Fires in Napa and Sonoma California

Kasey

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We were driving home from our vacation in Mendocino yesterday, and at one point, essentially outrunning wildfires. Part of HWY 101 at Santa Rosa was completely closed off. Residents of Sonoma were fantastic about helping guide traffic from the highway through detour routes, acting as amateur patrolmen and women, all the while their own city being in danger. Driving past charred bushes directly on the highway, and seeing entire hills blackened that cows were still trying to graze on, along with ash and horrific smoke, made for an extended and somewhat dystopian drive home. I had to wash both my car and my dog today, as well as my already clean vacation clothes, because even in the car, they were smokey. Being that wildfires are the most treacherous disaster that we routinely face here in Northern Nevada as well (and the fact that our old family home came perilously close to being lost several times over the years due to fire), my heart goes out to Northern California, and prayers also to the firefighters who are working so hard to protect lives and homes.
 

Tinami Amori

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I know... I thought this morning my neighbors started smoking, was happy for 10 minutes to imagine i have a place now to borrow smokes.

shooot.... i don't know what is better, to drive up there to help to look for animals, or to sit and keep working so i can send money... i don't know if "$/hr" that i can earn and send is more helpful than using same hour helping a shelter or searching.
Looks sad... http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/66/46/33/14313175/3/920x920.jpg
 

AxelAnnie

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I know... I thought this morning my neighbors started smoking, was happy for 10 minutes to imagine i have a place now to borrow smokes.

shooot.... i don't know what is better, to drive up there to help to look for animals, or to sit and keep working so i can send money... i don't know if "$/hr" that i can earn and send is more helpful than using same hour helping a shelter or searching.
Looks sad... http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/66/46/33/14313175/3/920x920.jpg
Nice thought. They are asking that people stay out of the area. So that is probably the best guide.
 

Tinami Amori

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Nice thought. They are asking that people stay out of the area. So that is probably the best guide.
I know.. I had a situation during Oakland/Piedmont fires, looking for pets in the houses. There was a police line, i had to climb in through the woods, police got me, thinking i was a looter, fortunately there was a dog barking in one of the houses and i had my ASPSA member card with me... We got the dog out and i still got a trespassing citation... which was worth it, but still.

But i can't find any official groups up in Napa who are officially searching.... don't even know where to call.
 

AxelAnnie

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I know.. I had a situation during Oakland/Piedmont fires, looking for pets in the houses. There was a police line, i had to climb in through the woods, police got me, thinking i was a looter, fortunately there was a dog barking in one of the houses and i had my ASPSA member card with me... We got the dog out and i still got a trespassing citation... which was worth it, but still.

But i can't find any official groups up in Napa who are officially searching.... don't even know where to call.
I think it is the same situation here. They are not letting people in.
I have not read anything about organized groups going in. Most of the shelters are asking for cash rather than things (like food or beds, etc.)

I know our barn took in 50 horses. A lot of animals are at the Sonoma Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa.

They just cancelled the schools here for the rest of the week. I suspect, aside from the air quality, the logistics of which kids could get to school, and which teachers could, coupled with the fact that some of the schools are being used as shelters must have been impossible to even try to put together.
 

myhoneyhoney

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I live in the East Bay and we're breathing in smoke. Both of my kids' schools are keeping them indoors. Football practice was reduced to gym workout and watching film for the second day in a row. The kids and I are buying supplies to donate tomorrow.
 

Vash01

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Sounds horrible. I am very familiar with California (bay area in particular; have relatives there) and used to visit Sonoma county too. If the people in the bay area are having difficulty due to the smoke, this is really awful, and even worse for the people in Sonoma county and Mendocino. I know some people there too. I need to contact my friend who lives in Sausalito to see how they are doing.
 

Buzz

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Amount the dead are an elderly couple. He was 100 and his wife was 98. They died because they couldn't leave. So far 17 have died in total that we know off. Prayers to all the victims and their loved ones. Stay safe to everyone in danger.
 

AxelAnnie

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Sounds horrible. I am very familiar with California (bay area in particular; have relatives there) and used to visit Sonoma county too. If the people in the bay area are having difficulty due to the smoke, this is really awful, and even worse for the people in Sonoma county and Mendocino. I know some people there too. I need to contact my friend who lives in Sausalito to see how they are doing.
Sausalito is ok.....except for the smoke. My daughter lives in Tiburon / Belvedere (just up from Sausalito). The smoke is an absolute horror thought. The kids are back in school today, but no outside play.

The winds are picking up again.....which means there will be more fire flares. Resources are spread so thin that it is near to impossible to have fire and police where they need to be. And people (who can blame them) want to get back and see what happened to their home or business............but the police and fire, etc., don't need more people in the area. Things are so fluid you can't tell what is going to pop up next. And, the winds are picking up. I am at my office (which has no insulation from the outside, and my eyes are starting to water and my throat hurt).

I feel so bad about the horses. They can't get out, and they have no protection from the smoke. At least a dog or cat you can take inside.
 

Tinami Amori

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@IceAlisa Aren't you Bay Area too? I hope you're ok!
She is ok. her cats OK. we spoke (emailed each other) a day ago. She is far from fires.

Cant even imagine what this must be like, let alone trying to work through it. Stay safe, @Axel Annie, @Kasey, @TinamiAmori, @myhoneyhoney. I hope this terror and suffering is over soon.

Guys thanks! there are NO horrors to imagine for our areas, we're fine and would not have even known about the fires if not for news and smoke. The horrors are in the fire areas, so our suffering is internal - various concerns, not physical threats.
 

Vagabond

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List of wineries damaged or destroyed in the Wine Country fires.

And for those young whippersnappers at Beltane Ranch (not who think being founded in 1982 makes their winery historic:

White Rock Vineyards, 1115 Loma Vista Dr., Napa: Owned by the Vandendriessche family since 1870, the winery confirmed it was destroyed by the fire that ravaged nearby Soda Canyon Road.

The Mercury News list may also omit some vineyards that are not at the same premises as the pertinent winery itself.

ETA: The Wine Spectator has updated damage reports from wineries:

http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/California-Fires-Updates-on-Wineries
 
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Kasey

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The air quality here in Reno has gone from "Good" to "Moderate" to "Unsafe for sensitive groups" in the last 36 hours. We're 3+ hours away from the fire area. It was hellish driving through there on Monday; I can't imagine what it's like now :(
 

MacMadame

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Jesus, it went that far into Santa Rosa?!?!?! My heart was gonna break if the rink burned down.
There are 14 fires. One of the big ones is in/near Santa Rosa.

The air quality is very bad here south of the fires. You can smell it when you go outside and the sky is white/gray. Sports workouts are being canceled all over. It's also been declared a Spare the Air day through tomorrow.
 

MacMadame

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And they are begging people to foster pets because the shelters are full. I couldn't convince Mr. Mac to take any in. I guess he thinks 3 cats and 1 dog is enough for anyone. :/
 

AxelAnnie

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Calistoga is such a lovely town. It has cute and funky spas and mud baths (yuk) and shops and restaurants. And, it is wine country so all the food is good.

They used to have a wonderful horse show there. I have tons of great memories of competing there. They used to have a show that had a class called "Fossils over Fences" out in a huge field, that was for people over 50. OMG! the things you would see!

They have a huge police presence there, so hopefully they can keep out the wonderful people who think they should be able to sneak in and help themselves. It must be so hard to leave everything behind.

And then there is miscommunication. My sainted Aunt and Uncle (94 & 97) live in the Browns Valley area of Napa. They are announcing voluntary evacuations in and around Browns Valley...........but they mean the one that is in Yuba County (1 1/2 hours away), not the one in Napa. That gave us an hour of insanity about how to get to them and get them out. Whew! dodged that one.

One of the people who works for me had to evacuate today. She and her husband and two kids are at her sisters.

OMG (also knownn as Olympic Gold Medal) Jeff Moseley (brother of Jonny - OGM Nagano freestyle skiing) just sent a video of the fire near his Rugged Coast Brewery in Santa Rosa. His business is ok, but a few doors down, a gun shop did not make it.

I shall have to call a Moseley and tell them they should not be taking up roads in the fire area LOL!
 

4rkidz

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((Hugs)) to all the FSU folks impacted by the fires (& the animals). Nothing more frightening to me than the inability to breath clean air. Why is it so bad this year? I know there is a natural cyclical nature to this but the seems beyond that?
 

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