FIRE

[Gina D.]

I learned after 2003 that you can never really tell what is happening until the smoke clears, and you can go in and see first hand what burned.

However, last nite I watched one of my favorite dispersed camping areas anywhere... go up in flames. They were right over it, zeroing in on a couple of the campsites.

gone. This was in the Running Springs area, just east of it.

[Byron Kinnaman]

I learned after 2003 that you can never really tell what is happening until the smoke clears, and you can go in and see first hand what burned.

However, last nite I watched one of my favorite dispersed camping areas anywhere... go up in flames. They were right over it, zeroing in on a couple of the campsites.

gone. This was in the Running Springs area, just east of it.

Gina,
Any word on your house or area?

[Gina D.]

My house and the town of Hooterville are actually untouched, an will probably remain as such. I just can't get to it. Crestline is in a Bowl, much like a small crater, and the fire has not run up the rim to it. Burning down would be a total disaster, but the fire would have to jump a lake to make it to my house.

In the great scheme of things, I am very lucky. I have a "house" and am able to function reasonably normally during all this. 1/2 a million (Yes, thats the count so far) people are temporarily homeless here right now. Many of them are living in a football stadium, a race track, 2 county fairgrounds, soon to be an old airforce base, and ALL of the regions public campgrounds are full.

I am having severe breathing problems today tho.. not surprising.. 4 days of "Bar" quality air and having COPD is gonna do that.

[Joy A]

Gina,

I'm glad you decided to leave, whether you felt your home is pretty safe or not. Down at our ranch in Monterey County, I've seen how fast a fire can change directions and how fast they move. It's unbelievable the speed and ours didn't have the wind gusts you folks have down south.

We haven't had a bad bad fire in this area of the Northern Sierra Foothills for several years and cross our fingers each year at the beginning of the fire season. I'm thankful that I have my Scamp and I keep it at the ready for camping which makes it also at the ready for any emergency situation.

Keep us posted.....you are in our thoughts.

[Gina D.]

THX. One of the "blessings", if you can think of one, is that the fire in 2003 took out quite a bit in the center of these areas on fire now. Folks that were victims then have moved on and rebuilt thier lives and homes, some in the same area.. some outside it. They probably will not get hit twice. I hear stories from San Diego of folks getting a double whammy, however.

This is one of the fires in my area, the Lake Arrowhead on, called the Grass Fire (For GRass Valley Lake, a burb of Arrowhead)

The arrow shows right where my house is. It's about 7 miles, as the crow flies. The 03 fires came UP about 4 blocks from my house, so it is a natural fire break from there, but you can see how far this would have to go before it got anywhere near my home.

[jack smith]

I am having severe breathing problems today tho.. not surprising.. 4 days of "Bar" quality air and having COPD is gonna do that.

Gina.... having a nasty case of COPD myself, I really feel for you! Do you have a quality dust mask?

[Byron Kinnaman]

Thanks for the update, Gina.

I'm sure glad you're OK and haven't lost anything.
Might I suggest that you head for a Urgent Care Clinic and get a bit O<span style="font-family:system">2</span> to help the breathing.

Take care.

Edited to attempt to get subscripts to work.

[Gina D.]

I have already been in contact with my oncologist and pulminary experts.

They tell me to stay inside, and use the Combivent freely. I will venture out and get an air purifier as soon as I feel up to driving. I am clearing up a bit now, but.. this IS my thanksgiving vacation time..no work today

Sorry Ellen, I don't think I'll make it

[Gina D.]

update on evac #S... 1 million. 1500 homes lost.

[BuzzardsBurro]

Gina-

We are just glad you, the puppies and your home are safe. I did not sleep good last night and therefore watched a lot of news coverage of the fire last night. Thought of you often and was so glad you got out when you did. Take care of your breathing the best you can and keep us updated.

As for not being able to come up this way, we are too but totally understand. Your welcome anytime just give us a heads up.

Stay inside, stay safe and stay in touch.

We're thinking about you.

Berry & Ellen

[Lee Hillsgrove]

Wow, I was just in the Santa Ana / Irvine area 2 weeks ago for work. I had never been to SoCal before and I was thinking that if the weather was as nice as it was while I was there that I could see why so many people chose to live there. I'm sure that coming into Santa Ana that we flew over many of the places affected by the fires - I bet they look a whole lot different now than they did then. (insert sad smilie here)

Glad you're safe, Gina. If I had thought of it while I was out there we could have met for a coffee or something! Maybe next time.

[Bob Starr]

I got locked out of the boards here for some reason, but I managed to get back in today. As Gina knows I am still up here in the mountains. Jackie and I decided to stay up here even tho it is mandatory evacuation. After being burned out four years ago, we decided not go thru the agony of evacuation. Plus the winds were so fierce I was of no interest in fighting them with my trailer. Gina is a very brave lady for going down in the thick of it! I am sorry that you are having trouble breathiing, but it would be worse for you up here!
OK, the story in the thick of it. Right now the winds have died down to nothing and things seem to be better. We are in no danger! The fire that threatens Gina's house is 40% contained and the Slide fire that is close to me is burning east at the moment. Yesterday the smoke was so thick it made your eyes hurt and it was hard to breath, but today it is much better. I have the scanner going and monitor it vigilantly. There are quite a few of us here and we are all networked thru DB and cell phone. There is one friend that has bought tow water trucks with pumps and we have that on one of the dirt roads near a fire hydrant that works and ready to pump water. During the fire four years ago the fireman would not go back on the dirt roads to fight the fire because of inaccesibility, so to protect our own we shall make our own stand. But it appears that the fire has gone in a different direction and we won't need to. The turnaround in the wind may change that tho.
We are safe, the vehicles are packed, the Casita is hooked up and we will move if things get really bad. Gina's house is safe and so is ours. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for many of my friends and customers in this mountain community
Bob

[Gina D.]

Wish I could send oyu guys some of the tons of rain we have been getting up here in the Vancouver area..

You came close! You sent your BIG Tanker plane!

Supposedly the largest air tanker in the world, Thanks Northern friends!

Hey Bob! I didn't call last nite, thought you would be overwhelmed! I heard about the run up Cedar Glen, glad it got stopped.

[Alistair Camelford]

Gina and everyone out there, we are holding those good thoughts for you all as we watch the coverage on CNN and Canadian news. We can only imagine the stress the good folks of the area are under!
Interesting link, Gina, on the big water bomber...my Dad was on the engineering team that converted those beasts into MEGA water bombers back at Fairey Aviation in the "60's. He'd've been proud to know they are still on duty.
We'll hope for those winds to die down and for the fire crews to get some respite.
...thinking of you all...Alistair

[Bob Starr]

Gina!!!!! You can go home!!!!! They lifted the restrictions to your neighborhood! As for me:
Day 5 here and things are getting better, but still not over for us. The Grass Fire is about 70% contained and no new structures burnt. The slide fire is about 15% contained, but still rages on. The helis worked all day long on the ridge up at Hwy 18 to keep the fire from coming over. If it does it will get serious around here. Pretty good layer of smoke hanging over the lake and the surrondung area, but not as thick as it was a couple of days ago. I have not ventured far from the house because of the mandatory evac order. The rule is if you stay on your property, they can't force you to leave. (They certainly can make you uncomfortable, tho). We are still safe here and do not have any intentions of moving.
Bob

[Gina D.]

Yep!

I will go back up tomorrow, it looks like. With the lift after I was at work, I had already paid for another day at TWMERVP and am not torn down.. might as well do it tomorrow and avoid the crowds

[David & Leslie]

Wow, Gina - glad your place was spared and you were able to return; sorry about your breathing challenges tho'.

Carole & Jim - so glad the fire(s) in your area were diverted/contained before threatening you guys.

Bob - we admire your stand against the fires; seeing a wind-driven firestorm anywhere nearby would have dissolved my determination, and I'd be on the run! Hope things continue to work in your favor.

Dave & I are staggered by the damage inflicted on regions we lived in & loved for years. Our hearts go out to all who lost their homes/businesses and all are in our prayers. L 'n D

[Gina D.]

The smoke has cleared here (DON'T excuse the pun.. it isn't a pun, there is nothing funny about it) and by the end of the week, all will be let back home.

Today and tomorrow are tours of the devastated areas for residents in those areas only. They will be allowed to collect what they can from the destruction before the masses are let back up.

300+ homes lost here and rising as officials can get into previously unsafe areas and do the body count.

The good news is. NO ONE DIED up here. Last time, I think we lost 3. (Have to double check the #S, but that # sticks in my mind)

[Duane Fowler]

Gina
Glad you are ok and did not lose your house, sure sounds like it is not over down there yet but hopefully they will soon get the rest of the fires out.

That sure seems like a lot of homes to be lost in that area but glad there were no deaths.

Take care of yourselves everyone in the devastated areas down there.

Duane
Dunes City Oregon

[peterh]

It's good to hear that everyone from this forum, at least, is safe. I spent much of my youth in Southern California; my family has gradually drifted north with the exception of my daughters who live in the Riverside area and my late brother's widow and family, who lives just blocks from the junior high school I used to attend. Many of my other friends still live in and around San Diego. It hurts to know that you and they have all had a hard time, makes me want to reach out to all of you. Frustrating, too: I was asked to do disaster response for the Red Cross, and would have been a good choice because I know the area well, but had to turn them down because of my school commitments.

My best wishes to all of you for clear skies, high spirits, and a nice, light rain.

--Peter