California Fires: Camp, Lost, Eden, Mountaineer, Woolsey, etc.

[Canoe]

Lots of fires in California right now, with the big ones, particularly Camp Fire, making the news.

Smoke over California from sat views, for November 10, 2018
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Cal-Nov10-2018-camp-fire(s)-hourly-500-128.gif

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(at the end, in dark, in the top right corner note the light from the mining operations - red elipse - off the SE corner of the Black Rock Playa)
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Play with this to get your own view.
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http://rammb-slider.cira.colostate.edu/?sat=goes-16&z=5&im=60&ts=2&st=0&et=0&speed=250&motion=loop&map=1&lat=0&opacity%5B0%5D=1&hidden%5B0%5D=0&pause=20181111000035&slider=-1&hide_controls=0&mouse_draw=0&follow_feature=0&follow_hide=0&s=rammb-slider&sec=full_disk&p%5B0%5D=16&x=4155.5&y=3735

[Canoe]

California Fire Situation Awareness dashboard
California Governer's Office of Emergency Services

https://calema.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Map ... 15414930ed

California Traffic
http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/

[Canoe]

Samples of what it can be like on the ground

https://www.pscp.tv/CBS12/1OdJrRrjyBeJX

https://www.pscp.tv/CBS12/1OdKrRrWbQvKX

[Elderberry]

All because of incompetent forest management.

[Canoe]

From the various footage I've seen, it appears that there are were a lot of houses that were not retrofitted to protect against flying embers (this can be expensive to do comprehensively). As in soffits and other openings. Once embers blow inside the attic or other areas, not much you can do. And there were scenes showing high winds blowing flames sideways, reaching from one house to the next across the space between.

Prior footage I've seen of crews defending neighbourhoods in California shows brush engulfed, whole trees engulfed or a crown fire, with embers dropping and igniting structures. What I've seen but do not understand from footage of these fires, is areas where the structures are burnt to the ground, but most intervening and surrounding trees show little damage, except some trees show some damage close to the ground. It's as though the fire spread close to the ground and spared the mid & upper branches. wtf?

And some extended footage from the Woolsey Fire from the air showing smoke rising up out of a large area of a seemingly intact forest, yet as the smoke's leading edge reaches a hill ridge top, there's a flame front that passes over the ridge and into the forest on the other side and goes in under the trees? Why/how can the fire travel for miles yet the forest appears to have an intact canopy?

[Token]

The miracle patches in large fires - when they burn big and hot - oxygen depletion can do strange things.

Winds will also create eddies and vortices where all O2 gets depleted.

[Canoe]

nasa-worldview-2018-11-07T00_00_00Z-to-2018-11-11T00_00_00Zvsm.gif

[gaminwench]

We went through the Thomas fire last December.

I'm really amazed at how resilient the native oaks are; they don't really catch fire, they get singed bark and their leaves *might* drop/burn but the trees survive.

[Captain Goddammit]

I don’t know if any of you knew eplayan “Bounce530”, but he lived in Paradise.
The news from him isn’t good at all..

[Token]

I don’t know if any of you knew eplayan “Bounce530”, but he lived in Paradise.
The news from him isn’t good at all..

Cap’n, cliffhanger?

Is he OK? Alive? Family?

[burner von braun]

Bounce, with the big Burning Man tattoo on his arm, right? He stopped by the eplaya M&G this year, and we talked a bit. Sorry the news isn't good. Do you know any further info? They have reported on the news recently that the entire town of Paradise has been destroyed.

[Jackass]

Fuck man, these fires the last three years have been literally out of control! Not good.

I have a few family members in that region, not in harms way but they were evacuated.

A couple of years ago they got evacuated because of the damn dam at Oroville too.

[Eric]

I'm all the way in SF and the air is so bad here my eyes are stinging and my throat is raw. I can only imagine how insufferably bad it is for people closer to the fire to be inhaling all these toxins - let alone the horrible losses. I have multiple friends who's families have lost everything in the Camp Fire, and sadly this is the new abnormal for CA.

[ygmir]

I don’t know if any of you knew eplayan “Bounce530”, but he lived in Paradise.
The news from him isn’t good at all..

Cap’n, cliffhanger?

Is he OK? Alive? Family?

I'll leave details to Bounce if he pops in, but yes, he's alive, sounds like family made it out, no word on pets. But, sounds like that's about it.

[TT120]

I've been talking to Bounce and Flutter, They've lost everything as have their families. They all lived in Paradise. They're all ok but all they have is the shirts on their backs. Literally........

Bounce is currently looking for an RV they can rent, he has secured a space with hookups.

[Bounce530]

Caught word ya'll might be in here talking about us.. Yes, we lost everything. We were only able to grab just some clothes, and very few items, like some pix, phone chargers. I grabbed my 'swag bar' since it was just on hooks on the wall, and was a last ditch effort to have something. Flutter was able to grab her "mini man", oh, I also grabbed a street sign from a few years back. But we had just a few minutes before the fire got to our home. We've lost everysingle piece of our camp, but that can be replaced.
We barely got out alive, as did so many others. I've seen pix of where we got jammed up in standstill traffic, where there are cars of people who got out of and ran, and the cars are melted..
The fire destroyed the entire town within minutes. It has been discussed on the community page about how cars are melted, yet trees right beside them are barely touched.. Its because the wind was so strong it blew the fire along the ground, prob part of the reason my roof top fire sprinklers didn't do anything. Because it moved so fast, and was all over the whole town in minutes is the reason I didn't see one fire engine, or air support any near my neighborhood.
We are picking up a motorhome tomorrow to live in until we can find a perm house. I may have to pop back on here to ask questions about how to "hook up" to water/elect/sewer

[lucky420]

It’s good to hear from you and so glad that you and Fluffer are safe. If there’s anything we can do for you, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Thank you for checking in.

[mgb327]

Hey Bounce, nice to hear a bit more about the fire. I was watching your video of the escape and jumping up and down yelling OHFUCK! OHFUCK! Shit, that completely freaked me. So glad you two escaped. What a sad situation, but it all boils down to you two are safe. Stuff can be replaced. I think some of us that know you might start some form of fundraiser, as that is about the only way I can help you right now. I am on the East Coast, so my assistance is limited. If you would like some help, PLEASE let me know. My heart is with all of you from Paradise.

[Bounce530]

I've got to continue my log and catch up the story, and experiences. No shit the closest we've come to dying, and sadly people that were near us in the damn traffic jam did die. So scary. Right now the count is 42, when this is done the death count WILL BE in the triple digits.
Right now until we get sorted into the motorhome on Wednesday, we are ok, but then we find and get into a perm home is when we will need help getting back on our feet, so maybe if I could ask, for people that want to help the best is monetary. Also, I would suggest donating straight to victims. The agencies helping are getting tons of help, yet all we've seen at the shelters are clothes/flats of water/toiletries, no financial help.
If you would like to donate to us, we will share what we receive directly to our neighbors, we know tons of people you could use cash right now for gas, lodging, beer. Stuff that the shelter will not supply, but people need.
PP- [email protected]
Thank you!

[Canoe]

... I was watching your video of the escape and jumping up and down yelling OHFUCK! OHFUCK! ...

Is this somewhere we can see?

[mgb327]

Pay-Pal address for Bounce is: [email protected]

[lucky420]

Pay-Pal address for Bounce is: [email protected]

Yeah, I think canoe meant the vid

[mgb327]

I know. I have it, but I won't post it. That is up to Bounce. It may have not been his, might have been his friends'. It was heart-stopping. I was just showing his PP addy.

[ygmir]

thanks for posting Bounce!
So glad you and Flutter are alive, and well (relatively).
yes, as needs arise, post, or let someone know and they can post. Understanding, it's tough to post and ask for help, and yet, people want to help.....so that.
A few of us, who are fairly close, have "stuff", if we had a list we could see what we have to share.
Best of Luck!

[Bounce530]

I don't mind videos being reposted.

[Bounce530]

Check out this interactive map. Zoom in and click on the houses and it will show the destruction of the property. And for us, it's like waiting for the freakin' moop map, they are close to posting my property, but haven't yet, they're only about half way through posting the town. Anyway, kinda give you a scope for those that don't know our little forest town on a ridge.

This whole town burnt down within a matter of a few hours.

https://www.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewe ... 7%2C102100

[Canoe]

wow
most structures reduced to rubble

• some with a decoration, lawn chair or child's toy in the middle sitting there looking untouched
• comparing to google street view, you can sure see where that wind blowing the flames sideways ignited structures close together like falling dominoes
• one house, google street view showing a tiny wood house with a shingle roof, wheelchair ramp, man in wheelchair at the top, a stroller with kids toys all around the yard - "no visible damage"
• another, shingle roof, tree debris on the roof and overflowing the eavestroughs - appears untouched except for a cracked window and some scorching at the ground at a corner
• an occasional house with 'no visible damage', surrounded by a dozen destroyed to rubble
• saw where a new fancy home (should have been to newer building code with fire prevention provisions) was burnt down to rubble, while next to it the ancient small wooden-sided houses with shingle roofs appeared fine exept for a few melted decorations and a cracked window
• mobile home park, most destroyed, one with melted faux shutters...

[some seeing eye]

Our hearts go out to death and property losses.

Electric utilities have the capability to trim trees. Not doing can create sparks making fires. It costs money.

Some utilities on the East Coast saved money neglecting tree trimming extending Hurricane Sandy outages. Losses in the West are infinitely more serious. In West electric bills, which to pay? Prevention or compensation? Talk to your Pubic Utility Commission.

When a power line contacts a tree, there can be a spark which ignites the tree, spreading to a wildfire. The burden of prevention is on utilities.

[Canoe]

... Some utilities on the East Coast saved money neglecting tree trimming extending Hurricane Sandy outages. ...
When a power line contacts a tree, there can be a spark which ignites the tree, spreading to a wildfire. The burden of prevention is on utilities.

So you're saying that like the cost cutting seen elsewhere, if utilities in California were not keeping their power line paths trimmed back, that (and a high wind blowing cables & trees?) may be responsible for these fires?

Would it be incorrect to say that utilities not doing adequate preventative maintaince and that resulting in fires is not an extrodinary event, but a foreseable consequence?

[gaminwench]

Canoe: that would be correct.
Thomas fire, last year in Ventura County, was caused by an old, under-maintained transformer that blew and sparked the drought-ridden vegetation that was growing *over* the transformer. Negligence.
The utility has confirmed this, and just recently got legislation passed that allows them to raise our rates to cover their costs (which are mounting, due to lawsuits from folks who lost homes/businesses); f**king sucks.