California is on fire

[skygazer]

No, I don't mean the heat - I mean it literally. Just in my area alone so far we have had six different wildfires that I know of - a couple of them still burning. About 50 homes have been lost in them, and dozens of animals. :cry:

The fire in the Los Padres where I camp every year has been burning for a week - it's still only about 60% contained and has burned 50,000 acres.

Yesterday, statewide, they are saying that 400 separate fires were reported - forest fires, not house fires.

It's going to be a long summer. :(

[NV Whino]

1. Got one up near my place today

It's like living in a cigar box. Cough, cough.

[Redstone]

2. Guys, I hate to have to be the one to break the news to you:

God did not want so many people to be living in southern California.

If He did, there would be some water there, and there wouldn't be an ecosystem that's dependent on fire to regenerate itself every few years.

I know you love where you live, but there's a price to be paid for all that sunshine. No free lunch, and all that.

Not that any of the above makes me worry less when I hear about the fires, both worrying about my DU friends and one of the loves of my life who lives in Moorpark.

Be safe, would you please?

Redstone

[huskerlaw]

4. Actually...

I believe all 400 of these fires are in Northern California, and most (if not all) were started by lightning from a freak thunderstorm.

Not that you don't have a valid point about SoCal, which is clearly a tinderbox as well, but in this case...it's not us!

[Gormy Cuss]

7. This is mostly Northern Californian events this season, Redstone

Several of the large fires near skygazer have been in the coastal Santa Cruz range where it's not as hot nor as dry as the interior areas in a typical year. This is the second year with well below average winter rain and this early fire season is NOT normal.

[XemaSab]

9. Redstone, I hate to have to be the one to break the news to you:

I live about an hour south of the Oregon border, and about a block from the Sacramento river. We get almost as much rain in the winter as Seattle does.

We've got hella fires burning up here. Hella.

We had hella fires burning last week, but we had a thunderstorm yesterday that went on ALL DAY.

So now we've got fires burning that are going to take weeks (if not months) to put out.

Got it? :shrug:

[Redstone]

10. I stand corrected. And, may I mention that I've always

REALLY liked a lot of parts of California (with the Owens Valley being number one), especially including the northern part?

Redstone

[XemaSab]

11. As your punishment, I banish you from California

for the next two weeks. :P

[skygazer]

18. God (for the sake of argument - I don't really believe there's anyone in charge of this nonsense)

never intended so many people to live on the damn planet. Or maybe he/she/it did - "go forth and multiply" and all that. And boy and howdy, did we ever.

SoCal is just one of many areas that has way too many people for the land to handle. But what are you gonna do? Build a wall? Maybe when they get done with the one along the Mexican border. :P

Anyway, as you now know, these are mostly in NorCal and it's just nerve-wracking. So far two of my favorite places ever have burned. :(

[AlCzervik]

3. i don't know where this fire is up here today but i can smell it but at least the winds

are down today so hopefully that will help.

[Lil Missy]

6. That pic in your sig line scares me.

Hold me. :scared:

[BrotherBuzz]

5. Heavy dry lightning yesterday - I head there are now 600 fires

Smoke smell is heavy in the air in the Sacramento Valley, but visibility is surprising good. Times like this make living up in those damn canyons seem foolish.

On edit: the air was fine this morning, but it just went south when the light breeze shifted. now I have heavy smoke in my face.

[XemaSab]

8. Several dozen started up here yesterday

:P

[Taverner]

12. Our family's Santa Cruz land burned down during the last fires

Good thing we never built on it.

[Adsos Letter]

13. We have one at about 4,000 acres, just about 2 miles from here...

in Green Valley/Twin Sisters area...and strong winds are pushing it along...lots of smoke...cooler today, though.

[DS1]

14. Again?

:eyes:

[skygazer]

15. Still

[XemaSab]

16. I called my congressman and he didn't do shit!

:shrug:

:cry:

[skygazer]

17. Did you do it RIGHT FUCKING NOW!!!11!!??

Thanks, I needed a laugh. Smoky air makes me sneeze and I'm depressed about all the animals that died in the one the other day near Watsonville - the Trabing Fire. They were reporting suspected arson on that one and it was in a residential area - lots of trapped animals. :grr: