# California Members: Check in!



## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Is everybody ok out there in the fires?


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## Bob Starr (Jan 2, 2008)

Everything is OK (so far) on our very burnable mountain


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

No fires in San Diego. 

Greg


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

I was up in Santa Barbara yesterday, they had large placards showing the extent of the Gap Fire in nearby Goleta, no smoke in SB but alot of people reading the postings. Alot more up burning up north, there not used to the dry conditions that lead to major fires like we are down here, so NorCal is having a harder time of it.


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

My wife drove through Santa Barbara and Goleta last Thursday morning, to stay in San Luis Obispo and the Goleta fire had just started. Lots of smoke. Most of the smoke was coming from the Big Sur fire at that time. They came back down to L.A. late Friday afternoon and she said the smoke was choking! Winds had changed. My cousin lives in Lafayette, small city just east of San Francisco and he said the smoke and air quality have been terrible. I have friends in Sacramento and they are complaining of the smoke. NoCal is getting the worst of this, for sure. As of yesterday afternnon, there are 300+ major fires burning in the state now. Locally in Burbank and Glendale, so far so good. But it is an early fire season./DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/shocked.gif


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## Joe McGarry (Jan 4, 2008)

O.K. here in the sticks 25 mi. south of Sacramento. Had a lot of nasty smoke about a week ago. Now the sky is blue and it's hot, 80's and 90's.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Luckily none are near us..., this time.


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## cjwalas (Jan 2, 2008)

The smoke comes and goes here in Santa Barbara as the winds shift during the course of the day. There's been light ash for the last few days and plenty of black outs. The power has been on and off all day today. But the mandatory evacuations have been turned back to evacuation warnings, so people are returning to their homes, with the warning that things could change again at any time. 
Chris


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

A guest at the Botanic yesterday asked if we were going to model a burned section of California for next year.


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## astrayelmgod (Jan 2, 2008)

Torby wrote -- 
"A guest at the Botanic yesterday asked if we were going to model a burned section of California for next year " 

So, did you say, "Model? Why bother? We're gonna have the real thing here any time now."?


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## R.W. Marty (Jan 2, 2008)

Here in the real "Northern California" 
Look on a map, this is the large section of blank space above Sacramento and San francisco before you get to Oregon /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/tongue.gif. 

In Shasta and Trinity counties We have about 75,000 acres turned black and still three fire complexes 
burning uncontained/uncontrolled. This is all from the lightning strikes 2 weeks ago. 

Things were looking pretty good until today, it's about 112 degrees with 20-30 mile an hour winds and about 10% humidity. Supposed to be that way the rest of the week. So far so good, but it can't last, some more **** is bound to break loose. 

So far, very lucky. Very little loss of homes and other structures and no loss of life. We have crews in here from as far away as Montana and Mich. They are a great help and are getting an education on remote fires. They just released the Martin Mars "Fire Bomber" to go to the Big Sur fire. 

Speaking of remote. Guess why you don't hear much about this on the national news. Reporters would have to actually spend some time to get here and get to the fires and personal involved. 

But fear not for us, FEMA showed up last week and opened an office and the Governor has been in town 4 times for photo opps. 

Not to smokey this week. 
Rick Marty


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## Gary Woolard (Jan 2, 2008)

Got a cousin & his fiance who've been building a house in Big Sur for the last five years - they moved in about a year ago as he continues to work on it. The house is at the north end of a canyon called the "Palo Colorado", I believe. The FD has cut a fireline and established a camp at the south end, a mile or two away. Haven't heard anything from them in the last two days, but Google maps seem to show that they're still ok. Under advisory evacuation, and F.D. has told them frankly that if the fire jumps up the canyon, they won't try to save the house because they can't be sure that they'd be able to get back out of the canyon. Michael wants to stay till last minute so that he can spray that diaper gell stuff before he bails. They've cut down all their fruit trees. 
So we're worried, but not as worried as we were yesterday. Please keep them in your thoughts, gang, they're a nice couple. 
Of course, so's _everybody_ who's trying desperately not to get burnt out. So far, Big Sur has been very lucky compared to what _could_ happen./DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/whistling.gif


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## pcentral (Jan 3, 2008)

Rick, 
Hope everything works out for you guys up there! we're getting that same heat wave down here in the middle of the state. It's supposed to be around 107-110 all week. Last couple of weeks we've had the smoke pretty bad here in the San Joaquin Valley but at least it's not that bad this week. Either that or we're getting used to it! 

Gary, 
Hope all works out for your kin too! We'll be hoping for the best. 

Steve


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## traindude109 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By R.W. Marty on 07/07/2008 6:36 PM
Here in the real "Northern California" 
Look on a map, this is the large section of blank space above Sacramento and San francisco before you get to Oregon " border=0>/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/tongue.gif" border=0>. 
In Shasta and Trinity counties We have about 75,000 acres turned black and still three fire complexes 
burning uncontained/uncontrolled. This is all from the lightning strikes 2 weeks ago. 
Things were looking pretty good until today, it's about 112 degrees with 20-30 mile an hour winds and about 10% humidity. Supposed to be that way the rest of the week. So far so good, but it can't last, some more **** is bound to break loose. 
So far, very lucky. Very little loss of homes and other structures and no loss of life. We have crews in here from as far away as Montana and Mich. They are a great help and are getting an education on remote fires. They just released the Martin Mars "Fire Bomber" to go to the Big Sur fire. 
Speaking of remote. Guess why you don't hear much about this on the national news. Reporters would have to actually spend some time to get here and get to the fires and personal involved. 
But fear not for us, FEMA showed up last week and opened an office and the Governor has been in town 4 times for photo opps. 
Not to smokey this week. 
Rick Marty 





I was going to reply, but it looks like Rick about covered it. It has been less smokey, but the temperatures are shooting way up now. Supposed to be over 110 for a few days this week.


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## San Juan (Jan 3, 2008)

I'm back in southern CA now (G layout's in Colorado though). Temps are supposed to get really high till Thursday. I'm hoping no fires start down here. It's been really dry and conditions are ripe for a bad fire. 

Thankfully nothing started from firework related use. I always worry when the 4th falls on a Friday or weekend.


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## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

Today update in Sacramento Ca. area. is not sun.. sky is orange.. like it use to see it in Los Angles years ago in the summer time with there cyn. fires. 
Its said to be 108 high to day but it 96 degs now.. Talked to my oldies boy in Oroville, Ca. and the town has black ash coming down all over the town there with no sun there now.. Seem like all of the hills around our area is having bad grass fires. 

Guess you call Northern Calif. smoke with sun once in a while and hard to breath in.. Visibility here is about 1/8 mile... ( Like a fog) Tv notice is to keep animals and our selfs indoors. 
Course tomorrow is another story. could change...


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## traindude109 (Jan 2, 2008)

About 110 today with some wind. Smoke got really bad on the east side of Redding about 9:15 tonight, almost looked like it was gonna rain. I think there was a new fire that started near Shasta Lake a day or two ago. However, the firefighters are doing an awesome job. Little loss of structures here and no deaths. Two big thumbs up to the guys on the front lines!


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## Russell Miller (Jan 3, 2008)

Everything's OK at the Stanton Canyon Railway A little smokey in Castro Valley and we had a 20 acre fire a couple of miles away ... 










Russ


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## Gary Woolard (Jan 2, 2008)

Update from my Big Sur cousins -- 

Fire at the south mouth of their canyon has been pinched off. At the north end, the fire that they were _really_ worried about has turned east and is burning _away_ from them. 

So for them, the crisis has passed (knock on wood!). Thought I'd let y'all know, and thanks for your good thoughts.


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