We have another wildfire....

[Mrs. Robinson]

Went to pick up some things from our son`s yesterday and coming home saw a huge black plume of smoke across the lake-pretty much where the Rocky Fire started. Turns out it is very close to where the other one started. Mandatory evacuations took place immediately as it is a remote area,it is breezy today and the roads out there are horrific. We used to do many property inspections out there and had a tough time even getting through sometimes-although that was many times due to large "puddles" of water that were too deep for our Malibu to get through. But in some areas the roads narrow down to next to nothing-not sure how some of the fire rigs get through. And narrow little bridges over creeks as well. One idiot was arrested for lighting a backfire to keep his pot farm from being burned. Lots and lots of pot farms out there. So glad the firefighters were all still here for the Rocky Fire,which is almost fully contained now,so they were able to hit this fire hard and fast. Still spread to 5,000 acres overnight though-and no containment.

 

[Don M.]

California is certainly getting hit hard on fires this year....this extended drought is taking a major toll. Even Washington, Oregon, and Idaho are experiencing fire issues this year. Then, if NASA and the various weather services are correct in their assessment of the Pacific El Nino being one of the strongest in recent years, the Other Shoe may drop this Winter when major rainfalls may hit these barren burned out hillsides, and create large mudslides....washing out roads and damaging even more properties.

With the continuing changes in climate, more and more of these extremes will probably become the norm.