Fire report

[deborahjross]

Here is my sister's report on the situation as of Thursday:

Tuesday and Wednesday (yesterday) were particularly difficult as there
was an uncontained large fire with evacuation warning on Flynn
Creek/Navarro - about 4 miles away. Many friends are affected. Luckily
this fire as of today is 1000 feet from the creek and being held
there, so the warning is being removed. Most difficult at the same
time was a fire in a hollow that was only two miles from us and in a
direct line of threat. For several days no crew was there - due to the
incredible number of fires and the remote location. It goes without
saying that this is a big issue with lightening fires - they are very
difficult to simply get to. And because of the immediate smoke level
air support was impossible. Air support is the single most essential
aspect to suppression and we just cannot get those helicopters in the
air! In terms of crews, the first days were entirely volunteer.
Yesterday CalFire and CDF moved in. But the disgust that we cannot get
national guard or army reserves due to the war is intense in this
county. The Board of Supervisors made an immediate statement to this
effect. Anyway, that fire in Hungry Hollow was addressed almost
entirely by local volunteers with heavy backhoe and cats and crews. I
know a lot of those folks pushed because that fire threatened many
people.

I must comment that the community is incredible and supportive. But
this evening Melissa and I came to her house on the coast as the smoke
level is terrible. Air quality is at the "critical" level and there
are many meetings to try to address how to relocate people for two to
four weeks (the estimated number of weeks after the fires are out that
the smoke will remain critical). I have no history of lung problems
but I am exhausted and symptomatic.

Comments

[imhilien.livejournal.com]

I hope that things get better soon (as well as yourself).

[deborahjross.livejournal.com]

Thank you. We got through the weekend, and I believe the possibility of more lightning storms is decreased. The weather's cooler, which makes things more comfortable for everyone, especially the fire fighters.

I can't imagine how difficult the smoke is -- we have a little from the Martin (Bonny Doon) fire and the fire complex down by Big Sur, just enough for burning eyes and feeling blah, no coughing or visible ash. Annoying, but tolerable. At least, we can see blue skies.

[imhilien.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to hear the weather is cooler, and hope the smoke has cleared away.

We don't have forest fires as a rule here in New Zealand, but sadly Australia does practically every summer (mainly due to some of their native trees which are oily and 'explode' in the heat), and I remember one year when smoke from their fires came over to NZ. :(