We've noticed posts on Facebook from some of our travel pals from California, talking about fires in their area. The ones we've heard from are okay, but they all know folks who have had damage, some burned out.
So how are our Forum California friends doing? Please know we are thinking of you, and hoping you are well.
Edit to add: Oregon and Washington friends, too. Lots of our travel pals and many folks on the forum are from the West Coast.
I was on the edge of the evacuation zone back during the Oakland Hills Fire in 1991 - literally: the zone began at the corner of my street, and the atmosphere today is scarier than it was then. The neighbor's floodlights turned off as the sun rose, and then turned back on again a few minutes later when the sun was blocked by the smoke and fog. Late morning in Sept looks like late evening in Feb, but more sepia-toned.
That said, the air is still breathable right around the SF Bay, and the power has been pretty steady.
I think part of what makes this inspire more anxiety than it might merit is that we don't know if this is a hump that we're going to get over and move on, or a hill that will just keep getting tougher to climb.
Jane, that is very kind of you to ask.
I'm in Berkeley a mere 3 miles from the edge of the SF Bay and usually there are pretty predictable cooling and refreshing breezes.
There are no immediate fires here but the air was so full of smoke that it was still pitch dark at 10am. The air quality was tolerable because the smoke particles were at some altitude. I was subbing at a local preschool and it was too dark to have the kids go outside even though the air was mostly okay in the morning. (It got worse in the late morning as the sky began to lighten so we still stayed indoors.)
A couple of my friends have needed to evacuate but none have lost their homes so far.
This is yet another reason why this year is one for the record books. (Can it be over now...?)
Yes, sorry for not thinking to reach out. I am so worried for everyone in these cities. I wish there was something we could offer besides our prayers at this point. I have never been an anxious or down person, always tried to be positive, but this year is really taking its toll, feeling anxiety for the first time. 2020 can’t end quick enough. Stay Safe everyone.
Jane so kind of you to ask. We have not been directly affected by fire but have had a daily hazardous air quality index since August 16th. We escaped the smoke to go to my brother’s home in central Oregon last week for our very first trip during the pandemic. Now they are in a prepare-to-go evacuation zone. It’s been extremely dry on the west coast. Yesterday our humidity was 10%, dew point in the 30s with 25-30 MPH winds all day. It doesn’t take more than a spark to start a fire in these conditions. Better conditions are on the horizon and the firefighters are doing an amazing job! Thanks for your thoughts.
hey hey jane
thanks for asking and your concern. it is so eerie here. woke up this morning wondering what is going on, cloudy and all orange, like the color of cheddar cheese. had to look at my clocks to see it was really 930am. ash is everyone. i live more inland from the bay, on the carquinez strait, can't see town of benicia or the bridge across the ways. feel sorry for everyone that has to work under these conditions.
fires are everywhere in california, from north to south, have friends on coast of oregon/california can't leave since hiways are closed. just read that southern oregon is really bad with small towns burnt to the ground in minutes, campers evacuated by helicopters after the gender reveal party disaster were told if worse comes to jump in lake. fires in washington are bad. seems like so many people want to leave but where do you go? i went and did my "covid hair" today yeah and gonna make oxtail osso bucco style.
aloha
Thanks for bringing this to the Forum. In times of crisis, please don't forget to take care of yourself and each other.
With all that's happening we've gotten used to the official line of "Stay calm." It's easy to laugh mockingly at that message and I do. What keeps me going is the true sense of community that I see every day. The hand made signs thanking firefighters (some from other locations in California, some from all over the West, and some from as far away as Canada and Australia) remind me that help is universal.
Covid unemployment has stretched the resources of our local Food Bank thin. People who last year donated now get needed supplies at distribution sites.
Fires have forced many to precautionary evacuate their homes. Our community has responded by making lodging available at no charge.
As of today some 14,000 firefighters are battling 28 major fire across the state. So far some 2.5 million acres have burned and have destroyed 3,700 structures. There have been eight fatalities.
It all sounds dire, but there are opportunities to help those who are in need. One way is to volunteer. No matter where you are groups that will appreciate your assistance.
Remember, take care of yourselves--and check in on each other.
Be safe.
The SF Bay Area’s air quality today was actually quite good (76). The smoke was very high up with a layer of fog underneath. The sky in the entire Bay Area was dark brown most of the day. It was very eerie, very apocalyptic. Everyone is talking about it.
The fires are raging all over the state but the immediate area of SF and surrounds have not had fires.
My sister lost her house in the Oakland fire. My other sister lost her house in the Paradise (Camp) fire. One fire is now raging in the area of Paradise, Chico and Oroville (just north of Sacramento). 150,000 acres on fire and un-contained. It is horrific, with burn victims, fatalities and loss of property. .
LA area is experiencing fires as well. Air quality was in the 200’s Sunday and had some ash on my car, however, no one I know or work with has had a loss (thankfully) and air quality has improved where I am in the South Bay these past few days. However, a few of my colleagues have been alerted to be ready to evacuate due to the Bobcat fire, hoping they stay safe. Thank you for thinking of us.
We were evacuated late morning. Last we heard, 2 hours ago, the fire is within one mile if our house. We were supposed to be in Ortisei now. 2020 keeps on testing us.
Jane, thank you for posting this topic. I live in the Vancouver, WA area. So far we are faring better than some areas just south of us in Oregon; we had a clear but windy day until around five this evening, when the wind shifted and smoke blew in. I have family in Yamhill County (wine country), Oregon; this morning I spoke with them and they said the sky was almost like sunset (but darker) all afternoon yesterday and all morning today. What is unusual about the Oregon and Washington fires is that in a "normal" fire season most are on the east side of the Cascade mountains and are caused by lightning strikes or human carelessness. Not this time. The weather front that brought snow to Colorado and Wyoming brought strong east winds to Washington and Oregon, so most of these fires are being started by trees/branches falling on power lines. With wind gusts of 40-50 mph, the flames move fast. According to news reports, firefighters are primarily making sure residents are safely out of the the affected areas before they can even start getting these blazes contained. Several small towns in Oregon have been completely destroyed. I am praying for all those whose lives are being upended by these fires, as well as for calming winds and desperately needed rain.
This is also a reminder to all of us that it is SO important to have some sort of an emergency plan, "go" list, or whatever you wish to call it. We certainly hope to not need it, but it is a comfort to have a plan if evacuation becomes necessary.
Jane, thank you for posting. Indeed, we all hope that all our fellow Forum-ites will stay safe. The images and stories coming out of the West Coast are truly apocalyptic.
Laurel, thinking of you all as you have evacuated and hoping and praying that your home will stay safe.
Thank you everyone for thinking of us and wishing us well.
We appreciate your kindness. It means a lot.
I woke up this morning and thought I fell into a movie set from Mad Max.
The air is less smoky today at least, but the orange-ness of everything is jarring, super weird.
At least there's no heat wave today.
I'm praying very hard that the fires will stop soon (please rain!) no more people will lose their homes and no more firefighters will get hurt.
2020 has been one crazy year! Late one night a couple of weeks ago, during a heat wave, I heard and saw thunder and lightning. I couldn't believe it.
Wishing good things for all of you as well. Keep safe!
Warm thanks again.
Most, if not all, of the fires we’ve had recently in California were started by the lightening we had that Carole mentioned. After many years of severe drought, and the Federal Government not maintaining Federal forest land, California is a tinder box.
Jane,
I'd like to "second" the thankyou for posting this topic.
I've been watching the horrific news reports every day about the fires in the western states, and the situation just seems to get increasingly worse. I heard one report today that said that these are the worst fires in recorded history. My thoughts and prayers are with all of you that are affected, and I fervently hope the situation can be brought under control very soon. This would certainly be a good time to deploy the Martin Mars (if it hasn't been done yet).
Laurel, hope the fire misses your area and that you're back home soon!
Jane, very kind of you. It was so eerie today with Halloween colored skies, I was expecting zombies to wander down the streets. I wish I was spending my first night in Warsaw. I'd like to get out of CA, but it seems we're ringed by fire. At least I'm safe at home, whereas friends have evacuated. The weird atmosphere blocked the sun, so instead of the record busting 112 degrees we had 2 days ago, it was in the 60s.
Laurel, I hope the fires turn away and you can return to your home in one piece.
I’m in Northern Ca, near Sacramento and on Tuesday there were a few new fires. By 3pm the sky was so dark that the street lights turned on. The biggest problem for our area is the air quality, it was well over 200 on Tuesday. Plus last weekend it was 110 We have rarely left our house since mid-August because it is so bad. The sun has been red for a few days now. I feel like this is a movie set in another planet.
We have fires every year and they usually start in October. The last few years they seem to be worse, burning communities rather than forests. Not sure how many more years I can take.
I can't help but think that if these fires were happening on the East coast, there would be non-stop news coverage.
The situation is VERY bad in Oregon (and elsewhere). Reported fatalities have been low, primarily because responders haven't been able to enter the burned down homes to see how many were unable to evacuate. As of Thursday morning, the dry east winds are moderating which should help. Rain perhaps next week, but that sometimes brings a threat of lightning strikes which could add to the devastation. There has been little reduction or containment of many of the fires because of the weather and the lack of available fire crews due to the number of fires across the region.
The U.S. has by far the largest military budget in the world, but it does absolutely no good in moderating pandemics or dealing with natural disasters. Can we ever have a serious discussion in this country about our spending priorities? Not to mention the reality of climate change.
Yes, OR and WA are really bad too.
One of the OR fires took two family cabins along the McKenzie.
Another fire was within a few miles of my parents, and I could not get ahold of them yesterday morning. Thankfully another relative lives about 8 houses from them and I was able to get ahold of them in the meantime. They are all ok for now, but in real danger. We have offered if they need to evacuate to come up here to WA to our place as we have plenty of room.
The devastation in OR literally made me cry yesterday morning. Seeing that entire towns are just gone is mind boggling. Born and raised there, and knowing so many friends/family are being affected really got to me.
Laurel--One of my good friends is in your area and I haven't heard yet if they have evacuated. I think they have based on where their home is. Keeping fingers crossed that your home is ok!
I am anxiously watching the fire news from the West Coast as well, and thinking of our RS community folks who live in the affected areas. The photos are positively frightening; can only imagine what's like to be right on top of the smoke and flames! Please take care and have your go bags packed and ready, if you haven't already had to grab them.
Laurel, where are you sheltering and have you any news about your house yet?
Yes, the orange sky yesterday really did look like a scene from the 1982 science fiction film Blade Runner.
I have lived my whole life in the SF Bay Area and have never experienced anything like this. Dry thunderstorms with lightning strikes causing hundreds of wildfires, extreme heat waves, rolling blackouts, hazardous air quality, ash filled skies. I now sleep with an emergency bag next to my front door in case I have to run out of my house in the middle of the night. My prayers are with you, Laurel. I'm so sorry that you had to evacuate.
It has gone beyond climate change. We are now in a climate crises.
Safe here in Medford (Southern Oregon). Were on a Level 2 get ready to evacuate alert. The two small towns south of us experienced widespread destruction. Winds have died down but fires are still active so it's not over.
As Gov. Newsom said: “I Have No Patience For Climate Change Deniers” .
Thanks to Jane for posting this. Cannot begin to imagine what it is like to live in fear of having to evacuate, not knowing if you will have anything left to come back to. Our thoughts and prayers are also with all of the firefighters and emergency personnel.
Crossing my fingers and praying for rain for all of you living in or near the affected areas.
We live in S. BC in Canada, and have had a couple of days of haze from drifting smoke; but a very minor problem compared with the Western US states.
Hope you are all safe.
Portland (and NW Oregon & SW Washington area) has had eerie orange/yellow smoke-filled skies for the last 3 days, but no big fires that threaten the Portland area itself (yet).
hey hey
glad to see laurel and family made it out, so stunning to see that. a few years ago we stayed in a beautiful cabin on devils lake. they were long time guests at my sister's hotel on big island hawaii, had a great dinner at blackfish cafe.
hey edgar you got your evacuation bag packed and at front door, glad to see so far so good for you.
hoping the rest of west coast forum posters are as safe as can be, when time to evacuate leave
aloha
S J, in a normal year, California doesn’t usually get any significant rain until Jan-March. None to speak of in drought years, which we’ve had many recently.
Thank you, Jane. It's very kind and thoughtful of you to inquire about us Westcoasters. Sacramento has had some bad air days, and we've had flakes of ashes falling off and on, but we are sheltering place because of COVID-19 anyway. We just don't spend as much time outside now. We think the situation will probably continue to some degree until the fall rains arrive. Unfortunately, that could be two months from now. Stay safe and well, everyone!
hey hey glad to see laurel and family made it out, so stunning to see
that...
Except they might lose their house. Damn sight better than losing their lives, for sure, but it still stinks. Big time.
Our sunsets are affected way over here in Vermont:
Sending good thoughts and hopeful
prayers (and a rain dance or two) to everyone affected by these devastating fires.
Stay safe.
My thoughts are with all of you on the west coast affected by this. So heartbreaking to hear about all of this. I hope things improve soon.
News from today reports that "The winds have pushed the fire spread back toward areas already burned and away from the denser population center of Lincoln City."
Let's hope she lives in that "denser population center" and that this might be good news for Laurel and her home.
On Sunday, Woodland Hills in Southern California had an all time record temperature of 121 degrees in the shade. It was the highest temperature ever recorded there and in surrounding counties, Ventura County, Santa Barbara County, Los Angeles County and Orange County. It is so hard on the firefighters to fight a fire in these temperatures. Our climate is changing and the fires are unfortunately going to get worse. Today was a lot cooler because we never saw the sun thru the smoke. Global Warming is real. People might want to debate if it is caused by humans or not, but regardless, we owe it to our children to do everything possible to minimize the harmful effect of Global Warming.
So sorry for all our forum friends and families who are impacted by the devastating fires. Thank you to the firefighters who are risking their lives. In addition, thinking of all the people who have compromised lung conditions dealing with their illnesses. Take care all. Our thoughts are with you.
I want to also say stay safe my west coast forum friends. As I look out my window here in Alaska, I am surrounded by trees. We had a lot of rain this summer, but one of these years it could be us. I just hate what is happening to our planet. We have most definitely not been good stewards.
Last week I cleared brush and weeds on my empty Lake Madrone lot (Berry Creek) for fire safety - only to learn that a few days later the Bear Fire took the trees too. Far more sadly, all my neighbors' homes and cabins, which have dotted this beautiful lakeside community for many decades, were destroyed.
The fire slowed as the winds died down but still made its way westward to within 6-7 air miles of the Paradise/Magalia area, where my daughter and my brother have their respective homes, and where we just broke ground last week on a replacement home for one of two homes we lost in the Camp fire of 2018. We're holding our collective breath and praying that the winds remain calm, that containment comes quickly.
I regret not paying sufficient attention to the recent horrible fire problems to our north in Oregon and Washington. I've been zeroed in only on local concerns for quite a while now. So here's one more prayer, one for my fellow forum posters and all my other neighbors to the north... may all of you all get through this season unscathed and avoid the cards that were dealt so harshly to Paradise and other California communities.
I heard from so many friends/family yesterday.
A friend of our daughters barely made it out. She lived near Detroit and they went to bed at 7 since there was no power. Woken up at 1am from screams to get out. They drove over and through burning material to get out, and they barely made it. They are homeless now, but alive. They were assured that evening that there was no need to worry or pack a bag just yet, so they hadn't . In the rush, she grabbed 4 pairs of pants and 1 pair of underwear. Good lesson for all of us!
We used to live in both OR and WA and commuted each week. Three years ago we sold our OR home, and now that is at a level 1 evacuation, but I anticipate that will get moved up today based on the location.
A friend in Otis (near Lincoln City) had to evacuate, but they are ok. No idea about their home just yet.
Air quality is so bad. 508 at my dads and 334 at our old house.
Russ thanks for adding your perspective on our current situation and your recent past. We’ve been thinking about you and other people we know from Paradise (former students) a lot and hoping you feel safe and held close during this time. You have great wisdom and perspective for those who are in the midst of this now in so many communities. Thank you.
Thanks for posting Russ.
I've been hoping good things for you
Tom mobil home parks can be vulnerable to a lot of catastrophic events but when winds are clocked at 60+mph like last years fires or Monday’s events at 40+ mph some extra spacing is negligible. We lived 4-5 miles away from some of the worst fires in the foothills at our former Santa Barbara home and we’d often be shocked to see the size of some of the charred wood fragments that would land in our driveway and patio. When fires burn hot enough and are wind driven, projectile offshoots of the original fire path occur miles away.
EDIT: wind speeds can be much higher on slopes near the places where many of these fires originate.
Praying for all our forum friends, their families and loved ones who are suffering in any way. This has surely been a year for the record books and not in a good way. Also I am praying for rain for all of you on the west coast. . The rain and snow that came to Colorado this week helped us a lot so hoping for the same for California, Washington and Oregon. Thank you all for keeping in touch with us and giving updates on your safety. Russ, I have been especially thinking about you and your family and how it wasn't that long ago you survived the Camp Fire. Truly terrible to have to go through the same situation again.
We were evacuated late morning. Last we heard, 2 hours ago, the fire is within one mile if our house. We were supposed to be in Ortisei now. 2020 keeps on testing us. ( 9-9-2020 726PM)
Disconcerting that this is the last Laurel has posted
Talent & Phoenix, Oregon (and parts of Ashland and Medford) lost more than just mobile homes. Initial FEMA estimates report some 600 homes and 100 businesses were lost in the 3000+ Ac fire that seems stable but is still technically 0% contained. Fortunately the high winds have died down but that leaves us surrounded by an unhealthy level of smoke. But that said, we are happy to be safe but saddened by friends and strangers who lost their home.
Many of the homes lost were mobiles. Sadly, the mobile home residents are typically not the demographics with spare income to follow the RS Europe travel forum.
The number of persons displaced by fire here in Oregon is reported to be upwards of 500,000 statewide. Most should be able to return to homes as evacuation orders are lifted, but the COVID-19 restrictions complicate emergency shelter availability. Here in Jackson County, shelter space was/is very limited and many evacuees are sheltering in their cars at the county fair grounds and with folks were being sent to other counties for shelter. While we had Go Bags packed and loaded we were fortunate not to have to evacuate.
Out here in Southeast WA we are covered with layers of smoke mostly from fires in Northern WA. It is supposed to get worse over the weekend. Looks like dusk outside my window and it's Noon. Smells like a smoldering fire when I went out to check my mail.
Looking at the fire maps it looks like the whole west coast is on fire. Very scary, very sad!
Joe yes very worrying.
Tom,RE: In the eastern half of the US, summers are the wettest time of year, so the timing of the western fire season seems odd.
Here on the Pacific Coast, September and October are our worst fire months. We have a Mediterranean climate with (hopefully) wet winters and dry summers. The only rain we get during our summer months are associated with afternoon thunderstorms which actually initiate fires. Our rainy season doesn't start until late October or November. While prevailing winds during the summer months are from the west/Pacific, fall winds often shift coming from the east/inland. These fall eastern winds (called Santa Anna winds in Southern CA) are hot and dry.
Ironically while September is the Gulf States and Eastern seaboard states hurricane season, September is the heart of the Pacific Coast fire season. I lived in Oakland during the October 20, 1991 Oakland Hills Fire and had to evacuate but were spared damage. My bike commute route took me through the heart of the Oakland Hills fire ravaged area. Only brick chimneys and concrete foundations were left. Now we have the same in the communities to the south of Medford.
Updating my prior post re Portland area, there's been a change in outlook in the last 24 hours because 1) 10% of Oregon's population has now been mandatorily evacuated or are under mandatory evacuation/warning orders, and 2) a series of large forest fires are now approaching the southeastern edge of what's considered the Portland metro area and towns in that area have been evacuated or told to "get ready" for evacuation.
We live in the southwestern area of the metro area, but all of a sudden it makes one think about what might happen in the next few days. Will the fire penetrate into the Portland suburbs and will the metro area fire departments be able to prevent the forest fires from spreading into the Portland suburbs?
Until now, I used to think of evacuation orders as being things that happened to other people.
I'm in the Willamette Valley west of Salem. Fires are just to the east of Salem and near the coast (Laurel's area) so we feel kind of sandwiched, but not in danger at the present time. The danger is the air which is smokey with a bit of ash falling and the AQI=394, hazardous.
Must be getting really bad in the Portland metro area. Just got an email from a dealer in Beaverton, that they will be closed Sat & Sun due to the bad air.
Visibility here is 2 miles or less
Jane, here's another huge thank you for this post.
I lived in the SF Bay Area for 8 years around the "turn of the century" and have wonderful memories of many road trips through northern CA and all of OR, including lots of happy days in Ashland. Just reading this thread makes my heart break for all of you who live there and for the unfathomable destruction of such beautiful places.
Best wishes to all.
So strange, Tom - I woke up yesterday morning with mobile home parks on my mind. I think you are spot on about spacing.
Paradise once had a couple dozen MH parks, all with older (mostly 60's - 80's - era) mobiles that were constructed with almost no regard to wildfire safety. Only a tiny, tiny percentage of the homes in these parks survived the Camp Fire. Besides these mobiles, Paradise also had many older mobiles on private quarter-acre (min. size) lots - most were double-wides between around 1200 sq. feet, maybe 24' x 44', which produced a lot of space between homes. Like the stick-builts, most of the mobiles on lots burned too, but they did fare a little better than the MH park homes. A few mobiles-on-lots, like this recently sold mobile, survived and were re-occupied.
Below is a post-fire video of the formerly gorgeous, well-kept, Pheasant Ridge MH Park where my mom lived between 2008 and 2012. Keep in mind there was no flammable brush within this park (a common problem on private Paradise lots) - only small landscaping patches next to each home.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Mckk4nyyro
Not a single MH survived. At about 00:04 you see in the background a set of ten or so 1-story duplex-style senior apartments that were built to the more modern code of around years ago - see also the aerial view at 1:18. A couple of these were destroyed by fire - the ones nearest to the older mobiles in the park! - but the others survived.
Right now, some Paradise MH parks are planning a comeback. The new homes moving in will have WUI fire-resistant features (Fiber-cement siding, skirting and roofing manufactured to new codes) but I'm extremely worried about spacing in these places. In the case of the apartments, I'm convinced that both the materials AND the additional spacing factored into their survival. From my mom's driveway-side staircase, I could have spit on one neighbor's roof. Same from the back bedroom window. Homes can be fire-resistant, but not fireproof. A firestorm of falling embers only needs to torch one home - then the blaze and embers from that home engage the one that's a mere 5-10 feet away. The closer these homes are, the closer all the flammable stuff inside them and outside them is too. A car or a camp trailer in the driveway will never have fiber-cement siding, but it will always have gas or a propane tank, and in a MH park, your driveway typically hugs the line between MH spaces.
I cannot fathom what that blaze from my mom's old 67-home MH park must have looked like.
There is a reason that single-family lots must have a minimum square footage and must maintain defensible space. I see no reason to permit tightly-packed MH park lots in any WUI zone. IMHO these parks ought to be abandoned - or converted to RV parks. Many evacuees who were once homeowners or renters in Paradise have been getting by in RVs they got after the fire, either on their empty Paradise lots or in nearby towns. Many want to stay in town or come back home, but they find building or renting here impossible for a variety of reasons. And after 2 years, the town is (understandably) putting an end to RVs on private lots. RV parks don't require lots of spacing, and of course RV's can be rolled right out in a wildfire. I'm sure there would be strong demand for 6-month space leases if a few of the MH park owners were to go RV.
I lived in Oakland during the 1991 Oakland Hill Fire that destroyed about 3000 housing units and the reconstruction period following. Many of the pre-fire houses were covered with rustic wood shingles and wood product sidings. Most of the post-fire houses used fire-resistant shingles (and many with tile shingles) and stucco exterior wall finishes.
However, keep in mind that most of the 1991 Oakland fire losses were in middle class and upper-middle class neighborhoods with owner occupied properties with fire insurance. (BTW its a good idea to have code-upgrade coverage). They could afford to rebuild and often "upgraded" when they rebuilt. Here in Oregon and many other places, "mobile home" occupants have lower incomes and are often not insured. Sad stories of families without insurance escaping with "the clothes on their backs".
While fire resistant code rules are appropriate with fire spacing between units desirable from a fire-safety point of view, we here in Oregon are struggling with affordable housing. The test will be replacing lost housing stock with safe but affordable housing.
The current American condition puts so many of this forums queries in perspective. Getting hotel refunds vs vouchers and paying foreign traffic fines pale in comparison to folks facing death or loss of their houses. America in 2020 seems to be approaching be approaching biblical four horsemen proportions with pestilence (COVID-19), flood (Laura starting the hurricane season), fire (West Coast of the US) with only famine to follow. And famine could follow if COVID crushes our economic system.
Here in the Puget Sound area one does not need to set their picture taking device to the 'sepia' setting to create that effect.
Like a fog shrouded Hitchcock movie set on an alien world.
Scroll down to the Yaquina lighthouse picture and that is what looking out my window is like
The sky color makes it easy to see the cobwebs in the skylight wells.
Some rain forecast for Tuesday.
Hey everyone, thanks for your positive vibes and good wishes. I have been a little distracted and not checked into the Forum.
We arrived home at 13:15 Friday Sept 11. House is fine; dirty, ashy, dried out landscaping, but fine. A smaller fire that was an offshoot of the bigger one got within a mile of us but was handled. Decreased winds and cooler temps have made the firefighter’s jobs easier so about 14:30 yesterday with power largely restored they gave permission for us to return in a Level 2, be-ready-to-leave-in-case-of-changing-conditions status. We came home a bit earlier in anticipation of the permission to return as we had left our two recently adopted semi-feral cats behind. (They are still too wild to capture and transport although they are indoors.) We were worried about them, to say the least.
Today we started clean up. Had to throw out tons of food due to power outage. Grocery stores did, too. Shopping right now looks like early pandemic days, one day at a time.
Cannot do much outdoors because the air quality is so poor. Much of the problem is coming from huge fires in the foothills of the Cascade Range and other fires in WA and CA. It is unsafe to breathe outdoors. N95 masks are the only thing that helps. Supposed to be better tomorrow.
We got lucky. Not so many many people here and around OR where entire towns have been leveled and lives lost. Good thing we were hoke this fall. It would have been awful to have house sitters here that would have had to deal with this!
Goodness Laurel - so glad to hear that you all are okay for now. So scary that you have to remain in ready-to-evacuate status.
It’s a truly heart wrenching, almost unbelievable situation that you all are living through.
That’s great news, Laurel. I hope your good luck continues. Hoping and praying these fires are brought under control or drenched with rain soon. Wishing the best to all those affected.
Laurel,
Good news that the Echo Mountain Complex Fire evacuation levels have been downgraded. Stay safe.
Great news Laurel!!
I guess most people are avoiding the outdoors. My family is, and I have asthma so if I do go out I'm wearing a mask and when I'm in the car I put the AC on recirculate.(Which I do anyway). Portland currently has an air quality index of over 400, which is now the worst in the world. We can only watch in sorrow as people in the west are hurting ( losing property and lives). I personally would like to see a ban on fireworks and on camp fires in the dry season. We are supposed to have rain on Tuesday!! Looking forward to having my outdoor life back again.
So glad to hear your home is safe, Laurel. We spend time every summer in Neskowin and Lincoln City and we were worried it might be gone. Our air quality in Spokane today was off the chart and it was even worse in McMinnville where my grandson is going to college. Ready for at least a week of rain.
hey hey laurel
great to hear you got to return home.
aloha
Yes Laurel, so Happy you were able to return to your home. I have been reading this thread every day praying for our west coast forum friends. I wish we lived closer, we would have opened our home as we have room. Please stay Safe and Alert to changing conditions.
Phew, mighty happy to hear from you, Laurel! While it'll be a pain cleaning up the house, at least you still HAVE one to clean, eh? It's just a terrible situation for so many; wish I had a reliable rain dance to send westward. :O(
Wondering whether the people whose "gender reveal" party caused one of the fires -- or their party planner -- will have any legal responsibility ?
Thank you Laurel for coming back and giving us your good news. Here's hoping you and your community get back to "normal" soon.
Laurel--I am so glad that you are home, and that you had a home to come back to:) A good friend lives in Otis and I was talking to her the other night. I am not sure if they are back home or not yet as I didn't want to pester her as I am sure she has more pressing things on her mind.
I keep checking the air quality at my parents in Eugene. This morning their area is at 675, which is absolutely insane. We are sitting right at 200 and that is not comfortable, so I can only imagine how they feel.
Laurel and others: For people who have had to evacuate and then return to their undamaged but smoke and ash filled homes, are you eligible for insurance claims and help with clean up? We have several close friends from the Thomas fire (Ventura to Santa Barbara) who lost homes and others whose homes were smoke and ash impacted. Several from the later category had insurance help with the smoke mitigation. For some it was a very long process involving all of their drywall replaced, stucco cleaned, etc. For others it was having all of their fabric things (clothing to rugs and curtains, etc) removed for professional cleaning off site. Hoping the homes of those in the current fires don’t experience the level of smoke damage to require this type of cleaning and disruption to your lives. Laurel, so glad you and your home are back!
Laurel, really glad to hear your home was spared! And that Lincoln city was not one of those places "where entire towns have been leveled."
Now, an apology... Turns out that, contrary to early reports in the local and national media, Berry Creek was NOT entirely leveled. The area is indeed heavily damaged and will be inaccessible to homeowners and the general public for some time to come - which is why all of us pay such close attention to the news. But the damage assessments provided yesterday by local officials are an indictment of the irresponsible reporters who repeatedly used phrases like "total devastation," "completely flattened, "only 4 surviving structures" and "nothing left." MOST buildings in central Berry Creek did burn, but nowhere near ALL - in fact the core area of Berry Creek still has at least 3 dozen, and the Lake Madrone zone (where my property is) lost only about half. I was very pleased to count around 80 standing homes there on the damage map that came out yesterday! A fair number of homes just outside these two spots survived as well. (I'm not sure at this point whether my lot burned or not since only structures have been officially surveyed.)
Like me, Wikipedia accepted the words of the media too... "On the evening September 9th 2020 the bear complex burned nearly all the structures in Berry Creek to the ground." So in this tiny town, why are 100+ buildings still standing??
I now kick myself publicly for passing on falsehoods on this forum. I should have been more skeptical.
Why do the authorities admit these media sensationalists to fire zones to make and broadcast their own hastily-reached and fear-mongering damage assessments? It's a complete disservice to the public. The damage all around us is bad enough without this media-induced roller coaster of emotions.
Oh Laurel, so relieved to hear you have returned home safely. Air quality is poor in our neck of the woods, but so far not considered "hazardous" like Oregon. Hoping for rain soon. We are receiving daily photos from our Portland family. Truly unbelievable! Thinking of you and all the West Coast folks. Be well and safe.
Keep in mind that responsible "Media" for the most part is reporting information gleaned from fire response officials. During the fast changing crisis periods, fire officials are concentrating on saving lives and property and not counting homes lost. And the less responsible are communicating rumors.
Today (Sunday) it is being reported that Portland has the worst air quality of any major city in the world.
The air quality is so hazardous that it is "off the scale" of the EPA's rating system of 0-500, and health experts are admitting they don't know what the medical effects will be. They're saying anyone with a pre-existing heart or lung condition should not go outside, except to take the garbage out or something else that only takes a few minutes.
Whenever I sign onto the forum the first thread I go to is this one to read any updates. I feel I get more accurate information from our west coast posters then from the news media. Heck, a one minute blurb is about all they seem to be able to devote this ongoing tragedy. Please keep us updated, if possible.
Barbara,
The "Media" can and will probably be inaccurate in fast changing fire incident situations especially during the initial breaking news of a fire incident. A useful first hand report of wildfire incidents is the The National Wildfire Coordinating Group government website:
https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/#
Zoom in with the "+" control and use the "settings" (gear symbol) to turn on roads and to use the aerial photo option.
NWCG mission: The National Wildfire Coordinating Group provides national leadership to enable interoperable wildland fire operations among federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial partners.
Some folks don't trust government agencies but as the Michael Lewis "The Fifth Risk" book describes, the working government bureaucrats are consciousness and are not political.
For the last 24 hours or so the air quality index here in the East Bay close to the water has been hovering around 198 -- so close to 200 as not to matter that it doesn't trigger the switch from 'unhealthy' to 'hazardous.'
Yesterday I was walking along the aquatic park which separates Highway 80 from the residential areas and the haze over the water with no boaters or rowers or skiers on it reminded me of the Summer Palace in Beijing, where it's usually covered in polluted humid haze at this time of year as well.
I really appreciate all your kind comments. Really gives me a lift to hear from everyone!
Luckily we have no true smoke damage to the house, but particulates were pretty bad for a few days. Cleaning up the yard a bit (it will take days to finish) I found large Burned-out cinders, some 3 and 4 inches across which floated in when the fire was only a mile away. Amazing that a blaze did not result.
Today the light winds came up from the west and we actually saw the sun! I think the coast is faring better by far than the valley as a result. I use www.airnow,gov and it shows Florence (1.5 hours south of us) at a mere 80 and Tillamook an hour north of us at 159 but our read in comes out of Corvallis where it is still above 300.
When we go out we are using N95 dust masks I bought to put in our Evac kit 3 years ago for just this emergency, glad I didn’t squander them on COVID-19. As it is not hot here, we can keep all the windows closed.
Again thanks, everyone! Soon we will go back to discussing travels we want to take.
thanks laurel for the update.
happy you're back at your place even though lots of clean up. amazing how some towns got hit the worse and other towns were okay. i remember the fires 2 years ago here with friends losing everything and they are under so much stress here with all that's around them now.
the southern oregon towns are just as bad and worse. i have a niece that just moved to beaverton in april from hawaii, staying indoors with the hazardous air quality, friends kids and new baby in corvalis.
we've had many day of hazardous, unhealthy air (between 160 up to 400), and ash everywhere and smoke.
been staying indoors unless a grocery run. were you able to get food in your house and stores have stocked necessities with the power back on? keep busy cleaning up and dreaming about your next adventure is. good luck to you and your husband
aloha
Laurel, we're getting enough smoke drift here in your native state of MN to get a whiff of it now and then. The sun, when it rose and set yesterday, was a darkish pink/orange ball, and it looked like late afternoon's light at middday. We'll see if we get the same today.
What with the size of some of those cinders you're finding, sounds like you were lucky indeed that one didn't start another blaze! 😳
Laurel--So glad to hear that all is ok with you! Yes, it sounds like you were very lucky regarding those cinders! I am still waiting to hear from my friend in Otis. Hoping that no news means she is just getting back home and settled in, but I worry. Our air quality has been hanging around 200, but my parents in Eugene have been at over 500 for several days. I just cannot imagine that.
Princess Pupule, your grocery store question deserves an answer as we were quite surprised at the impact. I am sure those in hurricane ravaged areas experience the same thing. We went at 7 am Saturday (having arrived home Friday afternoon) to replenish supplies. Our Safeway was without power for a long time (no generator, which I thought odd for a big store) and they had to throw out dumpsters full of fresh food. There was almost no produce, meat, dairy, or seafood. By Sunday they were getting restocked pretty well, but they had many employees affected who could not make it to work so there were trucks of food waiting to be unloaded. Another smaller store had the same problems. Refilling our fridge and freezer was even more of an effort than after a long trip as nothing survived. We will be making an insurance claim.
Kathy it is hard to imagine Minnesota getting the smoke, but prevailing winds will do that and you’re getting the impact of many states’ fires.
Mikliz97 Most folks are not being allowed back into the area yet. The crews need to know they can work without having to worry about people. Many snags to clear, still building fire lines and taking down dangerous trees, so your friend might still be staying somewhere temporarily.
The restaurants here are taking turns offering free meals to the displaced. It is wonderful to see the community coming together to support those who need a bit of comfort.
We got a bit of rain this AM and wind is non-existent, so containment efforts progress.
Laurel - glad you and yours are safe, as well as your home. I'm a native Californian, my husband is from Paradise and his aunt and cousin each lost their homes 2 years ago to relocated to Eugene, OR - and are currently evacuated. The rest of our friends and family in Woodland/Sacramento, Oakland, and Simi Valley are "safe" aside from the horrible air quality, but after the long lockdown and then this, everyone seems to be having a really tough time. I'm really just so heartbroken for all the tragedies that people are enduring right now. Please stay safe, everyone!
Kathy it is hard to imagine Minnesota getting the smoke, but
prevailing winds will do that and you’re getting the impact of many
states’ fires.
That's right, Laurel. According this 2018 study, smoke plumes have been occurring in our skies for awhile but been more pronounced than usual these past few days.
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/05/04/wildfire-smoke-is-reducing-blue-sky-days-in-minnesota
Crossing fingers for more rain and minimal breezes out your way. 🤞
Laurel--Thank you for the update. I know they turned their generator on before they left. I am guessing they are staying at their motel, but don't know for sure. We live in a little suburb of Seattle and some people here have joined up with a group in Lincoln City (not sure who, but think it is a church) and have taken caravans of donations down to Lincoln City and have been cooking for them as well. They are leaving again tomorrow with another caravan. Our little neighborhood has donated several large vehicles worth of items, so while I hate that it even has to be done, it is really nice to donate to something that is so personal to me and that I know will help people I know.
"California is a tinder box." How true. Just see the orange sky and the polluted, smoke-filled air Who knows the unseen damage to the lungs and heart caused by this smoke exposure, especially at night.
Most, if not all, of the fires we’ve had recently in California were
started by the lightening we had that Carole mentioned. After many
years of severe drought, and the Federal Government not maintaining
Federal forest land, California is a tinder box.
Hope Susan doesn't mind me bouncing off her post with a few topics she brought up...
Drought: The drought in northern California is always severe and always long - at least 4 months long. Except for occasional thunderstorms in the mountains and for coastal drizzle, there is near-zero precipitation from June through September. It's a veritable tinder box every year by September. That IS our climate. And every year it seems that there are more and more dead trees in our forests. And It's been like this since I was old enough to notice (60's.)
More recently the droughts have become longer, lasting into early November sometimes, and the average temps are higher.
The Feds: Federal land holdings are huge, and Feds do have the greatest responsibility for wildfire prevention. They aren't doing enough now and never have. But the other parties don't either - and sometimes THEY are the problem. About 15 years ago I removed 3 large dying pines from my 1/4 acre. But the Town of Paradise forced me to plant a new tree for each tree I removed. This policy was still in place for all 14,000 or so residential lots when the Camp Fire burned us down...
There was one successful effort here that made a difference. Before the Camp Fire, the local Butte County Fire Safe Council, the U.S. Forest Service and Sierra Pacific Industries joined hands and created a thinned-out forest on the south side of Magalia, Paradise's neighbor town just a few miles uphill. Half of Magalia - the part adjacent to the focus area - was saved by this project. But bureaucracy and regulation have routinely blocked successful management efforts like this. The Paradise Post provided this informative read:
https://www.paradisepost.com/2019/04/13/forest-treatment-programs-face-hurdles/
Lightning: Susan is correct... This summer's fires were indeed caused by thousands of lightning strikes. We have some every year, but never so many at once. Our California politicos can theorize, philosophize and gesticulate all they like on TV, but they need to DO something preventive and practical - and sadly, I hear only crickets in this regard. They cannot stop lightning strikes. They cannot make it rain. They cannot move the drought period to the cooler months. Apparently, they CAN send out bulldozers, aircraft, and tens of thousands of fire-fighting professionals and inmates AFTER a fire has raced 35 miles across the forest at 2,000 acres per hour... and then ask these people to risk their lives trying to remove the forest in the fire's path. But what sort of "management" is that?
Where is the politician who would put boots on the ground from November through May to do the clearing and thinning that would bypass all this terror and loss of life?? He or she will get my forest-dwelling vote.
Up in Portland area, we're down from EPA level 550 (this will kill you in a couple of years :-) to 200 (very unhealthy for vulnerable persons with pre-existing heart or lung conditions).
Add Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) to Russ' list of contributing factors. A retired Forest Service friend notes that folks locating house in the WUI often spark wildfires through negligence and because of their presence in the WUI divert fire fighting resources to save lives and property from the general suppression of the fire.
https://www.pnas.org/content/115/13/3314
RESEARCH ARTICLE Rapid growth of the US wildland-urban interface
raises wildfire riskSignificance When houses are built close to forests or other types
of natural vegetation, they pose two problems related to wildfires.
First, there will be more wildfires due to human ignitions. Second,
wildfires that occur will pose a greater risk to lives and homes, they
will be hard to fight, and letting natural fires burn becomes
impossible. We examined the number of houses that have been built
since 1990 in the United States in or near natural vegetation, in an
area known as the wildland-urban interface (WUI), and found that a
large number of houses have been built there. Approximately one in
three houses and one in ten hectares are now in the WUI. These WUI
growth trends will exacerbate wildfire problems in the future.
And for those of us who agree with the scinece, climate change and global warming doesn't help either fire or flood.
I will add the the Almeda Drive Fire here in Southern Oregon started in the town of Ashland in a urban/suburban setting but followed our Bear Creek Greenway north through the towns of Talent and Phoenix (OR) before being stopped at the southern edge of Meford. The disaster area was not I would have though as a classic WUI setting but ironically our Southern Oregon towns extend uphill to the WUI. Because of the day's weather conditions did not burn uphill but followed the riparian corridor land downstream.
WUI living has indeed been approached too casually, Edgar. There are big regulatory changes needed to encourage safer practices - especially since 100+ million Americans are living in WUI zones. Even in code-happy California, the vast majority of WUI homes built from 1990 on were NOT built to the upgraded 2008 California code requirements. Sadly, that code and its many safety enhancements arrived at the same time that the lending crisis ruined the economy and the building industry nosedived. Very, very few homes in Paradise were built after that code took hold. There is a desperate need in almost all existing WUI communities to make residential fire-safe improvements (like my new place will have.)
And towns like Paradise were not design-built with evacuations or with firefighting in mind. Narrow lots that sardined homes (otherwise known as fire fuel) into neighborhoods, dead-end streets, marginal egress routes, roads lined with power poles and live lines overhead... and local policies like the one I mentioned that put far too many trees together and left almost no gaps in the tree canopy... these flaws and many others put residents and emergency personnel at risk. You can live in these WUI places, but not for long if they aren't redesigned intelligently. I think Paradise will be - if the current plans are funded and carried out, it may even be a model for other WUI towns.
The science of the global climate change discussion looks at causation and makes a reasonable amount of sense. But is there any proof anywhere that any specific remedies, if implemented worldwide (ha,) would successfully reverse temperature trends, or tame winds, or shorten extended droughts, or prevent lightning strikes - or hurricanes, tornadoes, or earthquakes, or any of the other weather events that we blame on climate change? If there is, I've never heard of it. And how many decades or centuries of remedies do scientists forecast for successful change? And how will politicians looking at 2-4 year terms ever back policies that take so long to bear fruit? I've never heard from any of these politicians exactly which of their policy ideas will produce which climatic improvements. All we get is meaningless "Mother Earth is angry" stuff. If they care about fire safety for the living, they should focus instead on how residents store their lawn mower gas, and on community plans to keep their lots weed-free.
Kent, that’s improvement and i hope it keeps coming down. Our AQI in Marin has been 175 to 300 up until Monday - yesterday and today it’s now below 100,. The old cliché you don’t appreciate something until it’s gone, is so true. We’re used to having very good quality air in SF and the Bay Area, and i sure do appreciate it now more than ever.
California has had 7900 wildfires burning over 3 million acres so far this year.
Here in the Land of La it will be 90 degrees Fahrenheit by Noon.
Presently, ( 7:30am PST ) it’s a mere 67.
The air quality isn’t good. Still smells of smoke. The Bobcat Fire is prompting more evacuations in an area known as Juniper Hills in the Antelope Valley.
That’s about 35 miles from DTLA ( downtown Los Angeles). Yesterday, evacuees from Sierra Madre, Monrovia, Altadena ( all East of DTLA ) we’re allowed to return to their homes.
For me this is known as Nose Swab Thursday. My employer requires this every Thursday so in an hour I’ll be getting it done at the studio. Will then pull up my mask and start my work day.
Strange days but life goes on.
Wear a mask, be safe and stay healthy! Oh and get your flu shot!
Susan & others,
Today (Thurs.) the Portland area AQI is 230, still "very unhealthy" but at least we're down from the 500+ of some days ago.
To all: Latest from WA. “Improving.” We are 25 miles North of Seattle and the AQI was 150 this am. At 1:30 pm down below 150. Doing our rain dance with hopes of predicted precipitation Fri. & Saturday. Thinking of all our West Coast folks. Be well.
You’re gettin’ there Kent, just 30 more to go, almost there!
Re: The last line posted by Claudia on Sept 17.....ditto !! What you fellow CA people say here is accurate and true...unfortunately....totally agree.
Haze is almost thin enough for a shadow to form
And today I took a picture of our sun drenched and shadowed back yard and posted it with the caption that it is the first time we have seen a non orange sun and blue skies since August 16. PNW friends I wish the same for you soon also.
A firefighter died Thursday battling the El Dorado fire...the one started by the gender reveal party. Investigation ongoing and a report to be sent to the DA's office, which could file involuntary manslaughter charges against the people responsible for this blaze.
My thoughts go to the firefighter's family, friends, and collogues.
https://abc7.com/el-dorado-fire-firefighter-death-california-updates/6440898/
i hope the DA does file charges.
The disregard for life and property should have consequences.
Unlike PG&E who got away with their criminal behavior.
Portland area today has Good air quality, first time in a couple of weeks, 25 AQI, down from 550 a week ago.
But unfortunately the forest fires are still out there, a large fire is about 25 miles from the southeastern edge of the Portland metro area; it's not growing at this time and not currently burning towards the metro area, but is less than 10% contained.
We finally reached "Good" air quality North of Seattle. It's been raining and more to come tomorrow. AQI at 17 up our way this evening. Hope others are getting relief as well. It was so nice to be outdoors today. Thinking of all our West Coast friends.
RE: the gender-reveal fire. Question would be who is responsible for damages -- party planner ? company providing the air-cannon equipment ? party-givers ? (Probably ALL will be included in a civil suit, looking for someone with deep pockets.) Let's hope other people will remember this disaster when planning parties and wedding receptions (with airborne candle-lit lanterns) ... or at least remember the words of Smokey Bear.
The other side of it is that the celebrants weren't acting maliciously and were probably feeling awful as soon as the fire spread, and now they are probably devastated by the tragic death of the firefighter. There's just so much blame to go around for all the fires - disregard, or worse, willful denial, of climate change, land mismanagement (local, state, federal, you name it) and carelessness. I won't go on. There are too many tragedies is the US right now. My heart breaks for all.
Like Janis, it was so nice to get outside this weekend. We are in the Seattle area and spent the weekend at Mt Rainier hiking. Even on Saturday in the rain and wind, up high in an exploded area, it was so worth it for the fresh air! I always appreciate it , but this time even more.
When the fires here reached 2 million acres, I thought that was unimaginable, inconceivable, you name it, much less when they got to 3 million acres, along with 28 or more days of consecutive "Spare the air Days," ie, twice the number in 2018, which only cleared out two days prior to Thanksgiving with the rains coming in.
Bringing this thread up again as the news from California's wine country is grim. :O(
Any of our RS community, families or friends under evacuation orders from the affected areas? How's the air quality in SF and towns north of there?
So sorry to hear about the current fires in Napa. We have fond memories of staying in St. Helena a number of years ago. Such a beautiful area. Thinking of all our California friends. Be safe and keep us posted. Looking at our extended weather (WA St) forecast we are expecting smoke haze here Wednesday.
The newest Glass Fire in Sonoma/Napa is 30 min north of me. Three members of my RS Travel Group who live in Santa Rosa have had to evacuate. Houses burned to the ground in the neighborhood where two members live. Hoping not theirs.
Edit: our two members’ house is safe.
But the fire is still 0% contained.
hey hey all
thanks for all your concern. it's been smoky here since saturday, high temperatures, and the winds.
couple friends living in glen ellen with evacuation bags ready but still at home. they bought this house 3 years ago, after selling their rockridge/oakland home. the winds have died down and cooler which i hope helps out all involved with fighting these huge fires. lots of damage, many lost homes, wineries, historic sites, vineyard grapes from all the smoke, many marijuana farms everywhere, that owners/growers staying to save them, waiting till the end to get out, making it difficult for all involved.
two months ago, their "getaway cabin" in guernville was almost lost. firemen and fire trucks backed up into their driveway, controlling the small grass fire and saving their cabin.
sunday night at midnight, my other friends in san rafael get a call from his good friend. she's evacuating with her 2 dogs and 2 cats and he invites her to stay, to be in a safe place.
many evacuation centers are opening in sonoma county, many are filled to maximum, outside parking lots for RV's, tents, room for dogs/animals to roam.
good luck for all our neighbors north of me, knowing/not knowing and all the stress involved.
thank you everyone.
aloha
