# Current CA fires - We're burning it ALL down **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 27, 2019, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-ca-fires-were-burning-it-all-down/842560 "2019-10-27T20:26:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2019, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-ca-fires-were-burning-it-all-down/842560/21 "2019-10-28T17:56:55Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > 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. No, but the 405 is closed, so you won’t be seeing much of the fire, if it’s still burning by tomorrow. This isn’t a big fire, and they were able to jump right on it, but it’s right in the middle of a bunch of homes in the hills. The 101 and 170 in your neighborhood are parking lots, now, because that’s an alternate route into the basin. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2019, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-ca-fires-were-burning-it-all-down/842560/22 "2019-10-28T19:54:41Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Idle curiosity: how are you posting? On my phone. I charged it before the power went out, and can recharge it when I’m in my car. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2019, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-ca-fires-were-burning-it-all-down/842560/23 "2019-10-28T20:17:50Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > On my phone. I charged it before the power went out, and can recharge it when I’m in my car. Cool. I was wondering how the power outage would affect things like ISPs, cell towers, gas pumps, culinary water and sewage systems, etc. Sounds like at least the cell towers in your area are still working. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2019, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-ca-fires-were-burning-it-all-down/842560/24 "2019-10-28T20:19:03Z")
We’re south of the Getty Fire (near LAX). Basically, we’re just getting poor air quality, but my sister’s former boss is in the mandatory evacuation zone. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2019, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-ca-fires-were-burning-it-all-down/842560/25 "2019-10-28T20:24:55Z")
Things are quieter here today. The wind has died down. The Kincade Fire is still going strong, unfortunately. The winds are supposed to be back tomorrow, with additional power outages for added fun. I did keep the kids home today. It looks like it probably would have been ok to send them to school, but they both attend schools that are a 30 minute drive on a good day. With power outages still in play, and the way fires kept popping up yesterday, I didn’t want to chance not being able to reach them if the situation got worse. There were several fires yesterday that would directly have impacted access. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2019, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-ca-fires-were-burning-it-all-down/842560/26 "2019-10-28T20:29:14Z")
With the 405 closed, I can’t even imagine how the traffic must be down there! I would dig a hole and crawl in it if I was still down there. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2019, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-ca-fires-were-burning-it-all-down/842560/27 "2019-10-28T20:43:18Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > With the 405 closed, I can’t even imagine how the traffic must be down there! I would dig a hole and crawl in it if I was still down there. I just discovered that at least the north-bound through the Sepulveda Pass is open, (southbound still closed) so **Locrian** and others would be driving through it in that direction. Me, I’m staying on the Eastside. Everything in that area is a nightmare. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2019, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-ca-fires-were-burning-it-all-down/842560/28 "2019-10-28T23:12:06Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Cool. I was wondering how the power outage would affect things like ISPs, cell towers, gas pumps, culinary water > and sewage systems, etc. Sounds like at least the cell towers in your area are still working. Lot of gas pumps are out. Cell towers have batteries, but they’re starting to run out, which is complicating getting out word on evacuations and other emergency information, as more calls are being pushed through fewer towers. Water and sewage is unaffected, but hot water isn’t happening anytime soon. I’m at a friends place in San Francisco for the moment, so I’m not suffering much at all, other than not being in my own bed. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2019, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-ca-fires-were-burning-it-all-down/842560/29 "2019-10-29T00:41:04Z")
I have friends near where Mulholland goes into 405. They got evacuated last time, this time they seem to be fine. I have another friend in Calveras near Malibu. They are in the evacuation area, but we haven’t heard from them so far. Their house is in a canyon at the bottom of steep wooded hill. As for me, I smelled the smoke last night but I’m in Fremont and not even in the no power area. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2019, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-ca-fires-were-burning-it-all-down/842560/30 "2019-10-30T17:26:37Z")
Please stay safe. British Columbia in Western Canada had 442 fires this year but many were far from towns and only 3 are still active. They aren’t much fun. I hope anyone who needed to evacuate did so and am sure things will calm down, until next time. I made a small donation to the Red Cross. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2019, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-ca-fires-were-burning-it-all-down/842560/31 "2019-10-30T17:31:43Z")
One of the astronauts on the space station took some jaw-dropping photographs of the fires in northern California, and posted them to his twitter account. [Look how the wind drags the smoke straight to the west and south](https://twitter.com/AstroDrewMorgan/status/1189533043448520704/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1189533043448520704&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2Fus%2Flive-news%2Fcalifornia-fires-10-30-2019%2Findex.html). Looks like the firefighters are gaining a little bit, aided by calmer winds. No rain in the forecast, though. Stay safe, everyone up there. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2019, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-ca-fires-were-burning-it-all-down/842560/32 "2019-10-30T22:01:30Z")
Sacramento area here. Compared to last year with the Camp fire up north in Paradise, this week we have been largely un-impacted by the Kincade fire. Last year the smoked poured into the Sacramento Valley and Bay Area, but it seems the Kincade fire in Sonoma this year has winds generally pushing the smoke out to sea. Last year’s event was also much larger. As **Seanette** mentioned, we are on SMUD so no power outages. We did have some issues with Xfinity the other day but could not assign blame. Friends and colleagues living up the hill in El Dorado County are dealing with power outages. I was along the coast south of San Francisco this past weekend and while windy we did not smell smoke (altho we could see it in patches). That may have changed. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2019, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-ca-fires-were-burning-it-all-down/842560/33 "2019-10-30T23:03:11Z")
The plan to save the Reagan Library is to put some water on top and let it trickle down. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2019, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-ca-fires-were-burning-it-all-down/842560/34 "2019-10-31T03:12:30Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > The plan to save the Reagan Library is to put some water on top and let it trickle down. That’s exactly how [this guy](https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2018/11/14/brad-weldon-fire-house-california-valencia-pkg-vpx.cnn) saved his house in Paradise. [188 homes saved by exterior sprinkler system](https://californiachaparralblog.wordpress.com/2018/12/07/exterior-fire-sprinklers-saved-188-properties-wet-homes-dont-burn/). ---
**Author:** ![sps49sd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@sps49sd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sps49sd)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2019, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-ca-fires-were-burning-it-all-down/842560/35 "2019-10-31T15:32:32Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > That’s exactly how [this guy](https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2018/11/14/brad-weldon-fire-house-california-valencia-pkg-vpx.cnn) saved his house in Paradise. > > [188 homes saved by exterior sprinkler system](https://californiachaparralblog.wordpress.com/2018/12/07/exterior-fire-sprinklers-saved-188-properties-wet-homes-dont-burn/). I gotta get one of those. And install a generator backup. Go-bag is in the car, backup is at the house; I’m trying to be as prepared as I can for fire, Big One, power loss, whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2019, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-ca-fires-were-burning-it-all-down/842560/36 "2019-10-31T17:09:01Z")
I got back last night after evacuating on the 27th to a Red Cross run shelter. I still feel beaten down by the anxiety and several days on minimal sleep (I find it hard to sleep on a cot surrounded by snoring people). All credit to the Red Cross though, they did a good job despite being pretty obviously overwhelmed. At any rate my apartment is undamaged and my power never went out so my food is still good. So it all turned out as well as could be expected and much better than it could have. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2019, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-ca-fires-were-burning-it-all-down/842560/37 "2019-10-31T17:23:45Z")
Glad you are home again **Der Trihs**. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2019, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-ca-fires-were-burning-it-all-down/842560/38 "2019-10-31T18:49:18Z")
I live in the Benicia hills, and can see the Carquinez bridges from my balcony - and got a glimpse or two of flames popping up from the smoke. I also noticed eastbound 780 and southbound 680 backing up, since the Benicia bridge was now the only way into the East Bay (well, unless you wanted to take the “scenic route” of 80 to 37 to 101 to 580 to either 4 or the Caldecott Tunnel). My house wasn’t in a preannounced blackout area, but something in that fire knocked my power out pretty much all day on Sunday, and it went out again for a few hours overnight. The strange thing was, about 1/2 mile east of me, and 1/2 mile west of me, they kept their power on the whole time. PS…how can you tell I’m talking about northern, as opposed to southern, California? I didn’t say “the 80 to the 37 to the 101…” ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2019, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-ca-fires-were-burning-it-all-down/842560/39 "2019-10-31T20:22:10Z")
Excellent photo from the LA Times of the fire right outside the window at the Reagan Library. [https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-31/easy-fire-grows-to-more-than-1700-acres-10-containment](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-31/easy-fire-grows-to-more-than-1700-acres-10-containment) (Apologies in advance if the link doesn’t work for you, or the page is no longer displaying the picture.) ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2019, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-ca-fires-were-burning-it-all-down/842560/40 "2019-10-31T20:26:53Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > Excellent photo from the LA Times of the fire right outside the window at the Reagan Library. > > [https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-31/easy-fire-grows-to-more-than-1700-acres-10-containment](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-31/easy-fire-grows-to-more-than-1700-acres-10-containment) > > (Apologies in advance if the link doesn’t work for you, or the page is no longer displaying the picture.) From the photo caption: “President Reagan’s Air Force One sits on display at the Reagan library…” Do… do presidents usually get to keep Air Force One when they leave office? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-ca-fires-were-burning-it-all-down/842560.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-ca-fires-were-burning-it-all-down/842560.md?page=3)