Saturday, November 15, 2008

ITS FIRE SEASON AGAIN

As you no doubt are hearing in the news , California is burning again. Every year we have fire season, and you have to wonder why people continue to build in the canyons and hard to get to places. For those of you wondering, I am not located close to any of the fires currently raging, the closest is the Sylmar fire and its 30 miles from me, in North Los Angeles---although I am getting the smoke and some ash fall from it.

I feel very sympathetic to those families that have lost their houses, especially at this time of the year. Not that there is ever a good time of the year to have your house burned down.

I must also salute the hard working firemen, out on the lines , fighting the fires, and saving so many homes that could well have gone up in smoke had it not been for the heroic efforts of the firemen, the water dropping planes and helicopters. Unfortunately we are also getting high Santa Ana winds, (a hot dry wind ) blowing through the canyons and its almost impossible to stop the fire under those conditions, usually the winds die down at night.

8 comments:

  1. We just got back home tonight from visiting family up in Northern CA only to find on our trip back that the I 5 freeway was completely closed. We had to take an alternate route home on the 138 so our drive home went from 8 hours to 9. Then to our horror found that the 91 freeway was also closed due to fire. What a horrific thing to be happening. The displacement of all these elderly people must be overwhelming for them.

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  2. Oh hell, my throat is killing me from the dry wind and ash in the air. It's like I'm being pissed on by ghosts over here. Little white flecks gently floating down...down down...on to my nose, my bald head, all over my shirt.

    If this was caused by someone, I hope they catch his butt and sling 'em up.

    If it's nature, I'd like to ask her 'what gives?'

    Stay safe out there, you're much closer than I. Although, now we have Yorba Linda going up...that's my backyard!!!!

    Sheesh!

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  3. I'm north of all the fires (so far) but tonight while dining at our favorite Mexican restaurant, the whole place filled up with firemen! We wondered if they had been in Montecito, but they had just arrived here to replace our crews that were sent away earlier. So they are ready for our next emergency. Did our hearts good to see them all there.

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  4. I can't even imagine living near the burning fires. I hope they stay well away from you and all of your readers.

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  5. I am so sorry your area is burning. I am just waiting for it to start down here. The Santa Ana's are a killer.

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  6. I'm thankful you are not near the fires. I remember them well, we had them in Northern CA also. In the 70's I worked at Sam's Town in Shingle Springs, which is right on Hwy 50...the route to Tahoe. There was a fire one year up there that was close enough to Sam's that we could see the flames on the hills...scared me. There was even talk of closing down Sam's Town..but they were able to get it under control. Stay safe Gary.

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  7. My sister was threatened by fires in San Diego a couple years back. Pretty scary stuff.
    It does get me to wondering, though, where SHOULD people be living, away from flooding, earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes? At this rate, we're talking about maybe 30% of the country, maybe less.

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  8. Nice Blog Gary! Great content.

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