OT: Wind & fire woes

Oh my. That is so frightening! I hate high winds anyway, but to know they are fueling and pushing fires is a nightmare! I hope they can be controlled and extinguished soon.

Fingers crossed for you...

Ginger,

Stay safe. The winds just arrived in Orange County. Still not too strong. Can only hope that they will be strong enough to blow off the roof so that insurance will pay for a new one before I put the house on the market in January (yeah, I know a bad time, but have to do it since I lose my child support at the end of June).

Debbi in SO CA

G> I am mostly in lurking mode these days, but still here. Congrats,

There are 1000 on the line, and more coming. Acreage is now over 1000 acres. My friends called, they are on their way to help out. Ventura County Faigrounds is accepting the horses, other friends are running convoys of horse trailers/haulers.

I just took the trash out to bins and was met with ash and smoke, very dense.

Holding all safe, so far no one has been hurt.

G> Ginger: Oh dear! I am keeping all the people and all

Dear Ginger,

So so sorry to hear about this. Fire is scary enough without the wind added in.

I pray you and your will be kept safe.

Peace,

Marsha

Now Santiago Canyon is on fire! Could see all the smoke bellowing as DS and I went to go buy our QI some doggie food. Looks like most of Southern CA is under seige!

Debbi in SO CA

G> I am mostly in lurking mode these days, but still here. Congrats,

Ginger, thoughts and prayers for safety heading your way. Fires are terrifying. I hate fire season up here. And with global warming, it's inevitable that more and more of our dry west will burn horribly.

If you end up burned out, come up here. There's plenty of room.

Sunny

Oh, Sunny, you are so kind. If we get burned out here, there will be so many people that will have been burned out before it reaches here!

It is both terrifying and wondrous to feel Mother Nature in this. During the height of the Malibu fire this morning, the flames and brunt of the firestorm were only a quarter mile away from the Pacific Ocean. However, the fixed wing water tankers had to get their water from a lake several miles away because the winds made the water too choppy to tank up from the ocean - such a paradox in action. At 2PM I had to turn the light on inside because the smoke and ash had blocked out all light - and I was about 6 miles west of the closest fire burning. There are more than a dozen fires going right now. The wind took a break in mid afternoon but was starting again just after sunset.

They predict a dryer than normal winter season. Which, given the amount of acreage burned this year, is a mixed blessing. We need the water so desperately, but the fires have left scars that can cause further destruction in the face of rain storms.

Ginger in CA going in to work tomorrow, knowing the building will be filled with smoke smell

Its now on the BBC news here. We have friends (the couple who actually introduced us back in the early 60's) who have a ranch in Somis, so we are hoping that they and their horses are OK.

Thinking of you all.

Sally at the Seaside~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~uk

G>> Ginger, thoughts and prayers for safety heading your way. Fires are

Overnight the winds have laid low, but started up about 3AM, as expected. The smell of new smoke woke me up at 3:30AM, along with hearing a tree branch fall on my roof; it turned out to be a heavy palm frond. The sweeping I did yesterday is a distant memory to the renewed ash and dust of this morning's offerings. At 6AM it is 75 degrees already, expected to go to 90 here today, and be hot the next three days. Winds are sustaining at about 30 MPH here on the coast, gusting up to 50MPH and more.

I anticipate many co-workers will be out today, since they need to stay close to home in case of evacuation. There is a fire in the Piru/ Fillmore area, with many road closures. Although I am compromised in the breathing arena with these fires, there is no the added concern of loss of home at this time, so for that I am thankful.

G> Its now on the BBC news here. We have friends (the couple who actually

Seaside~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~uk

Take care Ginger, this does sound awful. . In message , Ginger in CA writes

From the morning reports it looks like there are big fires scattered through much of So. Cal. New fires in several areas. WInds to continue until Wed. It is amazing that so few homes have burned but it looks like today that will change. It looks like there is a fire in the area my sil lost her home to in '03. The new home is upgraded as much as possible but no matter how you build a house can burn. Only 1 fatality so that is a blessing. Smoke moves from the deserts to the ocean in this weather so up here near me we are still in clear air. That may change with the new arrowhead fire. So much burned there in '03 also that hopefully that area will not go big. At least we don't get hurricanes and tornadoes. Taria

G> Overnight the winds have laid low, but started up about 3AM, as

Ginger,

You are being prayed for. Hope it helps!

Peace,

Marsha

Ginger, I've been watching this in the news, and I'm just horrified. I feel awful for the people who will be displaced (and have no home left to return to) and for those poor animals caught with no way out. I hope the brave firefighters will be able to get things under control soon -- though the winds make me think that won't happen too quickly. :(

Here's hoping, Taria, that you remain in the clear.

Sending positive thoughts for a giant weather change: damp, humid, and lots of rain! Normally I wouldn't wish this on anyone, but thinking you folks in So.CA (and GA!) could use this kind of weather - at least for a little bit until things get under control. Also sending prayers for everyone's safety during this emergency!