California is on fire again.

[Randi]

OMG, it's so scary!! It sounds like quite a few fires spread across CA. I really hope you all will be safe, and the animals in the Wild Animal Park too.

Sara, and everyone, stay inside and keep the doors closed, you don't need any more dust! And poor kitties, they can't understand what's going on.

I bet these guys are busy.

[RICHARD]

CM,

Your pics remind me of some fires a few years back. For three days it "snowed" ashes for three days and the sun looked the same.

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Sara, If you have a humidifier - Plug that sucker in! The wind will dry you out.


I have two sisters, two BIL's, a niece, her husband and her two kidlets.


ONe sister has checked in and is OK.....I was at my mom's when she called.

Mom: "Are you guys OK? You didn't burn?"
Sis: "NO we are OK..."
Mom: "So you got toasted?"
Sis: "ALMOST!"


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Randi,

One report from FOX NEWS said that the Firemen were too busy trying to get people to evacuate to get to the fires.

Earlier their was a report about LAFD Station 70-They were parked next to the station, fighting flames that were threatening the station.

[Randi]

One report from FOX NEWS said that the Firemen were too busy trying to get people to evacuate to get to the fires.

And I just read somewhere that these people who won't be evacuated, are slowing the firefighters down a lot. Isn't that sad!!

STAY SAFE!!

[phesina]

Praying for all of you in the path of these awful fires...

[RICHARD]

P2 neptune water dropping plane.




The sky crane.

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Other news?

My niece and her brood are OK.

One sis is still 50/50. The other is was out of town so we haven't heard from her still.


My niece told my mom that people who have prepacked their cars last night woke up to find them burglarized. Computers and high end items were taken.
Her hubby told her not put stuff by the door but not to pack....sage advice.

The wind has started to pick up here in the valley which means nothing.
to other areas.


The news reported that it's estimated that 250,000 people will be evacuated when all is said and told....


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[DrKym]

Stay safe all of you!

RICHARD that is so awful! Burglurizing cars when this is all going on! Im glad your sister didn't take a chance!

[lizbud]

After reading all this I've decided I'd rather take my chances with the
occasional tornados we have here for those raging fires everywhere.

With the winds you are getting, fighting the fire has to wait till they calm
down. That would be so scary. Please take care everybody.

[i love my piggy]

I live in southern CA. yesterday (sunday) the smoke was terrible. The fire is nowere close to the house but the air quality is terrible. today is much better

[RICHARD]

The fires are mostly in the hills and areas that butt up against it-there really sisn't a problem it you live on the flat lands!

Most of the firefighting is done with the winds blowing.

Those guys are studs.


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A few years ago a fireman was poking thru the remains of a fire when he looked at an item that wasn't burned...he picked it up and found out that it was a DIAPER!

He investigated what was in the diaper that kept it fireproof.
The innards of the diaper-the padding- absorb water.
The fireman then brainstormed a system that a homeowner could use in a fire.

Apparently there is a $300.00 system that can be bought to use in case of a wildfire.

Some of the homes where these fires are burning are 800,000 to one million dollars....I can't believe that no one would invest a few dollars in a system that could help.

----------------------------

The National Guard are sending troops and helicopters to help.
Nevada, Oregon and Arizona have been asked to help out.

[KYS]

My Aunt told me one of her co-workers apartment was robbed by another neighbor.
She and her husband came home unexpectedly to get some of their belongings because of the evacuation in Santa Clarita.
During evacuations you have to also worry about crime, but from
your own neighbor???

[momoffuzzyfaces]

Mercy, everyone stay safe.
I remember watching the helicopters when our downtown burned a few years ago. It looked like the end of the world.

All fingers and paws crossed here for all of you!

[RICHARD]

The guys flying the air support are the ones that work really hard.

There was a film clip of one of the Super Scooper aircraft flying some 30-40 feet above the fire before a drop....THAT gave me goosebumps.

The Super Scooper is a plane that skims/lands on a body of water. The pilot opens up the vents on the belly of the plane and that fills up the tanks.
He takes off, flies over the fire and drops the water.

We also have three different kinds of helicopters.

The Firehawk in the pic above and the older Huey/UH1 kind of copter.

The Huey can either land and get the tank filled or use a basket hung under neath to dip and fill from any body of water.

The last copter is called the Ericsson Sky crane.

That is a heavy lifting copter that is used in construction, logging and firefighting.

It looks like and insect and has a long tube it can drop into a body of water and fill up it's tank.

That is the funniest looking craft of all. The tube is located halfway back of the craft and does not retract- so as it flies around it looks like it's dragging something!



We also have strike crews - they are low level prisoners who volunteer to do fire fighting duties for credit on their sentences.

[BC_MoM]

How scary.

Craig, I hope you're alright.

All that smoke (nevermind the fire) must be so horrible for your health and the environments!

I hope everyone that needs to get out safe.

[AdoreMyDogs]

Prayers on the way to all the people effected by these terrible fires. What scary shots those were of the neighborhood. So scary