https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/09/us/ca...tions.html

10 dead at last count, 20,000 people evacuated and up to 1,000 structures destroyed already. And that's only in a little less than 24 hours. This is shaping up to be either the most expensive or second most expensive weather related disaster relief year in U.S. history.

talk about hitting close to home. i've got a newly wed friend living in napa. and just last week i saw my buddy who left a sailing gig, no more condo, and a shell of a car in the virgin islands. it seems to me that the entire state of california is always on fire.

and it's no joke. we stayed at a friend's house a few years ago for a wedding in sonoma and they were cautious about my cigarette habit. but we ended up having a small to medium sized campfire anyway. i love campfires but i woulda been cool with not destroying thousands of acres or more. but, it wasn't my call. nothing happened in case you're curious, except for a campfire and what ensues of standard campfires. revelry. sh!t. even in la you can't smoke on the sidewalks

A friend of mine (he was a neighbor in our teens) lives there. He had to evacuate.

He said a few other fires have been set by what appears to be "opportunistic arsonists."

I was in Palo Alto on business last March after their historic rains and it was, I quote "as green as it has ever been in northern California."

What a difference half a year makes.

It's very bad. People had as little as ten minutes to evacuate. Wine makers we have known for years lost their vineyards.

(10-10-2017 02:59 PM)Lord Stanley Wrote:  I was in Palo Alto on business last March after their historic rains and it was, I quote "as green as it has ever been in northern California."

What a difference half a year makes.

That new green growth is now tinder.

(10-10-2017 03:23 PM)GrayBeard Wrote:  

(10-10-2017 02:59 PM)Lord Stanley Wrote:  I was in Palo Alto on business last March after their historic rains and it was, I quote "as green as it has ever been in northern California."

What a difference half a year makes.

That new green growth is now tinder.

Exactly.

And we've got one going in Orange County (SoCal) now that's damaged or destroyed another 40 or so structures. Nothing like what's going on up north but it's actually pretty unusual for so many homes to get hit. Usually they're able to minimize or prevent damage to homes but this one moved in a hurry. Santa Ana Winds (dry and hot winds from the desert) moving up to 70mph. We'll have this crap through November unless we get a bunch of rain (unlikely).

(10-10-2017 01:30 PM)umbluegray Wrote:  A friend of mine (he was a neighbor in our teens) lives there. He had to evacuate.

He said a few other fires have been set by what appears to be "opportunistic arsonists."

what's the name of those hooligans that torch hummer dealerships?

This is truly horrifying.

The ranch where my brother got married 5 years ago has been destroyed. Very sad - it's a beautiful place in the hills of the Napa Valley.

31 deaths now - a new record sadly for California wildfires.

(10-11-2017 10:22 AM)Lush Wrote:  

(10-10-2017 01:30 PM)umbluegray Wrote:  A friend of mine (he was a neighbor in our teens) lives there. He had to evacuate.

He said a few other fires have been set by what appears to be "opportunistic arsonists."

what's the name of those hooligans that torch hummer dealerships?

Earth Liberation Front or ELF