Fire...here we go again.

[croaker stroker]

Saddleridge fire whipped by Santa Ana Winds is very close AJFishin.  Are you OK AJ ? You are welcome to hang out here if you have too much smoke in your area.

[Fisherdv]

Been listening to the reports on the news. Last I heard was 0% containment. AJ, hope you guys are ok.

PG&E cut power to close to 1 million people up here in the Bay Area due to high winds.

[GregE]

Seems like another tough fire season coming..........  Stay prepared to git

[Wiley]

Ironic, Northern California gets power shut off to 100,000 plus to prevent fires.... and Southern California is burning up again...
Hope all are well down there, thoughts and prayers sent...
I am supposed to attend a family event at Griffith Park for my Grandfathers train but unsure of fires, roads, air quality, access, etc.
My grandfather in the cab of his train
150 year anniversary of the continental divide celebration
Be safe down there y'all

[ej1]

Alhambra is good ways from the fire. Me on the other hand...  those red things on the lower right is saddleridge fire. 

Not too worried though, it was closer last time. 4 years ago fire came within 400 yards of my house before fire trucks put it out.  We have excellent fire department here.

[croaker stroker]

The wind has died down. Hopefully they can get a handle on the fire now.

[AJFishin]

Thank you Croaker and Fisher, but yeah the fire is a ways from us.

October is the start of the fire season  and hopefully it doesn't get any worse.

[croaker stroker]

Alhambra is good ways from the fire. Me on the other hand...  those red things on the lower right is saddleridge fire. 

Not too worried though, it was closer last time. 4 years ago fire came within 400 yards of my house before fire trucks put it out.  We have excellent fire department here.

Glad to hear it missed you.

[Fisherdv]

I can't believe with all the media coverage of the extreme fire danger that I was driving behind a guy that threw his lit cigarette out the window of his car on a mountain road with dry brush on both sides and high winds. Do people even think???? I almost called him in.

[AJFishin]

I can't believe with all the media coverage of the extreme fire danger that I was driving behind a guy that threw his lit cigarette out the window of his car on a mountain road with dry brush on both sides and high winds. Do people even think???? I almost called him in.

I've seen idiots that toss their cigarettes out the window on mountain roads and I don't hesitate to report them to the CHP.  My thoughts are, if they want to do that, then I believe they're responsible enough to take responsibility for a fire they might start.
I have family that lives in Oakhurst and a brother who retired from CalFire and a long time family friend who's a retired fire captain and I've heard one to many sad stories on fires started by people not caring.

[Habberdasher]

Hi just wondering how my Arima friends are doing in California I lost my home once to a fire and understand how terrible it is . I wish you all can be safe
Tight lines
Tom

[Danno]

Safe here.

We live on a single loaded hillside which means that we are on the downside of a hill with the street between us and the house on the next street above. The slope was covered with overgrown Acacia bushes that the Fire Department ruled a fire hazard. The HOA has replaced it both on the hillside above me and the hillside below.

While we have open area about 1/2 mile to our east (where the winds were coming from) that is a concern for fire during these high wind, low humidity conditions, there's little concern now with the two hillsides clear however, we do have a slope up to our next door neighbor's house that still has about 10 feet high of Acacia very close to our house which could ignite from an ember from afar thus we remain vigilant during these fire conditions. If that open area started to burn, I would man a hose to wet the bushes down to minimize the risk of an embers starting anything. That slope is slated for Acacia removal but as with any HOA, it takes time. If I futz with it, the HOA then considers it my responsibility to maintain until the end of time which I prefer to avoid.

We are in a "Fire Hazard Zone" which means only a few insurance companies will sell us fire insurance and then only at high premiums.

[croaker stroker]

We are OK. Most of the fires have been in LA County. Just a couple in Orange County which they got under control quickly.

I am hearing on the news that there were 9 fires in Southern California yesterday and today.

We are in a "Fire Hazard Zone" which means only a few insurance companies will sell us fire insurance and then only at high premiums.

Considering insurance payouts after all the damage, the premiums are probably going to get even more expensive and harder to get.

[AJFishin]

We are OK. Most of the fires have been in LA County. Just a couple in Orange County which they got under control quickly.

I am hearing on the news that there were 9 fires in Southern California yesterday and today.

We are in a "Fire Hazard Zone" which means only a few insurance companies will sell us fire insurance and then only at high premiums.

Considering insurance payouts after all the damage, the premiums are probably going to get even more expensive and harder to get.

Same here ok, worst part of the fires for us being in the valley is a lot of the smoke settles here and makes going outside hard on your lungs.

CS you are 100% right about the insurance. My wife's friend is an agent for a major insurance company and she said everyone gets paid out no matter what including SCE and PG&E which will all contribute to our home insurance and our utility rates going up.




SAN BERNARDINO/HILLSIDE FIRE
JURUPA VALLEY/46 FIRE
FULLERTON/CASTLEWOOD FIRE
SIMI VALLEY/EASY FIRE
JURUPA VALLEY/HILL FIRE
GETTY FIRE
TICK FIRE
DEXTER FIRE
BREA FIRE

[croaker stroker]

...

http://www.rntl.net/orangefirewebcams.htm

[Hunter]

 I grew up in the bay area and nor cal and nothing like these last couple of years ever happened.   I wonder why things seem to be getting worse? 

[Markshoreline]

G. W. ???
I'm really sorry for the damage to lives and property and hope the fires are extinguished soon.

[croaker stroker]

Another one popped up in Santa Paula.

[Wiley]

I grew up in the bay area and nor cal and nothing like these last couple of years ever happened.   I wonder why things seem to be getting worse?

I think it's because PGE never upgraded a lot of rural equipment since it's original installation

[Danno]

I grew up in the bay area and nor cal and nothing like these last couple of years ever happened.   I wonder why things seem to be getting worse?

I'll add to Wiley's comments:

1) There was no internet and news traveled slow by TV so we did not see many reports from other areas. For example, I have not heard a single report about fires in OR this year down here in CA because the local news doesn't cover it.

2) The population and wealth in CA has grown and many more people live in semi-rural areas where homes shouldn't be built unless they are vigilant about the design and brush clearing. Houses burning make the news more often than brush-only fires.

[Ko Ho]

I grew up in the bay area and nor cal and nothing like these last couple of years ever happened.   I wonder why things seem to be getting worse?

I'll add to Wiley's comments:

1) There was no internet and news traveled slow by TV so we did not see many reports from other areas. For example, I have not heard a single report about fires in OR this year down here in CA because the local news doesn't cover it.

2) The population and wealth in CA has grown and many more people live in semi-rural areas where homes shouldn't be built unless they are vigilant about the design and brush clearing. Houses burning make the news more often than brush-only fires.

Danno's right. I grew up in SoCal, and got my biology degree at USC in 1977. We studied ecosystems in the hills around LA which had evolved to survive the frequent fires. Several species of plants there actually evolved to germinate when there is a fire, releasing seeds when burning, to regrow in the aftermath. Those areas now are filled with houses!

[Wiley]

My daughter just bought a house in pollock pines, Ca. A heavily treed area, in fact PGE was cutting a tree in her front yard the day she was moving in..
The only way she could get reasonable fire insurance was the house is stucco (unusual in the area of log homes) her new neighbor stopped by and inquired about her ability to insure at such a low rate as most in the area are now paying 600-700 a month.... now I see why so many for sale signs have gone up in the mountain communities.

[Fisherdv]

My daughter just bought a house in pollock pines, Ca. A heavily treed area, in fact PGE was cutting a tree in her front yard the day she was moving in..
The only way she could get reasonable fire insurance was the house is stucco (unusual in the area of log homes) her new neighbor stopped by and inquired about her ability to insure at such a low rate as most in the area are now paying 600-700 a month.... now I see why so many for sale signs have gone up in the mountain communities.

It kinda sucks when a company's negligence, greed, and poor maintenance ultimately leads to us paying for it in the form of higher insurance premiums, higher monthly utility bills etc.

Just like the city water utility during the drought. We were mandated to cut water use 30%. So I did that, as told to avoid fines. About a month later I get a letter from the city saying that since we are saving so much water, as we were told to, that they are losing money now. So guess what, they raised the cost! Well the drought has been over for a while now and my bill never went back down!!!

[croaker stroker]

My daughter just bought a house in pollock pines, Ca. A heavily treed area, in fact PGE was cutting a tree in her front yard the day she was moving in..
The only way she could get reasonable fire insurance was the house is stucco (unusual in the area of log homes) her new neighbor stopped by and inquired about her ability to insure at such a low rate as most in the area are now paying 600-700 a month.... now I see why so many for sale signs have gone up in the mountain communities.

It kinda sucks when a company's negligence, greed, and poor maintenance ultimately leads to us paying for it in the form of higher insurance premiums, higher monthly utility bills etc.

Just like the city water utility during the drought. We were mandated to cut water use 30%. So I did that, as told to avoid fines. About a month later I get a letter from the city saying that since we are saving so much water, as we were told to, that they are losing money now. So guess what, they raised the cost! Well the drought has been over for a while now and my bill never went back down!!!

You must have the same water company as we do. You had to pay more because you saved water and they didn't make enough money this year....next year, you will have tiered billing and surcharges for using more water than you used this year.  When they say to save water, you have to use as much as you can. That way you help to maintain the profitability of the company while preventing extra cost for increasing water usage the following year. 

Can't beat them...so I joined them and bought stock in the company. Now the dividends pay my water bill.  (American States Water Company, AWR)

[croaker stroker]

Yep. Here we go again... 70 mph wind and fire don't mix.

Irvine evacuations. (60,000 people) Fingers crossed it doesn't come this way. 

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/wind-driven-brush-fire-sparks-in-santiago-canyon-area-residents-between-tustin-and-foothill-ranch-urged-to-be-vigilant/