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Wildfire season thread

Last night around 9 pm our local emergency radio came to life with a report from the Shasta Sheriffs office that they were evacuating the town of Viola, which is about a mile from my house. I found it strange since no new fires were reported by CalFire or anyone else. Apparently they meant to say "Old Station" which is 28 MILES away. No explanation, no retraction. Way to keep me up at night.

Mad
 
Seizer said:
That’s a really cool picture from the Air Attack platform. It illustrates the difference in the surface winds and the winds aloft. Surprising to me that the fire didn’t spot more with that kind of wind.
I’m reading 400-ish acres and forward progress stopped on the Bridge Incident.
Good stop by the fire resources considering the majority of resources are committed to the Dixie and Caldor fires.
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excellent stop - but placer county has done a considerable amount of advance planning in the area (existing dozer lines, etc.). these guys don’t fuck around waiting for shit to happen. can’t thank the crews enough!

that said - dry lightening tonight. sprinkling of rain, but not enough to matter. go bags always ready.
 
Hi winds up in S Lake Tahoe, hopefully they got the fire suppressed enough that they can keep it down.
 
Tons of thunder and huge very close by lightning last night in Truckee around midnight. Had me up for an hour pacing looking out the windows going over the evac plans
A little rain at last came with it and another drizzle this morning. It has been a *really* long time since we got rain.

Hoping for more, and lots on the fires.
 
Sounds like this weather system generated a lot of wind for the Dixie fire unfortunately.
 
We also got some rain. Quite a bit here in Shingletown. I guess certain areas of the Dixie Fire got a lot, other areas hardly any.

Mad
 
Climber said:
Makes me wonder what he was on probation for.
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Vandalism.

It's long been a contention of mine that most of these fires are arson, but the public eats up evil PG&E. When we publicize the hell out of dry conditions, wind, extreme fire danger, etc., it becomes a crazy arsonist's wet dream.
 
scootergmc said:
Vandalism.

It's long been a contention of mine that most of these fires are arson, but the public eats up evil PG&E. When we publicize the hell out of dry conditions, wind, extreme fire danger, etc., it becomes a crazy arsonist's wet dream.
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I don’t disagree that the publicity has got to be attractive to arsonists, but PG&E is responsible for many of the state’s big fires. The Dixie fire was started when a pine tree fell onto a line that was scheduled to be buried soon in an effort to reduce fire hazard. The cost to bury lines is astronomical. To be undertaking this, even PG&E is convinced their overhead lines are hazards.
 
tzrider said:
I don’t disagree that the publicity has got to be attractive to arsonists, but PG&E is responsible for many of the state’s big fires. The Dixie fire was started when a pine tree fell onto a line that was scheduled to be buried soon in an effort to reduce fire hazard. The cost to bury lines is astronomical. To be undertaking this, even PG&E is convinced their overhead lines are hazards.
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Many? The percentage of proven or admitted PG&E fires is extremely small when compared to the volume of fires. Still, it's no excuse for the havoc their fires have wreaked.
 
Yeah but it just so happens that the most destructive fires were ignited by PG&E equipment.
 
scootergmc said:
Many? The percentage of proven or admitted PG&E fires is extremely small when compared to the volume of fires. Still, it's no excuse for the havoc their fires have wreaked.
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In terms of square miles burned, property destroyed and lives lost, PG&E "wins" by a landslide.
 
tzrider said:
In terms of square miles burned, property destroyed and lives lost, PG&E "wins" by a landslide.
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Square miles? I don't think so. Property? Maybe. Lives? I already agree.

If you have stats to support that, I'd like to see it.
 
scootergmc said:
Square miles? I don't think so. Property? Maybe. Lives? I already agree.

If you have stats to support that, I'd like to see it.
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I should amend what I’ve said a bit. The comparison I’m making is PG&E vs. arson, as you’d said you think that “most of these fires are arson.” There are of course other causes, lightning being another one. Without researching more, I’d guess that most of our fires are lightning. Probably many fires are arson and it seems like the ones that get out of control, burn structures and kill people are PG&E.

EDIT: It looks like the majority of fires are considered “human caused,” which, unhelpfully, lumps power lines and other electrical fires in with arson.

Dixie appears to have been PG&E and the August complex was 38 lightning caused fires that merged. Those are the two largest in CA history. Arson fires would have a lot of catching up to do to be a contender.

Not minimizing arson. It sucks and I am another that feels a firebug should be shot on sight if caught in the act.
 
Current fire in Capella. Fire is moving towards Highway 20x
 
tzrider said:
I should amend what I’ve said a bit. The comparison I’m making is PG&E vs. arson, as you’d said you think that “most of these fires are arson.” There are of course other causes, lightning being another one. Without researching more, I’d guess that most of our fires are lightning. Probably many fires are arson and it seems like the ones that get out of control, burn structures and kill people are PG&E.

EDIT: It looks like the majority of fires are considered “human caused,” which, unhelpfully, lumps power lines and other electrical fires in with arson.

Dixie appears to have been PG&E and the August complex was 38 lightning caused fires that merged. Those are the two largest in CA history. Arson fires would have a lot of catching up to do to be a contender.

Not minimizing arson. It sucks and I am another that feels a firebug should be shot on sight if caught in the act.
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The Tubbs and Camp fires were both PG&E caused, no?
 
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