OT: another fire

prayers for all in harm's way

Thanks for letting us know what is going on. Sending prayers that the fires will soon be put out. Barbara in SC

I truly hope they get it under control very quickly.

"Just last week they moved the airbase for the choppers from 15 minutes away, to an hour away."

Sometimes the authorities seem to not know what they are doing.

Prayers on the way to you all.

Di Vic Australia

Winds laid down low overnight but winds are already picking up, with a possibility of 50-60 MPH winds in canyons near the fire. Acreage is about 500 right now. Helicopters are up surveying the assault plan for first part of the day. This region has only had 60% of normal rainfall for the year. A good thing is that it is "early" in the season so the fuel has more moisture than later in the summer. Bad news this is an area that hasn't burned since the 1964 Coyote fire, so it is old growth.

Most of the schools > I truly hope they get it under control very quickly.

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I saw it on the news, Ginger. Yikes! Be safe!

Michelle in NV

We have been away from the news for the last couple of days and just saw this story. Almost 2 hours ago I watched several houses burn down. I am trying to figure out why folks that have so much money to build a big expensive house are so unwilling to do any planning for the fires they know will come. It is inevitable in many of those areas. A couple I noticed on the news had nearly NO brush clearance around their homes. A spokesman said they can give warnings but have no authority to what folks plant with the exception of actual weed abatement. I feel so bad for the folks that are losing their homes and did take precautions. I suppose some of them have money enough they don't think the rules are for them. It is sad for the rest. I am frustrated watching this all over again. We just got back from Yosemite and had stayed in Oakhurst. I told dh this morning (before I saw the fire news) that it is no wonder so many folks lose their homes in fires these days. Hundreds of houses can be seen peeking out of the beautiful wooded hillsides. It is a dangerous way to live. My heart goes out to all the folks in Santa Barbara that have their lives up in the air right now. I hope the ones that still have homes and need to get their neighborhoods prepared for the long season ahead get to it. May 1 is the start of the season. It sure looks bad already this year. You can't prevent this stuff but there sure are precautions that can be made. Taria

snipped-for-privacy@msn.com wrote:

Three Ventura County firefighters were involved in a fire overrun when the winds shifted yesterday, and are in a not-so-local burn unit now. There have been about 30 homes burned, and about 6,000 people evacuated so far. All schools are closed. Winds are predicted to be

25-45MPH with gusts to 65. Temperature predictions are 99 for today [a record all by itself!]. Forty strike teams have descended from all over the state, plus another 400. The gubernator is due to be there today to do a press conference, having already decalred a state of emergency.

As far as why people build like this, there is no clear answer. This area burned in 1964 [I lived there at that time!] and so the underbrush has had all those years to mature. These areas have little water resources so the airlift of water drops are precious.

They said last year fire season is year 'round, and I believe it.

Oakhurst! I've stayed there. My ex and I looked at property to buy up there, and I would still love to move there. Yosemite at this time of year is wonderful. How were the falls with the low snowfall?

Ginger in CA

I'm so glad you've reported in, Ginger. We were so very concerned about you and needed to know that you are okay. Polly

Ginger wrote >Three Ventura County firefighters were involved in a fire overrun when the winds shifted yesterday, and are in a not-so-local burn unit now. There have been about 30 homes burned, and about 6,000 people evacuated so far. All schools are closed. Winds are predicted to be

25-45MPH with gusts to 65. Temperature predictions are 99 for today [a record all by itself!]. Forty strike teams have descended from all over the state, plus another 400. The gubernator is due to be there today to do a press conference, having already decalred a state of emergency.

As far as why people build like this, there is no clear answer. This area burned in 1964 [I lived there at that time!] and so the underbrush has had all those years to mature. These areas have little water resources so the airlift of water drops are precious.

They said last year fire season is year 'round, and I believe it.

Oakhurst! I've stayed there. My ex and I looked at property to buy up there, and I would still love to move there. Yosemite at this time of year is wonderful. How were the falls with the low snowfall?

Ginger in CA

My heart goes out to the firefighters and all those that their lives touch. Hopefully the winds will blow themselves out soon.

I was at a home for a meeting here in the mts. locally and a fire capt. gave a talk on brush control, planting regulations and that kind of thing. There is a lot that can be done to help if folks make the effort in their community. SUre there will always be fire but there are things that can be done to help. Every time there is a fire on the news (with

24/7 coverage) we see properties where owners made no effort at all to help their situation. I just don't get it. Arnold is going to use this as a political weapon I hear. (Sac Bee yesterday) Vote his way on the election next week or he is laying off fire fighters. I am pretty irritated with him right now. He has done a terrible job for all of us. Maybe not enough folks with businesses have left the state to impact even enough for him. Won't be long until all that is left are folks on the dole. I think anyone living in Oakhurst should expect their home would burn down eventually. It is really beautiful there but golly a lot of fuel to burn. The falls were really pretty. I've never been there but in the fall so this was big to me.

HOpe you and your loved ones are safe Ginger. Please take care. Taria

snipped-for-privacy@msn.com wrote:

There is a major wind event going right now that just changed the fire up again. Winds gusts over 40 MPH, and a new round of mandatory evacuations. About 3000 acres burned, over 75 houses burned, cost to fight as of this afternoon was $1.8million, 300 engines on scene. For as many acres burned, there is not a lot of houses, but as Taria said many could have prevented their losses. One co-worker's friend got caught and could not leave their house. Fire personnel walked in to check on them and found the fire had burned all around but did not touch their house.

The local news station in Santa Barbara KEYT has had almost 24 hr coverage since it broke.

There are > My heart goes out to the firefighters and all those that their lives

how close are you? is the fire likely to reach your area? when might you have to leave? j.

Stay safe dear one! My thoughts are with you. I was in SB for the Painted Cave Fire and we had to evacuate. Thought we'd go home to find ash when we watched the fire glow pass through our neighborhood but we were spared. The fire had actually passed through a few blocks down on it's way down into Hope Ranch. It did affect several friends though. I will NEVER forget those few days and my heart goes out to anyone experiencing that horror right now.

Lorraine in La Center

I am down the coast, south of the fire, about 35 miles. We have smoke and ash.

There is a lot of territory to burn before I would have to leave. But I am not that far from our hills here. The thing with the area burning: it is hills and mountains with steep canyons at points, that come to meet the ocean with a small strip of semi-flat land right at the shore. It is dangerous and almost impossible to attack from land crews. There were 13 helicopters up dropping water.

The sad part is many people will rebuild in the same spot. Of course they most like won't be able to obtain fire insurance.

This is the area where I grew up.

G> how close are you?

Replying to myself. They just showed a shot on TV. The neighborhood where I grew up is now evacuating. No family there anymore, but I do have friends.

G> I am down the coast, south of the fire, about 35 miles. We have smoke > and ash.

How are things looking over there Ginger? News has let up some on the story. I hope that is because things are better but you never know. HUgs, Taria

More than 80 homes lost. Acreage at about 6,000. Cost to fight is nearing 4 million. We are blessed last night with no high winds, and this morning with a coastal fog layer, which will aid tremendously is getting the fire to lay down. There are over 3,000 personnel on the fire lines.

Many of my officers were gone from the courtroom yesterday, on special assignment to the fires for law support.

I hope the "Floatopia" being planned by the college kids doesn't go through. Last month they did this at the beach and had 10,000 kids show up for a weekend of partying. And all the schools being out for 3 days has the kids on the streets and bored.

My plans to go put flowers on my mother's grave [she is buried in Santa Barbara] have been put off to another time.

thanks for ask> How are things looking over there Ginger? =A0News has let up some on the

Were any of thee fires deliberately lit?

This brings back memories of our fires here in February - I hope and pray they are contained. Wishing my quilty friends to be safe and their homes left intact.

The Tea fire was started by college kids who had a bonfire in the hills and then didn't extinguish the embers [the kids only received a slap on the wrist ;( ]. The Zaca fire started with two workers welding on a ranch fence and sparks tindered dry brush. The Gap fire is under investigation, but we think it was discharge of firearms in an off- road plinking area in high summer/no moisture time of year.

At least two of the well-known local quilter artists/teachers lost their pr> Were any of thee fires deliberately lit?

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