all of our trees. You drive up to the Sierra National Forests and you just see huge patches of dead, dry brown trees. Despite what Trump says, we are practicing forest management. I can't speak for all of California, but in our area forest service employees have been taking out all the dead trees. In fact, in the last month, weather conditions were right for a prescribed burn, which the firefighters conduct carefully and burn all of the dry brush and dead trees so that if a wildfire burned, it wouldn't get out of control. I highly doubt Trump has ever been to this area to see what is going on.

That said, I have been in Arizona for the past 5 days. I am hoping to eventually move there because I feel like living in a California forest is literally just a ticking time bomb. We had a fire nearby a couple months ago and my husband and I gathered all the animals, my computer and important documents and left. It was so scary. I have honestly never been so scared. I really do feel for the people who lost their homes, family members, pets.  Sorry for rambling. I've been up for awhile!

[Spinosaurus]

I've a friend in California whom I worried about because of this.  I emailed him and he said he was ok and sent me a lovely picture of a sunrise there.  (I would insert it here except his picture rather than mine.)

I still worry about him, though.  But I've worried about his safety since he said he was moving to the US, because earthquakes and guns and also he's BME.

[Howl]

Heavy rains and storms in northern CA have led to this warning: 

 

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

@Howl, we had a bad fire in my city's foothills back in the 1990s. There was such a high concern about possible mudslides afterwards that the city put in a system of alarms, with sirens on poles. Just a few years ago they dismantled the whole thing, because with modern technology, it was obsolete. Smart phones and other technologies are a better way to alert people in an emergency these days. 

I really hope the situation in northern California doesn't get worse and that people stay safe.

[Jellybean]

As if they hadn’t had enough shit already? Please stay safe, FJ (and other) Californians

[MarblesMom]

I am now looking for a house in Nor Cal, and realtor.com has way, way too many pictures of former homes... just a fireplace, just a retaining wall... selling the lot, not even wanting to rebuild.

So sad.

[Ozlsn]

1 hour ago, MarblesMom said:

I am now looking for a house in Nor Cal, and realtor.com has way, way too many pictures of former homes... just a fireplace, just a retaining wall... selling the lot, not even wanting to rebuild.

So sad.

Tomorrow is the tenth anniversary of Black Saturday and there have been articles and discussions about it all week. A lot has focused on those who chose to rebuild, but they've also talked to people who never wanted to go through that again and who sold and relocated. Time helps of course, but the land and the people still have scars, both visible and invisible. When I drive to my in law's town I can still see the exact point the fires reached before the wind change hit - it saved their town but devastated others. It's such early days still for NorCal, and my heart goes out to the people who are still adjusting and in the very raw stages.

[PumaLover]

We've had close to 20" of rain up where we are which is great except that means much more greenery which translates to much more fire fuel come late spring.

That said, I had an exceptionally wonderful day here. It snowed most of the day, which is the reason I moved up here. It made me remember just why I love it here and want to be here.

We still have our evacuation plans in order and I hope we'll never have to use them. I am torn between the extreme fire danger and being someplace where I can afford acreage and I truly love our property and the community. I lived in the city for most of my life and always wondered why people lived in fire prone, rural areas if they didn't have to. But now I get it. 

We are going to have a much better fire clearance this year than last year, even if I have to get up there and do it myself. I don't want our community to be the next one wiped off the map.