As some of my readers may know, I have a cabin in the Sierra Nevada mountains about 91 miles from where I once worked. I was in Sacramento in the early afternoon when my cell phone received a fire alert from a local newspaper. You can see the incident I am referring to above, and via this story.
My wife and I drove both our vehicles up to my cabin and frenetically began loading in anticipation of an evacuation, which was already in progress about four miles away.
This is what we faced when we got up here: in five minutes, determine what your most valued treasures are. How could you decide in that time frame?
At this point it is 8:30 PM and light is fading rapidly. Both our vehicles are packed with what we triaged. Our neighbor, who watched the entire incident from the overlook of a friend’s house, said he saw plane after plane after plane pour retardant with great efficacy, knocking down what he typified as “at least 100-foot flames.” He has since told me CalFire has knocked the blaze down, though there are some areas burning towards a more populated town called Grass Valley.
But I haven’t stopped loading the cars and I won’t now. I’m actively monitoring the news and the CalFire site. I’ve finally gotten my most valued treasures loaded. I’m not taking any chances. They are now going down the hill.
More information to follow. The night always tends to recede a fire, and the morning tends to make things grow again. The wind appears to be on our side, for the time being. More information at Yubanet.com for those in the area.
Officials now think the fire may be man-made. There have been no thunderstorms in the area and I believe it was due to human activity, a campfire, carelessness:
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said officials are looking for information on a vehicle seen leaving the area near where the fire began. It was described as a 4×4 white Jeep Wrangler with a black roll bar and without a top or front doors. The vehicle was seen near Gold Run and Dutch Flat about 2:30 p.m. Anyone with information can call the Placer or Nevada county sheriff’s departments.
Talk about water-tight.
A few prayers sent our way wouldn’t hurt.
BZ
I don’t have much to say. Comments won’t let me get by with a one word, “Wow.”
I gathered up my most valued possessions and left back down the mountains to my wife’s house. It is 5 AM and the news is that the fire still threatens north. If the winds backtrack and move south or east, my home will be cut off and evacuations forced.
It’s a minute-by-minute thing.
BZ
Stay safe. We had a similar issue last year, tossed cigarette into a dry grassy ditch about a mile from our home. If it hadn’t been for the wind in the right direction and lots of flame retardant…
good luck to you
We a living in the 21st Century but wildfires, storms, and volcanoes remind us we are as vulnerable as our stone age ancestors.
Here is hoping you dodge this bullet.
Thanks. Still waiting. Apparently the winds may change on Monday. Don’t know yet.
BZ
Prayers were in place before this was even posted! Prayerfully, Dawnie Baby
Thanks kindly. Taking all I can get.
BZ
At least you got in and got out what you could. Proactive rather than reactive, but I’d expect nothing less from y’all. Stay safe. Thoughts and prayers.
Thanks. More incentive to sell and get out of the state after my wife retires.
BZ