Home » Other » Community Hangout » Sometimes paradise is not so nice
Sometimes paradise is not so nice [message #275779] Mon, 22 October 2007 11:39 Go to next message
BlackSwan
Messages: 26766
Registered: January 2009
Location: SoCal
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http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/22/wildfire.ca/index.html

The visibility at my house is under 200m due to smoke from all the fires.

The Santa Ana conditions (high winds, high temperature & low humidity) are expected to remain for another 24 - 48 hours.
Re: Sometimes paradise is not so nice [message #275781 is a reply to message #275779] Mon, 22 October 2007 11:51 Go to previous messageGo to next message
MarcL
Messages: 455
Registered: November 2006
Location: Connecticut, USA
Senior Member
Oh man ... thoughts and prayers with all of you out there ..

Re: Sometimes paradise is not so nice [message #275786 is a reply to message #275779] Mon, 22 October 2007 12:36 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Michel Cadot
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Registered: March 2007
Location: Nanterre, France, http://...
Senior Member
Account Moderator
Ouch... As Mark said, our thoughts are with you.

Michel
Re: Sometimes paradise is not so nice [message #275790 is a reply to message #275786] Mon, 22 October 2007 12:50 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Frank
Messages: 7901
Registered: March 2000
Senior Member
As much as I want to think of you, I cannot open that page.
Safari crashes on me each time I follow the link.

But from the contents of your own message: my "problem" seems to be somewhat less than what's going on with you..
Keep it up man!

[Updated on: Mon, 22 October 2007 12:51]

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Re: Sometimes paradise is not so nice [message #275799 is a reply to message #275779] Mon, 22 October 2007 14:15 Go to previous messageGo to next message
BlackSwan
Messages: 26766
Registered: January 2009
Location: SoCal
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http://www.nbcsandiego.com/index.html
http://www.cbs8.com/
http://www.10news.com/index.html
http://www.kusi.com/
http://www.fox6.com/

250,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate their homes.
Already fires have burned 100,000+ acres & no relief for 24+ hours
Smoke & ash are EVERYWHERE!
Re: Sometimes paradise is not so nice [message #275802 is a reply to message #275779] Mon, 22 October 2007 14:29 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Barbara Boehmer
Messages: 9077
Registered: November 2002
Location: California, USA
Senior Member
If you think you may be in danger from fire and/or smoke, please take your family, your pets, and anything important that you can grab quickly and evacuate. Fire moves a lot more quickly than you think and the smoke may suffocate you before the fire gets to you. When it gets too smokey, your vehicle won't start, so don't wait until the last minute. You may also encounter traffic jams as many people try to evacuate at the last minute and fire engines are trying to get in at the same time.

It has been bad here (western Riverside County) too, but I don't think it is quite as bad as where you are. No flames are visible from here, but the house filled with smoke suddenly yesterday. I am not sure if it has dissipated or I have just gotten used to it. The sky is kind of hazy. I am not sure if the smoke came from the Fontana fire northeast of me or the Ontario fire northwest of me or something smaller and closer or what.

The night before last we had 85 mph winds and I awoke in the morning to find that most of the branches from the large elm tree in the center of my front yard had broken off and landed on my fence, my car in my driveway, and the gate across my driveway. I was concerned that if I needed to evacuate I would not be able to get out. I eventually managed to drag the branch off the gate so that I could open the gate and use a set of loppers to cut enough small pieces off to allow me to get my car out from underneath. The car is a little scratched up, but no broken windows or major damage. I think the fence kept the heaviest portion from landing on the car. I hired some people to cut the rest of the pieces up with chainsaws and take them away and they did that this morning. I have been leaving the television on most of the day, listening to the ongoing news coverage of all of the Southern California fires.


Re: Sometimes paradise is not so nice [message #275806 is a reply to message #275799] Mon, 22 October 2007 14:36 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Barbara Boehmer
Messages: 9077
Registered: November 2002
Location: California, USA
Senior Member
Anacedent,

I don't know how much of the news you have had a chance to listen to, so you may already know this. Because there are so many fires, all of the counties that normally help one another out: Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, and Ventura have run out of fire engines. The governor has declared a state of emergency, which enables California to ask for help from other states. I hear that help is enroute from Arizona and Nevada.
Re: Sometimes paradise is not so nice [message #275827 is a reply to message #275779] Mon, 22 October 2007 20:23 Go to previous messageGo to next message
ebrian
Messages: 2794
Registered: April 2006
Senior Member
Stay safe out there man !!
Re: Sometimes paradise is not so nice [message #276012 is a reply to message #275799] Tue, 23 October 2007 12:14 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Barbara Boehmer
Messages: 9077
Registered: November 2002
Location: California, USA
Senior Member
Anacedent,

Did you evacuate? You post your location as where the surf meets the turf in Southern California, which is the slogan of the Del Mar horse race track, so I have been assuming that you are in Del Mar, although I suppose it could be used to describe Malibu or any of the rest of the coastline. I heard on the news that the entire city of Del Mar was evacuated last night and it showed a huge plume of smoke headed that way, from the northeast. If that is where you are, I hope you got out. We are having a brief lull in the winds here, but they are supposed to increase again in a few hours, so I am going to see if I can make it to the grocery store and back before then. I expect there may be a lot of fallen trees and road closures and such.
Re: Sometimes paradise is not so nice [message #276018 is a reply to message #275779] Tue, 23 October 2007 12:24 Go to previous messageGo to next message
MarcL
Messages: 455
Registered: November 2006
Location: Connecticut, USA
Senior Member
Barb,

Whereabouts are you? I am in Connecticut, but Corporate is in Foothills Ranch and they are close to evacuating from what I understand.

Try to hang in there.
Re: Sometimes paradise is not so nice [message #276022 is a reply to message #275779] Tue, 23 October 2007 12:30 Go to previous messageGo to next message
BlackSwan
Messages: 26766
Registered: January 2009
Location: SoCal
Senior Member
I'm still at home & live on the south edge of Solana Beach (SB)
on a hillside overlooking the Del Mar Track & FairGrounds.
The Track has taken in 1000+ horses from around the county.
The fire is inside Rancho Santa Fe (RSF) & has destroyed dozens
in RSF overnight.
http://www.ci.solana-beach.ca.us/contentpage.asp?ContentID=197
We are members of SB CERT & are in radio contact with the SB FD.
The cars are packed & we are ready to evacuate should it become necessary.
If the Fire Crews can get Air Support, hopefully they can start getting containment to minimize more homes from being destroyed.
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/slideshow/news/14396456/detail.html
Re: Sometimes paradise is not so nice [message #276031 is a reply to message #276018] Tue, 23 October 2007 12:56 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Barbara Boehmer
Messages: 9077
Registered: November 2002
Location: California, USA
Senior Member
MarcL,

I am in a rural area called Pedley, which is zoned for low-density residential and light agriculture, where many people keep horses and dairy cows and lots of other animals and fields of crops, mostly wine grapes. It is part of a larger unincorporated area called Jurupa, which is in western Riverside County, just west of the incorporated city of Riverside, just north of the Santa Ana river. I am northeast, by about 20 miles I estimate, of Foothill Ranch, which is on the other side of the Cleveland National Forest. The winds are blowing from northeast to southwest, so they blow from the mountain resorts in the northeast, like Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear in San Bernardino County, then south and west across Riverside and Los Angeles counties, then further south to Orange and San Diego counties and further west to Ventura county, so those along the coast, where Anacedent is, ultimately get the smoke from all of the fires to the northeast. Things are not too bad here right now. Anacedent is in a much worse spot.
Re: Sometimes paradise is not so nice [message #276035 is a reply to message #276022] Tue, 23 October 2007 13:02 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Barbara Boehmer
Messages: 9077
Registered: November 2002
Location: California, USA
Senior Member
Anacedent,

It sounds like you are in a worse spot than I am, but it also sounds like you are well-informed and well-prepared. I'm off to the grocery store. Keep us posted.
Re: Sometimes paradise is not so nice [message #276112 is a reply to message #276035] Wed, 24 October 2007 00:52 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Maaher
Messages: 7065
Registered: December 2001
Senior Member
I saw it on the news yesterday. Half a million people have been advised to evacuate. I hope your government acts as it has promised and sends federal help. I wish you all the best.

MHE

[Updated on: Wed, 24 October 2007 00:54]

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Re: Sometimes paradise is not so nice [message #276152 is a reply to message #275779] Wed, 24 October 2007 02:53 Go to previous messageGo to next message
BlackSwan
Messages: 26766
Registered: January 2009
Location: SoCal
Senior Member
I just got home after a 6PM to Midnight shift as ARES amateur radio operator at UCSD Hillcrest Burn Unit/Trauma Center.
http://www.sdgares.org/
Now I get a short night sleep & into the office tomorrow.
My house is presently out of danger but 3 co-workers have been displaced by evacuation orders & NONE of the major fine are any
where close to being under control.
I swept up multiple shovels full of ash & soot from patios.
Too little sleep, too many fears/concerns/worries
This has been a rather lousy last three day!
Re: Sometimes paradise is not so nice [message #276166 is a reply to message #276152] Wed, 24 October 2007 04:16 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Mohammad Taj
Messages: 2412
Registered: September 2006
Location: Dubai, UAE
Senior Member

Dear All,
I wish All The best for you.
Re: Sometimes paradise is not so nice [message #276647 is a reply to message #276166] Thu, 25 October 2007 16:24 Go to previous messageGo to next message
pablolee
Messages: 2882
Registered: May 2007
Location: Scotland
Senior Member
I would like to echo everyone else's sentiments and wish all those in potential danger all the best and I hope that you all stay safe.
Re: Sometimes paradise is not so nice [message #277891 is a reply to message #276647] Thu, 01 November 2007 02:03 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Littlefoot
Messages: 21806
Registered: June 2005
Location: Croatia, Europe
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It's been several days now as the fire is under control (at least, that's what we've seen on TV). What's the situation in your neighbourhood, Anacedent? I hope everything ended up with those shovels you've mentioned in your last post.
Re: Sometimes paradise is not so nice [message #277901 is a reply to message #277891] Thu, 01 November 2007 02:23 Go to previous messageGo to next message
rleishman
Messages: 3728
Registered: October 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Senior Member
From what I hear, the ferocity of the fires was largely related to recent drought conditions in California.

Australia has been going through the same thing for some years. Gippsland (absolute bottom right of the mainland on your map) was one of the affected areas.

They too had tragic bushfires (that's what we call them) last Christmas - http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/where-theres-smoke-theres-fire/2006/12/06/1165081019861.html

If history repeats, I'd buy a canoe now, because after the district's worst drought, followed by the worst fire, they copped one of the worst floods they'd seen earlier this year. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/06/28/1964332.htm
Re: Sometimes paradise is not so nice [message #277938 is a reply to message #277901] Thu, 01 November 2007 05:09 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Littlefoot
Messages: 21806
Registered: June 2005
Location: Croatia, Europe
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My country is miserably small if compared to yours (Australia and the USA); however, every year our fire departments fight massive fires along the Adriatic coast.

Usually all that is affected are woods, bushes, very rarely houses and people in general. This summer we saw a tragedy - there was a team of 13 firemen who went to extinguish fire on an un-inhabitated island. Something happened - public still doesn't know what as investigation still isn't over. The result is: 12 of 13 of them burned to death. 6 died immediately, 6 of them during several days, and only one survived (although 60% of his body was burned).

There are rumours that there was military debris there which caused an enormous fire. The other say that helicopter, that brought those people to the island, accidentally released fuel which splashed firemen and caused such a heavy burns.

The major irony is that there was really nothing to save there - low bushes, dry grass and rocks. Unbelieveable ...
Re: Sometimes paradise is not so nice [message #385273 is a reply to message #277938] Sun, 08 February 2009 20:38 Go to previous messageGo to next message
rleishman
Messages: 3728
Registered: October 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Senior Member
The state of Victoria (lower-right corner on the Australian map) is currently hosting the country's greatest natural disaster - less than 100km from the state capital - Melbourne.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/our-darkest-day-20090208-810q.html

Our hottest day on record (46.4C - 115.5F) combined with high winds have fed bushfires that have wiped out 100,000 hectares (250,000 acres - somewhat more than the size of Netherlands) of forest and farmland, including the complete destruction of the townships of Kinglake, Kinglake West, Buxton, and the alpine resort town of Marysville.

So far the fires - many of which are laid by arsonists - have taken over 100 lives and continue to burn and threaten larger towns.

Anyone wanting to help can contribute via the Red Cross http://www.redcross.org.au
Re: Sometimes paradise is not so nice [message #385442 is a reply to message #385273] Mon, 09 February 2009 12:17 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Barbara Boehmer
Messages: 9077
Registered: November 2002
Location: California, USA
Senior Member
Ross,

I see you are in Melbourne. Do you think you might have to evacuate? Can you see flames or smoke from where you are? Don't wait till it's too late.

I just came across this article on the Australian fires:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090209/ap_on_re_au_an/as_australia_wildfires

It sounds terrible. I hope they are able to put the fires out soon and catch whoever started them. We are having seemingly endless rains here for the fifth consecutive day. Too bad we can't send you our rain to put your fires out.

Re: Sometimes paradise is not so nice [message #385481 is a reply to message #385442] Mon, 09 February 2009 19:04 Go to previous messageGo to next message
rleishman
Messages: 3728
Registered: October 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Senior Member
The city of Melbourne is quite safe. It is quite sprawling though - 70+km from the CBD to the outskirts - and there are some very outer-lying areas that may be threatened. Fortunately (for Melbourne's outskirts), the winds have swung around to their predominant South-Westerly (what we get 90% of the time).

I heard that (the former town of) Marysville is now being declared a crime scene.

Re: Sometimes paradise is not so nice [message #388323 is a reply to message #385481] Tue, 24 February 2009 05:18 Go to previous messageGo to next message
MarcS
Messages: 312
Registered: March 2007
Location: Antwerp
Senior Member
Latest news I've been reading is that the bush-fires are getting closer and closer to Melbourne Shocked

This is something I can't start to image what impact it would have on our lives would it happen over here.

Re: Sometimes paradise is not so nice [message #389343 is a reply to message #388323] Sat, 28 February 2009 23:00 Go to previous message
rleishman
Messages: 3728
Registered: October 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Senior Member
Yeah, this is true, but you need to understand the geography of Melbourne to put it in context. Looking at the attached map, you can see that Yarra Glen (which we sometimes think of as an outer satellite suburb) is still some distance from the densely populated areas (where the roads are straight and closer together) around Doncaster / Nunawading / Croyden.

So, scary as this is for those living in the outer-east of (Greater) Melbourne, the city itself is in no real danger. (yet?)

Having said that, we're due on Tuesday for some more strong Northerly winds like on Black Saturday.

/forum/fa/5826/0/

Thanks to all those interstate, Kiwi, Yank and Canuck firemen who have come to help.
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