CA Wine Country Burning

[LaffingBear]

Happened so quickly overnight, I dont know if its made national news.

 

At least seven fires blew up overnight in Napa & Sonoma Counties. All of the region experienced incredible winds. Its so bad, firefighters are NOT trying to save structures or fight fires; they're focused on evacuations and saving lives.

 

If you're familiar with CA fire season, its typically grasslands and hillsides. The winds were so strong, they burned down into populated areas. Homes and retail centers are burned. Hospitals in Santa Rosa evacuated.

 

A Napa Resort, where a major PGA event just ended, was evacuated and then abandoned as propane tanks in out-buildings blew; no one knows if its there anymore. Helicopter views are showing entire neighborhoods burning.

 

The smoke has spread throughout the Bay Area. I'm 40 miles away, and we're advised to keep our windows closed.

 

This one is different, seems to be the worst in the 25 years I live in CA.

[rvwnsd]

In Southern California structures are routinely threatened during fires. Qualcomm Stadium was a shelter during several fires. In 2007, the fires burned all the way to the ocean and more than a few commercial structures were threatened.

[+ deej]

Threatened, sure, but usually saved. Sounds like that last part is missing this time around.

[LaffingBear]

This one is very different.

 

Hotels have burnt down. Many businesses. A Trader Joe's. Burned right through urban areas. Many homes gone.

 

It is mostly due to very high winds. It scattered embers everywhere. Went from two, to five, to seven fires fast. Whipping then changing winds kept the fire danger locations changing. Fires that were 200 acres were 5000, even 20,000 acres in 2-3 hours. Gusts on hilltops were 60-75 mph. It was hell.

 

In a housing subdivision, its a patchwork quilt, scattered home burnt to ground, others untouched, due to winds and embers.

 

It was crazy watching the news this morning, seeing reporters drive into zones on one side of a fire, only to have wind change and threaten, even trap their escape. They showed a gun & ammo store burning, and when the ammunition started going off, I was sure theyd accidentally televise reporters getting hit.

 

Firefighters couldnt fight it. They only worked on evacuations.

 

Im used to seeing our fire season, throughout CA. Some structure damage, etc. But this was the only time I've seen it so bad that they had no choice but let fires burn wide swaths through cities (Santa Rosa) or major tourist regions like wine country.

 

Its a State Of Disaster.

[Whitman]

From The San Francisco Examiner, within the hour ...

A swarm of wildfires ripped through the North Bay on Monday, killing one resident, injuring scores of others, destroying hundreds of homes and businesses, and forcing tens of thousands to flee.

 

The blazes turned wide swaths of the Wine Country into wastelands of twisted metal and ash as firefighters sought to contain flames super-charged by powerful winds.

 

California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for Napa and Sonoma as well as fire-struck Yuba County, seeking to streamline aid for firefighting and recovery. He said the blazes, which blanketed much of the Bay Area in smoke, were “really serious,” but added, “We are on it.”

 

Chief Ken Pimlott of Cal Fire said at least 1,500 homes and commercial facilities had been destroyed in 14 fires now burning in eight Northern California counties. He said firefighters had “limited or no containment” on the fires, and that many communities “were just overrun.”

 

More than 100 people were treated for injuries, including burns and smoke inhalation, at hospitals in Napa and Sonoma counties. Two patients with severe burns were in critical condition at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, officials said.

[LaffingBear]

http://abc7news.com/video-crews-battle-wildfire-at-hilton-in-santa-rosa/2511921/

 

And TV updating fatality count.

 

Edited October 9, 2017 by LaffingBear

[+ quoththeraven]

Not as bad, but parts of LA are under evacuation watch because of fires. They had to evacuate a couple of weeks ago.

 

A friend who's on his way back or just got back from San Francisco toured wine country late last week. I'm glad he missed this.

[LaffingBear]

I have reservations to drive up there, spend a night, in two days. Probably wont go.

 

I recognize that Im obsessing, probably because I know the area well.

 

Santa Rosa is a city of 170,000, part of a major suburban sprawl that continues along highway 101 extending all the way up from the Golden Gate Bridge

 

Its a very scary feeling, even here in CA where we see almost year-round coverage of fires, to see TV coverage of people standing in housing subdevelopments, surrounded by flames, and there's no firefighters coming. To see firefighters tell reporters that they dont have enough men or water, and theyre not even going to try fighting fire; their focus is saving lives, evacuations.

 

City folk live in a false bubble; they rely on calling 911 and expecting someone will at least try to help. It shakes their foundation to have that belief shattered.

[LaffingBear]

Insane fires north of San Francisco

 

And now there's been an earthquake down south of SF, by San Jose

 

It's The End Of The World

[mike carey]

Happened so quickly overnight, I dont know if its made national news.

I suspect it's clear by now whether it's made the national news there, but it certainly has here. People here are all too familiar with the patchwork effect embers can have on properties destroyed. so the seemingly random destruction, including of a Hilton, is not surprising.

[Samfoslom]

i am told that Kenwood village has burned down.

[rvwnsd]

The fires have, in fact, made the national news. According to the New York Times last night, the collective effect of the fires exceeded the magnitude of the 2007 Witch fire (2 fatalities and approximately 1,800 structures destroyed)and was approaching the 2003 Cedar fire (15 fatalities and 2,800 structures), both of which occurred in suburban San Diego and in the Rancho Bernardo neighborhood of San Diego.

[mike carey]

The fires were the lead item on the ABCTV news this evening, and radio current affairs had an interview with the mayor of Santa Rosa. We've already had the first fires of the season and it's not that long since local rural fire service people returned from deployments firefighting in BC.

[+ sync]

The Rachel Maddow program featured the northern California fires last night. I was frozen in disbelief by the sights of the mass destruction. And the speed of the destruction is demonic-like.

[+ deej]

I suspect it's clear by now whether it's made the national news there, but it certainly has here. People here are all too familiar with the patchwork effect embers can have on properties destroyed. so the seemingly random destruction, including of a Hilton, is not surprising.

 

Embers are responsible for a large percentage of property destruction. These fires develop their own mini weather patterns and winds. The embers blow into attic vents and start fires inside. By the time the fire is detected the structure is fully involved.

[+ quoththeraven]

There's a big early-page writeup in the WaPo (2nd article in digital edition). What it describes is really horrific.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/10/09/fast-moving-wildfires-ravage-northern-californias-wine-country/

[LaffingBear]

News coverage here in SF Bay is ongoing. TV reporters all appearing on air with masks lowered, so they can speak on camera. Desk anchors often finish the spot with "ok, thank you. Be safe and put your mask back on."

 

I wonder if they know: Once you take them off, the inside of the mask gets contaminated and you need to use a new one.

[Rudynate]

The aerial images of burned neighborhoods look like pictures of Hiroshima after the bomb.

[LADoug1]

Does anyone know if downtown Santa Rosa was effected?

[LaffingBear]

Does anyone know if downtown Santa Rosa was effected?

The major damage is in north central city, both sides of 101.

 

But not what you'd typically call downtown

 

There are interactive maps online

[Good Grief]

http://time.com/4981221/peanuts-charles-schultz-california-wildfires/

[MikeBiDude]

http://time.com/4981221/peanuts-charles-schultz-california-wildfires/

[Good Grief]

 

All the Peanuts memorabilia they had is gone. So sad.

[LaffingBear]

All the Peanuts memorabilia they had is gone. So sad.

It is sad. I didnt read the link above, because coverage is non-stop here.

 

On local TV earlier: at least most Schulz memorabilia was at the Schulz museum, down the road, also in Santa Rosa. The museum is untouched by the fires.

 

Fingers crossed for tonight.... winds are supposed to reverse back to offshore (Diablos) around 2am. More red flag warnings through Sat afternoon . Same conditions that started this all, but not as severe.

 

If no reversal tomorrow, then they should really start making progress against the fires. Weather conditions forecast to be favorable starting Sat night. Maybe even some rain towards end of next week.

[bobchitown]

I have friends who who have a house in the Fountaingrove area. The last we heard the morning it all started is that they were evacuated but OK. I’m pretty sure they lost everything. So much loss so fast.