One dead, hundreds of Northern California homes burn in wildfires

[Oliver King]

One dead, hundreds of Northern California homes burn in wildfires

The natural element is the one and only thing that man can not resist to...
It is absolutely ruthless and scares me more than any other threat.
With the other threats man, especially a whole nation, can deal with.
But instead of destroying the threat, we create them.
The situation in the Middle East, immigrants, racism...
All of this is what we can resolve, but every day we do only worse.

My condolences to the families who have suffered from fires...

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

According to this news story this is the worst drought in California's history. California wasn't in existence 1200 years ago. I'm not sure what they would have called that land / region but it wasn't California. The author is mistaken on at least one other point as well. It isn't about climate change.

California just had its worst drought in over 1200 years, as temperatures and risks rise | Dana Nuccitelli

A new paper published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters by Griffin & Anchukaitis concludes that the 2012–2014 drought in California was its most intense in at least 1,200 years.

One other error I noticed - they speak of the California drought in past tense. I do not believe it is over.
Another 2 or 3 years of drought? Report looks at what it might mean

Should the current drought extend for another two or three years, most California cities and much of the state's agriculture would be able to manage, but the toll on small rural communities dependent on well-water and on wetlands and wildlife could be extensive.

That was the assessment of a new study from the Public Policy Institute of California, released late Tuesday.

Bearing the ominous title “What If California Drought Continues,” the report cautions that “it would not be prudent to count on El Nino to end the drought.”

 

[ScienceRocks]

WTF? In Califorina's and recorded history. You know the period where we've recorded this kind of data! Right? 1850's, 1840's....

A big drought and shows that we need upgrades in that states ability to supply water.

 

[waltky]

Sequoias threatened by California wildfires...

California wildfires threaten sequoias
Thu, Sep 17, 2015 - ‘NATIONAL TREASURES’: King’s Canyon National Park and Sequoia National Forest are home to a number of famous trees, including General Grant and the Boole Tree

Wildfires sweeping across California are threatening the US state’s famed sequoia trees, with firefighters scrambling to protect the national treasures. The so-called Rough Fire, the largest of more than a dozen burning across northern and central California, has edged closer to the giant trees in recent days with firefighters scrambling to protect them. “The fire has moved into a number of sequoia groves in King’s Canyon National Park and Sequoia National Forest and we are taking preventive measures to make sure nothing happens to them,” park spokesman Mike Theune told reporters.

Of particular concern is the General Grant tree, the second-largest sequoia in the world. It stands 81.7m tall. Theune said firefighters are monitoring the tree round-the-clock, spraying water and clearing the area around Grant grove. “We have some of the best firefighters in the world working on this fire in order to protect these national treasures,” he said. Theune said crews had also installed a sprinkler system around the Boole Tree, the sixth-largest tree in the world. Although the sequoias, which are a major attraction for tourists worldwide, need low-intensity fires to reproduce, extreme heat like that from the Rough Fire is too much for the giants to handle.

Firefighters watch as the so-called Valley Fire flares up in the town of Middletown, California

The Rough Fire has burned 56,251.3 hectares near Sequoia and King’s Canyon National Parks. More than 3,700 firefighters are battling the blaze, which is 40 percent contained, according to the US Forest Service. Thousands of firefighters further north are also battling two fast-moving wildfires — the Valley Fire and the Butte Fire — that erupted over the weekend. The blazes killed at least one person, forced the evacuation of more than 23,000 and destroyed more than 700 homes. Of the two fires, the Valley Fire has been the most devastating and difficult to contain. Officials said 9,000 homes are still threatened in the area.

Middletown, a small hamlet north of San Francisco, was completely gutted by the flames that left an apocalyptic scene and shocked even seasoned firefighters with its speed and strength. Residents trickled back to the town on Tuesday to check on their still smoldering homes. Officials said at least 400 homes and businesses had burned to the ground. “Everyone in here could tell you a horror story you wouldn’t believe,” said Ashley Mayhew, manager at Hardester’s, a market in the heart of Middletown that stayed open during the inferno. She said desperate residents had flooded the store over the weekend, buying everything from water, groceries, tools and other supplies. “People ... were hosing down their houses to try to save them,” Mayhew told reporters.

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See also:

Two more dead, several missing in California wildfire
Sept. 17, 2015 -- Two men were found dead and at least one other was missing early Thursday after fast-moving wildfires swept through Northern California communities and leveled hundreds of homes.

Mark McCloud, 66, was found dead beneath the rubble of his home a few miles east of the town of San Andreas in Northern California. A second man, who was not identified, was found a few miles away in the remnants of his home. Both men had refused to evacuate as the fast-moving Butte Fire moved through their communities, destroying 233 homes. Earlier this week, investigators identified retired schoolteacher Barbara McWilliams, 72, as the first victim in the blazes that have engulfed the northern areas of the state.

The burned remains of houses and vehicles sit destroyed Monday.

Investigators were continuing their search for Leonard Neft, a former San Jose Mercury News reporter, who has been missing for days. Family last spoke with Neft on Saturday night as he was evacuating his home. Both of his vehicles, which were destroyed by fire, have been found. Police said others were missing as well. At the same time, law enforcement were dealing with looters in the Valley Fire burn zones. At least three people were taken into custody after moving past manned blockades.

As of early Thursday, the Valley Fire had grown to 70,200 acres and was 35 percent contained. The Butte Fire was 71,800 acres and 47 percent contained. Wednesday, President Obama called California Gov. Jerry Brown for an update about the wildfires and to express gratitude to those working to combat the blazes. Obama vowed to fix the way the nation pays for wildfire suppression efforts, reducing the risk of more catastrophic wildfires.

Two more dead, several missing in California wildfire

 

[CrusaderFrank]

WTF? In Califorina's and recorded history. You know the period where we've recorded this kind of data! Right? 1850's, 1840's....

A big drought and shows that we need upgrades in that states ability to supply water.

Why do CA Democrats hate infrastructure?

 

[ScienceRocks]

WTF? In Califorina's and recorded history. You know the period where we've recorded this kind of data! Right? 1850's, 1840's....

A big drought and shows that we need upgrades in that states ability to supply water.

Why do CA Democrats hate infrastructure?

Then allow your party to write a bill with funding.

 

[waltky]

Firefighters injured, dozens of homes destroyed in California wildfire...

'Ferocious' California wildfire leaves residents little time to flee
Friday, Jun. 24, 2016 - A wildfire that roared across dry brush and trees in the mountains of central California gave residents little time to flee as flames burned homes to the ground, propane tanks exploded and smoke obscured the path to safety.

David Klaippel, 78, a retired police officer, said Friday that he didn’t see much of a threat after receiving an automated call advising him to leave. That changed dramatically within an hour Thursday afternoon. “I’ve never been so close to a fast-moving, ferocious fire. It was unbelievable,” said Klaippel, who later learned his house had caught fire. “I almost didn’t have time to get out.” Entire neighbourhoods of mobile homes were charred to their foundations. Heavy smoke hung over the popular recreation area of Lake Isabella, and winds pushed the flames farther into drought-starved terrain to allow the fire to grow to 29 square miles. “The forces of nature collided with a spark,” Kern County Fire Chief Brian Marshall said. “The mountainous terrain, five years of drought and wind gusts of over 20 mph all drove a fire over 11 miles in 13 hours.”

Scorching heat and tinder-dry conditions across the West have ignited massive wildfires in the past week that have destroyed properties and driven residents from their homes in several states. The blaze in the southern Sierra Nevada east of Bakersfield quickly became one of the most devastating, forcing several thousand people to evacuate and putting some 1,500 homes in jeopardy. Three firefighters suffered smoke inhalation, but no other injuries were reported. Crews faced a blaze “of epic proportions” as they tried to protect neighbourhoods, Marshall said. Officials put losses at 80 houses and 20 other buildings, though they said that number will grow as the smoke clears and they do a more thorough check of smouldering neighbourhoods.

The 10 Tanker Air Carrier DC-10 drops a load of fire retardant on the Erskine fire near Lake Isabella, Calif.​

Video from Thursday night showed homes fully engulfed and others already gone as propane tanks flared up and exploded. Flames could be seen in the steep, rocky hillsides early the next morning. When daylight broke, whole neighbourhoods were reduced to rubble. Scorched cars sat on tireless rims and leafless trees poked from barren, blackened dirt. Residents described a frantic flight from communities around the lake, a major destination for boating, fishing, rafting, hiking and camping. Cachet Kirby, 22, of Mount Mesa, said she and neighbours grabbed clothes, blankets and their dogs, fleeing through thick smoke as flames charged down the mountains. “It was to the point you couldn’t see, you couldn’t breathe,” she said.

She and others, exhausted Friday morning after little sleep in shelters and cars, were desperate for information about their homes. “We could have gotten lucky and the wind shifted, or our house could be burned down,” Kirby said. Cellphone service was cut off in many areas, contributing to the anxieties. Very low humidity and gusty winds of up to 55 mph could worsen a blaze that broke out amid high temperatures and climbed over at least three ridges into hillside neighbourhoods, authorities said. “I’ve never been in a wildland fire where I’ve seen so many homes burn,” Kern County fire Capt. Tyler Townsend said. “It’s one of the most devastating I’ve ever seen.”

'Ferocious' California wildfire leaves residents little time to flee

 

[chikenwing]

WTF? In Califorina's and recorded history. You know the period where we've recorded this kind of data! Right? 1850's, 1840's....

A big drought and shows that we need upgrades in that states ability to supply water.

Why do CA Democrats hate infrastructure?

Then allow your party to write a bill with funding.

Who is running the state?
It's not repubs

 

[2aguy]

One dead, hundreds of Northern California homes burn in wildfires

The natural element is the one and only thing that man can not resist to...
It is absolutely ruthless and scares me more than any other threat.
With the other threats man, especially a whole nation, can deal with.
But instead of destroying the threat, we create them.
The situation in the Middle East, immigrants, racism...
All of this is what we can resolve, but every day we do only worse.

My condolences to the families who have suffered from fires...

California needs to make a law that makes wildfires illegal.........

 

[Moonglow]

Damn Muslim flames..

 

[HenryBHough]

California extinguished every small fire for decades.

California rejected controlled burns to clear underbrush.

California is burning.

California is surprised.

Bwahhhhhhh, bwahhhhhhhh, bwahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

 

[RandallFlagg]

Couldn't agree more. Ban ALL wildfires. They kill far too many people.

 

[HenryBHough]

Couldn't agree more. Ban ALL wildfires. They kill far too many people.

California, framed for "gun free zones" where people die like dogs....

Soon to legislate "fire free zones". Wonder how that'll turn out.

 

[TheOldSchool]

Build a wall to keep the fires out. At least until they can be vetted properly.

 

[RandallFlagg]

California already has a wall. It's called MEXICO.

 

[Harry Dresden]

California extinguished every small fire for decades.

California rejected controlled burns to clear underbrush.

California is burning.

California is surprised.

Bwahhhhhhh, bwahhhhhhhh, bwahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

dont forget Arizona,New Mexico,Utah,Colorado and South Carolina....

 

[HenryBHough]

In California, a fence made of recycled soda bottles because trees must not be used to make lumber - they can only (like an American flag) be properly disposed of by burning. But doesn't plastic burn too?

 

[TheOldSchool]

California already has a wall. It's called MEXICO.

Oh the wall didn't stop the fires from coming in? Shocker.

 

[tigerred59]

Before I start, I want to conceed its Obama's fault, he was caught smoking near a dry fig....now with that being said....its time the people of Ca. wake up and understand the dreams of living in isolated wooded areas, has to come to an end...my home owners insurance hikes because you and them fucks in Hurricane south.......need a break!!

 

[waltky]

Wildfire shuts Big Sur park...

Famed Big Sur parks shut as California wildfire rages
Wednesday 27th July, 2016 - California's signature parks along the Big Sur coastline that draw thousands of daily visitors have been shut down as one of the state's two major wildfires threatened the scenic region at the height of the summer tourist season.

Acting governor Tom Torlakson, substituting for governor Jerry Brown, who is at the Democratic National Convention with other top state officials, declared a state of emergency for the fire early on Wednesday. The move frees up funding and relaxes regulations to help with the firefight and the recovery. To the south, firefighters made progress containing a huge blaze in mountains outside Los Angeles, allowing authorities to let most of 20,000 people evacuated over the weekend to return home. In Wyoming, a large backcountry wildfire in the Shoshone National Forest put about 290 homes and guest ranches at risk.

The Big Sur fire threatened a long stretch of pristine, forested mountains hugging the coast and sent smoke billowing over the famed Pacific Coast Highway, which remained open with few if any flames visible to motorists, but a risk that the blaze could reach beloved campgrounds, lodges and redwoods near the shore. "It is folly to predict where this fire will go," said California state parks spokesman Dennis Weber. The Los Angeles-area fire has destroyed 18 homes since it started and over the weekend authorities discovered a burned body in a car, identified on Tuesday as a man who refused to be evacuated.

A hillside erupts in flame as a wildfire burns in Placerita Canyon in Santa Clarita​

A woman living in the house Robert Bresnick, 67, was visiting left with firefighters but he went back inside. His body was found about 20 minutes later on Saturday in the car after flames tore through the neighbourhood, said Los Angeles County coroner's assistant Ed Winter. The Big Sur closures were put into place for parks that draw 7,500 visitors daily from around the world for their dramatic vistas of ocean and mountains. Campgrounds were closed because of the dangers smoke could pose to visitors but could reopen soon if the blaze is held back by firefighters, Mr Weber said. Jim Newby, a Phoenix-area tourist, drove along the Pacific Coast Highway with his family and was disappointed at the smoke. "We wanted to see more of the ocean," he said. "We didn't see a whole lot of it unfortunately, and it's a beautiful, beautiful stretch."

The park shutdowns came as a fire that started on Friday just north of Big Sur grew on Tuesday to 30 square miles but was just 10% contained. Twenty homes have burned in the zone, residents of 300 more were ordered to evacuate and more than 2,000 firefighters were trying to douse the blaze. The Wyoming fire in a remote region burned nearly 11 square miles and forced the evacuations of 900 people but no homes had burned by Tuesday afternoon, authorities said. In neighbouring Bridger-Teton National Forest, a fire grew to 26 square miles and was partially contained. Two smaller fires were burning in the Bighorn National Forest. In Southern California, the fire in rugged wilderness between the northern edge of Los Angeles and the suburban city of Santa Clarita grew to 58 and a half square miles.

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