The year is winding down and with the holidays here I just wanted to say that I hope all of our forum members in CA are safe. Wish the rains would come for you guys and it would be great to hear from you all.
Best from VA
I've been seeing that on the news. :( I can not even imagine something like that.
I am about 10 miles from the nearest fire. The wind is still howling as I sit in front of the computer. :'( Muggs
Quote from: muggs on December 17, 2017, 09:21:30 AM
I am about 10 miles from the nearest fire. The wind is still howling as I sit in front of the computer. :'( Muggs
Hope you make it through ok!
Quote from: nativewolf on December 17, 2017, 09:25:43 AM
Hope you make it through ok!
Where are you located nativewolf? Gary
Over in Northern VA. Need to update my profile. Spent lots of time in CA and man, if you haven't been everyone should drive through CA for a month. From the Big Sur, maybe most amazing views in the world, to the redwoods, to the Sierras. Then San Fran, LA, San Diego -all great cities.
LA gets a bad wrap in my opinion, people don't realize you can sit on the beach and look back across the bay to LA proper and see the city there, mountains way back behind it with some snow, and then amazing eye candy lounging on the beach with you and a great restaurant somewhere nearby. You can be in worse places for sure.
Anyhow, I've heard from TulePeak via PM and he's ok , fires 10 miles from him it seemed but nothing too close. Fingers crossed everyone makes it through. Fires have been horrific and winds this time of year can by 30+ all day and night, without any rain it is just like a blow torch.
I live east coast but I think if I were in the calif. hills I would have a cement block house with tile roof swimming pool with a fire pump and sprinkler system. A heard of hungry goats around the property wouldn't hurt. No offence intended to the west coasters. Frank C.
The dust storms of the mid West caused a lot people to migrate to California. The fire storms may send them back. I can't imagine what those people go through.
I went and saw the fire area yesterday, they finally opened the roads. A big burned up mess. Lots of houses, cars, trucks burned. I have lived here my whole life and have seen lots of fires, but this has been the worse. Once the wind reaches 60 mph. There is not a lot that can be done. Just hope you are not in the way of it. The winds have died down, so it should be coming to an end. Me and my dog went walking through the town of Ojai, my white dog turned into a grey dog because of all the ash. :'( Muggs
Some years ago the State of California discontinued the State and Federal programs that employed prisoners and contractors to cut and collect deadwood in the fire areas. These programs provided jobs,motivation, and perspective to many who had no chance on their home turf. It also provided free firewood to those who needed it. It should be no surprise that twenty years of deadwood in a desert environment is a recipe for disaster. It is a terrible blow to lose one's home and/or ranch to an out of control fire, but those looking for someone to blame should look toward Sacramento. Regards, Clark
QuoteI live east coast but I think if I were in the calif. hills I would have a cement block house with tile roof
Until the ground started shaking. Wood framing is a huge advantage in earthquake country.
The State of California still has convict crews that fight fire and provide fire prevention services; 43 camps housing nearly 5,000 inmates.
Clearcut is right, I was behind a firetruck yesterday that said inmates inside. Muggs
Clearcut, that's not much of a choice crushed or burned. Is there a solution to the problem.?? Frank C.
Don't live in California?
For both there is a lot of research that shows how to build and retrofit fire and earthquake resistant structures.
For quakes, tie the building to the foundation, shear walls, and strap heavy items like water heaters, along with flexible gas connections with auto shut offs.
For fire, less combustible roofing and siding, reduce places for embers to catch and ignite the structure like gutters, and maintaining defensible space.
For wildlands, fuel reduction such as prescribed fire or mechanical treatment to approach a more reasonable fuel level in these fire adapted ecosystems.
All of that is being done, but it takes time and fuel reduction needs to be ongoing and defensible space has to be continually maintained.
Even with it many challenges, California is a good place to live.
Howdy,
Taking all those things into consideration, I went with a dome on a 4' riser wall that has shale siding and aluminum soffits. The roof is 3 tab shingles and has 6 rain-bird sprinklers. I have another 6 at ground level. Honda gas powered pump, and 20,000 gallons of water tanks. Still doesn't feel bullet proof but, gives the place a chance.
Regards
Gregg
My brother in law and his wife live in Ojai. They were evacuated for about 10 days. When they finally got back in, their house was fine, but many houses on their street burned down. He was very fortunate. Others were not.
I was born, grew up in and retired at 65yrs old in Southern California. At retirement, I moved to the Ozarks forest where I now live. Because of my last 30 years of living in the Santa Clarita Valley north of Los Angeles, I have been surrounded by wild fires on all sides, trapped in the valley many times and have a real healthy respect for open burning. So much so, I have accumulated a large pile of dead wood in my yard and am afraid to burn. My neighbors think nothing of stacking accumulated dead wood and rubbish and setting it on fire. I see fires quite a bit here. An hour ago, I passed by a neighbor's burning branch pile and super big uprooted tree stump that was toppled by tornado like winds from about 6 months ago. I don't think that I will ever get over my fear of lighting fires even here on my own property in the Ozarks.
I think I would have to build a bunker...
AncientTom,
Burning that dead wood in your yard, under controlled conditions, is probably the best way to reduce the fire danger on your property.
Talk to your neighbors and the local forestry officials, learn to use fire safely and responsibily.
Herb
Quote from: PC-Urban-Sawyer on December 24, 2017, 05:10:58 PM
Burning that dead wood in your yard, under controlled conditions, is probably the best way to reduce the fire danger on your property.
:-\
I totally understand that forest fires are one of God's way of clearing out dead and undergrowth so that new growth has a chance. Problem is, coming from the wild fire capital of the world, California, I have seen, first hand, the massive destruction of life and property a (said) controlled burn that is out of control can do. Here in the Ozarks, while the fire threat in a wet state such as Missouri is, every once in a while a fire will get out of control and property will be lost. I live in the forest and there are no fire hydrants around, My well pump is not sufficient to quell a fire that gets away from the burn pit.
p.s. I don't care what the Forestry Service says. There is no such thing in California as a controlled burn. Fire goes where the wind blows. 8)