Fire just north of Anne

[Cudedog]

This from NPR @ 7:38 a.m, Pacific Standard Time 11/15/18:
https://www.npr.org/2018/11/15/668139917/officials-in-california-tally-losses-release-missing-persons-list

Camp Fire missing persons list grows to more than 300 names.

One week today since the fire began.

~ Anne

[BarbaraRose]

Just unfathomable! Heartbreaking!

I read one story where a woman and her dad watched the fire come closer to their home. The power went out in the early afternoon and they had no way to find out what was going on. They waited until 8pm when their house caught on fire to decide to evacuate. The father ran back into the house to get something and never came back out. The daughter tried to drive away with her two dogs in the car but the tires had melted from the heat. She got out and got into a wet ditch nearby with the dogs and watched the house burn to the ground. My issue is why did they not leave earlier in the day when they had the chance. Why do these people wait until the last second to leave? They were lucky to have had the extra time to pack up and leave before the fire got to them, unlike many others who didn't have that opportunity. I just don't get that...

[JudyJB]

People just have a hard time leaving their homes and belongings, especially since in this case they had no power or emergency radio. Both of those are lessons to all of us.

[Cudedog]

Evening fire update November 15, 2018 at 7:45 PM

Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea announced during a news conference today that the death toll from the Camp Fire now stands at 63, with the possibility this number will increase. The number of missing persons unaccounted for has increased to 631 (up from just over 100 earlier today). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EE_Hn8eWt0

From the Sutter County Website https://www.suttercounty.org/newscenter/item/1136: Sutter and Yuba Counties today declared a State of Emergency [Yuba and Sutter counties are immediately to the south of Butte county]. With the worst air quality, anywhere in the state except ground zero of the Camp Fire in Butte County, Sutter County and Yuba County today declared a state of emergency, closed most county offices and sent most employees home due to unhealthy air inside county buildings.

Most offices in both counties will be closed on Friday, as well. Employees were told to be prepared to return to work on Monday.

Shortly before noon today, the Air Quality Index exceeded 400 [in Yuba-Sutter] on a measurement scale from 0 to 500. Readings above 300 are considered hazardous, with the entire population more likely to be affected by the toxic air particles from the Camp Fire.

Other than Paradise, which had an Air Quality Index of 500 this morning, the Yuba-Sutter area had the highest reading of any region of the state.(Most schools in the immediate area of the fire are closed due to the toxic nature of the smoke).

Schools in Sacramento (87 miles from the fire), Davis (101 miles from the fire) and in the San Franciso Bay Area (216 miles from the fire) and a great many schools in-between, have all been closed due to smoke from the Camp Fire.

I live in Yuba-Sutter. There is a strong smell of smoke inside my home (with all windows and doors shut). My eyes are burning. Have begun to feel some chest irritation over the last few hours. Leaving town for a few days might be an option.

My daughter telephoned me (she knows that I take a long walk with my Big Joe every evening) to request that I forego my walking for the time being due to the terrible air quality here. I have decided to comply. I knew that there was a lot of smoke in the air, and in the sky, but I was not aware of just how bad the air quality actually is (air quality index exceeded 400 - see above).

Acres burned: 141,000 acres
The fire is currently 40% contained.

This from YubaNet
https://yubanet.com/Fires/camp/

November 15, 2018 at 7:45 PM

Firefighter Injuries: 3

Civilian Fatalities: 63

Single Residences Destroyed: 9,700

Single Residences Damaged: 115

Multiple Residences Destroyed: 118

Commercial structures Destroyed: 290

Commercial Structures Damaged: 50

Other Minor Structures Destroyed: 1,750

Total Personnel: 5596

Engines: 622

Water Tenders: 75

Helicopters: 24

Hand Crews: 101

Dozers: 103

Air Tankers: Air tankers are flying fire suppression missions as condition allow from throughout the state.

This from CalFire http://www.fire.ca.gov/current_incidents/incidentdetails/Index/2277:

All shelters within fifty miles of the fire are full (except for one in Chico, Ca.), and are not taking further evacuees.

Evacuation Centers: OPEN: Bidwell Jr. Highschool (2376 North Ave, Chico CA 95926)
THIS SHELTER IS FULL: Yuba-Sutter Fairground (442 Franklin Ave, Yuba City, CA 95991)
THIS SHELTER IS FULL: Butte County Fairgrounds (199 E Hazel St, Gridley, CA 95948)
THIS SHELTER IS FULL: Glenn County Fairgrounds (221 E Yolo St, Orland, CA 95963)
THIS SHELTER IS FULL: Oroville Nazarene Church (2238 Monte Vista Ave, Oroville, CA 95966)
THIS SHELTER IS FULL: Neighborhood Church (2801 Notre Dame Blvd, Chico, CA 95928)

Approximately 52,000 people are still evacuated out of their homes.

The Camp Fire is still burning.

Anne

[BarbaraRose]

Ann, I think it is time you hit the road for awhile. You need to think of your health. That smoke could cause long term health issues later on. Can you get your trailer out of storage now?

[Redetotry]

Ann, I think it is time you hit the road for awhile. You need to think of your health. That smoke could cause long term health issues later on. Can you get your trailer out of storage now?

Anne, I agree with Barbie I would consider leaving for awhile. Maybe this would be a good time to go house hunting. At this point the way the fires are in CA you might consider another area than where you have been looking or even another state. There was an article in our paper today about the increase in doctor/hospital visits for fire related health issues. Take care.

[Bethers]

Anne you mentioned it and now I think you should listen to yourself and get away. You need to be able to breath and so does Big Joe. Big hugs to you.

[OregonLuvr]

We have received the smoke from the Camp fire. Yesterday our air was "unhealthy". Coming back from Medford to Ashland you couldnt see the surrounding hills or Siskiyou mountains. Just kind of settled in the valley. This morning is much better but towards the afternoon it again gets bad.

[Cudedog]

Camp Fire Update, posted November 16, 2018 @ 10:00 a.m. Pacific Standard Time

The misery continues.

A makeshift evacuation center at the Chico Walmart will be closed and dismantled by Sunday afternoon, leaving about 100 people who are camped there with no where to go. Think camping in tents in the smoke in an asphalt parking lot, with nighttime temps dipping into the lower 30's:
Video: https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/video/3978243-humanitarian-crisis-looms-at-growing-makeshift-evacuee-camp-in-chico/
and
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/camp-fire-evacuees-makeshift-camp-walmart-parking-lot-chico-deadline-to-leave/

All but one (out of six) shelters (some shelters are as much as 50 miles away from the fire area) are full
http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/pub/cdf/images/incidentfile2277_4255.pdf

Four of these shelters are experiencing an outbreak of Norovirus (140 individuals have experienced Norovirus symptoms), with some evacuees becoming acutely ill. Some have been hospitalized.
https://www.sacbee.com/latest-news/article221739265.html

Relatives of the missing are being requested to submit DNA samples in order to positively identify remains.
https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2018/11/15/camp-fire-authorities-seek-dna-relatives-of-missing/

Butte County is among the poorest in California. Residents whose homes were destroyed are now in a tough spot as the county doesn't have enough existing housing for the thousands who are displaced.
https://www.npr.org/2018/11/15/668380458/housing-crisis-concerns-grow-as-camp-fire-continues-to-burn

And actual fire news (this from YubaNet.com):

Size (acres): 149,511
Percent Contained: 45%
Estimate of Containment: Nov. 30, 2018
Personnel: 5,596
Structures Destroyed: 11,862

"The fire remained active overnight with small growth. Firefighters worked last night to continue improving containment lines through indirect methods and back-firing as conditions allow. Today firefighters will continue to strengthen and improve containment lines in order to keep increasing containment on the fire. Mitigating hazard trees, hot spots, and utility issues remain a priority and firefighters are working around the clock with our cooperators to make the area safe.

Breezy northeast winds will continue into this morning. A Fire Weather Watch has been issued for Saturday evening through Sunday afternoon for gusty winds and low humidity. No precipitation is expected until possibly Thanksgiving."

Air quality index in my area stands at about 381. Air Quality Index lists this number (301-500) as "Hazardous".

Weather.gov lists a "Chance of rain" for late next week. I have found, generally from looking at weather.gov over many years, that these predictions tend to be overly optimistic. However, keeping my fingers crossed. If the rain does come, this puts the beginning of the rainy season here about six weeks later than usual. Had the rains come on time, there is the possibility that the Camp Fire might never have happened.

Giving serious thought of getting outta town, but where to go is the issue. The smoke covers the area for literally hundreds of miles in all directions all around. There are outbreaks of Norovirus in areas where people are concentrated. It is cold here now, with night time temps dropping into the low 30's. I thought of maybe going up to Klamath Falls, but (in checking Weather.gov) I find that they have smoke from the Camp Fire there too, and their night time temps are dropping into the low 20's.

Not optimum trailer camping weather.

We have had smoke, and ashfall, and brown, smoke-filled skies, for, literally, months - for most of the summer just past. A record fire year here in Northern California, with extremely large and destructive wildfires to the north of me (fires in Redding and Shasta and elsewhere) has funneled smoke into the the central valley for most of the summer.

I am just stating the facts here, because with so very many (literally tens of thousands) in dire straights, I have absolutely no right to complain. Compared to them, I am doing exceptionally well.

Many thanks to those of you who have offered encouragement and suggestions: Barbie, Judy, BJ, Beth, Sue, Karen and others (sorry if I have forgotten to list your name). Your input, suggestions, and encouragement is appreciated more than you know. It is wonderful to be a part of this online community.

With all of the displaced people out of their homes due to the Camp Fire (around 52,000 at last count - people both still under evacuation order, and also the 20,000 or so who have have had their homes burn) I am faced with a dilemma: if I were to leave, to seek cleaner air to breathe, and if I found somewhere to stay, I would then possibly be displacing someone with far greater need than I.

Something to think about.

As the fire still burns.

Anne



,

[Colliemom]

Anne, I also say get out. Go north, even if you have to go to Washington. You can’t keep breathing in that smoke. Much longer and you will be heading for the emergency room when your lungs can’t take in air. But also think of Big Joe. Dogs have smaller lungs and once they start getting irritated as well as the eyes it can set of a chain reaction of health and psychological issues, coughing, listlessness, choking, disorientation, seizures, coma and on and on. There’s all kinds of info out there from vets regarding dogs in the wildfire smoke areas. You mentioned you were taking him for walks, he can even be inhaling ash just sniffing the ground not to mention picking up toxins through his paws. Time you get out of your comfort zone, girl. That smoke is permeating every thing in your house as well, clothes, bedding, carpeting etc. etc. Very unhealthy and toxic environment. Don’t mean to sound harsh here, but it is what it is.

[BarbaraRose]

If you can get your trailer (or even just use your van) you can go 200-300 miles south down along the coast and camp for awhile there. You won't be displacing anyone there, but if you end up in the hospital, you are taking up a bed they might need for someone from the fire, if you need to think of it that way.
Lots of nice areas south of you that are smoke free in central California. You are more mobile and have less obligations there than most people so you really should think about your and your dogs health. Sorry to keep harping on it but...

Here is an update on the Woolsey fire: "...firefighters continued to make progress in containing the destructive and deadly Woolsey fire, which has burned 98,362 acres and was 69 percent contained as of Friday morning, according to the latest Cal Fire numbers."

[OregonLuvr]

We had smoke all summer long up here. People said go somewhere. Easier said than done. It is expensive to go somewhere for an extended period of time. Especially expensive up here in the summer. The coast is out, you pretty much have to make reservations way ahead of time and right now they have smoke. I had things to maintain around here or pay someone to do it. I would have had to be gone for a couple of months. And now it is November and we have smoke again. Best thing I did was button up the house and changed my AC filter every couple of weeks. Ran my air purifier. Not much else to do.

Sorry Barbie I would rather shoot myself in the foot than go south in California. I dont go past Woodland or the Sacramento airport LOL In fact yes head south, into another set of fires.

[Rufflesgurl]

The Central Coast of CA is filling up fast with people escaping from all the smoke in No. CA. The restaurant where we had dinner tonight was 3/4 filled with
travelers from the Bay Area and other No. CA areas. Blue sky most of the day at Central Coast then getting a little cloudy in the afternoon. - beautiful sunsets
though. Surprising that the smoke is not worse from the So. CA fire and No. CA fire combined. We also heard there is another fire in the Santa Cruz mountains. YIKES Fires all over the place in CA.

We are hoping that by Monday or Tuesday the air quality in No. Central CA will be improved!!

Linda

[Cudedog]

Thank you, Karen.

We had smoke all summer long up here. People said go somewhere. Easier said than done. It is expensive to go somewhere for an extended period of time.

Smoke all summer long here in Northern California as well. Expensive to go somewhere - exactly, particularly for an extended period of time. Upwards of $100/day here.

The Camp Fire is not expected to be fully contained until November 30 - two weeks from now. And "contained" does not mean "the fire has been put out". Likely (if no rain) the fire, although "contained", will continue to burn in it's interior footprint.
There could be smoke here through December.

And if the rains do not come - all bets are OFF: another major wildfire in California can flare up at any time. As they seem to be doing on an almost daily basis over the last week.

Especially expensive up here in the summer. The coast is out, you pretty much have to make reservations way ahead of time and right now they have smoke.

Yes.

I had things to maintain around here or pay someone to do it.

Yes!

I would have had to be gone for a couple of months. And now it is November and we have smoke again. Best thing I did was button up the house and changed my AC filter every couple of weeks. Ran my air purifier. Not much else to do.

Precisely!

Sorry Barbie I would rather shoot myself in the foot than go south in California.

Big LOL!! YES!!

I dont go past Woodland or the Sacramento airport LOL In fact yes head south, into another set of fires.

YES!! All of California is drier than I think people in other parts of the country can perhaps truly grasp. The entire state. With conditions this dry, all it takes is a spark to get still another wildfire going.

People also need to understand that the fire and smoke situation is affecting literally millions of people here (no, I am not exaggerating). For example, the San Francisco Bay area has been so affected by smoke from the Camp Fire that schools and businesses have closed there because of the dangerous air quality - and around seven million people live in the Bay Area.

I could go town-by-town, or county-by-county for all the towns affected by the smoke here in Northern California - but I will give just a few:

Butte County (the county where the Camp Fire is burning, and where the air quality is poorest): 229,294

Yuba County (one of the counties directly south of Butte county, where all County offices were closed yesterday and today, due to the air quality emergency): 77,031

Sutter County (the other county directly south of Butte county, County offices also closed due to the smoke emergency): 96,648

Sacramento County (south of both Yuba and Sutter counties, schools reported closed there due to smoke conditions - Velda, do you have an update for your area?) : 1.5 million.

So this makes it more than two million people relatively local to the fire, all two million under heavy smoke overcast, with smoke hanging in the air, who are experiencing the same kind of smoke issues that I am here at my home. Add in the Bay Area, and points in between, the total easily exceeds ten million people.

This is not a purely local event, but a regional disaster of a massive scale. Nearly ten thousand residences burned and destroyed in only about eight days by the Camp Fire alone.

Fire Update, November 17, 2018 @ 12:04 a.m. Pacific time

Butte County is reporting that 1,011 are now considered missing and unaccounted for in the Camp Fire.

From YubaNet.com:

Civilian Fatalities: 71
Size (acres): 149,511
Percent Contained: 50%
Estimate of Containment: Nov. 30, 2018
Personnel: 5,632
Structures Destroyed: 12,256
Structures Threatened: 15,500
Single Residences Destroyed: 9,700 [CalFire is reporting 9,844]
Single Residences Damaged: 219
Multiple Residences Destroyed: 144
Commercial Destroyed: 336
Commercial Damaged: 64
Other Minor Structures Destroyed: 2,076

From CalFire:

"Today firefighters continued to make progress on the Camp Fire. Hand crews and dozers have been working to implement primary and secondary control lines in steep and rugged terrain. Firefighters have made great progress in strengthening and connecting existing control lines around the fire. More resources, including a contingency of fire engines, will be staged in preparation for increased winds over the weekend due to a Red Flag Warning. Firefighters and our utility cooperators continue to work tirelessly to mitigate hazards and increase safety in the burn areas."

Apologies for sounding a bit testy tonight. The entire situation here becomes a bit wearing. In addition to the closing of County offices, many schools and businesses here have closed because of the poor air quality.

A bit of humor (true story):

Went to the bank this afternoon, when I walked in (out of the smoke-filled air) the air inside the bank was smoke-free and smelled pretty dang nice. I noticed that they had an industrial-size HEPA type air purifier over in one corner that seemed to be running full-bore.

Idea! When I left the bank, I went directly to my local Walmart to see what they might have in the way of air purifier machines. As one might expect, (Duh #1) the shelves that are usually packed with these machines, and also packed with replacement filters, were emptier than after a bottled water run before an impending hurricane.

Then came Duh #2 (this one is hard to believe, I know. DO NOT say the "Senior Moment" word ). I suddenly remembered that I already had a medium-sized HEPA air purifier machine stashed in a closet somewhere, or maybe the garage, at home. I vaguely remembered buying it (for what reason I can't remember), using it once or twice, and then putting it away. I actually remembered what kind it was, thought to get new filters while still at Walmart - but Walmart was out of everything in the air filtration category.

Once home, after some serious looking, I found it sitting on a shelf covered with linens piled on top of it (out of sight, out of mind I guess) so I pulled it out, and opened it up. The filters looked to be brand-new, so I got it out and plugged it in in my living room. The machine made an immediate, and noticeable, improvement. I'll order new filters for it tomorrow from Amazon.

And I'll move it into my bedroom at bed time.

Anne

[BarbaraRose]

Glad you found your air purifier. That should help quite a bit.