Huge fire near Paradise

[Campy]

Paradise is near where I live in Chico (northern Cal.), north-northeast up on the foothills. The big "campfire" fire is northeast of Paradise, headed down, along the east side of the Feather River. If it jumps to the other side of the river, you can probably kiss off part of Paradise. There is another fire by Concow, which is not too far away. The lightning caused fires in northern California started on June 20th, and the smoke has been at a hazardous level, much of the time.
Last night, I read on my TV screen that there was an "immediate threat evacuation" notice for people on the east side of Paradise to get out. I was finally able to contact my friend, who lives in the area that is supposed to be evacuated, and he said that he won't leave because he has seven cats that won't get into his car and he wants to try and save his house. He has something like 15 VWs and parts, and I wanted to drive my bus to his house, today, to get some of his stuff moved out and to try and get him to leave, but he said that nobody is allowed on the roads. The fire is pretty close, now, so I have decided to go to Paradise, tomorrow, and see if a government employee will go to his house with me. It is beginning to scare the shit out of me and, with all of the conifer trees covering the town, and fire fighters having worked three weeks straight, there may be no stopping the fire. Pray for everyone.
_________________
Don't worry; be happy. (Baba)

[kombisutra]

Craziness! Paradise is (was?) a beautiful town. Hey, at least the fire can't burn the beautiful streams and creeks away. Mother nature's gotta' do her thing.

[///Mink]

Scary times indeed, I hope they get it under control. I know the firefighters are working their asses off. Coincidentally, I was supposed to spend next weekend near Orland, doubt that will happen.

Stay safe up there.

[Sunroofgod]

All I know of in Paradise is a bunch of trailer queen buses...It sure would be a lot easier to move those buses of yours if they ran Richard (wgnpimp). Well, as long as you don't have to back your trailer down the road you may make it out in time. Slam them bitches on earlies before they burn up!!!

[BarryL]

I said a prayer but it was silent. Don't do anything crazy.

[Ian]

Love and good roads!!!

BE SAFE
_________________
All your Buses are belong to us.
Love and good roads!
IN LOVING MEMORY OF ROB CRESS 1968-2012
**ACHTUNG DO NOT USE AA BRAND PRODUCTS OR BUY ANYTHING FROM PACIFIC PARTS INTERNATIONAL IN CALIFORNIA**

[tasb]

Last fall 25% of the homes in my town (Running Springs) near Big Bear burned to the ground. We still have a "forest" full of dead standing and dieing trees all around us. So we are "not out of the woods yet."

I left a restored stock 1960 sunroof bug under a car port, and a 1956 oval under a tarp in front of the garage. Not to mention the remains of a dwindling parts collection of nearly 35 years. Some things are bigger than life and a wildfire is one of them. You realise at times like that that there are only a few things that really matter and sometimes old cars are not in that number :oops. I could only drive out one car so it was the 1965 deluxe hardtop bus. The kids and important papers were the highest priority.

47 houses in my neighborhood were destroyed mine was not one of them this time.

This was our fifth evacuation. A couople of evacuations back there were about two dozen vintage cars left at a Von's supermarket in Big Bear. Three of those vintage cars were mine. Sometimes you have time to do something and sometimes you don't.

I wish you and your friend the best of luck as that really does come into play a lot. DON"T do anything stupid.

[Campy]

I'm sorry about the fire that you had to experience. The changes after a forest fire are such a shock.
I made it to his property but he wasn't there. His small trailer was still on the driveway, which meant that he would be back but the air was so bad (smoke and ash), I left after a while. The fire hasn't gotten to the other side of the west branch of the Feather River, as of now. If it does, his cars and everything else will burn up.
These fires began last June 20th or 22nd and I have never seen anything like it. There were over 1,000 lightning-caused fires in northern California. The smoke is so thick, here, it is like fog or clouds. The pollution rating is at the hazardous level.
_________________
Don't worry; be happy. (Baba)

[obus]

oh man. good luck and be safe.
_________________
July 1959 Mango Standard Bus aka Obus L346 L347 https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=256592&highlight=
June 1973 Pumpkin Orange Thing aka Othing L30H
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=711775&highlight=
1960 Paprika Red Karmann Ghia Convertible aka Schatze L452 built 5/20/60
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...highlight=
66 21 window bus built 8/31/65 https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=777273

[Olymale]

Wow, we are headed to the Red woods this next week. Leaving this Sunday from Olympia taking I-5 to Astoria than 101 down the coast. Driving my 65 standard pulling our teardrop. We are not in a hurry, have a week off so thought to just leisurely drive the coast south and camp nightly. Maybe we will just go as far south as possible without getting to close to the fires. Anyone on the Oregon coast have a pot of coffee or cold beer for a couple vdubbers passing through?
_________________
SBS #76

58 ragtop bug
60 sc
65 splitty
67 Square Back
85 911 Carrera
http://community.webshots.com/user/olymale

[Campy]

You will be alright if you stay near the coast. Don't go inland: the air pollution is very bad and they are recommending that people stay in buildings and avoid exercising. The air over the Sacramento Valley and the foothills has been bad for the last 21 days, and many of the fires are going to be burning for the rest of the month.
I had left a note on the door to my friend's house and he telephoned just a while ago. He is going to stay on his property as long as he can; if the fire comes his way, most of his possesions, including his cars, will be destroyed.
_________________
Don't worry; be happy. (Baba)

[Braukuche]

[suebug]

PARADISE, Calif. (Associated Press) -- Many firefighters and homeowners were able to take a collective breath Sunday morning as another town appeared to have been spared from yet another wildfire in the unprecedented California fire season.
_________________
'67 Beetle
'67 Squareback
'66 Sundial
'60 Single cab
'70 Bitchen 3-speed Schwinn

[Campy]

The fire has been 55 percent contained and, for now, the evacuation notice has been lowered to voluntary; it looks like my friend is not going to lose his VWs and the rest of his property. There is still smoke all over.
I heard on a news report that the state of California has spent about 440 million dollars fighting fires, this year, compared to 44 million dollars for the whole year just ten years ago. This is in a state that was already having a fiscal crisis. The over 1,700 wildfires in California since June 21st is a record.
_________________
Don't worry; be happy. (Baba)

[mightymouse]

Campy, this doesnt make much sense.
If hes going to lose the cars, move them. If he needs help let us know. id be willing to fly down there and help drive the cars to a remote location. it makes no sense to just leave and let them burn, IF it gets that bad.
there are plenty of people willing to help that arent in danger. im one of them. i grew up in fire country, and i know how it is. losing the cars just sisnt worth it. they wont be replaced, and cant be repaired once torched.
seriously, let me know or put up a post, i can call a shitload of people in the redding/cottonwood,chico area and have those cars stored. Its just an ask away. my brother runs a monster ranch in cottonwood (3000+acres), and i know everyone at wolfgang. no way any of these guys would allow vintage vdubs to burn.
talk soon. dave

[tasb]

I used to work for the USFS as an interpretive naturalist. I lost my job in 2001 since 90% of the USFS budget (I'm exagerating but just a little) now goes to fire surpression.

Moving multiple vehicles is not as easy as it sounds/seems. quite frequently only persons with local and I do mean LOCAL adresses will be allowed into an area that has been mandatory evacuated. There is too much looting and lookyloo crowd problems otherwise.

Sometimes leaving the vehicles in a remote location is a very bad idea. If its too remote there may not be much of a vehicle left (read theft)when you return. Fire crews let the fires burn in remote areas and defend the structures. When I left my cars in Big Bear in the parking lot of the supermarket several years ago, I correctly reasoned that the market would stay open in order to feed the firefighters and law enforcement in the area so the lot would be frequented and defended. Then the mandatory ban was lifted for Big Bear but not for me in Running Springs. So my new worry was that Big Bear scavengers would get to my cars before I could. I ended up getting up there illegally and slept in the vehicle for three days before I was allowed to return home.

Rushed stressful situation where lots of decisions are made and lots of errors too.

If you have insurance (paricularly agreed value)- you can at least get the value of the car back and start over.

[Campy]

Except for a couple of VWs (no engines), the rest of the cars are junkers. He had said that material things were not important to him and he had fire insurance. I had gone to his house to load up my bus with VW parts and other things but he was gone, as I had noted earlier. The good news is that it looks like the fire isn't going to jump across the west fork of the Feather River; if it does, a lot of buildings and trees would burn up.
What is odd is that there was a big fire early last month and about forty houses in southern Paradise burned up. We have had two drought years in a row, coupled with high heat and low humidty.
_________________
Don't worry; be happy. (Baba)

[Campy]

Mightymouse, I forgot to thank you for being concerned and offering to help. People like you are what I like about the VW bus community.
_________________
Don't worry; be happy. (Baba)

[Campy]

Yesterday, a local news anchor said that W. Bush is scheduled to show up at Concow (near Paradise) this Thursday to show some concern for people whose houses got destroyed. It looks like he learned a lesson when, following hurricane Katrina, he only toured the area from high up inside a plane. He got a lot of criticism for that. Maybe I will show up in my dove blue camper. Look for it on the nightly news.
_________________
Don't worry; be happy. (Baba)

[mightymouse]