Checking in with all CA folks who might be affected by the fires: how is everyone holding up?
I’m in the East Bay on the delta*, and things here are a bit more exciting than I would like, although so far safe. We’ve got interstate closures (I80) and bridge closures, with evacuations on both sides of the Carquinez strait. Closer to my home, we had fire in Oakley. Fortunately it’s under control at this point, but they were evacuating folks with no warning at one point (3 am). Those orders have been lifted.
The Kincade fire in Sonoma county continues to spread. They’ve added extra towns to the evacuation lists today, and the evac centers are full. I’m hoping that they will start opening centers further south. Current estimates are that 180,000 people have been ordered to evacuate.
The wind is bad enough that I’d recommend anyone going out to wear glasses or goggles. I stuck my head out to call my dog back in and got some grit in my eye.
Chime in with your news and status please, when you can.
My friends are just 10 miles south of the evac area in Santa Rosa. They are Coast Guard and will be ordered to Petaluma is necessary. At least they have a safe haven. Everyone please be safe.
I could see fire from my friend’s house earlier; it’s unsettling. We stay alert and aware (I hope).
There is less smoke/ soot deposited on my outside vehicles than in the last two years.
ETA: Plenty have lost homes and jobs; we’re doing fine.
The L.A. area cooled down this weekend, but the Santa Anas are expected to return tonight, which will probably make things worse for the fires already burning, and probably start new ones.
Well we’re watching the Santa Clarita fire thats over the hills just in case they have to cut the power off in my corner of the desert and they close off the free/highways to LA and people get an involuntary day off
Now we have fires in Martinez and in Lafayette. The winds are taking the embers everywhere. I’m starting to think a bug out bag would be a good idea. Just in case.
A bug-out bag is ALWAYS a good idea! You should pack it before you have to, which will give you time to remember all that little stuff you want/need. I think you should start putting one together now. Remember about pet food, clean socks and unders and most important, pack a book and a deck of cards. A few rolls of toilet paper might come in handy as well.
If you are evacuated, keep your meds on your person. Use a fanny pack if you need to. During a panic situation like that, its too easy to lose track of things while you are keeping track of people and pets.
A tip for everyone about important paperwork. Check with your County Recorder to see if your DD214/marriage/divorce/birth/etc. certificates can be recorded. If so, do that because if you lose your original documents, an official copy of the recorded document is just as valid. I know that in AZ and TX, you can have anything you want recorded as long as you are willing to pay the fee.
Be sure to watch out for the nuclear sharks and 1920s style Death Rays too. Mudslides are only good when mixing Kahlua or coffee with vodka and Irish Cream.
Wow, for some reason I thought Miller was in SoCal. I think I’m within 90 miles of both Sunny and Miller.
We just have a lot of smoke here. Some downed trees, alerts for fires nearby but not close enough to be too worrisome. We still have power in our neighborhood so that’s good.
Today was pretty crazy windy. Every hour or so there was news of some other event related - downed power line, tree, or small fire or localized evacuation. Pretty nuts actually.
Checking in from Sacramento. No fires in my vicinity, air quality forecasts look tolerable, and I’m in the SMUD service area, so no problems with power. Did have a Comcast outage last night, but that’s probably unrelated.
As feared, the return of Santa Anas overnight brought at least one new fire so far in this area: the Getty fire, so called because it’s around the museum and Mt. St. Mary’s. There are evacuation orders for residents of 10,000 structures in the affluent area, including students at the college, (and LeBron James). (UCLA is not threatened.)
I live in Valley Village. Just north of Sherman Oaks and Studio City. The Getty fire is on the other side of the freeway, so I wouldn’t have to evacuate, BUT… I’m in Philadelphia visiting mom right now. I drive past that part of highway where the fire is burning, so I’ll see it tomorrow night. Friends in the area say the winds are blowing south, so not much smoke near my home, I suppose.