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-   -   California is Burning (http://cellar.org/showthread.php?t=33857)

Glinda 11-09-2018 05:13 PM

California is Burning
 
Events in and around Thousand Oaks, CA are breaking my heart.

Not only was the community rocked by the senseless murder of 12 innocent people less than 48 hours ago, for the last 24 hours area residents have been dealing with massive evacutations, strangled or closed evactuation routes, and burning homes and hillsides.

Thankfully, the fires are not immediately threatening my brother's family in Camarillo; can't say the same for former neighbors and friends in TO, nor for a good friend that lives in Agoura Hills, just down the road. I haven't heard from any of them.

On top of all that, the town of Paradise in Northern CA has been completely destroyed. My parents lived there for about eight years in the '80s - no idea how their friends and former neighbors have fared. In addition, Chico CA is also threatened by massive fires. That's where I went to college.

Seems like every footprint that I or my family made in the state is being threatened or obliterated by fire.

I feel like I'm locked in an unending nightmare and I can't wake up. This is just horrific. :(

glatt 11-09-2018 06:07 PM

Yeah. My brother lives in the valley between Chico and Paradise.

I kept watching his dot on "find my friends" yesterday and he wasn't evacuating when the mandatory evacuation orders were issued for the districts surrounding him a mile to the north, East, and South. Turns out his zone was a voluntary evacuation. Different government rules his valley so the orders were not consistent.

So I texted him and told him to hurry up and get out. The fire was still a few miles away at that point, but heading generally in his direction.

Took an hour or two but he and his wife finally got out. They were taking their time getting the things that were important to them and packing them in the car.

I watched the fire line advance towards and across their house today thanks to the MODIS satellite imagery that nobody but me seems to know about.

He and his wife are remarkably calm about it all. They are staying at a hotel near the coast and hope they have a home to return to. It doesn't look likely.

glatt 11-09-2018 06:11 PM

This is not MODIS imagery. It was taken late yesterday, I think. The Red x is where his house used to be.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...64bf0cfa31.jpg

Griff 11-09-2018 06:43 PM

Damn, sorry guys.

Glinda 11-09-2018 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glatt (Post 1018543)
Yeah. My brother lives in the valley between Chico and Paradise.

I kept watching his dot on "find my friends" yesterday and he wasn't evacuating when the mandatory evacuation orders were issued for the districts surrounding him a mile to the north, East, and South. Turns out his zone was a voluntary evacuation. Different government rules his valley so the orders were not consistent.

So I texted him and told him to hurry up and get out. The fire was still a few miles away at that point, but heading generally in his direction.

Took an hour or two but he and his wife finally got out. They were taking their time getting the things that were important to them and packing them in the car.

I watched the fire line advance towards and across their house today thanks to the MODIS satellite imagery that nobody but me seems to know about.

He and his wife are remarkably calm about it all. They are staying at a hotel near the coast and hope they have a home to return to. It doesn't look likely.

So sorry to hear about what your brother is going through. When you can, please let him know that we're all with him in spirit. :hug:

Diaphone Jim 11-09-2018 07:01 PM

The smoke plume got to southern Mendocino County in under three hours and by noon it was as dark as a total solar eclipse under a deep orange sky.
For some reason many things shone blue in that light.
Twilight Zone stuff.

glatt 11-10-2018 05:05 PM

Latest news is that my brother's neighbor was able to sneak past the police barrier on his bike and check on houses. My brother's house was untouched. The fire seems to have gone up the backside of the ridge behind his house, got to the top and jumped across his house to the other side of the valley and burn that side up.

Basically he was on the lee side of the hill and protected by it. Fire likes to burn uphill, not downhill.

Damn lucky. It's an ashtray all around his place now.

He has no idea when he will be allowed back to see for himself.

Glinda 11-10-2018 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glatt (Post 1018647)
Latest news is that my brother's neighbor was able to sneak past the police barrier on his bike and check on houses. My brother's house was untouched. The fire seems to have gone up the backside of the ridge behind his house, got to the top and jumped across his house to the other side of the valley and burn that side up.

Basically he was on the lee side of the hill and protected by it. Fire likes to burn uphill, not downhill.

Damn lucky. It's an ashtray all around his place now.

He has no idea when he will be allowed back to see for himself.

Great news - glad to hear it. :)

sexobon 11-10-2018 05:27 PM

Tell him to keep an extra air filter and cabin filter handy for his car if he hasn't changed them recently.

xoxoxoBruce 11-14-2018 09:55 PM

1 Attachment(s)
Scorched...

Dude111 11-14-2018 10:51 PM

Very very sad :(

Griff 11-15-2018 06:44 AM

If this is the new normal, we've got a lot of changing to do. :(

I heard a fire chief talking about a grass-fire jumping like 12 lanes of highway. That is absurd.

tw 11-15-2018 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Griff (Post 1018917)
If this is the new normal, we've got a lot of changing to do.

Step one is to admit to why the problem exists. Extremists still deny what is obvious and well proven in science. Mankind is causing clmate changes so massive and so quickly that, well, the damning question is whether this will get worse even faster once the oceans no longer absorb massive amounts of carbon gases and heat.

Extremists response typically is to even deny the question. Solutions are subverted when the reason for a problem is even denied. An ostrich mentality exists.

xoxoxoBruce 11-15-2018 11:28 AM

1 Attachment(s)
Sad...

fargon 11-15-2018 12:11 PM

Very sad.


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