# The Camp Fire Thread -or- Northern Cali Is Like SOOO Hot Right Now **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 8, 2018, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-camp-fire-thread-or-northern-cali-is-like-sooo-hot-right-now/824216 "2018-11-08T22:17:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**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:** [November 18, 2018, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-camp-fire-thread-or-northern-cali-is-like-sooo-hot-right-now/824216/81 "2018-11-18T22:57:08Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > It’s sounds like a lot fewer would have been killed if the authorities weren’t so grossly incompetent. > > First they had a potential disaster 10 years ago which they narrowly missed so they had plenty of time to make plans: > [https://weather.com/news/news/2018-11-15-grand-jury-report-fire-risk-paradise/](https://weather.com/news/news/2018-11-15-grand-jury-report-fire-risk-paradise/) > > Second the first report of fire a few miles away came in at 6:29 am, winds blowing at 52 mph, yet no evacuation order in Paradise until 7:46 am and that only for the eastern part of the town–the rest of the town not notified until an hour later. Something even scarier: in the Murky News today was an article about rebuilding Paradise, since there are a lot of building still standing. Never mentioned once is the the evacuation problem. I’d worry that even if they got more people alerted the traffic backup would be even worse. I’d say they shouldn’t rebuild until they figure out how to keep the exit road from being a death trap. And they were relatively lucky - the road could have been totally closed sue to power lines or downed trees burning, which would have made the death toll even higher. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2018, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-camp-fire-thread-or-northern-cali-is-like-sooo-hot-right-now/824216/82 "2018-11-19T00:04:47Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > The number of missing is more than a thousand. A good many of them were scattered like chaff getting the hell out of there **and will turn up when they settle down somewhere and have the time to get in touch with the authorities** , but it can’t be all. It’ll be a very tiny number of people in modern America that haven’t told SOMEONE they’re alive and escaped the fire in Paradise. Communication and transportation are too ubiquitous; a week in America is now an eternity for news cycles. If it hasn’t occurred to people yet: there are a shitload of people dead from this fire; way more than just 76. While I agree that the Charvel family story is a personal tragedy for them, they are just one of thousands of tragedies, and at least they have the means to rebuild and carry on with their lives in relative comfort. Not so for a significant percentage of other victims is my guess and so that is where most of my sympathy falls. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2018, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-camp-fire-thread-or-northern-cali-is-like-sooo-hot-right-now/824216/83 "2018-11-19T00:15:34Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > It’s sounds like a lot fewer would have been killed if the authorities weren’t so grossly incompetent. That is an issue I think it would probably be wise to withhold judgement on for the time being. As that article noted sending out a WEA alert is not an easy call when you’re not sure of the scope of the disaster you’re facing and this one moved and escalated really fast. Beyond that one article noted: _It’s unclear whether the alert could have saved lives lost in the Camp Fire. Cell phone service near Paradise is notoriously spotty, and many of the town’s elderly residents relied on land lines. A spokeswoman for the Butte County Sheriff’s Office said the fire might also have burned through cell towers._ So at this point anyway I’m not sure there is gross incompetence per se and I’m not sure different alert tactics would have saved many( though even saving one would make it worthwhile ). We may eventually find out there was a gigantic fuck-up that was critical, but they’ll sifting through the post-mortem on this for quite awhile. Ultimately I’m guessing it wasn’t the primary reason for the horrific death toll. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2018, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-camp-fire-thread-or-northern-cali-is-like-sooo-hot-right-now/824216/84 "2018-11-19T07:27:07Z")
This satellite footage almost looks like that from a volcano. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/en5er6Xu--E/maxresdefault.jpg "See the Camp Fire from space") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en5er6Xu--E) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2018, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-camp-fire-thread-or-northern-cali-is-like-sooo-hot-right-now/824216/85 "2018-11-19T17:08:06Z")
[Cite](https://apnews.com/bb048638df544e1989685f92a1374885) > [@](#): > > Troy Miller, who had tried to evacuate from his Concow home but was turned back by flames, was camping in a truck next to the metal frame that remained of his home. His horse and three dogs survived, but he has no money or insurance to rebuild. > > Some passing firefighters gave Miller some drinking water, but he was hoping someone would get through the roadblocks and bring him a flashlight and some tarps for rain in the forecast. > > “I’m alive and I’m still up here. There are plenty of other people worse off than I am,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of faith in God. I think things will be OK.” No home, no money, no insurance, no food, almost no possessions and a horse and 3 dogs to feed and care for… Even the few folks who managed to save their homes are now battling poor air quality that may cause lasting damage on its own as well as potential looters and just plain being inaccessible. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2018, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-camp-fire-thread-or-northern-cali-is-like-sooo-hot-right-now/824216/86 "2018-11-20T05:42:39Z")
Some of the people who are camping in the Wal-Mart parking lot are stating that they will not leave, even if we get rain later in the week. I’m guessing that they’re in a place where they feel safe, and have even formed their own support network there, which includes the kids making new friends with other children who are living there. I was skeptical when I heard this feel-good story, but it’s 100% true. It involves kids from two private Christian schools, but true sportsmanship knows no organized creed. > **[Paradise girls' volleyball team with no uniforms get equipment, donations...](https://www.ktvu.com/news/paradise-girls-volleyball-team-with-no-uniforms-get-equipment-donations-from-high-school-opponent)** > > Days after the Camp Fire leveled the town of Paradise, the Forest Lake Christian High School in Auburn hosted Paradise Adventist Academy in a Northern California Division VI girls’ volleyball semifinal match. The fire victims were greeted with a... On a less optimistic note, did anyone else notice that Dumpster kept referring to Paradise as “Pleasure”? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-camp-fire-thread-or-northern-cali-is-like-sooo-hot-right-now/824216/87 "2018-11-21T15:18:19Z")
It’s raining!!! Hallelujah!! ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-camp-fire-thread-or-northern-cali-is-like-sooo-hot-right-now/824216/88 "2018-11-21T16:24:40Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > It’s raining!!! Hallelujah!! Amen. I was just watching the rain line advance across the bay from SF. Nothing prettier than that wall of grey :). First time I’ve opened my windows( briefly )in two weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-camp-fire-thread-or-northern-cali-is-like-sooo-hot-right-now/824216/89 "2018-11-21T17:00:59Z")
[Rain is good for the firefighters, but bad for the searchers.](https://apnews.com/62091347d0b240b5a1379e4ff8ea3970) 870 still unaccounted for. ---
**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:** [November 21, 2018, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-camp-fire-thread-or-northern-cali-is-like-sooo-hot-right-now/824216/90 "2018-11-21T20:35:12Z")
We had our ducts cleaned out Monday, and they are backed up for months now as everyone wants to get the soot out. I think our air is finally acceptable after the rain. Which I take credit for since I went to the car wash yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2018, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-camp-fire-thread-or-northern-cali-is-like-sooo-hot-right-now/824216/91 "2018-11-24T00:15:04Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > [Rain is good for the firefighters, but bad for the searchers.](https://apnews.com/62091347d0b240b5a1379e4ff8ea3970) > > 870 still unaccounted for. If there’s any genuine good news that has come out of here, I heard earlier that 300 names were deleted from the missing persons list, because they were located alive. As was predicted, a lot of them were senior citizens or other people who for whatever reason did not use social media, and had left the immediate area without telling anyone else from the area where they were going. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2018, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-camp-fire-thread-or-northern-cali-is-like-sooo-hot-right-now/824216/92 "2018-11-24T14:19:39Z")
Rain. Glorious rain. Wonderful, wet, watery rain. Rain coming down in buckets. Drizzly, misty rain. Air cleaning, dust busting rain. Ground soaking, tree washing rain. Rain!! ---
**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:** [November 24, 2018, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-camp-fire-thread-or-northern-cali-is-like-sooo-hot-right-now/824216/93 "2018-11-24T17:05:44Z")
My wife got a rain gauge for her birthday (she is a weather junkie) and yesterday we had .6 inches here. Hurray! ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2018, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-camp-fire-thread-or-northern-cali-is-like-sooo-hot-right-now/824216/94 "2018-11-24T18:12:25Z")
My rain gauge (on the coast) shows 2.6 inches since the rain started on Wednesday. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2018, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-camp-fire-thread-or-northern-cali-is-like-sooo-hot-right-now/824216/95 "2018-11-24T20:03:07Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > My wife got a rain gauge for her birthday (she is a weather junkie) and yesterday we had .6 inches here. Hurray! They got something like 5" in Felton or Boulder Creek (or somewhere near there). And it looks like there’s more to come next week. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2018, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-camp-fire-thread-or-northern-cali-is-like-sooo-hot-right-now/824216/96 "2018-11-26T01:07:52Z")
So I’m volunteering up in Chico tomorrow, but I wanted to get their early to check out Paradise. Anyone know if the roads are open? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2018, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-camp-fire-thread-or-northern-cali-is-like-sooo-hot-right-now/824216/97 "2018-11-26T05:34:33Z")
[The Camp Fire is fully contained](https://apnews.com/66e6718c51d947cdbd9b7ccfb283fdf7). 85 people confirmed dead. 249 names still on the list of missing. Nearly 19,000 buildings destroyed, most of them homes. The fire burned for more than 2 weeks but was most deadly in its first few hours. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2018, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-camp-fire-thread-or-northern-cali-is-like-sooo-hot-right-now/824216/98 "2018-11-26T14:24:50Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > So I’m volunteering up in Chico tomorrow, but I wanted to get their early to check out Paradise. Anyone know if the roads are open? I don’t know, but don’t you think it would be best to stay out of the way? Good luck on the volunteer work! > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > [The Camp Fire is fully contained](https://apnews.com/66e6718c51d947cdbd9b7ccfb283fdf7). 85 people confirmed dead. 249 names still on the list of missing. Nearly 19,000 buildings destroyed, most of them homes. The fire burned for more than 2 weeks but was most deadly in its first few hours. Just to be clear, “fully contained” doesn’t mean the fire is out. It just means there’s a firebreak perimeter around the entire affected area. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2018, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-camp-fire-thread-or-northern-cali-is-like-sooo-hot-right-now/824216/99 "2018-11-26T16:32:17Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > So I’m volunteering up in Chico tomorrow, but I wanted to get their early to check out Paradise. Anyone know if the roads are open? I would think they would keep anyone from entering the burn area who doesn’t have an official reason to be there. They don’t want anyone in the way, there are safety issues, and they want to prevent looting. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2018, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-camp-fire-thread-or-northern-cali-is-like-sooo-hot-right-now/824216/100 "2018-11-30T07:35:06Z")
[So all that rain has apparently been a bit much](https://apnews.com/817e89a0bb62476aa2aad75d19fcc4df): > [@](#): > > Flash flooding hit a wildfire-scarred area of Northern California on Thursday, forcing officials to deploy swift water rescue teams to save people stuck in vehicles and rescue them from homes after a downpour near the Paradise area. > > Authorities said they used boats to rescue people from three homes and told people in about 100 vehicles to stay in place until the rain receded in late afternoon. They received reports of flooding on roads and of downed trees and utility poles. > [@](#): > > Thursday’s storm brought 1½ inches of rain in an hour, toppling trees and trapping motorists in flooded roads downstream, said National Weather Service meteorologist Craig Shoemaker. Some people were evacuated _again_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-camp-fire-thread-or-northern-cali-is-like-sooo-hot-right-now/824216.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-camp-fire-thread-or-northern-cali-is-like-sooo-hot-right-now/824216.md?page=6)