Fires in Southern California - Page 3

kivah · ‎03-11-2010

Yesterday I turned on the news where wildfires were burning in Santa Clarita. So - I thought it was far from my home in north Oxnard (I'm 50 miles south) Then, a local news reporter was at the fire station in Camarillo (a town east of my city) - and said how quickly these fires jump freeways. I then looked out and the sky was filled with black smoke. A little while later, my power went out for one hour. A year ago, the 2 major wildfires were just a few miles west - and south of my house.

I'm glad this started during the day -- rather than overnight - which would have been much scarier.

Our fire-fighters, police and first responders are AMAZING!!!!

kivah · ‎03-11-2010

@phoenixbrd wrote:
Today while driving I was surprised to witness a ridge several miles away with roaring flames. The air was dark grey. I got out of my car and took a picture then called my husband to tell him what I was witnessing and I'd be home shortly. Firetrucks and sirens filled the air. Homes have been burned to the ground. We have an RV housed in an area that you can't access. About 1/2 a mile from us everyone north of that street is under mandated evacuation.

We are calm and watching this unfold...in a matter of a few hours over 3700 acres have been burned. The wind is beginning to calm done but it was predicted to have 40 mile an hour winds and it is dark now so the water drops have stopped. We know if we are evacuated, we grab out little guy, the important papers, and are out the door. I made a comfort food (a veggie sheppard's pie) and we are sitting tight. All is well with us and we are prepared to leave if necessary. Hopefully, we will have good news that overnight the firefighters have been able to suppress this fire. My thoughts are with those who have lost their homes and worldly belongings. Grateful that no lives have been lost.

Are u in Santa Clarita????

phoenixbrd · ‎03-27-2010

I want to thank all who responded, I appreciate your concern. The fire does not seem to be growing larger. There are still many hot spots and houses are still burning but the perimeter has been held. The sky is not as dark and the air quality not as bad as it was yesterday.

Two wonderful things happened today:

1 - We found out that our RV is safe. The Tick fire started about a 1/4 south mile from the RV storage. The fire moved in a southerly direction moving away from the storage area and continued south towards our home and was contained. We are surrounded on three sides by mandatory evacuation but the fire has not jumped the current boundaries. We are still unable to bring the RV home as the roads are still closed and the area still under mandated evacuation. We are thrilled to learn it is undamaged.

2- This morning we were gifted with a beautiful Bird of Paradise flower in our back yard that had bloomed over night amidst chaos, dark skies, and dense air quality. I planted this Bird of Paradise about twenty years ago and it has never bloom before. Mother natures brings its gifts as well as its wrath.

Thank you so much for your posts. I'm sure we are on the downside of this event even though we are being asked to remain vigilant. We are grateful for all the efforts made by so many to keep our community safe from harm....saddened by those who have experienced loss. Thank you for your support during this challenging time.

Caligurll · ‎07-20-2014

@phoenixbrd wrote:
I want to thank all who responded, I appreciate your concern. The fire does not seem to be growing larger. There are still many hot spots and houses are still burning but the perimeter has been held. The sky is not as dark and the air quality not as bad as it was yesterday.

Two wonderful things happened today:
1 - We found out that our RV is safe. The Tick fire started about a 1/4 south mile from the RV storage. The fire moved in a southerly direction moving away from the storage area and continued south towards our home and was contained. We are surrounded on three sides by mandatory evacuation but the fire has not jumped the current boundaries. We are still unable to bring the RV home as the roads are still closed and the area still under mandated evacuation. We are thrilled to learn it is undamaged.

2- This morning we were gifted with a beautiful Bird of Paradise flower in our back yard that had bloomed over night amidst chaos, dark skies, and dense air quality. I planted this Bird of Paradise about twenty years ago and it has never bloom before. Mother natures brings its gifts as well as its wrath.

Thank you so much for your posts. I'm sure we are on the downside of this event even though we are being asked to remain vigilant. We are grateful for all the efforts made by so many to keep our community safe from harm....saddened by those who have experienced loss. Thank you for your support during this challenging time.

@phoenixbrd I'm so happy to hear that the fire danger is diminishing for you. That's really amazing about your Bird of Paradise! Sending positive thoughts into the universe for you.

dulwich · ‎01-18-2012

@phoenixbrd So glad to read your post - keep safe.

shoekitty · ‎03-10-2010

I feel your pain and fear. It is scary. Sometimes it never dawns on you how scary when it is on tv or somewhere else. I live about 30 miles south of san jose. Several years ago we had several fires going at once...from all sides. West, east, south and north of me!! There was one that burned for over a month on the ridge and down the other side . I think it was called the san antonio fire. Reached from Lick Observatory above East foothills in San jose clear to Pacheco Pass the smoke was thick , reached all the way to Stockton. At the same time we had the Uvas fire a few miles away, another small fire a mile a way that was set from sparks from the bigger fire near Mt Madonna. That fire burned forever as well, as the ravines were so deep, narrow, and filled with manzanita, oak and pines. It was the abundance of manzanita that let it smolder for close to 7 weeks. The smoke could be seen for over 100 miles.

the ash from fires covered lawns, cars and air was nasty. Worse than that was Hot weather in the high 90's. It was an awful time, as we all were on alert.. at night the view from my second story was mountain ridges ablaze with orange, red and yellow. Luckily it mainly burned ravines, the range, orchards and fields. Homes were lost in the beginning of Uvas fire. The area was horse country so the rescue of horses was paramount as well.

I remember coming home a dusk and turning off the freeway and seeing fire and smoke in the area of my home. As I got closer and more panicked it seemed the fire was on my street. The horror in my heart was so scary. I thought my heart was going to jump on the hood. All I could think of was my cats locked in the house. As I neared my house I could see the flames were in back of my home, a few miles away. The illusion was something I never have forgotten . Similar to the quake of 1989.

but here I am, another year and safe. Thenk God. But it is indeed a horrible experience. I feel so badly for those suffering through any of the fires.

my poor granddaughter in Tuluca Lake is so bad her asthma has been acting up the last 2 weeks. She swept a pile of ash up off the balcony today. And the fires are several miles away. The smoke permeates everything.

“sometimes you have to bite your upper lip and put sunglasses on”….Bob Dylan

patbz · ‎03-10-2010

@phoenixbrd : I am so sorry to hear you are involved in the Tick Fire. When I lived in CA I was in Ridgecrest,so no forest fires but one year (maybe 15 years ago) there were fires in the foothills of the Sierras and our sky was so black that the Sun was orange.