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Wine Country Ablaze

From the Solano side things look good. I feel bad reporting that given what Koi, Sam and those in Santa Rosa are still going through with new evacuations overnight.

All our fire lines held despite the wind. There was some spotting and flare ups of smoldering fuel in the burn area, but no significant expansion. They're still not repopulating, but escorted runs are pretty unrestricted. Only two homes were lost, but I'm sure people are worried about livestock, outbuildings and looters.

From my house, the wind cleared out all the smoke and we can finally see how it came down the hills. There's a lot more than I expected. These are shots of Green Valley, Twin Sisters and what I think is the hill above Jameson Canyon (12 between 80 and Napa) through binoculars from my back yard.

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Ran into a couple in front of my house yesterday afternoon who evacuated from the fire. Dad and Sister of my neighbor, who are staying with him. Dad is having some sort of mental breakdown. Didn't know where he was. Didn't remember the entire past week. Was going to get in his truck to "go to work". They ended up taking him to the hospital and haven't come back yet.
 
Heavy fighting above Rutherford.

Definitely windy and spreading rapidly.
 

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Sitting on my roof watching the battle up the hillside.

They keep saying it's backburn in front of the fire but I'm not so sure. Winds are blowing south-Southeast and the fire just crested the hills my direction.
I know they were doing backburn that direction, I don't get why they would let it burn up with nothing stopping it from going down the other side.

Real dark plume just sprouted up... Hope that's not a house.
 
For those who have been affected by the fire. Reposting a helpful list from a friend. He was hit by the fire in Grass Valley a while ago.

The Small List
1. Get a PO Box
2. Longer term rental search - include insurance on it so they pay directly for rental. Find a nice place that you like, don't settle. You should be able to get a "Like Property" so insurance should cover a nice place for you to live while you work through all this. You might be living here for 2 years, so choose wisely.
3. Find a place to buy some sturdy boots and gloves. Get some shovels.
4. Start working on the personal property list (this is not fun at all, be prepared to cry we sure did). Write down the moment you remember – keep list on phone or pad of paper with you at all times.
5. Save receipts. Loss of use insurance will cover incidentals too – hairbrush, phone chargers, etc.
6. As you buy things, tell the store owner your situation. Most stores will give you some level of discount as their way of helping you.
7. Let people do things for you. Do you have a friend that you can send to the store to buy you some basic clothes or comfort foods? Let them do it – they want to help and you don’t need to spend time doing these errands. (The ‘fun’ of shopping is gone…it quickly becomes a chore because you don’t want a new shirt, you want the one that you always liked to wear but now it’s gone and you are sad/mad.)

The Big List:
1. Register at the shelters, with Red Cross and any other agency there, california FEMA, etc.
a. Most of the aid coming in will use these lists as a point of contact and will help to ensure that you don't get left out of anything.
b. This will be especially important should FEMA be activated, which in my opinion is very likely with the amount of devastation experienced.
2. Call Homeowners/Rental insurance to trigger "Loss of Use"
. This typically will allow you to be in a "Like" property for x number of years and sometimes has a dollar limit attached and sometimes not, this is dependent on your policy.
a. This coverage should also give you some immediate access to funds for essentials, clothes, toothbrushes, food, etc.
b. This will also get the ball rolling for the insurance claim on your home and rebuilding/personal property Dollars.
3. Get a PO Box and forward all mail to the Box.
. Use this PO Box as the mailing address on all forms you begin to fill out.
4. Start Searching for a Long term rental.
. Coordinate with your insurance company so that payments can be made directly from them using your “Loss of Use” money.
a. Plan on renting 1-2 years, but do not necessarily sign a lease for a full two years as circumstances can change.
5. Itemized List of belongings - (This is very hard but very necessary for your claim)
. I would organize by room and list everything that was there with a replacement cost. (you will cry a lot doing this and that is ok)
a. Replacement Cost should be what it would cost to replace not on sale from pottery barn, it should not be the price you paid for it with that 50% off coupon.
b. Make sure you list everything, even if it is above and beyond your policy limit. This is very important because everything above and beyond the policy limit is considered a Loss and can be claimed as such on your taxes - See #9
6. Call all of your utilities and either freeze or cancel service. Electric, Gas, TV, Land Line phone
a. Newspaper delivery, either cancel or update to PO Box.
7. Call the rest of your insurance points as needed.
. Car insurance
a. Any specialty insurance for unique items
8. Permits - An unfortunate necessity.
. Debris Removal - as things wind down it will be necessary to remove the debris, this requires a permit usually. (This should be covered by your insurance, we had to force the issue but ask repeatedly.)
a. Erosion Control - If you are on any kind of hill or have sloped property you will need to put some sort of erosion control measures in place, again this will need some sort of permit.
b. Temporary Power Pole/Trailer on site Permit - Getting this earlier on can prove helpful in both the rebuilding process.
9. Taxes
. You will be able to claim the monetary loss of the value of all your items minus what you receive from your insurance company. I’m unfamiliar with the exact laws, but I believe that we were able to carry our losses back 2-5 years and received most of the money that we had paid in taxes back in a nice large check.
10. Network with others. You will learn so much from others as you go through the rebuilding process. We all have our strengths so share yours and use others. The amount of time that you will spend on the rebuild, insurance, recovery process is staggering so you need to use all your resources
 
Pretty awesome info Bill!! :thumbup
 
Psychochik said:
No clothes or food right now, as gobs of clothes have been taken in and food is plentiful. What is going to be needed is gift cards right now. $25 visa prepaid are what they are asking for specifically.

Clean up could be set up at a future date as right now things are too unstable to ask of anyone to come up here.

:love Keep the good vibes going, we appreciate it.
Click to expand...

Got an address?
I have a leftover gift card from X-mas I will gladly mail. Don't accuse me of re-gifting either! :laughing
 
Going to get my first good night's sleep tonight I think.

Watched the fire all day and it hasn't got any closer. Lots of effort to fight it and build a fire line. They're now just waiting for it to get to the line which should be tomorrow.

Helicopters pulling water from every vineyard pond around me, cool to watch, don't know if they saw it but I waved at every one as they flew over me.

Big glow in the hillside but it's staying there and isn't going to get closer.

Went out today and did some small surveying, Silverado and the trail will never look the same.

But I think I'm out of the woods and can't start focusing on helping others.

Winery I work at is going to open for anyone, $1 glass of wine, donations to relief efforts. Once we get cleaned up and figure out what's going on.

My doors are open to anyone that's in need right now. Bed, shower, laundry, food, booze, friendship. Anything, just ask.
 
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^^ that's awesome. Have a beer, or three.
 
i_am_the_koi said:
...don't know if they saw it but I waved at every one as they flew over me.
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I saw a video yesterday or the day before of them doing water drops up north on the Berryessa end. They notice everything on the ground. I'm sure they saw you.

Get some rest, Koi. I was thinking about you today and how exhausted you must be. I'm totally beat and I wasn't actually threatened like you.

Now we need some confirmation from Sam he and the Sonoma side are doing well.
 
No nixle alerts for a good while, very encouraging! Hope to be sleeping a little more soundly tonight, but of course with my cell by my side.

My little 1920's cottage has survived, hope it makes it to 100!
 
My ex sent a pic of her place
 

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for those of us not directly impacted, as the smoke flows over the rest of the bay area, i can't help thinking that that smoke is the incinerated remains of lives and homes. such an eerie landscape. the news keeps telling us not to breath it for health reasons, but that seems so trivial. to me it's like a great cloud of destruction and suffering. :cry
 
Glad things are better for a few of you guys.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz well.
 
I pretty much took yesterday off... After the excitement in the morning it seemed to settle in Sonoma, with the occasional smoke plume. By afternoon the air quality was good and I felt safe enough to take a nap. For 4 hours. I watched a little baseball and then went out in the street with the neighbors who are left and had a little street party. Slept 8 hours last night, just ramping up the electronics right now.

MadEnglishCow, the Operational Map of the Nuns Fire shows completed fire line over the springs. The dozer line to the north is "8 blades" or 80 feet. 80 FEET pulverized earth. I have never been so happy to see any kind of environmental devastation like that. (oh, wait, officially I didn't "see" it. I'm not allowed up there.)

Koi, the Operational Map shows completed fire line up from the county line behind Buhman up to Mt Veeder and Redwood. Still have uncontained fire line up along dry creek.
 
Morning.

10 hours of sleep... So awesome.

I saw a great live video from last night up above the dry Creek fire station. Could see right where it was at and what direction. Calmed me down and I said fuck it and went to bed.

Going into the winery today. Will update when I know more.
 
Check your PM for my address if you're coming past Sonoma.
 
littlebeast said:
for those of us not directly impacted, as the smoke flows over the rest of the bay area, i can't help thinking that that smoke is the incinerated remains of lives and homes. such an eerie landscape. the news keeps telling us not to breath it for health reasons, but that seems so trivial. to me it's like a great cloud of destruction and suffering. :cry
Click to expand...

Up here the smoke is horrendous but everywhere else also please do not breathe the smoke.

Long after the fires are out finally out the damage to your lungs and general health will set in. We passed out masks up here to people out who didn't have them, the smoke doesn't pick and choose.

Everyone, don't survive the fires just to have the smoke deal just as bad a final result, only a little later. It might seem just like some regular smoky air but it is far worse.

I saw someone trying to sell N95 masks for $500 up here. They aren't anymore. You shouldn't pay more than about $2 per mask for 3M brand with the breath exhaust valve.

The big box stores north of Petaluma are expecting more deliveries over this weekend.
 
Is it possible the firefighters are getting a handle on things? I hope so!
 
Active fire at the house on construction West of the winery when I drove by.

Crews are there and on top of it but it's not over yet folks.

Sheriff's followed me into the winery.

Guess a guy wearing paint covered jeans, a dirty sweater, and a car full of gloves and shovels doesn't look very legit.

Nobody else here, luckily I had my name tag and a pay stub to show him.

Thanked him when he was done for being so thorough. Gave him a mask too.

Winery looks fine but haven't explored the property yet
 
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