Where there's smoke...

[Nancy OShea]

The Southern California wildfires are all around us threatening horse & alpaca ranches, wineries, wildlife rescue centers and countless public and private  properties in and around Los Angeles and Ventura counties.  Fire makes no distinctions.  It consumes everything in its path including Rupert Murdoch's Bel Air estate.

Major roads into parts of Los Angeles remain closed.  The fire threat for un-scorched areas remains very high as powerful Santa Ana winds that drive these fires are predicted to return later today and tonight.   In our area, the wind gusts reached 75-80 MPH and electric power has been sporadic.   The smell and smoke from the fires is pervasive.  It's unsettling & eerie.

We're saying prayers for all our friends who have lost their homes and for anyone who is still in harm's way.  Mostly we pray the winds will stop so the first responders can get a handle on this before it gets any worse. 

Google and Facebook have set up fundraising drives to help the victims.   A lot of folks will have no Christmas this year.  So please give what you can.

[TriciaLawrence]

Thanks for sharing this, Nancy.  I'm sure many of us know of people in Los Angeles affected by this in some way, and at this time of year especially it would be good to share with this group so close to home.

[Nancy OShea]

UPDATE:

UCLA Westwood is closed due to the Bel Air/Skirball fire. 

The NCAA men's basketball game at Pauley Pavillion (Grizzlies vs Bruins) is cancelled.

[Ussnorway]

sorry about the fire but love the image Nancy

[Trevor.Dennis]

I just came to the Lounge specifically to start a thread about the California fires.  They were the lead item on our TV news.  40 fatalities, hundreds of homes, and thousands of acres of woodland destroyed. We saw a fire chief being interviewed standing in what looked like gale force winds.  Goodness...  conditions could hardly be worse.  We also saw people driving out with huge flames all around them, and where the fire had jumped a major highway.  So much for the wee firebreaks they usually cut to try and halt a wild fire's progress.

Nancy's comment about Rupert Mudoch's estate struck a chord, as one of the first things that came to my mind when seeing where the fires were, is that there must have been some substantial properties involved.  Not a great time to be in insurance methinks.  I think most of the Adobe staff we know are further north, but I wish them, and their friends and families, a good outcome. 

We have had one weather related record after another broken here, and I read that this is the worst year on record for California fires.  In fact there's a degree of cruel irony involved, because after that terrible drought, I understand well above rainfall lead to a particularly lush growth of ground covering plant life, which then dried out to create a perfect kindling. The last I saw, thousands of firefighters still hadn't managed to get the fires under control.  I'm sure we are all thinking of you, and beaming positive vibes your way.

[JR Boulay]

I saw and lived this nightmare when I was a teenager, the flames were even closer than in the photo and I was terrorized.

I sympathize with all human, animal and plant victims.

[gener7]

There are now 6 fires burning across Southern California.  Below are their respective Twitter hashtag links.

#ThomasFire -115,000 acres, 5%

#CreekFire - 15,000 acres, 20%

#RyeFire - 7,000 acres, 25%

#LilacFire - 2,500 acres, 0%

#SkirballFire - 475 acres, 20%

#LibertyFire - 300 Acres, 10%

[John T Smith]

Wife is from LA and still has some relatives there... so far, none have had the fire hit were they live, although one cousin has received a warning notice to be on alert in case the fire does come close enough that her family would need to evacuate

Bad times for California... first the fire in wine country, now this

[gener7]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/John+T+Smith  wrote

Wife is from LA and still has some relatives there... so far, none have had the fire hit were they live, although one cousin has received a warning notice to be on alert in case the fire does come close enough that her family would need to evacuate

Bad times for California... first the fire in wine country, now this

I am getting word that some of these fires are being contained and evac orders for some places are being lifted...so hopefully your relatives have better news on the next call.

Brush fires and earthquakes, just part of living out West.

[gener7]

Update:

CA Wildfire Stats:

Fires: 6

Acres: 175,000

Firefighters: 8,500

Structures Destroyed: 793

Structures Threatened: 25,000

Civilians Evacuated: 90,000

Largest Fire: Thomas Fire at 148,000 acres (over 231 square miles)

[Nancy OShea]

Over the weekend, the Thomas Fire crossed over the Ventura county line where we live and into Santa Barbara county.  It's now the 5th largest fire in modern California history -- 230,500 acres consumed and only 15% contained.  The burned out areas look like the surface of the moon.  Air quality is very unhealthful and masks are highly recommended for everyone in and around the burn zones.   

We are a good safe distance from the Thomas fire now, but the air quality has not been great so we're keeping the house & cars closed and running the AC at night.  I'll be so glad when the wind gusts stop.   And even happier when we get some rain.

[TriciaLawrence]

Thinking about you Nancy.  Hope to hear better news soon, keep us posted.

[gener7]

Here's an updated evacuation map: Santa Barbara Co Evacuation Zones

and I'll screenshot just to give you an idea. Check the link for changes

Also be wary of fake calls asking for donations to Firefighters.

Twitter feed: News about #ThomasFire on Twitter

[Nancy OShea]

Things have improved  but we're not in the clear yet.  More high winds & ultra dry conditions in our area again today . 

A  brush fire sprang up just 2 miles east of us.  Fortunately, local fire & choppers were on the scene very quickly and able to contain it 1.2 acres.   Between now & Christmas, there's no  precipitation in the forecast.  A little morning fog would be really nice right now.

Now I've got to go see what we can do to save this tree in our front yard while my husband searches for his duct tape.

[Ussnorway]

i would leave it that way if the path isn't blocked... it may grow on you

[John T Smith]

Really bad year for California

California's Thomas wildfire now largest in state history | Fox News

[Trevor.Dennis]

Wow, guys, I didn't realize that some of you were so close to it all.  With the extent of it all, I guess it should surprise us though.  Nancy sorry to hear about your tree.  When you think about all the years a big tree takes to grow, and suddenly it's gone.  So long as people and their animals are OK — I've been thinking and worrying about Chuck's horses. 

[Chuck Uebele]

Thank, Trevor. Our horse is well away from the fire area.

[stevec92791548]

I hate to admit that I was initially intent on complaining about some product related glitch until I saw that astounding photo, reality set in as I awoke to our society's general situation.
My thoughts go out to the "Forces of the Cosmos" - laws of nature that we are all subject to, no matter our beliefs...

[Brad Lawryk]

Be safe, Nancy!

Just this last summer up here in British Columbia, our entire city was evacuated for 6 weeks as we were completely surrounded fire. I know all too well the experience they are going through.

Be safe.

[Chuck Uebele]

It's been a nasty fire season! The smoke really hit up in Pismo Beach on the 10th. Here's a pano of the smoke coming in that morning:

I shot this one a little while later, when it was really getting thick. Used a fill flash, just to show the color temp difference.

Drove down to LA, yesterday, and a lot of the heavy smoke had cleared around Carpenteria, but the hils were all burnt - hard to really see, as there was still a lot of smoking haze in the air. Another shot of the same area, where the fire had jumped HWY 101 and burned some palms on the opposite side.

[gener7]

Did you notice anything as far as smells or problems breathing, Chuck? I don't know if any of the smoke is making up here, but from my place in Berkeley, the Marin - Golden Gate side seems hazy.

This is a sample of today's Air Quality Index as provided by the Environmental Protection Agency website. AirNow

[Nancy OShea]

Gene,

Which direction is your prevailing wind coming from?

That might give you some clues.

Chuck,

Really great photos!  Thanks for posting them.

UPDATE:  Our front yard tree is gone, it couldn't be saved

[Ussnorway]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Nancy+OShea  wrote

UPDATE:  Our front yard tree is gone, it couldn't be saved

o no ... I was rooting for the plucky little bugger to be the one that stands out in your street

[gener7]

Gene,

Which direction is your prevailing wind coming from?

That might give you some clues.

UPDATE:  Our front yard tree is gone, it couldn't be saved

Lately it has been from the west off the Pacific Ocean. It's what gives San Francisco its' fog, cools the Bay Area off, and clears out pollutants. Sometimes the conditions are not right and we end up with excessive heat.

It's why I have a window sill A/C unit at the ready.

Sorry to hear about the tree.

@Chuck Well, at least it wasn't bad enough to give you problems. When smoke from the Santa Rosa drifted down here, there was a run on masks. I used to live in San Bernardino and that was much worse due to the smog.

Gene