canyonrat
Veteran Knee Dragger
It's just awful here. Many friends lost their homes. One client were we just finished working lost their home. Many more threatened.
THE NEXT HUGH FIRE WAVE WILL BEGIN SOON.
I picked up a really close friend at 7am Monday in a shopping parking lot. He had his clothes, cell, and wallet. He was covered in ash. In total shock. He's a retired brilliant Doctor, but stood there looking like an old confused befuddled man. He lost everything including his dog. His wife was away visiting their children.
I've driven by the Veterans Building many times. Today at 9am was the worse. I saw a husband and wife in pajamas with one small suitcase, three 8 year oldish children in pajamas, no shoes on, hair all messed up. All were covered in a bit of ash. Slowly walking along the sidewalk heading toward the Veterans Building. There are thousands there right now.
I live near to the police station in Santa Rosa and on PG&E power grid 1 (hospitals, police, medical buildings). PG&E will keep us powered as long as they can.
What the news is not saying.
Thousands of small fires burn with no firefighters present. Firefighters are mostly not fighting fires but evacuating people. This afternoon or evening is the final stand. By reading between the lines, it looks like most of the firefighters will be defending Santa Rosa. It should be spectacular. The greatest urban aerial fire fighting bombing in history should occur soon. The winds need to be stronger so the planes can see the ground. I'm hoping both 747 bombers are used. That will be cool to see 747's just 100 feet above houses! Rumor has it that two D10 Caterpillars will be positioned deep in the city to be used IF NEEDED to create fire breaks, meaning they will bulldoze houses. Winds are picking up right now. Official forecasts are for winds at about 25. My gut says 40.
The worse case. If you see on TV flames coming down a hill side and in the foreground is the tall Flamingo Hotel sign/pillar then that means the fire will be entering the center of Santa Rosa. If that happens what we will see is embers floating everywhere, then one will get sucked up through the eve vent of a house and land on 60 year old dry timber in the attics and BOOM the house explodes in flames and it sends more embers to the next house. Roughly every 10th home. This is called the “slow march” and is about impossible to stop or even slow. The final defensive line with be (guesstimate except for Fourth St) North St to Fourth St to Mission Blvd. That's when (guess and rumor) the D10's would be used. These neighborhoods are old and have lots of vegetation and trees with those trees covering/canopying the streets which will keep the fire trucks from going into/under them. The area to be protected south of Fourth St is called the Memorial Hospital Neighborhood and contains many medical buildings, convalescent hospitals, the police/fire HQ, AND MY HOUSE! If the fire is held to those defensive lines then we would see the most expensive disaster in the United States history...around 65 billion dollars. And we will see all lanes of HWY 101 switched to south bond as 40,000 flee.
It is likely our three main parks in town will burn 100%. Annadel State Park which is one of the best mountain bike parks in the country, Spring lake, and Howarth Park. Almost no resources are on that fire with just some structure defense on the western side of the parks.
Most efforts are on the Tubbs fire north of Santa Rosa.
Oakmont is more defensible with houses more spread out and well kept yards.
The news keeps talking about recovery, I think this is too soon, and gives people the false sense that things are getting better/ending.
THE NEXT HUGH FIRE WAVE WILL BEGIN SOON.
I picked up a really close friend at 7am Monday in a shopping parking lot. He had his clothes, cell, and wallet. He was covered in ash. In total shock. He's a retired brilliant Doctor, but stood there looking like an old confused befuddled man. He lost everything including his dog. His wife was away visiting their children.
I've driven by the Veterans Building many times. Today at 9am was the worse. I saw a husband and wife in pajamas with one small suitcase, three 8 year oldish children in pajamas, no shoes on, hair all messed up. All were covered in a bit of ash. Slowly walking along the sidewalk heading toward the Veterans Building. There are thousands there right now.
I live near to the police station in Santa Rosa and on PG&E power grid 1 (hospitals, police, medical buildings). PG&E will keep us powered as long as they can.
What the news is not saying.
Thousands of small fires burn with no firefighters present. Firefighters are mostly not fighting fires but evacuating people. This afternoon or evening is the final stand. By reading between the lines, it looks like most of the firefighters will be defending Santa Rosa. It should be spectacular. The greatest urban aerial fire fighting bombing in history should occur soon. The winds need to be stronger so the planes can see the ground. I'm hoping both 747 bombers are used. That will be cool to see 747's just 100 feet above houses! Rumor has it that two D10 Caterpillars will be positioned deep in the city to be used IF NEEDED to create fire breaks, meaning they will bulldoze houses. Winds are picking up right now. Official forecasts are for winds at about 25. My gut says 40.
The worse case. If you see on TV flames coming down a hill side and in the foreground is the tall Flamingo Hotel sign/pillar then that means the fire will be entering the center of Santa Rosa. If that happens what we will see is embers floating everywhere, then one will get sucked up through the eve vent of a house and land on 60 year old dry timber in the attics and BOOM the house explodes in flames and it sends more embers to the next house. Roughly every 10th home. This is called the “slow march” and is about impossible to stop or even slow. The final defensive line with be (guesstimate except for Fourth St) North St to Fourth St to Mission Blvd. That's when (guess and rumor) the D10's would be used. These neighborhoods are old and have lots of vegetation and trees with those trees covering/canopying the streets which will keep the fire trucks from going into/under them. The area to be protected south of Fourth St is called the Memorial Hospital Neighborhood and contains many medical buildings, convalescent hospitals, the police/fire HQ, AND MY HOUSE! If the fire is held to those defensive lines then we would see the most expensive disaster in the United States history...around 65 billion dollars. And we will see all lanes of HWY 101 switched to south bond as 40,000 flee.
It is likely our three main parks in town will burn 100%. Annadel State Park which is one of the best mountain bike parks in the country, Spring lake, and Howarth Park. Almost no resources are on that fire with just some structure defense on the western side of the parks.
Most efforts are on the Tubbs fire north of Santa Rosa.
Oakmont is more defensible with houses more spread out and well kept yards.
The news keeps talking about recovery, I think this is too soon, and gives people the false sense that things are getting better/ending.
