Atlas Peak Fire Refugee
Thank goodness for the firefighters, true heroes!
My 75 year old mother and I had to evacuate on Monday morning (1:30 am).
So we frantically grabbed our 2 cats and 2 dogs, our medicines, phones and chargers and we went to my cousin's house which was 5 miles up the road. We live in a very rural area near Lake Berryessa.
The power went out, but my cousin had a generator so we could keep up with current events.
We spent that night and the next at my cousins, but the fire kept coming closer. Watching the 747s dropping the fire retardant in the distance. The next night it got too close and I had to get my mother out of there. It was an advisory evacuation this time, not mandatory. After helping my cousin clear leaves and brush that had recently fallen near his house, then watering down the roofs and gutters, mom and I had to pack up the animals and leave. A road block said we couldn't return.
My cousin stayed with his boys to protect his ranch.
We are very worried about them.
So far we have dodged a bullet as far as my house goes.
My own neighborhood (around 200 homes in the Napa mountains) has now been burned all around it but firefighters kept the fire out and not one house was lost so far. It all depends on the winds. It could come back so not out of risk yet.
Firefighters allowed it to burn to edges of the community while winds were mild, it was coming downhill so easy to manage. Now all fuel around my neighborhood has been back-burned, so if winds change again less chance of an uncontrollable inferno in terms of structures going.
Mom and I and 2 dogs and 2 cats are at a small motel that allows pets in a nearby town, but they say it might be evacuated too! Fire was 7 miles from motel yesterday at 3.
Air quality was horrible yesterday but seems better today (winds changed).
We don't think the evac at my house is going to be lifted before Friday, and this weekend winds are picking up again.
So now, it is a waiting game. Waiting to go home (unless the bullet we dodged comes back around again with the winds of change), waiting for the power to come back on.
Fortunately they are understanding at my job, and I have some vacation time I can use right now. There is no way I can leave my mom to go to work to deal with all this by herself.
Oh, and get this, my homeowner's insurance had told me last month that they will not be renewing my policy when it expires on Oct. 18th. I had been getting quotes, but not gotten a new policy when the fire hit. I tried to go forward with that on Monday, but the office in Napa had no power and was closed. When she emailed me on Wed, said sorry, but her company has put a moratorium on any new policies. Not sure what I'm going to do. If the house burns down, I hope it does it before 10/18 when the policy expires.
What a week!
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I hope your house survives!
As well as you, your mom and your animals.
