The California Fires....

[Cheryl J]

Kay and RF....those pics and videos are heartbreaking. I just now turned on the news again for updates. Holy cow - this is bad. My son-in-law is out there fighting the fires and probably will be for days.

I can't imagine going without fire insurance. My house is paid off too, and we're in a low fire risk area. Kay - wow, my homeowners insurance out here in the desert is higher than $500/yr!

 

[caseydog]

Ykies RF!! I've just found out that we're all in a fire zone.
It turns out that half the population of Ventura was under mandatory evacuation and most on the flat lands so not in a fire zone. There's no way I'd go without fire insurance, and our house is paid off too. Our entire home owners insurance, including fire runs about $500 a year.

Wow! 500 bucks a year is good. Mine runs about $1,500 a year. The big threat that runs insurance premiums up where I live, believe it or not, is hail. Not tornadoes, or fire... frozen balls of ice. Go figure.

CD

 

[Kayelle]

About our insurance premiums...remember, I'm married to the best shopper on the planet.

 

[Addie]

Kay and RF....those pics and videos are heartbreaking. I just now turned on the news again for updates. Holy cow - this is bad. My son-in-law is out there fighting the fires and probably will be for days.

I can't imagine going without fire insurance. My house is paid off too, and we're in a low fire risk area. Kay - wow, my homeowners insurance out here in the desert is higher than $500/yr!

After seeing the devastation of the fires up north, common sense would tell you to carry fire insurance. No one is immune. Unless you live in a cement house.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Kayelle, that Thomas Fire is way too close for comfort! I hope you and Souschef stay safe and can remain in your home. If not, I bet you already have a Go Bag packed and have lined up must-take possessions.

Anyone else out there in a potential path of a fire, I've got you all in my prayers. Stay safe everyone!

 

[Cheryl J]

http://www.fire.ca.gov/current_incidents/?page=1

 

[Kayelle]

Kayelle, that Thomas Fire is way too close for comfort! I hope you and Souschef stay safe and can remain in your home. If not, I bet you already have a Go Bag packed and have lined up must-take possessions.

Anyone else out there in a potential path of a fire, I've got you all in my prayers. Stay safe everyone!

We've never been prompted before, (although everyone should be) to compile two lists for "10 minutes, grab and go" and another for "2 hrs.(or more) to get out". Everyone should print out those lists for an emergency, because if the panic time comes, at least the lists would help you think.
We could be out in 10min. if they came pounding on the door, like I thought they might do last night but didn't, thankfully.
We just heard on the news that now 450 homes have now been lost in this Thomas fire, and it's not over yet. Mercy!!!

 

[GotGarlic]

Every spring, we check our hurricane emergency supplies and if a storm even looks like it might come close, we fill up gas tanks, check the generator, get non-perishable food, medicine, water and other essentials, etc. - all the stuff we need to do to get ready to ride it out or bug out. If you wait till you're told to do it, you might not be able to get what you need.

Take care, everyone [emoji813]

 

[Kayelle]

All the smoke is really getting to me. I have serious lung and heart problems and it's hard to breathe so it's a worry. I've had a headache for days and we've been staying inside and going stir crazy, not to mention both of us are cranky with each other. Somebody told us to run the air conditioning fan for the house, as it's not warm enough to run the actual AC. It's so weird to have the fierce Santa Anna winds without heat! I hesitate to say any of this, as complaining with so much destruction all around us just boggles the mind.. We are so lucky so far.

 

[GotGarlic]

I'm so sorry, Kayelle. A disaster like that causes suffering in many ways. I hope a break in the weather comes soon.

 

[Caslon]

As far as southern California goes and these fires, it seems like all the classic signs of a weather effect called La Nina.

(Wintertime wildfires in the Southwest US is not the norm).

The other main weather effect other than La Nina is called... El Nino. So. California experiences a lot more rainfall and shoreline flooding during an "El Nino" winter season.

 

[Cheryl J]

All the smoke is really getting to me. I have serious lung and heart problems and it's hard to breathe so it's a worry. I've had a headache for days and we've been staying inside and going stir crazy, not to mention both of us are cranky with each other. Somebody told us to run the air conditioning fan for the house, as it's not warm enough to run the actual AC. It's so weird to have the fierce Santa Anna winds without heat! I hesitate to say any of this, as complaining with so much destruction all around us just boggles the mind.. We are so lucky so far.

Kay ....take care as best you can - I'd suggest going for a drive to get away from it all, but there's nowhere to go down there to get away from it! My daughter is in Valencia, not too far south from you, and she says it looks like a war zone in all directions.

Thinking of you and all who are affected by these late season fire storms. It's just horrific.

 

[Souschef]

From my little airport

The Santa Paula Airport is a half mile from our home. This is the airport I fly from. it has been closed since the fire started to allow for fire fighting helicopters to use.
They were among a group of 24 heavy-lift helicopters that has transformed Santa Paula Airport, this small, quirky, airstrip known for vintage and aerobatic airplanes, into a bustling base for firefighting helicopters.
The airport is close to the freeway, so it was easy for tanker trucks carrying water, fire retardant and fuel to get to the airport.
We see and hear the helicopters going by all day from our porch. They are a godsend for the people in the path of the fire.
The fire has burned northwestward into Santa Barbara County, and is about 50 % contained. It has burned over 250,000 acres so far and is the second largest fire in California history.
Attached is a photo of my little airport helping battle the fire.

 

[Cheryl J]

Wow, Steve. That must be a mind boggling thing to see your small, local, safe little airport that you fly in and out of so often, now closed to all but emergency first responders.