California Fires

[Tram]

Here's a shout out to the Sambanistas down there in the path of destruction... please take care and stay safe. Shit's getting real again, unfortunately.
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Немає виправдання для війни! Я з Україною.

[74 Thing]

I have a soft spot for people who lose everything in a fire since I lost everything in the Oakland Hills fire in 91, then again I was displaced due to an apartment fire years later.

Devastating fires like these had been few and far in between, but now they seem to occur annually. Three years in a row now with lives lost, property lost, and health issues with the thick smoke and ash in the air lasting for months. It is devastating and heartbreaking at the same time.

Some advice-make sure you have a portable file holder with your essentials so you can grab it and get out if you ever find yourself in this type of situation. You do not want to be stuck in car traffic with flames all around because of being ill prepared.

[grandpa red]

Here in Hollister surrounded by fires.
For the last 6 day's with temps in the 90's/low 100's the sky has had an Apocalypse look.
The sun glows orange with ash falling.
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'72 Beetle

[Letterman7]

My brother and his family were evacuated from Ben Lomand late Tueday night. They're staying at a friend's guest house in Scotts Valley - but the evac line has already moved halfway into that town, too. Dunno where they will go if they have to evac from there as well.

[qwerty]

Sad times

[Pez]

So stories heard from states away general revolves around CA's unwillingness to do controlled burns are the reason for the fires getting out of hand over the past few years. Any locals have any input in this?

Prayers for those effected by this round of fires though! Stay safe!
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Always chasing Squirrel's.

[74 Thing]

I think that is a unfounded theory and a lot of the cause is due to building further and further out due to population and affordability reasons and now when there is a fire in a remote location it can wipe out entire communities.

Plus look at highly dense areas like the Santa Cruz mountains that are ablaze when trees/forests that size get lit up there is little you can do.

[skills@eurocarsplus]

[Tram]

[obus]

I hope this ends for those folks soon. So sad. I wish someone could come up with an inexpensive way to control this. i'm sure its not cheap or easy or it would have been done already.
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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

[Tram]

[Pez]

[Jacks]

Well, over 11,000 lightning strikes during a 3 day period might have something to do with it.
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Jack Staggs
Actual name

[Abscate]

It’s so human to move into a desert and then complain it’s too hot. Likewise to build in tinderbox and then complain about fires. Likewise to build on ocean front and then complain about hurricane floods. Likewise to move to NYC and just complain
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.ssS!

[kpf]

I have heard from a couple of people involved in the aviation business that California has greatly reduced its spending on water-bomber type services.
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1971 Super Beetle

[Jon Schmid]

Already 4X + the burn acreage as all of last year and the season has barely started. As Jack mentioned, the lightning strikes have been brutal. I can't wait for the Santa Ana winds to inevitably kick up in a bit here in SoCal. P.S.: Regarding Santa Cruz, my daughter went to UCSC. Beautiful campus in the middle of the woods. I hope it (and the rest of CA) stays safe.

[KTPhil]

1,000,000 acres so far, really terrible. And this is without the "santana" winds for the most part. It would be double this size if it was 1-2 months later during the hot windy season. Not much solace...

Not really preventable, but individuals can do some things to help... thinning brush and trees near the house, closed eaves, etc.

Wells can't draw fast enough to serve in real time; you need a tank (we had 8,000 gallons) which can be pumped fast even with a FD pickup equipped with a pump. But you are really on your own, since in fires like these, they don't send in crescent houseboy house except in rare circumstances to get people out.

[swavananda]

I just got burned out in Bonny Doon Fire. Bus is the one I have been working on in my tag. I am so grateful to have had a towbar for my Ghia. It got pulled out on second day.

A ‘wind event’ picked up embers from miles away and started spot fires all over place. An inferno started across the street at 3:30 in the morning. I woke to a sound I never want to hear again. Scrambled to find my cat threw him in truck. Laid on the horn to wake up neighbors. PD arrives and says time to go, and I joke ‘ya think? ‘. There was a safe pocket of time to go up next day. I got to pack my truck With enough to feel good about moving on, hooked up the Ghia just as smoke was getting brutal. Got safely out. Of course there was the mental debate of staying and trying to defend The property. That came down to realizing I was the only one up there, no other neighbors could be heard. Did not want to risk it. In other areas, Dooners formed their own strike teams to defend homes. Cal fire pretty much abandoned Bonny Doon first two nights. My place went next morning. I’m really grateful getting back up there to get what I did, otherwise I’d be pretty devastated. I did go backup to volunteer digging breaks, none held. They are not letting any one up at this point. Winds are picking up and a possible lightning storm coming. Tonight will tell how the rest of Santa Cruz county will fare.

[Tram]

[Tram]