My friends house in the line of fire

[Topcat]

Another fire up in the Santa Cruz hills. My buddy and his family are right in it's path. Empire Grade in Bonny Doon. About 10 miles from Santa Cruz. I just got off the phone with him and he's all packed and animals he has are all rounded up in cages ready to put in his pick up. A reverse 911 was called out to all in that area. He's staying till the very last possible moment. He's been there over 30 or more years. God I'll be so sad if he loses his place. He has an old restored flathead ford in the shed. That'll go up. This is going to be a really bad fire season out here I fear. Not likely will it be the last just in our area either. You may know we just got over one out here a few weeks ago. 32 houses burned. 9 million bucks damage.

[bb71challenger]

I hope the fire passes by his house and everyone elses. Instead of waiting till the last minute why doesnt he move that old flathead ford before he has to leave?

[FY1Cuda]

 

That sucks, the fires have been bad so far.  Hopefully nothing will happen to him.

[Topcat]

I hope the fire passes by his house and everyone elses. Instead of waiting till the last minute why doesnt he move that old flathead ford before he has to leave?

If he had a trailer, which he doesn't, he could've hauled it out. But when there's a forest fire, there's really no telling how much time till it reaches where ever you are in the area. No one to tell you "T minus 1 hour"
Too many priorities.

Even if he drove it down the hill, they wouldn't let him back to his place again. Animals and everything first.
During the big San Diego fire, dozens of classics were lost.

I lost contact with him, he had to rush and couldn't talk more.
I'm worried for them. He has such a nice spread up on top of the hill with Redwoods all around.

[LAA66]

 Sorry to hear the situation. I remember following the last fire in the Santa Cruz mountians on the news. Things can change fast in either direction and night is not the best time to make the decision. Better to be safe.  

[bb71challenger]

Oh I didnt know the fire was so close they would not let him out and back in. Sure hope it spares the area.

[4Cruizn]

Sad situation . . . 

[NoMope Greg]

If he had a trailer, which he doesn't, he could've hauled it out. But when there's a forest fire, there's really no telling how much time till it reaches where ever you are in the area. No one to tell you "T minus 1 hour"
Too many priorities.

Even if he drove it down the hill, they wouldn't let him back to his place again. Animals and everything first.
During the big San Diego fire, dozens of classics were lost.

Too true.  I have a co-worker that lives in a community called Deerhorn Valley, up in the hills east of San Diego.  When the fires started last year (on my birthday - one of those things you don't forget), he was home watching Sunday Night Football when the reverse 911 call went out.  He and his wife packed some things into their bus conversion RV and pickup truck and drove to a safe place about 30 minutes away.  When he went back to get his Corvette convertible and whatever else they could get, the sheriff had closed the road.  They got back in five days later to complete devastation.  All that was left of the 'Vette was a lump that had been the engine and trans and four aluminum "plates" that were the melted wheels.    They've been living in the bus since then.  The worst part was that they had moved up there only the year before - their little slice of paradise.  Fortunately for them, they're going to rebuild.

[72bluNblu]

Best of luck to your friend TC, hopefully with the wind dying down the firefighters will be able to get things under control in Santa Cruz. My old man is up fighting the Humboldt fire in Butte county, it started this afternoon and is already 6000+ acres, with plenty of evacuations. Last report had that fire spotting over 2 miles ahead of the main fire, no way to figure timing on that one at all, best to just get out fast.  I missed being involved in the Jackson fire (Sacramento county) yesterday by about 6 hours, where one of our captains suffered burns. Just happened I was going off-shift yesterday morning.

Everyone would like to say that its just all "stuff" as long as you can get out with your life, and although that's true, its still a horrible ordeal to go through. I'll keep my fingers crossed for your friend's house.

[Aussie Challenger]

  My heart goes out to families and anybody in fire areas. Where I live in the Yarra Valley east of Melbourne, every summer there are forest fires and the fire doesn't stop for anything. Millions of dollars damage, people hurt, brave men and women who fight these fires also risk their own lives to try and stop these fires. Every year we have firemen from America, Canada and New Zealand come to help us, thats dedication.
  Pray for rain and a wind change, I pray that nobody gets hurt. 

[72bluNblu]

The "humboldt" fire in butte county is now over 20,000 acres. Officially 10 houses lost, although sources on the fire say 20-30. 1,300 firefighters on the fire, with as many as 100 strike teams on the way (1 strike team = 5 fire engines). 10,000 people evacuated, with 5000 homes in harms way tonight. Less than 10% contained.

The "martin" fire (santa cruz/bonny doon) is over 1000 acres now, with 1700 people evacuated at this time. Burning slower than the humboldt fire, but still only 5% contained.

Best of luck to any of those with houses/family/friends in these areas.

[Rare_T_A]

We will be praying for some rain for you guys. It's crazy that it won't quit raining here and you have none.

[Topcat]

The good news is that we had a layer of Fog move in from offshore last night that lowered the land temp. This slowed down the fire and they have some progress going pretty good now on getting it out. Looks like it might not make it up to his mountain top. One windy day can change all that still.


The floods and tornadoes haven't been good news either out in the midwest. It's been a rough start all over this summer all over the country.

[hannah]

Really sorry to hear about your friend and all that live in the area. Fires are so scary cause you never know which direction they will take.

Two of my aunties lost their homes in San Bernardino when 50 houses went up in flames few years back...I know "things" are replaceable but it is still hard to lose everything. Am glad to hear the fire has slowed up some

Weather everywhere is weird and scary right now...we have already had numerous tornado watches...few tornado warnings...and two touch down in the last week...and it is not even summer yet !! Most have been out of the city but last Friday they put the city under tornado watch and that is just too close

Prayers that all stay safe from harm