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SoCal Wildfires

jgeisjgeis Registered User regular
So the wildfire situation here in SoCal is getting pretty out of hand and I know there are a fair number of forumers in the greater SoCal region that it warrants a thread. Dry conditions and strong Santa Ana winds have made the region into a powder keg and it's going off. All fires are largely moving west-southwest with the strong prevailing winds. Areas affected by the fires are also seeing gusts between 40-60mph, exacerbating the issue. These conditions are predicted to last through Thursday at least.

Currently there are three notable wildfires burning in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. The most severe is the Thomas Fire burning in Ventura. It's 45k acres in size and growing with no containment, has burned 150+ structures, and has made it to downtown Ventura. Ventura is currently under a state of emergency. More than 7000 homes are under mandatory evacuation orders and more could quickly be added. Santa Paula and Ojai are also under threat from this fire.

The next most serious fire is the Creek Fire burning near Sylmar and Lake View Terrace on the north end of the San Fernando valley. It has burned 4000 acres so far and is at 0% containment. 2500+ homes have been evacuated and the 210 Freeway in the area is closed in both directions. An unconfirmed number of structures have been burned.

The third fire sprung up just hours ago in Santa Clarita. The Rye Fire is up to 500+ acres with no containment. It has prompted the closure of Interstate 5 in both directions around Newhall Ranch Road/Six Flags Magic Mountain. Evacuations have been issued (exact number of homes affected unknown right now) and power outages are affecting the area. The 911 system in the area is also experiencing issues due to the volume of calls about the outage.

If you're near any of these fires please stay alert and listen to local news and emergency outlets for information on possible evacuations or other dangers.

I'm down in LA but the horizon to the north is clearly shrouded in smoke.

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Posts

  • BroloBrolo Broseidon Lord of the BroceanRegistered User regular
    7FyJvVqh.jpg
    damn

    Stay safe out there, my friends.

  • MadicanMadican No face Registered User regular
    My dad's workplace is five miles from the Ventura fire. My grandma lives in Sylmar and has already evacuated to my aunt's place. My mom is incredibly asthmatic and lives in Santa Clarita.

    Oh yeah, this is a fun day for me.

  • MadicanMadican No face Registered User regular
    Also if my parent's place is threatened that also means my other aunt's place is too. About 75% of my dad's side lives in that area between one fire or another.

  • jgeisjgeis Registered User regular
    @Madican I hope everyone remains OK through all this.

    Here's a good map of where the Thomas Fire was this morning:

    diioq86s0er8.png

  • BahamutZEROBahamutZERO Registered User regular
    boy we're having a bad fucking fire year in the state this year huh

    BahamutZERO.gif
  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    Every year approximately 1/3 of the state of California catches on fire.

    Are controlled burns just not a thing there? I know we have enough problems with them here when the government tries to set some fires to burn off built-up undergrowth. There's always a few hundred assholes complaining about smoke. I'd rather the sky be a bit smoky for one or two days out of the year than my whole town get burned to the ground, but these idiots are too fucking stupid to grok how this thing works.

  • InquisitorInquisitor Registered User regular
    This explains why all the dump trucks for my work got stuck today. Jesus.

  • MadicanMadican No face Registered User regular
    Okay I heard back from my parents and the "good" news is that in order for the fire to reach them it'd have to burn all of Valencia and Santa Clarita first.

    Not heard anything new about the Sylmar one.

    Ventura is still raging in those winds.

  • jgeisjgeis Registered User regular
    Every year approximately 1/3 of the state of California catches on fire.

    Are controlled burns just not a thing there? I know we have enough problems with them here when the government tries to set some fires to burn off built-up undergrowth. There's always a few hundred assholes complaining about smoke. I'd rather the sky be a bit smoky for one or two days out of the year than my whole town get burned to the ground, but these idiots are too fucking stupid to grok how this thing works.

    They are but there's not enough of them done. Part of the problem is that they feel there's only a few weeks of the year where they can safely burn because otherwise they worry it'll get out of control. Then there's allocation of resources, and plenty of people that complain about smoke.

    I worry that with conditions not improving until at least Thursday that more fires are going to start before these ones can get put under control.

  • BahamutZEROBahamutZERO Registered User regular
    Every year approximately 1/3 of the state of California catches on fire.

    Are controlled burns just not a thing there? I know we have enough problems with them here when the government tries to set some fires to burn off built-up undergrowth. There's always a few hundred assholes complaining about smoke. I'd rather the sky be a bit smoky for one or two days out of the year than my whole town get burned to the ground, but these idiots are too fucking stupid to grok how this thing works.

    http://calfire.ca.gov/fire_prevention/fire_prevention

    BahamutZERO.gif
  • MadicanMadican No face Registered User regular
    Controlled burns are difficult to do here because the area is windy by default, which can quickly take a controlled fire into uncontrolled territory.

  • MadicanMadican No face Registered User regular
    The state has also been under a five year drought so things are pretty much dry tinder.

  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    Madican wrote: »
    Controlled burns are difficult to do here because the area is windy by default, which can quickly take a controlled fire into uncontrolled territory.

    Sounds like the state government needs to invest more money and resources towards controlled burns! We manage them here (when we're not being shouted down by NIMBYs) and there's plenty of wind around.

  • jgeisjgeis Registered User regular
    Well there's a new 25 acre fire burning in the Little Mountain area of San Bernardino now. It's moving rapidly and threatening structures, 3 people are reportedly already injured. Authorities are requesting a closure of the northbound 215 Freeway.

  • JansonJanson Registered User regular
    I also have to imagine that the worsening drought plays into the issues somewhat, as do the massive redwood forests, and the extent to which human habitation has encroached upon those?

  • jgeisjgeis Registered User regular
    edited December 2017
    Redwood Forests are actually a NorCal thing.

    The drought definitely plays into this though, it's very dry and there's tons of dead grass and brush ready to ignite.

    The wind is the compounding factor here, with the strength and direction of the Santa Ana winds.

    jgeis on
  • JansonJanson Registered User regular
    Madican wrote: »
    Okay I heard back from my parents and the "good" news is that in order for the fire to reach them it'd have to burn all of Valencia and Santa Clarita first.

    Not heard anything new about the Sylmar one.

    Ventura is still raging in those winds.

    I hope your parents and aunt stay safe!

    This year really has been terrible for fires and I feel for anyone caught up in them. :(

  • MadicanMadican No face Registered User regular
    Rye fire now at 1000 acres, zero containment.

    Resources are already being spread thin with three fires, San Bernardino has come aflame and is growing for a fourth, more possible.

  • jgeisjgeis Registered User regular
    edited December 2017
    The Creek Fire is ballooning too, it's up to 11,000 acres from the previously reported 4000. There's 700 firefighters at that fire alone but it's still 0% contained.

    Edit: Thomas Fire over 50k acres now. These fires are moving fast.

    jgeis on
  • MadicanMadican No face Registered User regular
    jgeis wrote: »
    The Creek Fire is ballooning too, it's up to 11,000 acres from the previously reported 4000. There's 700 firefighters at that fire alone but it's still 0% contained.

    Creek Fire currently 11,000 acres, Rye Fire now 4,000 acres, Thomas Fire at 46K acres.

    Zero containment on any of them.

  • jgeisjgeis Registered User regular
    The Creek Fire has apparently jumped the 210 so that's a problem.

  • ShortyShorty touching the meat Intergalactic Cool CourtRegistered User regular
    Madican wrote: »
    Controlled burns are difficult to do here because the area is windy by default, which can quickly take a controlled fire into uncontrolled territory.

    Sounds like the state government needs to invest more money and resources towards controlled burns! We manage them here (when we're not being shouted down by NIMBYs) and there's plenty of wind around.

    they've gotten better about it in the last decade or so but yeah, they still don't do enough controlled burns

    for a long time they didn't do them at all because people complained about their property values

    their whole policy was centered on preventing ignition completely (which is impossible)

  • TankHammerTankHammer Atlanta Ghostbuster Atlanta, GARegistered User regular
    One of our out-of-state Atlanta GB auxiliary members is evacuating with his family today. Their house is intact but they woke up to heavy smoke and glowing red surrounding every side of their home. Hopefully they got clear and are chilling someplace safe now.

  • MadicanMadican No face Registered User regular
    edited December 2017
    The erratic and very powerful wind is seriously not helping things.

    Madican on
  • jgeisjgeis Registered User regular
    edited December 2017
    Small updates:

    The Rye Fire is at 5000 acres as of 3:15PST (about 15 minutes ago), 5% contained, Interstate 5 has reopened for now.

    The San Bernardino fire has quadrupled in size to 100 acres, still 0% contained.

    jgeis on
  • EndEnd Registered User regular
    Madican wrote: »
    The state has also been under a five year drought so things are pretty much dry tinder.

    but also I heard last winter was actually pretty wet, so stuff got to grow a bunch before everything got dry again

    I wish that someway, somehow, that I could save every one of us
    zaleiria-by-lexxy-sig.jpg
  • PiptheFairPiptheFair Frequently not in boats. Registered User regular
    Madican wrote: »
    Controlled burns are difficult to do here because the area is windy by default, which can quickly take a controlled fire into uncontrolled territory.

    Sounds like the state government needs to invest more money and resources towards controlled burns! We manage them here (when we're not being shouted down by NIMBYs) and there's plenty of wind around.

    does you country have a massive drought exacerbated by poorly planned manipulation of the water table?

  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    PiptheFair wrote: »
    Madican wrote: »
    Controlled burns are difficult to do here because the area is windy by default, which can quickly take a controlled fire into uncontrolled territory.

    Sounds like the state government needs to invest more money and resources towards controlled burns! We manage them here (when we're not being shouted down by NIMBYs) and there's plenty of wind around.

    does you country have a massive drought exacerbated by poorly planned manipulation of the water table?

    ahahahahahahahahahahahaha

    i mean
    yeah, mostly.

  • PiptheFairPiptheFair Frequently not in boats. Registered User regular
    tynic wrote: »
    PiptheFair wrote: »
    Madican wrote: »
    Controlled burns are difficult to do here because the area is windy by default, which can quickly take a controlled fire into uncontrolled territory.

    Sounds like the state government needs to invest more money and resources towards controlled burns! We manage them here (when we're not being shouted down by NIMBYs) and there's plenty of wind around.

    does you country have a massive drought exacerbated by poorly planned manipulation of the water table?

    ahahahahahahahahahahahaha

    i mean
    yeah, mostly.

    I thought about it as I was posting it and realized....

    the big difference is that the forest areas are much more concentrated than the minimal coastal forests in australia

  • PiptheFairPiptheFair Frequently not in boats. Registered User regular
    also you all don't have this smug fucker to worry about

    https://www.theonion.com/i-will-drink-every-last-drop-of-water-on-earth-1819584998

  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited December 2017
    PiptheFair wrote: »
    tynic wrote: »
    PiptheFair wrote: »
    Madican wrote: »
    Controlled burns are difficult to do here because the area is windy by default, which can quickly take a controlled fire into uncontrolled territory.

    Sounds like the state government needs to invest more money and resources towards controlled burns! We manage them here (when we're not being shouted down by NIMBYs) and there's plenty of wind around.

    does you country have a massive drought exacerbated by poorly planned manipulation of the water table?

    ahahahahahahahahahahahaha

    i mean
    yeah, mostly.

    I thought about it as I was posting it and realized....

    the big difference is that the forest areas are much more concentrated than the minimal coastal forests in australia

    I don't think that's at all true, we have millions upon millions of square miles of dense forest. I've spent a fair bit of time in exactly the regions of california currently suffering from bushfires and no, I don't think it's more concentrated than our forests, which are not remotely as minimal as people seem to think.

    But I do think that CA has seen some unique forms of human intrusion which have probably made fire spreading a lot worse and harder to control. For one thing, the history of land management in SoCal is definitely very different than most non-urban AU regions. For another, interestingly, you guys imported eucalyptus from Australia, which have a different relationship to natural fires than native American flora and I honestly don't know what impact that has had (if any).

    tynic on
  • Raijin QuickfootRaijin Quickfoot I'm your Huckleberry YOU'RE NO DAISYRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    Drought is one of the things I'm glad I don't have to worry about in Minnesota.

  • HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    This is way too late in this year for this to be a wildfire. Some dickhead went and started this shit.

  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    PiptheFair wrote: »
    Madican wrote: »
    Controlled burns are difficult to do here because the area is windy by default, which can quickly take a controlled fire into uncontrolled territory.

    Sounds like the state government needs to invest more money and resources towards controlled burns! We manage them here (when we're not being shouted down by NIMBYs) and there's plenty of wind around.

    does you country have a massive drought exacerbated by poorly planned manipulation of the water table?

    Shit, we wrote the fucking book on it.

  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited December 2017
    Henroid wrote: »
    This is way too late in this year for this to be a wildfire. Some dickhead went and started this shit.

    I dunno, it was pretty ridiculously hot and dry down there right through November.
    edit: but if there hasn't been a storm it's usually human-caused anyway

    tynic on
  • AphostileAphostile San Francisco, CARegistered User regular
    Eucalyptus sucks and really fucked up the California ecosystem.

    Nothing. Matters.
  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    Eucalypts are great in their natural environment, but people really gotta stop fucking around with invasive species.

  • BahamutZEROBahamutZERO Registered User regular
    Drought is one of the things I'm glad I don't have to worry about in Minnesota.

    give it a few centuries

    BahamutZERO.gif
  • GR_ZombieGR_Zombie Krillin It Registered User regular
    The Thomas fire is about 8 miles away from my place. I've lived through a pile of wildfires, but never one this close. It's kind of freaking me out a little bit, but going through clothes to donate is helping me feel better. Just hoping the fire doesn't go any farther into Ventura proper.

    04xkcuvaav19.png
  • HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    GR_Zombie wrote: »
    The Thomas fire is about 8 miles away from my place. I've lived through a pile of wildfires, but never one this close. It's kind of freaking me out a little bit, but going through clothes to donate is helping me feel better. Just hoping the fire doesn't go any farther into Ventura proper.
    You have things set together to leave just in case the evac gets called out?

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