OT - CA Fires & Midwest Floods

[don Tomás]

Just checking to see if any of you are being affected by the fires or flooding. We have over 840+ fires burning here in CA at the moment with the "Oliver Fire" being one ridge away from us (Mariposa County). We got our fingers crossed (and bugout bags ready) as the firefighters are making a valiant stand and are slowly working on containment. I passed a line of Los Angeles County fire trucks headed into Mariposa as I went into town this morning. Hope all of you are safe...
Tom

[mescalero1]

Be safe, don't wait to long to get out!

[donw]

we had one near here yesterday, between palm springs and temecula...those wonderful firefighters knocked it down fast though.

IMO, firefighters are the most important people we have in our system of public saftey...

[JReed]

We had a nice size one burning here on base over the weekend. It burned it's self out when it bumped in to an area that burned last fall.

[J Miller]

I'm ok here in central IL. Take care of you and yours and don't stay too long if the situation goes sour.

Joe

[Dewight]

The smoke is really heavy here in the north valley. Hear it is worse in the mountains. Most of the fires are in the 50-500 acre range so they aren't devastating. They may actually be benefical in the long run by opening up areas for new growth that will provide more feed for the local deer herds. Maybe it will provide some incentive for the Forest Service to promote bio-mass reduction and thinning which the forest here need.

[Modoc]

Dewight,

We were chased out of the range yesterday by the Park Service, it was part of the mandatory evac. for the Venture (Ventura?) fire North of Cassel. It looks like the fire missed it, but 1 mile (+/-) is a bit close. Luckily we had all of the shooters out of there and it was just the clean-up crew.

See you soon, and all of you be safe.

Will

[Mike D.]

I came down to the Valley from our place at 5000' to escape the smoke. Went through Placerville at 1100 and the vis was only about 1/4 mile. Much better down here today, hardly noticeable to me.

[AJMD429]

What I saw Saturday morning at the back door...

Flash flood going into our goat barn...


This used to be the road north of us...

But we can always go south, right...?


These guys had their moms swept downstream (and eventually went to a deer rescue farm for release after weaning)...


Eldest daughter had to wade through this to get home...


But family and house made it ok. Prayers out for those around us who lost homes, livestock, and so forth...

[Ysabel Kid]

Too close for comfort Tom! Please keep us posted!