Northern California Fires (Sacramento, Vista, Redding: leasing, how much, house)

[Ultrarunner]

Last Sunday had a 1/2 acre fire 300 yards from my home at my nieghbors 4 houses away.. kids smoking is the official cause...

[calif]

Living in an area where there are empty lots all around that are only mandated to be cut once a year disturbs me. The dry grass is at least 3 feet by the mandate on July 1st. I think they should be cutting it at least once in March too.

While eating dinner tonight 2 fire trucks raced by with sirens blarring. My throat is already burning, I'm assuming the smoke is the cause.

[rubyskye]

Originally Posted by DMenscha

I spent my early life working for CDF (I'm never going to call it CALFire) and the smoke you are seeing, smelling and breathing shouldn't be a problem for those that aren't afflicted with respiratory conditions or small children <5 years. Most people's eyes are affected first, so if your eyes are burning it's probably best to get inside.

I have to chuckle at the coughing up ashes comment. We were working a fire one day and one of my crewmen came down the fireline to the engine and said " I need another hundred feet of......wait a second......(he chose that moment to throw up) inch and a half line. I feel much better now!" I tossed it up on the bank and on he went. We made a great stop and kept it under ten acres.

It's a nasty year out there, be careful with fire and if you live in the rural areas it's still not too late to get your 100' clearance.

Well, let me ask you. I imagine you may know the answer.
I was up in Ketchum/Sun Valley Idaho last summer. The fire up there eventually burned over 500,000 acres (if i'm remembering correctly).
I don't know if you know the area but it is extremely wealthy with like 17 million dollar properties (and up) all over the place.
They didn't lose one home up there and the fire was close enough to burn peoples gardens, etc. But not one home was lost.
There were fire fighters and Hot Shots from all over the country. Even the Navajo fire fighters were there. The National Guard was there keeping people out of neighborhoods, etc.
I assumed at the time that the tremendous help dealing with the fire was due, in large part, to the $$$.
Oh, this is where Arnie S. has a vacation home by the way.
Anyway, where is all the help for these fires? The Big Sur fire has already burned over 500 acres and i just heard on the news that they don't have the help they need. The fire south of Monterey has been burning since the first week of June.
So i don't understand. Where is all the help? Ketchum/Sun Valley has a total population of around 7000 people. Why are they so special? Is it just the money? Or is the interior west somehow in a different category regarding wild fires?
Anyway, i'm glad they did such an incredible job up there last summer. I love the land there and though i have a bit of an attitude toward that kind of wealth, i was grateful that no-one lost their home but geez. Where is the help for California? Where are all the Hot Shots?
Just curious. Thought you may have some insight into this.

[Caliguy2007]

I live near Bakersfield and the smoke also reached our area...The only positives that came from all the smoke was it actually made it feel cooler and the sunsets have been pretty.

[norcalmom101]

My lungs hurt. Do people really believe the "dry lightening" caused over 800 fires? Anyone think there might be some arson going on? I read one article where it sounded like Fire officials were not letting out as much info as they had, the employee was quoted as saying "it's too scary."

[norcalmom101]

I heard we are getting out of state crews, or at least asking for them.

[Rocks4]

Yeah, I visited family in Stockton and there was smoke all over the place.

[Inthesierras]

I live in Lassen County and our town has been totally covered in smoke for the few days. It's so thick that it reminds me of the fog in the Sacramento Valley when I was a kid. We can't see any of the mountians that surround our narrow little valley. Luckily ash isn't dropping on us, that is usually how we gauge how close a fire is to us. If there is a little bit of ash, start to worry. If it's raining ash, your in trouble.

Being close to the Nevada border, we have seen many Nevada fire crews roll through here on there way to the fires. The prisons have also deployed the inmate ire crews from the camps in Calif. Let's hope the fire crews can get these out before people start losing their homes.

[calif]

It is seriously thick here. I understand the lung hurting comment. All I want to do is take a deep breath and can't.

I hope we get the help we need out here.


Usually the mountains in the background are very clear.

[norcalmom101]