JudyJB wrote:But people who are closely connected to their homes may not think the same way. They may worry where they could go. They may have pets, or other things they do not want to leave. This might be a kind of denial, but I think there is also connection to things that stop people from leaving.
I think someone needs to take advantage of this fire opportunity and try to figure out why people do not evacuate. That would make it easier to put out warnings that would be meaningful. Maybe like a neighborhood watch?
BarbaraRose wrote:Our mobile home community has a neighborhood watch of sorts. There are block captains who are in charge of a certain number of neighbors around them. In case of an emergency (fire, earthquake, etc), they are responsible for making sure those people are safe or get the help they need. They keep track of who is disabled, who is on oxygen or have other health issues so they can make sure those are the first ones who get attention.
More communities need to do this kind of thing.
Thank you, Judy and Barbie. I think that these are both excellent observations. However, both from watching interviews on television of those that have stayed behind to fight an oncoming fire, and also in speaking personally to friends and acquaintances that have stayed behind to fight a fire on their own, most - but certainly not all - will state that they wish they had not stayed, acknowledge that they are lucky to be alive, and further state that they would likely not do so again.
For myself, and from having these kinds of conversations with people, I think this staying behind thing is largely due to a severe lack of imagination. Yes, we have all seen the walls of flame on the nightly news, but it really is difficult - for some - to imagine a 100-foot wall of flame burning, personally, at you, at hurricane speeds, if you have never experienced it.
On the other hand, there are always those few who have stayed behind to try to save their homes, and have succeeded.
This is true of many large fires here; it is even true of the Camp Fire - there were one or two on television that were interviewed that did stay behind, and were able to save their homes. It seems that there are always one or two like this, which perhaps gives courage to those facing future fires to try to also save their own homes, instead of evacuating.
Of course, one does not hear the interviews on television of those that stayed behind to save their homes, and were not successful. Because they have perished, and can no longer speak.
Years ago, when the summers here first began to turn to smoke, evacuation orders would be given, and people generally left. There was not the death toll then that seems to be happening now. People cannot be physically removed from their homes, even when an evacuation order is mandatory. What one hears now is the caveat, the follow-on statement, that if you choose not to evacuate, we will not be able to help you when the fire comes. One never heard this statement years back.
And, very likely, there were many who were sleeping when the fire, and the evacuation orders, came. The fire started in early morning. The ash of destroyed residences here are still being sifted for remains.
Camp Fire Update, November 20, 2018 @ 5:46 a.m.
I ended up making a trip to Oroville yesterday to pick up my trailer, and bring it closer to home. I will post on that on a separate thread a bit later.
You will probably read it here first, but it seems the Camp Fire really is finally beginning to wind down. The reason I know this is because as I was driving north towards Oroville along Hwy. 99, I passed at least 15 or 20 full-size fire engines heading south. It was an impressive, and reassuring, sight. The engines would not have been leaving the fire area unless there was confidence that these engines would no longer be needed.
Communities from all over northern California (and beyond) have sent fire trucks, fire fighting crews, and assorted fire vehicles to Butte County to fight the Camp Fire. Not really possible to know where all of these fire engines, and fire fighters, I was passing are from, but one especially large red fire engine had "Palo Alto" printed in big white letters across the hood. Palo Alto is a San Francisco Bay area city about two-hundred miles from the Camp Fire.
They had a long trip yet in front of them to get home. I wished them safe travels as we passed.
Please read on for links and current fire information, below.
Thank you.
~ Anne
Selected links:
‘Take the Baby and Run’: Newborn’s Mother Makes Request to Stranger in Case Camp Fire Traps Them
https://ktla.com/2018/11/19/take-the-baby-and-run-newborns-mother-makes-request-to-stranger-in-case-camp-fire-traps-them/
The daunting task of identifying victims of the Camp Fire [video or read transcript]
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/the-daunting-task-of-identifying-victims-of-the-camp-fire#transcript
Camp Fire: Rain could hamper search for victims in Butte County
https://abc7news.com/camp-fire-rain-could-hamper-search-for-victims-in-butte-county/4724803/
Trapped in the Fire Zone - The Camp Fire closed in too fast for some survivors to leave. And many families who evacuated have nowhere to go.
https://slate.com/human-interest/2018/11/california-camp-fire-evacuation-survivors-paradise-pulga.html
Inside the Fiery Furnace: A Chaplain's Harrowing Story of Survival in Paradise
http://time.com/5459508/paradise-survival-chaplain-camp-fire/
Camp Fire first responders, evacuees prepare for rain
https://www.kcra.com/article/camp-fire-first-responders-evacuees-prepare-for-rain/25231354
From the CalFire website
http://www.fire.ca.gov/current_incidents/incidentdetails/Index/2277
Last Updated: November 19, 2018 7:16 pm
Acres Burned - Containment: 151,272 acres - 70% contained
Structures Threatened: 14,500
Structures Destroyed: 11,713 residences, 472 commercial and 3,388 other buildings
Injuries: 3 injuries - 79 civilian fatalities [the media was reporting 80 later in the evening last night, subsequent to the CalFire update]
Total Fire Personnel: 4,736
Total Fire Engines: 390
Total Fire Crews: 95
Total Helicopters: 17
Total Dozers: 51
Total Water Tenders: 56
Conditions: "Firefighters continue to construct and reinforce direct and indirect control lines with hand crews and dozers. Damage inspection crews continue to survey the fire area. The Butte County Sheriff’s Office continues with search and recovery operations with the assistance of US&R and search & rescue teams. Fire suppression repair will continue in order to rehab the fire area and reduce the impacts of the forecasted rain"
I should also say here that I have always enjoyed your photos and descriptions of where you live - I always find your posts interesting and informative, giving me new insight on an area of the country of which I am unfamiliar. 
Sorry about that!
