This Fire Watch Event is happening in Northern CA from 10/9 Wed 5a thru 10/10 Thurs 5p. During this time it is forecasted that the highest winds of the year will happen due to the collision between a low front moving out and a high front coming in.
The juxtaposition of the differing air pressures/temps creates a "wind alley" effect. It is these high gusty winds that can create firestorms when the surrounding landscape is dried out (our rains don't start until November, usually). Because so much of Northern CA is not only hilly/mountainous, but also forest and parkland, when a fire starts from a downed or damaged power line, it can spread extremely fast and be very difficult to reach.
Although CA's fire incidents gather the most press, consensus by experts is that all over the country, more and more people are building homes in what is called Wilderness-Urban Interface areas. They are attractive due to a lower cost of living and semi-rural surroundings while still being near major conveniences such as shopping and medical care - but on the downside, they are very vulnerable to natural disasters such as fires and floods.
We live 123 miles south of Mrs. Robinson in the city of Oakland CA. This is the first time in 30 years we have been advised, as she was, that our utilities may be shut off tomorrow. This is not because we are in an area in danger of burning - in fact, we're pretty much surrounded by concrete (a school and two freeways) but because our district includes part of the much more heavily-treed Oakland hills above us, where the fire danger is very, very high.
Despite being heavily settled, the Berkeley/Oakland hills are almost all laid out in winding, narrow roadways, with many dead end streets. It is often described as "a fire marshall's nightmare" - thousands of homes with million-dollar Bay views on streets so narrow and curvy that many times firetrucks cannot even access the street because their trucks will not fit.
Yes, there are now home designs that are highly fire-resistant. However, one recent study showed that the additional cost for doing so would almost double the cost of the house. Not many people burned out would be able to come up with that kind of additional funding out of their own pockets. I would think it's difficult if not impossible to obtain fire insurance for more than the appraised value of the house! This is especially true in CA, where the land is worth 95+% of the total price.
