USA Huge fires break out in California Wine Country -update Napa, Bay Area, Santa Cruz & More

[Melodi]

I know they are left leaning but I have always admired Glen Greenwald and some of his investigative journalism. As I also do Matt Taibi. Sorry I just don't agree with everything the right or left is committed to.

I don't either, and I point out that the two more left-leaning UK papers that I do read are not behind a paywall, the most conservative ones all are (unless you count the UK Daily Mail and it is more of a tabloid, they change their opinions with the day of the week).

I am not totally "anything" myself, with different viewpoints on different topics.

 

[Gercarson]

America - please wake up.

 

[The Snack Artist]

I have an old friend who owns a vineyard in Cali. He once said to me, "Napa is for auto parts!" I never forgot that. lol!

 

[Housecarl]

https://twitter.com/ksbw

KSBW Action News 8

@ksbw
·
9m

The University of California, Santa Cruz has implemented a voluntary on-campus evacuation for staff and students.



UC Santa Cruz enacts voluntary on-campus evacuation
The University of California, Santa Cruz ?has implemented a voluntary on-campus evacuation for staff and students.

ksbw.com

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KSBW Action News 8

@ksbw
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Jun 15

HOLY GUACAMOLA: A large school of sunfish (Mola Mola) was seen on a field trip at Breakwater Cove in Monterey over the weekend. #monterey #montereybay
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KSBW Action News 8

@ksbw
·
9m

The University of California, Santa Cruz has implemented a voluntary on-campus evacuation for staff and students.



UC Santa Cruz enacts voluntary on-campus evacuation
The University of California, Santa Cruz ?has implemented a voluntary on-campus evacuation for staff and students.

ksbw.com









KSBW Action News 8

@ksbw
·
42m

A new evacuation map website has been released for the #RiverFire and the #CarmelFire https://montereyco.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=905a9458324b4868804d96b5593eb978












KSBW Action News 8

@ksbw
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45m

Evacuation orders given for Zayante Canyon #CZULightningComplex






KSBW Action News 8 Retweeted




Caitlin Conrad

@CaitlinKSBW
·
54m

Just got back from the #CarmelFire this was taken on Cachagua near the intersection with Tassajara, tough to see through the smoke but flames were headed down into the gulch and homes on Cachagua. Residents are worried CalFire is pulling resources from their fire to #RiverFire

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1296543357808676865

View: https://twitter.com/ksbw/status/1296543357808676865/photo/1

 

[Housecarl]

Public Alerts Help

Evacuation Immediate for VERNALIS, CA
Active for next 1 day ·
San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services via Everbridge
This alert has been updated.



Posted 5 minutes ago

SCU Lightning Complex Evacuation - WARNING
An evacuation WARNING has been issued by San Joaquin Authorities for portions of unincorporated San Joaquin Co. ( does NOT include Tracy city limits).
The WARNING is for areas north of West Corral Hollow Road to I-580 and east of the Alameda County line to I-580 and including all of PAR Estates which are the following streets: W. Vernalis Road, Bernard Drive, Stearman Road, Brichetto Court, Stearman Court, S. Chrisman Road south of I-580, and the Tracy Golf & Country Club.
An Evacuation WARNING is issued when a threat is plausible; visit www.sjready.org for more information.

Recommended actions

An evacuation WARNING is in effect for areas north of West Corral Hollow Road to I-580 and east of the Alameda County line to I-580 and including all of PAR Estates. DOES NOT INCLUDE TRACY CITY. A warning is issued when a threat is plausible or possible. Shelter assistance at Holy Family Center located at 12100 W. Valpico Road. Visit SJReady.org or call 209-953-6277 for evacuation information.

 

[Housecarl]

https://twitter.com/SJFD

San Jose Fire Dept.

@SJFD
·
11m

.
@calfireSCU
map of evacuation zones related to the #SCULightningComplex fire is now available. See link below.
Quote Tweet

CAL FIRE SCU

@calfireSCU
· 16m
Replying to @juliofuentes408 and @SJFD
SCU Lightning Complex Online Evacuation Map http://tinyurl.com/scu-evacmap


San Jose Fire Dept. Retweeted

City of San José
@CityofSanJose
·
2h

This map shows the Cal Fire evacuation zone, east of City Limits. We are working with the
@SCCgov
and
@CAL_FIRE
to keep this information updated and accurate: http://bit.ly/SCU_FireEvacMap.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1296523296662409217

View: https://twitter.com/CityofSanJose/status/1296523296662409217/photo/1

 

[Terrwyn]

I just saw an unprecedented announcement from Cal Fire that ALL Californians that live anywhere near where there could be a brush fire should be ready to evacuate. He said to put your car in the driveway facing out and be ready to go. And what is terrifying is he wasnt talking about just where there were going fires he was talking about areas where there were no fires.

 

[dioptase]

While we have had wildfires before, this really is an unprecedented situation, at least for the south Bay area. Santa Clara valley (aka Silicon Valley) is bracketed by fires to the WSW and ENE (and my paranoid imagination visualizes the wind turning the wrong way...). Lick Observatory is safe (for the moment) but it must have taken some effort (6 fire engines up there?). Click on the first twitter link in the article to see a time lapse video. Historic Lick Observatory saved from encroaching wildfire — for now

UC Santa Cruz to the south is now at risk.

Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated (not sure if this is all 3 fire complexes or what).

Lord have mercy.

 

[Ractivist]

Need to consider the woo

Could these hundreds of lighting strikes have been made by man and his control of the weather? Militarized as it is. Deep state as it is. Destruction being an obvious agenda and norm.

 

[dioptase]

If you're going to consider the unnatural... This phrase (mis-remembered Bible verse) has been running through my mind the last day or two: "I will send fire upon the coastlands...". I'm not saying that God did it, but that phrase is stuck in my head and I can't get rid of it.

(The verse is Ezekiel 39:6 and is in reference to Magog, but also those living in safety in the isles and/or coastlands. I've always wondered about that verse, if those isles and coastlands were in Magog only, or also somewhere else? Is the fire a nuclear fire, or some other kind of fire? Is the fire on the isles and coastlands (if they are not in/of Magog) simultaneous with the fire on Magog? Yeah, the End Times are very much on my mind lately.)

But if you are talking about human conspiracy theories.... Iirc it has been suggested that the epic rain going on in China is weather warfare (as payback for CoVid, and with the intention of wrecking the 3 Gorges Dam), so who knows, it is possible that someone could be doing tit for tat weather warfare retaliation on us.

So, God caused or man caused or the most likely: The current fire complexes in CA are just due to an unfortunate confluence of natural causes, no woo or conspiracies or (deliberate) Acts of God responsible at all.

 

[Housecarl]

Posted for fair use.....

Bay Area fires kill four, trigger widespread evacuations

Firefighters report a lack of resources hampering efforts to fight flames

www.sfexaminer.com

Bay Area fires kill four, trigger widespread evacuations

Firefighters report a lack of resources hampering efforts to fight flames

• Examiner Staff
• Aug. 20, 2020 10:30 p.m.
• News

Four people have been killed in rapidly growing fires in Napa and Solano counties and widespread evacuations have been ordered as firefighers continue to battle multiple wildfires around the Bay Area thought to have been sparked by lightning earlier this week.

The “LNU Complex” fires, which include the Hennessey Fire in Napa County and the Walbridge and Meyers fires in northern and western Sonoma County, started Monday morning and grew by 60 percent on Thursday alone, from 131,000 acres in the morning to 215,000 acres by 7:3 p.m. with zero percent containment, according to Cal Fire.

The fires had killed four civilians, three of them in Napa County and one in Solano County, destroyed 480 structures, damaged 125 others and threatened 30,500 more by Thursday evening.

Cal Fire officials said Thursday evening that they expected the fires to grow significantly and that they were expecting “extreme fire behavior.”

The Walbridge Fire west of Healdsburg grew to 20,000 acres by evening, from 14,500 Thursday morning, Santa Rosa Assistant Fire Marshal Paul Lowenthal announced at a Sonoma County community meeting held online Thursday evening. The Meyers Fire north of Jenner reached 3,000 acres. And the largest, the Hennessey Fire north of Lake Berryessa, was at 192,000 and continuing to burn out of control.


Evacuation orders and warnings remained in effect across Napa and Sonoma counties and in Lake County to the north, though they were lifted on Thursday in some parts of Solano County affected by the expanding group of fires.

Santa Rosa Fire Chief Tony Gossner said at the community meeting that fire agencies were coping with an extreme shortage of resources due to the number of fires burning across California.

“There is no more equipment out there,” Gossner said. “The people out on the line have been there since it started.”

Elsewhere in the Bay Area, The University of California campus at Santa Cruz and most of the nearby town of Scotts Valley were ordered evacuated Thursday evening as the group of fires in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties known as the CZU Complex continued burning out of control.

Cal Fire estimates that more than 22,000 people have had to flee the area.

As of Thursday evening this group of fires had grown to 48,000 acres with zero containment, destroyed 50 structures, threatened more than 20,000 and injured two fist responders, according to Cal Fire.

“Fire activity may dictate more evacuations and road closures in the days to come,” Cal Fire said in a statement at 8:40 p.m. “Firefighting resources are limited due to the number of fires burning throughout Northern California. Limited visibility due to smoke is hampering aircraft operations.”


The coastal communities and redwood-studded hillsides of San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties also were under evacuation orders. Towns in those areas include Pescadero, San Gregorio, La Honda and Skylonda. Residents of those areas are encouraged to shelter at Half Moon Bay High School, 1 Lewis Foster Dr., Half Moon Bay.

You are seeing what our air operations are seeing. Incredible. Destructive. Sad. #CZULightningComplex pic.twitter.com/1XfpgwkrHU
— CAL FIRE CZU (@CALFIRECZU) August 21, 2020

We will be holding a press briefing tonight at 6pm at Incident Base Camp in Scotts Valley. MEDIA ONLY please to allow for social distancing. pic.twitter.com/K8ORR1eSY8
— CAL FIRE CZU (@CALFIRECZU) August 20, 2020

 

[Housecarl]

Posted for fair use.....

4 dead as firefighters are overwhelmed by 3 massive Bay Area wildfires

The first deaths associated with the three massive wildfires burning in the Bay Area this...

www.beaumontenterprise.com

Four dead as firefighters are overwhelmed by three massive Bay Area wildfires

By Jill Tucker, Trisha Thadani, Matthias Gafni and Dominic Fracassa
Updated 1:46 am CDT, Friday, August 21, 2020

Click here for breaking news alerts


Four dead as firefighters are overwhelmed by three massive Bay Area wildfires
By Jill Tucker, Trisha Thadani, Matthias Gafni and Dominic Fracassa
Updated 1:46 am CDT, Friday, August 21, 2020

• 

Photo: Gabrielle Lurie, The Chronicle












Image 1 of 10

A firefighter works to contain the LNU Lightning Complex Fire off of Gibson Canyon Road in Vacaville, August 19, 2020.





The first deaths associated with the three huge wildfires burning in the Bay Area this week were reported Thursday evening as officials acknowledged they are overwhelmed and forced to make choices about what to save and what to let go.

Three people died in Napa County and one in Solano County, all victims of the LNU Lightning Complex in the North Bay, a series of 20 fires that doubled in size in the 12 hours from Thursday morning to the evening, reaching 215,000 acres, with 480 homes and other buildings destroyed and 30,500 threatened.



The news of the deaths came as state fire officials admitted they cannot protect everything — and are making devastating choices as their resources are stretched to their limits.

There are simply not enough firefighters, ground crews and air support to combat the major series of lightning-sparked blazes in the North Bay, South Bay, East Bay and Peninsula, fire officials said.





Tens of thousands of people remain evacuated throughout the region and hundreds of structures and homes have been damaged or destroyed. Thousands more are still threatened.

The three people who died in Napa County were found Wednesday in a home that had burned on the 6900 block of State Route 128, said Henry Wofford, spokesman for the Napa County Sheriff’s Office. Napa County sheriff’s officials recovered their remains on Thursday and fire officials reported the deaths as part of the fire’s devastation.



The three victims have not been identified, and officials have not determined their genders or ages, Wofford said.



The fourth victim of the LNU Lightning Complex died in Solano County. Information about the Solano County victim was not immediately available on Thursday night.



The LNU is comprised of about 20 fires sparked by lightning strikes Monday in Napa, Sonoma and Lake counties. The fires since spread into Solano and Yolo counties and the complex has grown into the state’s largest active wildfire complex. It remains 0% contained and 587 firefighters were working the fires.

Besides the LNU, two other major complex fires — both also sparked by lightning —were burning out of control in and just outside the Bay Area: the CZU August Complex and the SCU Lightning Complex.

The CZU started on Monday and has burned 48,000 acres in San Mateo and in Santa Cruz counties, threatening 21,000 structures and destroying 50. On Thursday, evacuation orders were expanded and stretched along the coast from San Gregorio to Santa Cruz. The CZU fires were 0% contained and had 997 firefighters battling the blazes.



The SCU started on Tuesday and has burned more than 157,475 acres in Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. Officials in Contra Costa said Thursday that the fires there were 70% contained with no structures threatened, but evacuations remained in parts of the other affected counties. Overall, the SCU was 5% contained and had 1,114 working firefighters.

Continued.....

 

[Housecarl]

Continued.....

Wildfire Season

• 
  California Fire Tracker: The latest on wildfires across the state
• 
  California fires live updates: Evacuations ordered along San Mateo County coast
• 
  Bay Area smoke forecast remains grim even as air quality improves slightly overnight
• 
  PG&E worker dies while responding to LNU Lightning Complex fire near Vacaville
• 
  Wildfire threat: Bay Area cell phone, internet service could go out, too
• 
  Google launches wildfire mapping on Search and Maps
• 
  49,000 displaced by raging fires in San Mateo, Santa Cruz counties
• 
  Massive LNU Lightning Complex fire drives Vacaville residents from destroyed homes
• 
  California wildfires are so intense they’re frying the fire cams: See dramatic images

There are 25 other wildfires burning in California.

“As we move forward, the resource pool we have is slim,” said Sean Kavanaugh, Cal Fire incident commander, adding fires were in nearly every county. “I do expect significant growth of acreage.”

As fire officials decided what to protect, some places were allowed to burn. Among them was a majestic grove of old-growth redwood trees in the Armstrong State Natural Reserve in Sonoma County. On Thursday night, wildfire tore through the forest where the Colonel Armstrong Tree has stood for 1,400 years and the Parson Jones Tree stands 310 feet tall.

“We just don’t have the resources to keep the fire out of Armstrong woods,” conceded Cal Fire Chief Ben Nicholls during a community meeting in the evening.

Instead, crews bulldozed fire breaks around Rio Nido and Guerneville as firefighters defended homes and businesses from the Walbridge Fire.

Other crews were up on the ridge above Healdsburg, where winds had picked up and pushed the fire toward Healdsburg, which was under an evacuation warning, with virtually everyone west to the ocean under orders to evacuate.

Officials said Guerneville, Rio Nido and Healdsburg in Sonoma County were the top priority, leaving other communities, like Cazadero, at less of an imminent risk and therefore largely unattended.

On the Peninsula, fire officials called the CZU Lightning Complex “historic.”

“It’s a historic event,” said Cal Fire unit Chief Ian Larkin at a news conference in Scotts Valley Thursday evening. “This fire is historic for San Mateo, Santa Cruz,”



There were nearly 1,000 personnel assigned to the fire, a sizable sum, he said.

“It’s still not enough,” said Cal Fire Incident Cmdr. Billy See. “We’re drastically short for a fire this size It’s a dangerous situation for everyone involved.”

Conditions were expected to worsen as winds kicked up overnight, See said.

Fire officials Thursday warned that the region’s ample supply of dry fuel for the fires — parched trees, grass and other vegetation — could worsen conditions rapidly. San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties have been largely spared from recent wildfires compared with other parts of Northern California. The fire could soon consume a vast landscape of dry trees and brush, desiccated from years of drought. Firefighters are expecting “significant, erratic conditions and dangerous fire behavior” for the next 30 hours at least, officials said.

In the East Bay and South Bay, the SCU “continue to burn in steep, rugged terrain” that hasn’t burned in many years.

The fires are taxing state resources already under strain from the COVID-19 pandemic, though Gov. Gavin Newsom said months ago California would be ready to confront the dual threat of wildfires and the pandemic. He reiterated that on Wednesday.

In the North Bay, a few miles outside Healdsburg on Mill Creek Road, the Walbridge Fire, one of LNU Lightning Complex fires, had wreaked havoc amid the winding roads lined with towering redwoods.

Entire properties were leveled into smoldering piles of ash. Some homes only had mailboxes left standing, while another had a mangled row of golf carts.

While the sky was clear and crisp in Healdsburg on Thursday morning, the sky darkened and heavy winds blew ash into town by the afternoon with the fire visibly closer.

Residents tuning into the virtual community meeting asked county and fire officials to give odds on when or if Healdsburg would have to evacuate, but the experts would only say it was possible and be ready.

“The Walbridge Fire is making a signficant push on us,” Cavanaugh said.

Towns farther south and east, in Angwin and Deer Park, had already cleared out as the fire danger increased Wednesday. Paper strips with the word “EVACUATED” hung from most mailboxes on Thursday.

If the wind shifts suddenly and the whole town needed to evacuate, one police officer said “it could be like Paradise,” trapping residents on the road or in their homes.

Farther south, a new fire broke out north of Oakville, threatening the Mondavi and other wineries, forcing fire officials to transfer air support and other to the area just after 2:30 p.m.

Helicopters and planes dropped fire retardant to keep the fire from approaching Highway 29, said Christopher Barefoot, vice president of public relations at Opus One Winery. Nearby, however, the Nickel & Nickel winery scrambled to clear out patrons and workers.

The fire was quickly extinguished before growing out of control.

At the other end of the LNU Complex, there was some good news as evacuation orders were lifted in Fairfield and parts of Vacaville, allowing people to return home.

The No. 1 priority shifted to the Walbridge Fire, said Cal Fire Section Chief Charlie Blankenheim The fire crossed Mill Creek Road and was headed south toward communities along the Russian River, Blankenheim said.

“We have plans in place for the protection of those communities, but a lot of work needs to be done,” he said.

Photo: John Blanchard






It was unclear whether one of the LNU Complex deaths that was officially reported by Cal Fire officials was a Vacaville-based Pacific Gas and Electric Co. employee, who collapsed while assisting first responders in the LNU Complex, a company spokesman said.

A Cal Fire official said at a news conference that the employee had been found unresponsive Wednesday in his vehicle near Gates Canyon Road. The employee, who was helping to clear electricity poles and lines, was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

San Francisco Chronicle

staff writer Esther Mobley contributed to this report.

Trisha Thadani, Matthias Gafni, Jill Tucker and Dominic Fracassa are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com, mgafni@sfchronicle.com, @jtucker@sfchronicle.com, dfracassa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani, @mgafni, @jilltucker, @dominicfracassa

 

[Melodi]

California wildfires: firefighters stretched thin as blazes grow rapidly

LNU Lightning Complex fire north of Bay Area doubled to 131,000 acres and destroyed more than 100 homes

www.theguardian.com

California wildfires: firefighters stretched thin as blazes grow rapidly

• LNU Lightning Complex fire doubles to 131,000 acres
• Fires have destroyed 175 structures and threaten 50,000
• Follow live updates

Debris piles burn as the LNU Lightning Complex fire burns through the area on Wednesday in Fairfield, California. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Maanvi Singh in Oakland and Vivian Ho in San Francisco
Published onFri 21 Aug 2020 02.58 BST

150
Wildfires continue to sear through California, forcing thousands out of their homes and taxing the state’s firefighting capacity amid a heatwave and the coronavirus pandemic. One grouping of fires – the LNU Lightning Complex north of the Bay Area – grew rapidly overnight, doubling in size to about 131,000 acres by Thursday, and burning through more than 100 homes and buildings.
The fires have so far destroyed 175 structures, including homes, and are threatening 50,000 more, said Daniel Berlant, an assistant deputy director with the state department of forestry and fire protection. In all, 33 civilians and firefighters have been injured.
At least two people have died fighting the fires – a pilot on a water-dropping mission whose helicopter crashed and a utility worker who was assisting at a fire in the Vacaville area.

California fires: hundreds of blazes burn amid scorching heatwave – as it happened
Read more
As the flames edged toward the Silicon Valley city of San Jose, they blackened the skies and spewed up what was perhaps some of the worst air quality in the world. Ash blanketed many Bay Area neighborhoods, and health officials asked residents to stay indoors, warning that the combination of smoky air and Covid-19 make those with respiratory conditions doubly vulnerable.

A firefighter walks through a burn area along Solar Hills drive during the Hennessy fire. Photograph: Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times/REX/Shutterstock
Big Basin Redwoods state park, California’s oldest state park and home of some of its majestic redwoods, sustained “extensive damage”, according to the state parks and recreation department, with several historic buildings destroyed.
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About two dozen major blazes and several smaller fires have eaten through brushland and dense forests, wildlands in the Sierra Nevada, southern California, and regions north, east and south of San Francisco.
Evacuated residents now number in the tens of thousands, with Santa Cruz county requesting that all tourists leave their hotels immediately to make space for evacuees.
“Local shelters are near capacity,” local officials said in a statement. “The scale of existing and anticipated evacuation orders is unprecedented and the need to safely house evacuees is critical.”
The coronavirus pandemic has also complicated the government’s ability to safely evacuate and shelter residents. The Red Cross has tried to secure hotel rooms for evacuees who are unable to stay with family or friends. “Providing shelter at traditional evacuation centers is not our first option this year,” said Jim Burns, a spokesman for the American Red Cross. California has been struggling to get a handle on a recent surge in coronavirus cases, and crowded shelters could exacerbate the spread of Covid-19 among evacuees.
Local counties and the Red Cross have set up some shelters across the state, and as precautions “have spaced out cots differently, and have volunteers completely masked up”, to slow the spread of disease, Burns said. “It’s just so tough this year.”

A bicycle and palm tree burn at a residence during the LNU Lightning Complex fire in the Spanish Flat area of Napa, California. Photograph: Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images
Through local Facebook community pages, and in group text chains, neighbors have been offering each other help moving farm animals, storage space for personal possessions and shelter in guest bedrooms and on couches. “I’ve had people I barely, know – friends of friends – reach out and say, ‘You can come and stay with us,’” said Valerie Arbelaez Brown, who evacuated her home in Vacaville with her husband and three children on Wednesday. “It makes us feel really thankful,” she said after her family eventually landed with family north of the fires.
In some areas, evacuees with underlying health conditions that elevate their risk of dying from Covid-19, have camped outside evacuation centers, stayed in RVs or in their cars.
The LNU fires raging through Napa and Sonoma – California’s famous wine-producing regions – now threaten 25,000 buildings, according to Cal Fire, the state’s fire agency. At one vineyard in the area, fire ate through irrigated vines, noted Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA. “I don’t think I’ve seen that before,” he told the Guardian. Normally, the irrigation lines would break the flames – that they didn’t speaks to how dry the landscape is, Swain said.
Another group of fires, called the CZU August Lightning Complex, chewed through mountainous areas surrounding Silicon Valley, forcing 22,000 to flee their homes. The conditions were “unprecedented and unseen by veteran firefighters”, Cal Fire officials said.
Donald Trump addressed the wildfires at a press conference Thursday, once again blaming California’s forest management for the wildfires and renewing threats to withhold aid because California “didn’t listen” to him.
In 2019, a total of about 259,800 acres across the state had burned by the end of the year. Since this Saturday, nearly 400,000 acres burned just in northern California. “Last year was a relatively mild fire year, but nonetheless,” Swain said, “I think that helps put the severity of the current situation in perspective.”

A Pacific Gas and Electric firefighter walks down a road as flames approach in Fairfield, California. Photograph: Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images
Firefighters said both personnel and equipment were stretched thin, and California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, this week declared a state of emergency, and appealed to the whole country to send help. In Marin county, north of San Francisco, fire chief Jason Weber told the AP he was awaiting assistance from Montana. “We’ve never seen this level of draw-down” in his 25 years of service, he said.
More than 10,000 firefighters are on the frontlines, but fire officials in charge of each of the major fire complexes say they are strapped for resources. Some firefighters were working 72-hour shifts instead of the usual 24 hours.
No sign of abatement is in sight, said Crystal Kolden, a fire scientist at the University of California, Merced. The next two weeks are expected to remain hot and dry. “The fires will be tough to contain until the heatwave breaks,” she said.
Due to global heating, fires in California are “becoming more frequent and more extreme”, Kolden said. “And that’s what’s sort of the eye opener here. We probably couldn’t have predicted, a year ago, that a pandemic and a lightning storm, and a heat wave would come this August,” she said. “But we can predict that overall, we need to get more aggressive mitigating for fire long term.”

 

[Melodi]

At least 5 people killed in Northern California wildfires

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) — Dozens of wildfires raging throughout Northern California have now claimed at least five lives and threaten tens of thousands of homes, authorities said Thursday.

apnews.com

At least 5 people killed in Northern California wildfires
By JANIE HAR and MARTHA MENDOZA2 hours ago



1 of 15
Flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires burn in unincorporated Napa County, Calif., on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. The blaze went on to destroy multiple homes near Lake Berryessa. Fire crews across the region scrambled to contain dozens of wildfires sparked by lightning strikes as a statewide heat wave continues. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) — Dozens of wildfires raging throughout Northern California have now claimed at least five lives and threaten tens of thousands of homes, authorities said Thursday.
The death of a resident in Solano County, in the northeastern San Francisco Bay Area, was reported Thursday by Sheriff Thomas A. Ferrara, although he didn’t have any additional details.
In addition, three civilians had died in Napa County since the fires began, said Daniel Berlant, a Cal Fire assistant deputy director. In all, more than 30 civilians and firefighters have been injured.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the Solano and Napa county fatalities included a Pacific Gas & Electric utility worker who was found dead Wednesday in a vehicle in the Vacaville area between San Francisco and Sacramento.
A pilot on a water-dropping mission in central California also died Wednesday when his helicopter crashed.
Gov. Gavin Newsom addressed the wildfires, calling them clear evidence of climate change, in a last-minute video recorded for the Democratic National Convention from a forest near Watsonville after he visited an evacuation center.
“If you are in denial about climate change, come to California,” he said.
“I confess this is not where I expected to be speaking here tonight,” he said into what appeared to be a cellphone camera. Newsom had recorded an earlier, more lighthearted video, to be delivered in the convention’s prime-time hours but decided it didn’t bring the right tone amid his state’s disasters, said Dan Newman, one of his political advisers.
More than two dozen major fires were scorching California and taxing the state’s firefighting capacity, sparked by an unprecedented lightning siege that dropped nearly 11,000 strikes over several days.
The fires have destroyed 175 structures, including homes, and are threatening 50,000 more, said Daniel Berlant, an assistant deputy director with the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. In all, 33 civilians and firefighters have been injured.
At least two people were missing.
Smoke and ash billowing from the fires has fouled the air throughout the scenic central coast and San Francisco.
Most of the activity is in Northern California, where fires have chewed through about 500 square miles (1,250 square kilometers) of brushland, rural areas, canyon country and dense forest surrounding San Francisco.
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More than 10,000 firefighters are on the front lines, but fire officials in charge of each of the major fire complexes say they are strapped for resources. Some firefighters were working 72-hour shifts instead of the usual 24 hours. The state has requested 375 engines and crew from other states.

“That’s going to allow our firefighters that have have been on the front line since this weekend to have an opportunity to take some rest,” Berlant said.
More firefighters were sent to battle a complex of fires in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties but “it’s still not enough,” said the incident commander, Cal Fire Assistant Chief Billy See.
“We’re still drastically short for a fire of this size.” he said at an evening news conference.
Fire officials said the flames were being driven by bone-dry timber and brush and erratic winds. They pleaded with residents to be ready to evacuate when ordered because they place firefighters in danger when crews have to protect those staying behind.
“Today we saw a growth of approximately 700 to 1,000 acres an hour in heavy timber,” See said. “That’s a dangerous rate of spread for our firefighters and for all those residents out there.”
Cal Fire spokesman Dan Olson said there are concerns that some people are trying to organize through social media to create volunteer brigades and fight the fire themselves.
“The dangers out there to their own lives outweigh anything they can accomplish,” he said. “They’re putting their lives in jeopardy.”
In Marin County, just north of San Francisco, where a smaller fire is burning near the Pacific Ocean, county fire chief Jason Weber said he is waiting for assistance from Montana to arrive this weekend.
He said in his 25 years in fire service, “we’ve never seen this level of draw-down” from cooperating agencies, as there is heavy competition in the western United States for equipment and people.
In the coastal mountain regions south of San Francisco, where 48,000 people were under orders to evacuate, a fire complex had burned 75 square miles (194 square kilometers). Officials warned it has the potential to grow significantly in the next day.
At least 50 buildings, including homes, had burned and nearly 21,000 structures were threatened, fire officials said.
Given depleted resources, one of the best tools firefighters have for public safety is to get people out of harm’s way. But some people refused when officers went door-to-door Wednesday night, Cal Fire Chief Mark Brunton said.
Kevin Stover, 42, was struggling with indecision early Thursday when a mandatory evacuation order was issued for the rugged and small town of Felton outside the beach city of Santa Cruz.
“I don’t want to leave,” said Stover, a camera operator and rigger now driving for Door Dash and Lyft because of the pandemic. His car, loaded with important papers, his father’s urn and some arrowheads that meant a lot to him, had a flat tire.
“I’m trying to figure out if I should cut these original oil paintings out of the frame to salvage them,” he said.
The unusually large size and number of simultaneous fires, other fires throughout the West and the loss of inmate firefighting crews because inmates were released from prisons to prevent the spread of coronavirus, have created the perfect storm for firefighting.
MORE STORIES:

• – Science Says: Climate change, people stoke California fires
• – California wildfires chase people from homes into smoky air
• – California slammed by wildfires, heat, unhealthy smoky air

“Our agency is taxed to the limit,” said Incident Commander Mike Smith at the fire near Santa Cruz. Officials there are awaiting help from other states, but they are having to look further afield than usual, meaning it will take days for crews to arrive, he said. The U.S. Forest Service can’t help because they are busy fighting fires on federal lands.
In Monterey County along the coast, about 9,000 people have been evacuated for a fire that’s now 52 square miles (136 square kilometers).
Two fires in Sonoma County prompted evacuation orders for 8,000 residents near the Russian River Wednesday. Residents of Healdsburg, with a population of about 12,000, were warned Wednesday night to be ready to flee. Fires in that region destroyed more than 100 buildings, including some homes, and threatened 25,000 people across five counties.
Tim Edwards, president of the union representing 7,000 Cal Fire firefighters, said lawmakers need to allocate more money at a time when firefighters are working 40 to 50 days at a time without real relief.
California State Parks announced full or partial closures of more than two dozen parks, including Big Basin Redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains, where the park headquarters and other facilities were damaged. The park featuring towering stands of ancient coast redwoods dates to 1902 and is the state’s oldest.
___
Har reported from San Francisco. Associated Press writers Olga R. Rodriguez and Juliet Williams in San Francisco and John Antczak in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
Full Coverage: Wildfires

 

[Melodi]

More evacuations as massive fires rapidly expand in California

A series of massive fires in northern and central California forced more evacuations as they quickly spread Thursday, sending plumes of smoke over the San Francisco area and dangerously affecting air quality.

news.yahoo.com

More evacuations as massive fires rapidly expand in California

Jocelyne ZABLIT
,
AFP•August 20, 2020

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https://news.yahoo.com/more-evacuations-massive-fires-rapidly-212424954.html
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More evacuations as massive fires rapidly expand in California
Flames surround Lake Berryessa during the LNU Lightning Complex fire in Napa, California on August 19, 2020
A series of massive fires in northern and central California forced more evacuations as they quickly spread Thursday, sending plumes of smoke over the San Francisco area and dangerously affecting air quality.
The blazes, most of which were touched off by a rash of lightning strikes earlier in the week, are being fed by a grueling heat wave afflicting the state.
Evacuation orders were expanded in several counties overnight as the flames devoured homes, forced the shutdown of roads and heavily damaged California's oldest state park.
Authorities said the fires had consumed nearly 350,000 acres in the central and northern part of the state, including in the wine regions of Sonoma and Napa, which are still recovering from deadly, devastating fires in recent years.

"2020 has thrown a lot at us. A pandemic. Lightning strikes. Record heatwaves. Fires. But if there’s one thing I know about CA it’s that we are resilient," Governor Gavin Newsom, who has declared a state of emergency to free up funds to battle the flames, said in a tweet Thursday.
One of the largest groupings of fires -- known as the LNU Lightning complex, which encompasses Napa and Sonoma Counties -- grew to 131,000 acres by Thursday and was zero percent contained.
Cal Fire officials said the many blazes of the LNU Lightning Complex had begun to merge together to create a massive inferno.
"This is a very large fire. It's one of many in the state of California and honestly our resources are stretched very far," Cal Fire unit chief Shana Jones said. "So please be patient."
The group of wildfires has already destroyed 105 homes and structures and is threatening more than 30,000 other buildings, fire officials said.

- State's oldest park -
Two people taking part in the firefighting efforts have died. One was a helicopter pilot who was killed in a crash in Fresno County, southeast of San Francisco, as he was attempting to drop water.
The second was an employee of the utility company Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) who was clearing poles and electrical lines in Solano County and was found unresponsive in his vehicle Wednesday, Cal Fire said.
Meanwhile southeast of San Francisco, another grouping of fires dubbed the SCU Lightning Complex prompted evacuation orders in some communities near San Jose, but the fires were for the most part raging in unpopulated areas.
In Santa Cruz County near the coast, a series of fires called the CZU Lightning Complex caused extensive damage to California's oldest state park, Big Basin Redwoods State Park, known for its majestic redwoods that are up to 2,000 years old.
"The fire damaged the park's headquarters, historic core and campgrounds," park officials said.
More than two dozen other parks and beaches in the region were shut down because of the wildfires.
Authorities have said the fires were caused by nearly 11,000 lightning strikes that hit the northern part of the state as it endures a heat wave with historic high temperatures, including a record of 130 degrees Fahrenheit (54.4 degrees Celsius) in Death Valley.
Experts believe climate change has contributed to the frequency of the fires, which are becoming more common year-round rather than just during fire season -- usually between August and November.
The latest fires have prompted air quality alerts in the affected regions, with the air over the Bay Area expected to be extremely poor in the coming days.
"As many of these fires will burn for days--even weeks--air quality will be extremely poor for an extended period," Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), said in a tweet.
The deadliest fire in the state's history -- the Camp Fire -- took place in northern California in November 2018 and killed 86 people.
PG&E was found responsible for the blaze that destroyed the town of Paradise and caused billions of dollars in property damage.
jz/caw/
Our goal is to create a safe and e

 

[Melodi]

Taken by a former housemate from the yard of the house I used to live in up in the Berkeley Hills - she said the sky is really a much deeper shade of fire red, but her phone camera just couldn't capture the real colors - the grey is smoke not fog...

 

[Terrwyn]

While we have had wildfires before, this really is an unprecedented situation, at least for the south Bay area. Santa Clara valley (aka Silicon Valley) is bracketed by fires to the WSW and ENE (and my paranoid imagination visualizes the wind turning the wrong way...). Lick Observatory is safe (for the moment) but it must have taken some effort (6 fire engines up there?). Click on the first twitter link in the article to see a time lapse video. Historic Lick Observatory saved from encroaching wildfire — for now

UC Santa Cruz to the south is now at risk.

Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated (not sure if this is all 3 fire complexes or what).

Lord have mercy.

It isnt paranoid to take wind change into consideration. One of the big fires here in the high desert started in Lyttle Creek in Santa Ana winds. When the wind changed to off the ocean it drove the fire all the way up Cajon Pass, jumped the freeway, roared down on Hesperia and they were barely able to stop it at the Aquaduct.

 

[marsh]

Record heat, unprecedented lightning fire siege in Northern California; more dry lightning to come - Weather West

Record heat, historic NorCal lightning event lead to astonishing wildfire siege Over the past 10 days, a record-breaking heatwave has affected virtually all of California, and a wide swath of the American West. Countless daily record maximum and overnight record minimum temperatures were set...

weatherwest.com

Record heat, unprecedented lightning fire siege in Northern California; more dry lightning to come
Filed in Weather/Climate Discussion by Daniel Swain on August 21, 2020 •

Record heat, historic NorCal lightning event lead to astonishing wildfire siege

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1294956115713810432

View: https://twitter.com/i/status/1294956115713810432


Over the past 10 days, a record-breaking heatwave has affected virtually all of California, and a wide swath of the American West. Countless daily record maximum and overnight record minimum temperatures were set across the state on many consecutive days. In fact, Death Valley reached 130 degrees during this event–the hottest reliably measured temperature in world history. In addition to extreme temperatures, this heatwave was characterized by highly anomalous humidity levels–this was certainly not, as is often said in California “a dry heat.” For the first time in 19 years, rolling blackouts occurred throughout the state due to extreme strain on the power grid.

It was “Fogust” no more.

Then, mid-way through this extreme heat event, remnant moisture and instability from former Tropical Storm Elida combined with a robust easterly wave over California to generate one of the most intense summer thunderstorm events of the past 20 years across the San Francisco Bay Area. Most of the coastal portion of the Bay Area experienced intense–and even locally violent wind gusts during this thunderstorm event. Many places saw 40-50 mph gusts, but there were a few places that logged winds of 65-75 mph as these powerful storms moved ashore. Much of the SF Bay Area was under a multi-hour Severe Thunderstorm Warning by the NWS for the first time I can remember. Multiple places also experienced Midwest-style convective “heat bursts”–in which rapid collapse of thunderstorm updrafts caused air parcels aloft to plunge to the surface and warm to extreme levels. (Travis Air Force Base, for example, dramatically rose from 80F to 100F just before sunrise amid lightning and strong winds.)

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1294943027257991170

View: https://twitter.com/jadenschaul/status/1294943027257991170/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1294943027257991170%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fweatherwest.com%2Farchives%2F7459


And there there came the lightning. Over 11,000 strikes were recorded over northern California over a 36 hour period, and many of these occurred pretty close to the coast (though some did extend inland over the Sacramento Valley and its foothills). As feared, unusually dry vegetation following an extremely dry winter and in the midst of a record heatwave acted as tinder–and many of these lightning strikes ignited wildfires. Over 350 lightning fires were reported over NorCal this week. But the number of fires is actually not the most problematic aspect of this event–it’s the astonishing speed with which these fires grew and their relative proximity to many heavily populated areas.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1296620330861989889

View: https://twitter.com/Weather_West/status/1296620330861989889/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1296620330861989889%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fweatherwest.com%2Farchives%2F7459


Size and scope of NorCal fires is historically unprecedented
As I’ve stated publicly, I’m essentially at a loss for words to describe the scope of the lightning-sparked fire outbreak that has rapidly evolved in northern California–even in the context of the extraordinary fires of recent years. It’s truly astonishing. By the time this post is published, around 800,000 acres of land will have burned over the past 8 days in California–over 700,000 of which in the northern part of the state, and about 500,000 within 100 miles of San Francisco. For perspective: less than 250,000 acres burned in California in all of 2019. There are so many fires right now that multiple wildfires under 5,000 acres have gone largely unattended, and unmentioned in the media. CalFire stated earlier today that to fight these fires to the maximum of their ability, the agency would near nearly 10 times more firefighting resources than are available.

https://twitter.com/Weather_West?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1296824327032070147%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fweatherwest.com%2Farchives%2F7459

Two individual fire complexes–the LNU and SCU Lightning Complexes–will each have burned around a quarter million acres by tonight or tomorrow (both are currently above well above 200,000 acres). Most of the fires within each complex have already merged together, or will shortly. Both of these fires complexes are *already* among the top 10 largest California fires on record, are still spreading, and have little containment. I’ve heard from fire folks that the SCU Complex could eventually become the largest fire on record in California–an incredible statistic, since the previous record was set in 2018 (and, before that, all the way back in 2017). Meanwhile, the CZU Complex in the Santa Cruz Mountains, while “smaller” at 50,000 acres, is burning through dense forest (including coast redwoods) that have very little modern fire history, and is threatening numerous smaller communities as well as the University of California, Santa Cruz (which has evacuated what limited students were currently on campus due to the COVID19 pandemic).

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1296855113022152704

View: https://twitter.com/i/status/1296855113022152704


Smoke from these fires has inundated every corner of California. (Though the severity of the smokestorm varies–in some places, it’s a nuisance; in others, going outside has become acutely hazardous). Some places have been reporting measurable ashfall and large burned debris (leaves and twigs) raining from the sky. Extensive smoke from these California fires have blanketed much of the continental United States–resulting in a globally significant wildfire carbon emission event. This is not the best of news, to say the least, in the midst of an ongoing respiratory pandemic.

*Another* widespread NorCal dry lightning event possible Sun-Tues
I wish I had better news. I really do. This post is actually hard to write, especially knowing how much wildfire-related trauma many folks who read this blog have endured. Some comments section regulars have lost their homes in recent days; many more are currently evacuated, and are waiting for news. But at the moment, the weather forecast for the next few days is once again rather ominous from a wildfire risk perspective.

The high-resolution WRF model suggests a high potential that elevated convection and possible dry lightning will develop along the Central Coast and spread northward on Sunday. (NCEP via tropicaltidbits.com)

Beginning tomorrow, remnant moisture and atmospheric instability from former East Pacific Hurricane Genevieve will become entrained in deep southerly flow over and west of California. The first hints of the moisture will arrive in southern California, where widespread (wet) mountain and desert thunderstorms are likely. There is enough moisture that a few isolated storms could even occur over coastal parts of SoCal on Saturday, though I don’t currently foresee a widespread event down south.

Very unfortunately, however, farther north will be a very different story. Beginning later Saturday, a continued surge of moisture will make it as far north as the Central Coast and Bay Area. This initial surge will mainly contain mid and upper-level clouds, perhaps with some altocumulus mixed in. There is a very slight chance of a dry thunderstorm with this initial surge, but this will not be the main event and the initial surge may not contain any lightning.

Later Sunday into Monday, however, a deeper surge of mid-level moisture and instability will surge into central California from the south–coinciding with the approach of a weak remnant center of circulation from the old hurricane. This combination will likely be sufficient to trigger more widespread elevation convection from about San Luis Obispo northward, likely including (once again) the San Francisco/Monterey Bay areas, the Central Valley, and the western/eastern foothills of both the Sierra Nevada and the coastal mountains (and perhaps even elsewhere, but that remains uncertain). These storms will likely be dry, producing little to no rain with the possibility of many lightning strikes, due to a very dry sub-cloud layer over NorCal. This kind of atmospheric vertical profile is also favorable for the development of locally strong and gusty winds.

While I think, at this time, that it’s *unlikely* that this event will be quite as intense as last weekend’s, it does bear some similarity. I do expect substantially more than just isolated dry thunderstorms–overall lightning coverage may be scattered to widespread, with only isolated/brief showers. This (mostly) dry lightning, if it occurs, will likely ignite new fires at a time when available firefighting resources are extremely limited. Very gusty downdraft winds are also possible–which could be very dangerous near existing fires and cause locally extreme fire behavior and sudden flare-ups in any direction. For this reason, the National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch for much of northern California.

The most likely timing for this possible dry lightning event will be later Sunday through perhaps early Tuesday. Right now, the models are suggesting a pretty favorable pattern for this event to transpire–but I’d still say there’s about a 1 in 3 chance this falls apart and very little or nothing happens. Numerical models still struggle greatly with these kinds of elevated convection set-ups involving tropical moisture, since the atmospheric triggering mechanisms to release latent mid-level instability are often subtle and poorly-resolved. Moisture, too, is usually quite marginal–as will be the case this weekend. Therefore, I’m going to keep my fingers crossed that this ~30% chance that current forecasts are wrong, and that we don’t have another widespread dry lightning outbreak, comes to pass. That would be a welcome outcome, given the circumstances.

The Southwestern ridge will start to build in again this weekend, bringing warmer conditions again (though not as hot as last week). (NCEP via tropicaltidbits.com)
Meanwhile, as all of this is happening, the southwestern ridge will once again start to build back into California. The only bit of good news I have to offer is that it now appears this ridge will not build as strongly as had been previously foreseen last week, so while we will see another significant warming/drying/marine layer suppression trend next week it will pale in comparison to what California just experienced. Still, this does suggest that current conditions–with a shallow marine layer, and some coastal fog, and cooler temperatures–are about as favorable as they are going to get for a while from a firefighting perspective as things will go downhill again later this weekend into next week. I don’t really have any time to consider the long range very much, except to say I don’t see any obvious signs of major heatwaves during the first few days of Sept.

Stay safe out there. I’ll continue to follow these fires and renewed dry lightning potential both here in the Weather West comments section and on Twitter.

 

[LilRose8]

I have friends in the hills above Santa Cruz who have valiantly worked for days to clear trees and brush away from their property, but have had to finally evacuate this evening. I was fearful they would not make it out on time since there is only one road in, but the last I heard, they were leaving.

 

[Housecarl]

Merde.........

Posted for fair use.....

CZU Lightning Complex Fire: Suspected Santa Cruz Co. looters ID'd, surveillance video shows theft

"These five decided to victimize several of our community members who are already hurting."

abc7news.com

More than a fire fight: Suspected looters arrested, residents reported missing amid Santa Cruz County wildfires
"Today alone, we arrested five people.. Five people with two car loads full of stolen property," the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office said.

By Amanda del Castillo
Updated 31 minutes ago
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<iframe width="476" height="267" src="https://abc7news.com/video/embed/?pid=6383179" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Beyond the fire fight, law enforcement officers arrested suspected looters, caught capitalizing on the mandatory evacuations.

• Share:

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- By Friday evening, 57,000 acres burned between Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties.

Fire officials made some much needed progress as the CZU Lightning Complex fires see 2-percent containment.

Beyond the fire fight, law enforcement officers arrested suspected looters, caught capitalizing on the mandatory evacuations.

RELATED: UC Santa Cruz on-campus residents threatened with 'criminal offense' for failure to evacuate

Cal Fire reported nearly 100 structures have been destroyed by the flames since the fires ignited.

They're asking that residents heed evacuation orders and stay away.

"It's very difficult to maneuver around this fire as it is with the narrow roads," Cal Fire Unit Chief Ian Larkin told reporters. "And to add the public back in there is very, very difficult and unsafe for our firefighters."

In addition to those responding to the fire, 60 law enforcement personnel have been sent out to search for potential looters and to protect property.

VIDEO: Bay Area shrouded in smoke as Northern California wildfires rage

From Oakland to Point Reyes, smoke enveloped the Bay Area Thursday as fires scorched Northern California.

"It's terrible and it's disgusting," Chief Deputy Chris Clark with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office said. "Today alone, we arrested five people. Five people with two car loads full of stolen property off of Fall Creek Road."

The sheriff's office explained, "Jose Gandarilla, Susana Luna, Crystal Araujo, Sara Loretz and Crystle Parstch-Lucchesi were all arrested on numerous charges including Looting 463(A), Grand Theft 487(A) PC, Conspiracy to commit a crime 182(A)(1) PC and Burglary 459 PC."
Adding, "These five decided to victimize several of our community members who are already hurting."

Another concern on Friday were the two residents who are unaccounted for. Sheriff's detectives are investigating.

"There are two missing person's cases at this point that we're actively trying to confirm," Clark told reporters.

INTERACTIVE MAP: Track wildfires across San Francisco, other parts of CA

He said, if residents haven't heard from a loved one, first search the Red Cross website to see if they've been reported there. The next step would be to call sheriff's dispatch.

As for the on-going fire fight, Cal Fire says more evacuations and road closures can be expected in the days to come.

On Friday afternoon, ABC7 News met the Immel family. They were evacuated from their Boulder Creek homes on Wednesday morning, only to return to rubble.
Their goal on Friday was to get their long-time neighbor out of his home.

"What we're trying to do is get back up there," Luke Immel said. "We have a person that's still up there, that wouldn't leave."

RELATED: Staggering photos show scope of wildfires' devastation

Cal Fire said those refusing to leave put themselves and first responders at risk. Some crews have already had to go back into the fire zones to help rescue people who stayed.

Besides fire, downed wires and trees can be extremely dangerous.

Even so, residents say every wildfire has its holdouts.

"He's a long-term mountain man and his attitude is: I'm going to defend, save my house and property, or I'm going to die trying," Immel explained.

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[Melodi]

And as we wake up here in Ireland, this is some of what I am seeing in the press, if my close friends (one affected was an attendant at my wedding) lose their home this will make THREE people close to me who have lost their homes to fire in less than five years.

First in Clear Lake, then in Paradise and now the Napa Area...(I am not close to anyone in Santa Cruz at this time but we always spent my birthdays there as a child).

California wildfires some of largest in state history

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Lightning-sparked wildfires in Northern California exploded in size Friday to become some of the largest in state history, forcing thousands to flee and destroying hundreds of homes and other structures as reinforcements began arriving to help weary firefighters.

apnews.com

California wildfires some of largest in state history
By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ and JANIE HARtoday



1 of 24
Pam, who declined to give a last name, examines the remains of her partner's Vacaville, Calif., home on Friday, Aug. 21, 2020. The residence burned as the LNU Lightning Complex fires ripped through the area Tuesday night. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Lightning-sparked wildfires in Northern California exploded in size Friday to become some of the largest in state history, forcing thousands to flee and destroying hundreds of homes and other structures as reinforcements began arriving to help weary firefighters.
More than 12,000 firefighters aided by helicopters and air tankers are battling wildfires throughout California. Three groups of fires, called complexes, burning north, east and south of San Francisco have together scorched 991 square miles (2,566 square kilometers), destroyed more than 500 structures and killed five people.
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At least 100,000 people are under evacuation orders.
The number of personnel assigned to the sprawling LNU Complex — a cluster of blazes burning in the heart of wine country north of San Francisco — doubled to more than 1,000 firefighters Friday, Cal Fire Division Chief Ben Nicholls said.
“I’m happy to say there are resources all around the fire today. We have engines on all four sides of it working hand-in-hand with the bulldozers to start containing this fire, putting it to bed,” Nicholls aid.
Fire crews with help from “copious amounts of fixed-wing aircraft” were working Friday to stop a large blaze from reaching communities in the West Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma County, he said.
The blazes, coming during a heat wave that has seen temperatures top 100 degrees, are taxing the state’s firefighting capacity but assistance from throughout the country was beginning to arrive, with 10 states sending fire crews, engines and aircraft to help, Gov. Gavin Newsom said.
“We have more people but it’s not enough. We have more air support but it’s still not enough and that’s why we need support from our federal partners,” Newsom said.
Newsom thanked President Donald Trump’s administration for its help a day after pushing back on Trump’s criticism of the state’s wildfire prevention work, saying that he has a “strong personal relationship with the president.”
“While he may make statements publicly, the working relationship privately has been a very effective one,” Newsom said.
MORE STORIES:

• – At least 5 people killed in Northern California wildfires
• – Science Says: Climate change, people stoke California fires
• – California slammed by wildfires, heat, unhealthy smoky air

There are 560 fires burning in the state, many small and remote but there are about two dozen major fires, mainly in Northern California. Many blazes were sparked by thousands of lightning strikes earlier in the week.
Tens of thousands of homes were threatened by flames that drove through dense and bone-dry trees and brush. Some fires doubled in size within 24 hours, fire officials said.
With firefighting resources tight, homes in remote, hard-to-get-to places burned unattended. CalFire Chief Mark Brunton pleaded with residents to quit battling fires on their own, saying that just causes more problems for the professionals.
“We had last night three separate rescues that pulled our vital, very few resources away,” he said.
An anxious Rachel Stratman, 35, and her husband, Quentin Lareau, 40, waited for word Friday about their home in the Forest Springs community of Boulder Creek, in Santa Cruz County, after evacuating earlier this week. She knew one house burned but received conflicting information about the rest of the neighborhood.
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“It’s so hard to wait and not know,” she said. “I’m still torn if I want people to be going back to the area and videotaping. I know they cause the firefighters distraction, but that’s the only way we know.”
The couple were in a San Jose hotel with medication she needs after undergoing a transplant surgery last month. She collected her mother’s ashes and some clothes while her husband closed windows and readied the home before they evacuated Tuesday.
“I kept looking at things and kept thinking I should grab this or that, but I just told myself I needed to leave. I didn’t bring any official documents and I didn’t bring my house deed or car title. No passport,” she said.
The ferocity of the fires was astonishing so early in the fire season, which historically has seen the largest and deadliest blazes when dry gusts blow in the fall.
But the death toll already had reached at least six since the majority of blazes started less than a week ago. Five deaths involved fires burning in wine country north of San Francisco. The other death was a helicopter pilot who crashed while dropping water on a blaze in Fresno County.
Henry Wofford, spokesman for the Napa County Sheriff’s Office, said three of the bodies were found Thursday in a burned home. The area was under an evacuation order due to “very, very heavy” fire that he said burned multiple homes. He said authorities are trying to determine the identities.
In neighboring Solano County, Sheriff Thomas A. Ferrara reported the death of a male resident. The other victim was a Pacific Gas & Electric utility worker who was found dead Wednesday in a vehicle in the Vacaville area.
Full Coverage: Wildfires
At least 14,000 people in Solano County remained under mandatory evacuation Friday, Solano County Undersheriff Brad DeWall said. He said 119 homes have been destroyed in his county.
At least two other people were missing and more than 30 civilians and firefighters have been injured, authorities said.
Smoke and ash billowing from the fires has fouled the air throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and along California’s scenic central coast.
The SCU Lightning Complex fire burning east of San Francisco started Tuesday and the slightly smaller LNU Lightning Complex burning in wine country that was sparked a day earlier already have become among the 10 largest wildfires in state history. Firefighters had only contained a small portion of the wildfires by Friday afternoon.
In Napa County, Crosswalk Community Church has transformed its sanctuary and gymnasium into an evacuation shelter, filling the floor with cots spaced at least 6 feet (1.8 meters) apart. Pastor Peter Shaw said the church has seen a steady stream of people stopping for resources. Some were just looking for information, while others needed gift cards for food and basic needs.
“COVID-19 complicates everything,” Shaw wrote in an email to The Associated Press. “Socially distanced cots drastically decreases our capacity.”
A few people have stayed the night, Shaw said, adding several people parked their RVs in the church parking lot.
“The longer the evacuations stay in place, I suspect the more people we will see,” he said.
Eric Swensen packed early and got ready to evacuate after seeing ash, burned leaves and charred bark fall around his family’s home in Boulder Creek earlier this week. He, his 11-year-old son, girlfriend Gundy Sartor, and neighbor Lesley Wludyga packed a pet lizard and important documents and headed north to Redwood City.
But as of Friday, he still hadn’t heard if his home had survived. He read on social media that firefighters had to retreat from the area.
“Obviously, the current resources dedicated to the fire are nowhere near enough, but we also understand that California is burning, and they are doing what they can,” Swensen said.
___
This story has been corrected to reflect the number of people under evacuation orders is at least 100,000.
___
Associated Press writers Martha Mendoza in Santa Cruz, Camille Fassett in Redwood City and John Antczak in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
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[Melodi]

California fires force thousands to flee as more blazes feared

Some of California's largest-ever fires are raging across the state, forcing tens of thousands from their homes as forecasters warned of further blazes sparked by lightning.

news.yahoo.com

California fires spread, fouling air and spurring evacuations

Jocelyne ZABLIT
,
AFP•August 22, 2020

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https://news.yahoo.com/california-fires-spread-fouling-air-204929058.html
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California fires spread, fouling air and spurring evacuations
An aircraft drops fire retardant on a ridge during the Walbridge fire, part of the larger LNU Lightning Complex fire, as flames continue to spread in Healdsburg, California on August 20, 2020
Thick smoke blanketed large areas of central and northern California on Friday as more people fled some of the biggest fires in the state's history which have raged largely uncontrolled through the week.
One of the largest group of fires, dubbed the LNU Lightning Complex, has scorched nearly 220,000 acres (89,000 hectares), burned nearly 500 structures and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people.
By midday Friday, the fire, which erupted on Monday and is now the 10th largest in the state's history, was just seven percent contained.
Some of the fires in that complex threatened wineries in the famed Napa and Sonoma regions which are still reeling from similar deadly blazes in recent years.

Officials said five deaths have been linked to the latest fires, ignited by more than 12,000 lightning strikes.
Four bodies were recovered on Thursday, including three from a burned house in a rural area of Napa County.
Fire officials said lightning strikes had ignited 560 fires in the past week, the largest of which are the LNU, the SCU and CZU complex fires in the Bay Area.
Daniel Berlant, Cal Fire's assistant deputy director, said although firefighters had made progress in the last 24 hours, ongoing triple-digit temperatures and bone dry conditions were not helping.
He added that although temperatures were expected to cool slightly at the weekend, there is the potential of more dry lightning as early as Sunday evening.
"We could again experience a lightning storm so that has us remaining on high alert," Berlant said.
About 119,000 people have been evacuated, with many struggling to find shelter and hesitating to go to centers set up by authorities because of coronavirus risks.
Some in San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties, south of San Francisco, opted to sleep in trailers in parking lots or on beaches along the Pacific Ocean as they fled the CZU Lightning Complex, the seventh largest fire in the state's history.
Tourists in Santa Cruz County were urged to leave to free up accommodations for people fleeing the blazes.

- 'Hazy and smoky' -
Governor Gavin Newsom told reporters in an update Friday that most of the fires are burning in unpopulated areas and statewide have chewed through some 771,000 acres -- an area the size of the state of Rhode Island.
He also walked back his criticism of President Donald Trump from Thursday.
Newsom had taken aim at the US leader in a pre-taped speech to the Democratic National Convention, saying Trump had threatened to pull California's funding for wildfire suppression for alleged poor forest management.
"There is not one phone call I have made to the president where he hasn't quickly responded, and almost in every instance has responded favorably ... as it related to these wildfires," Newsom said.
"He may make statements publicly, but the working relationship privately has been a very effective one," he added.
Several states, including Oregon, New Mexico and Texas, had sent fire crews to help battle the flames and more states were expected to provide assistance, Newsom said.
Meanwhile the smell of smoke lingered in San Francisco and other regions for the third consecutive day on Friday, with authorities urging residents to stay indoors.
"The many fire complexes burning around the Bay Area and Central Coast will keep skies hazy and smoky, at least in the short term," the National Weather Service said.
Authorities in the Bay Area, which encompasses seven counties, issued an air quality alert in effect through Sunday.
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[Melodi]

California governor calls wildfires 'deadly moment,' urges residents to flee

CALIFORNIA-WILDFIRE/ (UPDATE 7, PIX, TV):UPDATE 7-California governor calls wildfires 'deadly moment,' urges residents to flee

news.trust.org

California governor calls wildfires 'deadly moment,' urges residents to flee
by Reuters
Saturday, 22 August 2020 01:31 GMT
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(Adds comment from California governor, updates statistics)
Aug 21 (Reuters) - Hundreds of wildfires burning across Central and Northern California that have already killed six people more than doubled in size on Friday, becoming some of the largest in state history and threatening small towns in the path of the flames.
The conflagrations, which broke out over the last week, have blackened an area larger than the U.S. state of Rhode Island and destroyed more than 500 homes and other structures. In addition to the fatalities, 43 firefighters and civilians have been hurt.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said crews were fighting 560 fires across the state, many of them sparked by lightning storms, straining resources to the breaking point as he seeks reinforcements from as far away as Canada and Australia.
"We are not naive by any stretch about how deadly this moment is and why it is essential ... that you heed evacuation orders and that you take them seriously," Newsom, a Democrat, told Californians at a news briefing.
The state has been hit by its worst dry-lightning storms in nearly two decades as close to 12,000 strikes Factbox: California's lightning-sparked fires among state's biggest have sent flames racing through lands left parched by a recent heat wave. Some 175,000 people have been told to leave their homes.
In Santa Cruz, a city of around 65,000 people on California's central coast, residents were told to prepare "go bags" as bulldozers cut fire lines and flames came within a mile of the University of California Santa Cruz campus.
Video footage posted on social media showed giant Redwood trees, some more than 2,000 years old, standing largely unscathed among the torched ruins of buildings in and around Big Basin Redwoods State Park.
A complex of blazes east of Palo Alto and another in wine country south of Sacramento are the seventh and tenth largest wildfires in state history, respectively, according to CalFire, and the agency warned that more dry-lightning storms were expected as early as Sunday.
'SEND IN THE NATIONAL GUARD'
With up to 20 separate blazes burning in some lightning-fire complexes, firefighters and locals pleaded for more support.
"We're still understaffed for a fire of this size," said Daniel Potter, a CalFire spokesman, in reference to the Santa Cruz blaze where crews are working 72-hour shifts to save homes in towns such as Ben Lomond.
"We need HELP in the Santa Cruz mountains. SEND IN THE NATIONAL GUARD NOW!" San Jose State University professor Scott Myers-Lipton said on Twitter.
Four people died in the so-called LNU Complex fire in the North Bay area that has destroyed more than 480 homes and structures, including a winery as it burned over 219,000 acres in five counties. All evacuees were allowed to return to their homes in Vacaville on Friday as containment of the fire stood at 7%.
A utility crewman died on Wednesday while on duty helping clear electrical hazards for first-responders at the same fire. Earlier that day, the pilot of a firefighting helicopter was killed in a crash in Fresno County.
"All our first responders are working to the ragged edge of everything they have," state lawmaker Jim Wood said.
Plumes of smoke and ash fouled air quality for hundreds of miles around fire zones, adding to the misery and health risks of residents forced to flee or those stuck inside sweltering homes that lacked air conditioning.
Medical experts warned that the coronavirus pandemic has considerably heightened the health hazards posed by smoky air and extreme heat, especially for older adults and those already suffering from respiratory illnesses.
(Reporting by Andrew Hay, Steve Gorman, Jane Ross and Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Grant McCool, Rosalba O'Brien and Daniel Wallis)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
THEMES

 

[Melodi]

California fires: Governor asks Australia for help

Exhausted firefighters are struggling to contain huge wildfires that have killed six in California.

www.bbc.com

California fires: Governor asks Australia for help

Image copyrightAFP VIA GETTY IMAGESImage captionA series of massive fires in northern and central California forced more evacuations
California is struggling to contain huge wildfires burning forests and homes warned Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday as more than 12,000 fire-fighters battle the blazes that have killed six people.
Help is on its way from several US states as Gov Newsom put in a plea for assistance from Australia and Canada.
"These fires are stretching our resources, our personnel," he said.
Among the 560 fires are some of the largest the state has seen.
More than 12,000 dry lightning strikes started the blazes during an historic heat wave in which thermometers in Death Valley National Park reached what could be the highest ever temperature reliably recorded.
By Friday, emergency officials said some of the fires had doubled in size from the day earlier and have now forced 175,000 residents to flee.
Two of the fires are now the 7th and 10th largest in the state's history, Gov Newsom said as he urged President Trump to sign a major disaster declaration.

Image copyrightMEDIANEWS GROUP/THE MERCURY NEWS VIA GETTY IMAGESImage captionThe CZU Lightning Complex fire destroyed homes in Davenport, California
The worst are in the mountains to the south and east of San Francisco.
At least 43 people including fire-fighters have been injured, and hundreds of buildings have burned down and thousands more are threatened.
Many of the blazes are burning on steep, difficult-to-access terrain and have been fuelled by strong winds. The fires are also threatening larger towns including Santa Cruz where flames reached within a mile of the University of California Santa Cruz campus, reports Reuters.
More fire-fighters, engines and surveillance planes are racing in from other states including Oregon, New Mexico and Texas to help. Assistance from what Gov Newsom called "the world's best wildfire-fighters" in Australia has been requested.
"We simply haven't seen anything like this in many, many years," he said, adding that an area the size of the US state of Rhode Island has already burned within California.

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionRedwoods, the tallest trees in the world, have caught fire near their eponymous state park
With more than 650,000 coronavirus cases, California also has the highest number of infections in the US, and some evacuees have said they are afraid to go to emergency shelters.
One woman told CNN that she was forced to flee to a community centre in Vacaville, but is refusing to go inside for fear of catching coronavirus.
"Not only are we dealing with Covid, but with also the heat and now the fires," said Cheryl Jarvis, who said she is currently sleeping in her Toyota Prius.
US disaster agencies have updated disaster preparedness and evacuation guidance in light of Covid-19. People who may be required to flee have been to told to carry at least two face masks per person, as well as hand sanitiser, soap and disinfectant wipes.

Here are some key guidelines for protecting yourself against Covid-19 if you must evacuate to a shelter:

• Wash your hands often
• Keep six feet of distance from anyone not among your household
• Wear a face covering when possible, and if possible, wash it regularly
• Avoid sharing food and drinks
• Frequently disinfect your area in the shelter (including toys and electronics)

Emergency shelters are enforcing social distancing rules and mask wearing, and have even given individual tents to families to self-isolate. Some counties are seeking to set up separate shelters for sick evacuees or anyone who is found to have a high temperature.
Officials say people should consider sheltering with family and friends.

In another pandemic twist, officials also advise that people remain indoors due to the poor air quality outside.
California is also facing an electricity strain, which is has caused rolling blackout for thousands of customers. Officials have appealed for residents to use less power or risk further cuts.
In total, over 1,205 square miles (1,950km) have burned across the state.

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionA mother and daughter in an evacuation centre in Vacaville
Satellite images show smoke blanketing nearly all of California, as well most of Nevada and southern Idaho.
Big Basin Redwoods State Park, California's oldest state park and home to redwood trees that are 2,000 years old, sustained extensive damage to historic buildings.
Fire-fighting teams are stretched thin across the state and have been forced to work longer shifts than usual.
A volunteer fire-fighting corps made up of state prisoners, which has helped the state battle blazes since World War Two, has been diminished this year due to the pandemic.

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionFires have burned through parts of California's wine-producing regions
President Trump blamed California for the fires, and threatened to withhold federal funding as he repeated a suggestion that was met with bemusement when he first raised it in 2018.
Speaking to supporters in Pennsylvania on Thursday, he said he had told state officials: "You gotta clean your floors, you gotta clean your forests — there are many, many years of leaves and broken trees and they're like, like, so flammable, you touch them and it goes up."
"I've been telling them this now for three years, but they don't want to listen," he said. "'The environment, the environment,' but they have massive fires again."

Media caption'I'm sorry to tell you that your house is gone'
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[Melodi]

California wildfires torch area bigger than Rhode Island as resources stretched thin

High temperatures and erratic winds challenge firefighting efforts as the governor calls for backup from other statesFollow live updates

www.theguardian.com

California wildfires torch area bigger than Rhode Island as resources stretched thin
High temperatures and erratic winds challenge firefighting efforts as the governor calls for backup from other states

• Follow live updates

Firefighters battle the MocFire near Mocassin, California. Photograph: Tracy Barbutes/Zuma Wire/Rex/Shutterstock

Mario Koran and Maanvi Singh in Oakland, and Sam Levin in Los Angeles
Fri 21 Aug 2020 23.15 BST


132
Wildfires in California have killed at least six people and forced tens of thousands from their homes, with few signs of reprieve in sight, as firefighting resources strain under the vastness of dozens of infernos raging across the state.
More than 771,000 acres have burned so far, an area greater than the state of Rhode Island, California’s governor Gavin Newsom said at a press conference Friday.
He said the scope and ferocity of the fires has stretched thin the state’s capacity to respond in an “unprecedented moment” in California’s history, adding that he anticipated mutual aid support coming from Arizona, Oregon, Washington state, Texas, Nevada and elsewhere.
“We are struggling,” said Newsom.
Three major complexes encompassing dozens of fires chewed through forests, canyons and rural areas north, east and south of San Francisco Bay. Fires have scorched iconic redwoods within Big Basin, California’s oldest state park. Thousands of acres were ablaze elsewhere across California.
Skies remained darkened by smoke on Friday, with tens of thousands of homes threatened by flames that drove through dense and bone-dry trees and brush. Some fires doubled in size within 24 hours, fire officials said


'Severe inhumanity': California prisons overwhelmed by Covid outbreaks and approaching fires
Read more
Air quality in California has been among the world’s worst, leaving those with respiratory conditions – who are already vulnerable to Covid-19, especially vulnerable. The intersecting crises have also strained public health resources, with health officials expressing concern over growing evidence that air pollution could exacerbate the symptoms of coronavirus, and stoke the spread of disease.
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Many of the fires were sparked by an unusually high volume of lightning strikes during thunderstorms earlier this week, which came amid a searing heatwave.
The state was struck by lightning more than 12,000 times over the past four days, state fire officials said Friday.More than 560 separate blazes – which includes two dozen complex, major fires – are burning concurrently, officials reported.
The National Weather Service in the Bay Area warned there was a risk of another possible widespread lightning event this weekend.
Newsom noted that the state has been suffering from what may be the “hottest modern recorded temperatures in the history of the world”, adding, “That is a remarkable statement of fact.”
While evacuations were lifted in the small city of Vacaville, between San Francisco and Sacramento, other areas expanded their evacuation areas. The University of California, Santa Cruz, was evacuated and a new fire burning near Yosemite national park also prompted evacuations.

A satellite image shows the wildfire burning in Sonoma county in California. Photograph: AP
The mayor of Santa Cruz, a coastal city of 65,000, urged residents on Thursday evening to be prepared to evacuate by gassing up their vehicles and packing important documents, medicines and other belongings.
“Prepare early so that you are ready to go at a moment’s notice,” Cummings said.
Temperatures remained high, though were predicted to ease slightly on Friday. Erratic winds also could drive the fires unpredictably in multiple directions, challenging firefighting efforts, state fire officials said.
“There’s so much heat in these fires that they create their own wind … and they may blow in any direction, and very erratically,” said Daniel Berlant, an assistant deputy director with the state department of forestry and fire protection, known as Cal Fire.
As the fires rage, the state is facing a shortage of firefighters, due to a decline in available crews of incarcerated firefighters, which the state has long relied on despite widespread concerns about the ethics and labor issues surrounding use of imprisoned workers.
Newsom said the state has brought on more than 830 firefighters to backfill positions left vacant after some incarcerated firefighters were released from prison due to the Covid crisis.
The ferocity of the blazes so early in the year has astonished fire scientists. Typically, peak fire season in California is in the autumn, when powerful offshore winds stoke and spread embers into infernos. “There’s no real end in sight this year,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA.
Cal Fire’s Berlant said three civilians have died in Napa county and one in neighboring Solano county since the fires began. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the death toll included a Pacific Gas & Electric utility worker who was found dead on Wednesday in a vehicle in the Vacaville area. Also, in central California, a pilot on a water-dropping mission in western Fresno county died on Wednesday morning when his helicopter crashed.

The climate crisis has already arrived. Just look to California’s abnormal wildfires
Alastair Gee
Read more
At least two other people were missing and more than 30 civilians and firefighters have been injured, authorities said.
The fires have destroyed at least 175 buildings, including homes, and threatened tens of thousands more.
Outside Fresno, in California’s central valley, 52-year-old helicopter pilot Mike Fournier was dropping water to beat back brush fires when his Bell UH-1 helicopter crashed, killing the pilot. The cause of the crash remains unclear.
More than 10,000 firefighters were on the front lines. Some 3,000 firefighters had arrived in the past 24 hours, along with hundreds of fire engines from other states, and National Guard troops that were staffing hand crews and flying helicopters, Berlant said.
More firefighters were sent to battle the complex of fires in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties but “it’s still not enough”, said Billy See, Cal Fire assistant chief.
“We’re still drastically short for a fire of this size,” he said.

An aircraft drops fire retardant on a ridge during the Walbridge fire, part of the larger LNU Lightning Complex fire. Photograph: Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images

The fires have once again brought the climate crisis to the fore. While wildfires are a natural part of California’s environment, they have grown increasingly ferocious in recent years amid intensifying drought and heat. In a video recorded for the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night, Newsom warned: “If you are in denial about climate change, come to California.”
At a campaign stop yesterday in Pennsylvania, Donald Trump threatened to withhold federal funding after he said the state has failed to heed his advice to clear debris from forest floors.
“They’re starting again in California,” Trump said of the raging wildfires.
“I said, you gotta clean your floors, you gotta clean your forests – there are many, many years of leaves and broken trees and they’re like, like, so flammable, you touch them and it goes up,” he said. “Maybe we’re just going to have to make them pay for it because they don’t listen to us,” he added.
The president has made this argument annually in recent years, including in 2018, when he visited the area burned by the Camp fire, which killed 84 people in the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in the state’s history. He said at the time that Finland’s “forest cities” have been able to avoid fires because they’ve spent “a lot of time raking” their forest floors.
The criticism belies a misunderstanding of how forest and landscape management work, and conveniently overlooks the fact that the federal government controls most of the state’s forestland and that state and local agencies oversee just 3%.
Forestry experts have also pointed out that development that has encroached on fire-prone areas has also played a role in the fires, as has climate change, which has meant prolonged periods of drought that’s turned wildlands into kindling.
Agencies contributed reporting

 

[jward]

California Has Australian Problems Now

By David Wallace-Wells


California is Australia now. Beginning late last year, in what is already known as the country’s Black Summer, bushfires burned through 46 million acres, or 72,000 square miles; killed several billion animals, pushing a number of species to extinction or the brink of it; flooding Sydney with air so thick with smoke ferries couldn’t navigate its harbor and fire alarms in office buildings rang out, registering the smoke as proof the building itself was in flame; and forcing beachfront evacuations in scenes that crossed Dunkirk with Mad Max.

The situation today in California isn’t yet quite as grim, although this week CalFire advised every citizen of the state — all 40 million of them — to be prepared to evacuate. Already, more than 100,000 already have. Over just the last seven days, 700,000 acres have burned in California — a number that would have been, in recent memory, a historically devastating year of fire. In just five days, more land has been burned than in all of 2019, and 500,000 of those acres are in and around the Bay Area. There, the Lightning Complex — in wildfire terminology, “complex” is when multiple blazes join forces — has alone burned 200,000 acres and is, at present, zero percent contained. The Complex could burn as many as a million acres, it’s been suggested—the state’s first “gigafire.” The lightning storms that set it off simultaneously ignited so many other wildfires the state authorities couldn’t keep track of all of them, just the 376 most significant ones. All told, more than ten thousand lightning strikes were recorded in a single day; the week saw 560 wildfires start. Big Basin Redwoods State Park has been burned through, prompting a conservation group to write, “We are devastated to report that Big Basin, as we have known it, loved it, and cherished it for generations, is gone.” These trees are between 800 and 1,500 years old. Some of them, older than Muhammad, had stood for a thousand years by the time Europeans first set foot in North America. The youngest of them are older than the Black Death, and precede the invention of the printing press by centuries. Reports yesterday had them “scorched but still standing.”

One of the trees near the Big Basin Redwoods State Park headquarters burns from within. #BigBasin #CZULightningComplexFire #wildfires pic.twitter.com/p8zhW9ROhb
— Randy Vazquez (@RandyVMedia) August 21, 2020

California has been on fire before, indeed in the distant past it burned this expansively quite regularly. What is most remarkable about the fires of 2020 is that these complexes are burning without the aid of dramatic wind, which is typically, even more than the tinder of dry scrub and forest, what really fuels California fire. Historically, this kind of burning is unimaginable in the absence of the Santa Ana winds; which is to say, believe it or not, things could be much, much worse. Indeed, the wind is actually calm, by and large, throughout the state, keeping the burning relatively contained but allowing the smoke to settle locally. Even so, the smoke covers nearly the entire western United States—choking 11 states and two Canadian provinces. And while two active, growing fires are already among the ten biggest ever to hit the state, we are only at just the very beginning of the fall fire season.

None of the initial reports in the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, NPR, or the San Jose Mercury News even so much as mentioned climate change, though of course, especially in the absence of wind, the condition of the state’s landscape helps explain the outbreak (the frequency of extreme fire days has doubled since just the 1980s and is poised to grow even more in the decades ahead). And the signs of warming are unmistakable even looking past the fires, which, any Californian would tell you, you simply cannot. This past week, in Death Valley, a global temperature record was set, at 130 degrees Fahrenheit. The next day, the forecast predicted 132. That is the temperature of steak cooked medium rare.

Fires are among the best and more horrifying propagandists for climate change — terrifying and immediate, no matter how far from a fire zone you live. They offer up vivid, scarring images it can be impossible not to read as portents of future nightmares even as they document present tragedies and horrors. In recent years, they have been a terrifying through-line: 2017’s golfing through the apocalypse, 2018’s Camp Fire evacuation videos, the image of a kangaroo back-lit by roiling orange like a fire diorama. This year’s fires in California have already produced such a photo, by Noah Berger, which reminds us that no wildfire, indeed no climate impact of any kind, unfolds in a vacuum, instead cascading upon communities often numbed to catastrophe even as they are made more and more vulnerable with each successive one. Notably, there are no people depicted, only a “Welcome” sign mordantly modified to offer pandemic guidance, in the hope that coordinated human response might protect us from that threat. It is less like a depiction of unfolding terror than a real-time relic from a world already lost.

posted for fair use

California Has Australian Problems Now

The extreme wildfires the state is battling are apocalyptic heralds of climate change. And the scariest part is that they could be worse.

nymag.com

 

[jward]

Wag Hotels
@WagHotels
· Aug 19
Wag Hotels is offering free Boarding to those affected by #wildfires in #California. We are able to provide bedding and food for #cats + #dogs. If you or someone you know is looking for a safe place to house their pets as a result of #evacuations, call 888-WAG-LINE for info

____________________________________________________________________

RedRover
@RedRoverOrg
Aug 20

*PET RESOURCES FOR CALIFORNIA FIRE EVACUEES* RedRover has identified resources for #pet owners affected by #wildfires in California and will update as available. PLEASE SHARE with anyone who may need help. #CaliforniaFires https://buff.ly/3jcuVq3

Our hearts are with all the people and animals impacted by the present wildfires. Here is a list of currently available animal emergency shelters and resources for evacuees in California. Resources for pet owners Know of a resource or shelter to add to this list? Please email us at info@redrover.org. *Please note that these resources have been gathered from public sources. If you are planning to shelter at one of these sites with your animals, please verify that it is open and accepting animals as conditions may have changed. Pet-friendly lodging resources*: PetFriendlyTravel.com – Pet Evacuation and Pet-Friendly Emergency Shelters Bringfido.com Dogfriendly.com Pet-friendly-hotels.net Petswelcome.com Tripswithpets.com VCA Animal Hospitals *Contact these resources directly for current availability and COVID-19 conditions. CDC – COVID-19 Guidelines for Pet Owners Bay Area Pet Boarding: Fog City Dogs, a doggie daycare and hotel in San Francisco, is offering free dog boarding to evacuees from any of the wildfires in the Bay Area. They are also offering free daycare and boarding to all first responders and firefighters directly fighting the fires as well. You can reach Fog City Dogs by phone at (415) 642-3647 or email at info@fogcitydogs.com. Their website www.fogcitydogs.com. Veterinary Care: RedRover Relief: Financial assistance grants for emergency veterinary care. Applications accepted online. The Red Cross Emergency app can help keep you and your loved ones safe with real-time alerts, shelter locations and safety advice on wildfires. The Red Cross First Aid app provides instant access to information on handling the most common first aid emergencies. Download these apps for free by searching for “American Red Cross” in your app store or at redcross.org/apps. For those evacuating pets, large and small, the American Red Cross recommends keeping current photos of you with your pet in the event the animal gets lost, and holding onto information about feeding schedules, medical conditions, behavior issues and the name and number of a veterinarian. LNU LIGHTNING COMPLEX FIRE – Napa, Sonoma, Lake, Yolo and Solano Counties For the latest information, visit: fire.ca.gov Pet-friendly shelters The East Bay SPCA is accepting pets (cats and dogs) of evacuees for temporary boarding at their Oakland facility at 8323 Baldwin Street, Oakland, CA 94621. Evacuees can reach out by email or phone at shelterleadership@eastbayspca.org or 510-569-0702. NAPA COUNTY Small animals Napa County Animal Shelter – 942 Hartle Court in Napa, 707-253-4382. Sheltering small animals for people under a mandatory evacuation order. Large animals If you are under mandatory evacuation in Napa County and need assistance with evacuating or sheltering your large animals, you can call Napa Sheriffs Animal Services at 707-253-4517. Equine shelter – Napa Valley Horseman’s Association, 1200 Foster Road, Napa CA. Bring your own feed, call with an ETA: 707-732-1555 Ruminant shelter – Napa Ag for Youth, 1200 Foster Road, Napa. Bring your own feed, call first with an ETA: 707-738-3079. Equine shelter – Valley Brook Equestrian Center, 1132 El Centro Avenue, Napa CA. Bring feed; call ahead to confirm space is available: 707-732-1555 Napa Community Animal Response Team is a good source of information on the emergency shelters open in Napa: https://www.facebook.com/napacart SOLANO COUNTY Lambrecht Sports Complex – Lambrecht Drive, Suisun City, CA 94584 – trailers, large animals accepted Vallejo Fairgrounds – 900 Fairgrounds Dr., Vallejo, CA 94589 – large animals are being accepted Solano County Animal Shelter – 2510 Claybank Rd., Fairfield CA 94533 – small animals are being accepted. (707) 784-1356 Solano County Fairgrounds – 900 Fairgrounds Drive Vallejo, CA 94589 – accepting large animals. The Solano Community Animal Response Team is a good source of information on the emergency shelters open in Solano County: https://www.facebook.com/SolanoCART SONOMA COUNTY Sonoma County Animal Services – 1247 Century Court, Santa Rosa, CA 95403; 707-565-7100 – provide housing to small animals and welfare checks for unevacuated animals Sonoma County After-hours Sheriff’s Dispatch: 707-565-2121 Finley Center at the Sonoma County Fair & Event Center is accepting small animals, 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95404 Sonoma County Fair & Event Center – sheltering large animals and chickens at the Sonoma County Fair & Event Center, 1350 Bennett Valley Rd, Santa Rosa, CA 95404 Sonoma Community Animal Response Team is managing the shelter, and requests that people download the packet (the SCART Animal Evacuation Packet) on our website and bring it with them, completed, if they can: Disaster Resources — Sonoma Community Animal Response Team. If not, Sonoma CART has copies on site. the Owners should be providing their own care and feed if they have capacity. Sonoma CART’s hotline number – 707-861-0699 – people can call for help with evacuation or assistance if they decide to shelter in place, and if they have any questions about the shelter. Sonoma CART provides information on their emergency sheltering on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sonomacart YOLO COUNTY Yolo County Animal Services – Yolo County will be opening an evacuation center today at 9 am on the corner of Forrest Avenue and Highway 16 (7447 State HWY 16, Guinda CA 95637) for those in need. If you need assistance with animals, large or small, call the County’s Animal Control/Sheriff’s Office at: 530-666-8282. https://www.yolocounty.org/current-emergencies. COVID-19 guidelines will be adhered to at the center. Sugarland Ranch is accepting evacuated horses – they are located at 41070 County Road 18C in Woodland. Please call first – Danika Fleming at 530-401-1468, Joel Flemin at 916-343-6843, Maddy Kent at 971-275-5976 or Brandis Langston at 510-209-5347. They can help with hauling as well. Social media Note: Always use caution when posting personal information or using information posted on social networking sites. RedRover cannot vouch for the accuracy or intention of any of the links below. Facebook: CAL FIRE Twitter: Popular hashtags: #CaliforniaFire, #LNUComplex CAL FIRE LNU SCU LIGHTNING COMPLEX FIRE – Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties For evacuation orders and incident updates: @calfireSCU on Twitter and Instagram Due to high call volume, a new incident information line has been set up in addition to the current line. For the latest Incident Information please call: (916) 618-3195 or (669) 247-7431. The East Bay SPCA is accepting pets (cats and dogs) of evacuees for temporary boarding at their Oakland facility at 8323 Baldwin Street, Oakland, CA 94621. Evacuees can reach out by email or phone at shelterleadership@eastbayspca.org or 510-569-0702. ALAMEDA COUNTY Alameda County Office of Emergency Services Twitter: @alamedacoalert Public information line: (669) 247-7431 Residents with pets are advised to call the Alameda County Animal Services at (925) 803-7041 to be directed to an animal sheltering site. Sites have been staged to accept large and small animals. (Via NBC Bay Area) SANTA CLARA COUNTY Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Services Twitter: @scc_oes Evacuation Information: http://bit.ly/LightningComplex-SCC Hotline for Residents Evacuating: An information hotline and website are now available for Santa Clara County residents seeking information about resources available to those ordered evacuated due to the SCU Lightning Complex fires. The hotline is for evacuees only, not general fire information. The staffed hotline can be reached at 408-808-7778. Evacuation resource centers are also available for affected residents. The resource centers are staffed by the American Red Cross and serve to assess the needs of individuals and families impacted by the evacuations and determine appropriate resources. These are not shelters but serve to assist residents with temporary relocation. The evacuation resource centers are located at: The Milpitas Library – 160 N. Main St. in Milpitas. Ann Sobrato High School – 401 Burnett Ave. in Morgan Hill CONTRA COSTA COUNTY Check https://www.contracosta.ca.gov or @cccounty for updates. SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY San Joaquin County OES: @SJC_OES An evacuation assistance line can be reached at 209-953-6277 RedCross Evacuation Point – St Bernard’s Catholic Church Holy Family Center, 12100 W Valpico Road, Tracy, CA STANISLAUS COUNTY Stanislaus OES: @StanEmergency Sheriff’s Dept: @StanSheriff American Red Cross Evacuation Center is Creekside Middle School located at 535 Peregrine Drive in Patterson. For more info contact CalFire at (669) 247-7431 Any evacuated residents from Del Puerto Canyon Road who need to check on livestock, please contact Stanislaus Sheriff’s Office at 209-207-2073 RIVER AND CARMEL FIRES – Monterey County For the latest information, visit: River Fire: River Fire | Welcome to CAL FIRE Carmel Fire: Carmel Fire | Welcome to CAL FIRE Pet-friendly shelters SPCA Monterey County is managing sheltering needs for evacuees. Call for assistance: 831-264-5455. Large animals – call 831-264-5455 Marina Equestrian Center is available for any horse or livestock that need a safe place. Call 831-239-3067. California Rodeo Salinas: Anyone arriving before 5 p.m. can call 831-775-3100. After hours, there will be personnel at the grounds to help evacuees find pens and take down information. Owners of the livestock are asked to bring feed and water buckets. How to help: To donate pet food or supplies, contact SPCA Monterey County: ‭831-264-5431‬.

 

[jward]

animal/pet resources from Red Rover's list continued: Social media Note: Always use caution when posting personal information or using information posted on social networking sites. RedRover cannot vouch for the accuracy or intention of any of the links below. Popular hashtags: #RiverFire, #RiverFire2020, #CarmelFire @Monterey Co Sheriff: https://twitter.com/MCoSheriff, CALFIREBEU: https://twitter.com/CALFIREBEU CZU LIGHTNING COMPLEX – San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties Resources for pet owners For evacuation orders and incident updates: @calfireCZU Information Line: 831-335-6717 Pet-friendly shelters SANTA CRUZ COUNTY For help with animal evacuations, contact the Santa Cruz Animal Shelter at 831-471-1182. Evacuation site for the county and livestock is Watsonville County Fairgrounds, 2601 E Lake Ave, Watsonville, CA 95076. Call to confirm space if needed. (Via KSBW) Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Twitter: @SantaCruzSO1 SAN MATEO COUNTY Large animal evacuation assistance: Call HMB Feed & Fuel: 650-450-0520,650-450-0516 or 650-773-8780 If you need assistance with your pets, you can contact the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA. Evacuated pet owners who need sheltering for their animals can bring them to our shelter at 12 Airport Blvd in San Mateo. Please call us at 650-340-7022 for questions. (Via NBC Bay Area) San Mateo County Sheriff’s Twitter: @SMCSheriff AUGUST COMPLEX FIRE – 35 fires – Mendocino National Forest GLENN COUNTY Animal Shelter is open at the Glenn County Fairgrounds, 221 E Yolo St. Orland, Ca 95963. The animal shelter is currently staffed by Glenn County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control staff and local volunteers. Evacuees should call when they are in route or arrive at the shelter – 1-530-720-7152. Fire updates are posted to the sheriff’s Facebook page, and information is available through the Mendocino National Forest, 530-640-1168. Twitter: @GlennCountyOES #GlennCounty #AugustComplex #IvoryFire (Via KRCRTV) JONES FIRE – Nevada County Animal Evacuation Center – Nevada County Fairgrounds, 11228 McCourtney Rd, Grass Valley, CA 95949 https://twitter.com/CALFIRENEU #JonesIncident Social media Note: Always use caution when posting personal information or using information posted on social networking sites. RedRover cannot vouch for the accuracy or intention of any of the links below. Facebook: CAL FIRE Twitter: Popular hashtags: #CZULightningComplex @calfireCZU Additional useful links with updated info Cal Fire Sonoma-Napa-Lake Unit Cal Fire Sonoma-Napa-Lake Unit Solano County Sheriff’s Department Vacaville Fire District Fairfield Police Department Marin County Fire Sign up for Nixle Alerts for Solano County, Sonoma County, Napa County (Last updated 8/21/20, 3:25 pm Pacific)

 

[Troke]

Had a course in Botany over 70 yrs ago so...................somebody here might have more current info.

The vegetation burning is most likely a 'fire type' that needs fire to regenerate. So a fire needs to come through every few years. When it does, it burns "cool' because of a low accumulation of fuel so it releases the seeds already in the soil. And the roots stay to stabilize the soil.

However if fire is prevented over the years so fuel builds up, you get what we have now, a fire so hot it sterilizes the soil and burns the roots clean so the soil is liable to avalanche. I think you will see aerial seeding after the fire hoping to get it stabilized before a real rain hits. .

The Big Trees are relatively impervious to fire unless undergrowth is allowed to grow high enough to provide a 'ladder' of fire into the foliage at the top of the Big Tree. And this happens because the environmentalists absolutely refuse to allow commercial (gag) logging on the grounds of their sacred areas.
And the agencies don't have the funding to pay loggers to do it.

 

[Melodi]

If the Redwoods are just scorched but standing they may make it, fire is actually one of their two means of reproduction.

But if the fire burned too hot (as often happens in firestorms, especially these days) the trees burn to the ground and are lost, I have heard mixed reports so far on the outcome of this one, this time.

 

[Gercarson]

WOO WOO - yes, I DO believe this is all done by weather control and nefarious globalist activity to bring America to our knees. Yes, I DO believe that hurricanes and horrible weather is also part of that demonic agenda. Other highly educated conspiracy theorists have given detailed information.
MIRROR Plans to BurnUp CA with DEWs Deborah Tavares (2015-2020)

 

[Troke]

WOO WOO - yes, I DO believe this is all done by weather control and nefarious globalist activity to bring America to our knees. Yes, I DO believe that hurricanes and horrible weather is also part of that demonic agenda. Other highly educated conspiracy theorists have given detailed information.
MIRROR Plans to BurnUp CA with DEWs Deborah Tavares (2015-2020)

Looks as if they are trying to bring China to its knees too.

 

[AlaskaSue]

My firefighter/medic niece is working there now (she's the one who got the family together to surprise me with a Grand Canyon raft trip with her next year); usually fights fires in Alaska - 5 million acres burning is not out of the ordinary but usually there is no one living in most of that space. Oddly (actually really oddly), this has been a pretty fire-free summer for this state. So she packed up to head south for work and is now working in Cali as a firefighter/medic. We are, naturally, praying for all those involved; she's a pretty awesome Christian/Conservative (not yet 30) and one of the funniest people I know. If you are inclined to add her to your prayers it would be lovely.

Mom grew up in that area and talked about the old orange groves that were everywhere there; I hate seeing all the tragedies in that former bit of paradise.

 

[marsh]

I actually believe it is all part of the solar minimum cycle. That cycle is transitioning much of Californis to a dry savannah. Forests are being replaced by grasslands. Conversely, as you see in east coast winters, the Atlantic currents/magnetics may be changing - bringing on more of a glacial period over time.


ref: http://wiki.iceagefarmer.com/images...h_Ecosystem_Type_Classification_v2_(2011).png

 

[Double_A]

Damm the smoke has been horrible. Outside it will go from Blue sky to darkness when smoke comes over.

Until a couple of days ago temps in my bedroom in the low 90's at 10:30PM with windows closed to keep out smoke. I don't have A/C

Can't contact any of my friends that live in Santa Cruz or more importantly up the coast in the White House Canyon Road area (that maybe up in San Mateo Co.) he's next to Big Basin State park, which is reported by the media as Destroyed, I'm guessing they mean the park Headquarters etc.

 

[jward]

You might try a fine, wetted cloth over your screen to catch the smoke and particles. The added advantage is a cool cloth will help cool your room as well.

Red cross is set up with names, perhaps you can check for your friends through that clearing house? I believe I saw a link on this thread, or the twitter thread.
Please take good care of you and yours. We're keeping y'all in our prayers.

 

[Double_A]

Traffic & Road Closures Map Central Calif



Red circles with white bar are Road closures. Fires in the Hills east of San Jose have very few roads, so even with fires there is really not a lot of roads to close.

 

[gillmanNSF]

I live in the geographic center of San Francisco on the eastern slope of Twin Peaks and experienced the thunder and lightning storm last weekend, which started many of the fires producing all this smoke. Smoke started arriving in my area on Wednesday from the Woodward fire at Point Reyes. I've been using air quality monitoring at purpleair.com and the satellite images from windy.com, as well as the smell test to know when to open my windows and obtain fresh air. It's worked quite well over the last four days. I liken it to Crematoria in the Riddick movie where they wait until optimal conditions to open the vents and allow fresh air in, lol. Our optimal time is when the sea breeze picks up and blows more easterly around 2:30 pm and stays that way for about 90 minutes before changing again and allowing the Pt. Reyes smoke plume back over the eastern portion of the City with my neighborhood right at the edge. It's when I take my shower to air out the bathroom afterward and when I do household chores.

I use fans to all day and night to create a breeze and allow evaporative cooling on the skin as long as we don't move around too much. Even at night, it's much cooler outside, but we can't open the windows due the to smoke. It's 75 degrees outside now and the sun-facing windows have been covered all day long to block radiant heat. It's been relatively easy to endure so far and I've gotten into a rythym. Cooking is done stovetop. I may try to make dinner using the oven during this 90 minute, smoke free window.

I'm surprised that many of my neighbors are not heeding the extra precautions to manage the smoke. Perhaps they have had enough with the pandemic. It's an entirely different face covering if you're going to spend time outside. I used my N95 mask to go out and move my truck for street cleaning yesterday and I didn't smell any smoke. People are still using cloth or surgical masks; the postman, the delivery guys, people walking their dogs. While the level of smoke has not been as bad as some areas, it is the prolonged exposure that is unhealthy and, for now, we don't know how much longer this will last.

 

[jward]

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wildfire
LIVE: Track air quality levels impacted by smoke from San Francisco Bay Area wildfires

By Drew Tuma

LIVE: Track air quality levels across the Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The Bay Area is dealing with some of the worst air quality in years thanks to wildfires raging around the region.

Watch the video player above or click here to track air quality levels where you live.

VIDEO: Bay Area air quality worst in the world as wildfires rage in all but one county

Frequently, the air quality in many locations will fluctuate into the unhealthy category for several hours as smoke gets trapped near the surface. Spare the Air alerts have been issued for the next several days through Sunday.

Each morning as winds are light, expect to see some of the worst air quality as smoke is allowed to linger. In the afternoon, expect onshore winds to pick up which will allow for some relief from the smoke. However, those winds can funnel narrow bands of smoke from fires over a specific town which can create locally unhealthy air quality.

This is the pattern we are in for the next week as high pressure dominates the West Coast. We really need a significant storm to rid us of a lot of this smoke and that is not on the horizon. If firefighters can make major progress on any fire, that will help our air quality by lessening the amount of smoke.

Live: Track Bay Area air quality levels

Smoke from Northern California wildfires has triggered deteriorating air quality across the Bay Area. Track the levels where you live here.

abc7news.com