WrightwoodCalif.com Forum
Public Forums => Disaster Awareness & CERT => Topic started by: Nolena on Nov 09, 18, 06:20:56 AM
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California is burning. The Camp Fire in Northern California has burned thousands of homes and hundreds of people are missing. (Paradise is pretty much gone.) Strong winds are fueling destructive fires in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. People have had very little time to evacuate. The wind-driven fire is WAY faster then you or your car are. And wind-propelled embers are spotting far ahead of the fire front.
If we get the winds, we could get the fires.
We all need to have things ready to grab and go.
Pet carriers and leashes, pet food and bowls, water, snacks, warm clothing, blankets, medications, etc.
And it's good to have a full tank of gas.
http://www.readyforwildfire.org/Ready-Set-Go-Campaign/
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Great advice, Nolena! I am always looking for creative and unique ideas when it comes to emergency and evacuation preparedness. I saw this photo yesterday and thought to myself... what a great idea. Simple, quick and efficient way to evacuate your small animals like cats and small dogs in an emergency with limited time and resources.
(https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/45757358_1863555670379707_203183675729248256_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.xx&oh=78268faec41eea6254a2c9e8058ef689&oe=5C878C75)
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Many years ago, when Malibu was on fire and I was laying on the couch with terrible back pain, I realized we needed an evacuation plan. So that night, we wrote up a list, in the order of importance, and put it up where we could find it. We have that list and know what to pack and what is the most important.
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Having wound up in the ER trying to evac a cat - I suggest the pillowcase described in the poster might best be made of asbestos.
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Good advice, Nolena. Wrightwood has dodged a number of bullets over the years but with the continued drought and fuels around our homes receptive to the smallest spark, the need for immediate evacuation is still a reality. Another thought....there will be lots of videos of the Camp fire and how quickly it roared through Paradise. For those entertaining the thought of "I'll know when it's time to evacuate", take a look at how much time those folks had. Every time I drive into Wrightwood and see how close we came to losing everything during the last Blue Cut, I'm reminded just how vulnerable we are.
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Having wound up in the ER trying to evac a cat - I suggest the pillowcase described in the poster might best be made of asbestos.
I couldn't help but laugh... just a little bit. If you are unable to evac your animas I have heard many experts suggest that you let them go loose and not kept locked up in your house or pens. Usually the animals will find a way out and or around the fire and survive.
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Thanks Elk. I can laugh about it now too. And, the kitty was evac'd. - protesting the whole time.
One thing I've learned over the years is if you have horses or other large animals - evac early. It is far better to do that and realize you didn't need to evac than to try and load horses with smoke and sirens all around them.
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This morning I heard that the Camp Fire moved at 100 yards per second. What exactly is our evacuation plan here in town? Specifically have fire personnel coordinated with CHP or CalTrans? Should there be a text alert system that we can sign up for here in town? Should someone be partnering with ANF and/or property owners to establish a defensible perimeter around town? This is all very scary.
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This morning I heard that the Camp Fire moved at 100 yards per second. What exactly is our evacuation plan here in town? Specifically have fire personnel coordinated with CHP or CalTrans? Should there be a text alert system that we can sign up for here in town? Should someone be partnering with ANF and/or property owners to establish a defensible perimeter around town? This is all very scary.
Fire storms should be scary and terrifying...since we live in a an area that is surrounded by wildfire and large concentrations of trees and brush and few ways in and out.....I'm worried. You can sign up for reverse 911 for alerts at the San Bernardino County Sheriff's site and they will text weather and fire warnings and evacuations to your cell phone.
Great idea about defensible perimeter but in a fire storm, fires jump 8 lanes of freeway with a single spark. There was some great work done in Lone Pine Canyon years ago by SBNF and it stopped the spread of the Sheep Fire in it's tracks and still worked when the last Blue Cut fire came with five minutes of overrunning Wrightwood. Wrightwood has had some very close calls in past years. The Blue Cut came withing minutes of becoming seated in the big timber of town. Aircraft and favorable wind was the only saving grace. Best deal is to leave when you get the evacuation notice. Don't pretend, like so many, that they are going to stay to "protect their homes" in the face of 200 foot flame lengths and temperatures that melt cars into molten metal and they will "know" when it's time to leave. Once the evacuation order is given, there will not be a second one for those who ignored the first. Sadly, the media is making a big deal about those who ignore evac notices but the CAMP fire and Malibu should be fair warning of what happens when too many people try to leave on narrow mountain roads surrounded by fuels and fires that are burning at temperatures approaching that of the Sun.
Have a plan on what your family will do...what you plan on taking and a realistic game plan with two ways out. I've responded and fought hundreds of wildland fires over the past 46 years and I left when Blue Cut got with a mile of my house in a matter of minutes. Although, I was technically on duty as a PIO, I never went back in after evacuating our 8 horses and three dogs. The fire does not discriminate because I am wearing nomex....it simply burns whatever it can. Be concerned but more importantly, prepare yourself and your household to leave when the time comes. Leaving early....when the roads are clear of smoke and fire and knowing the two main ways out of town on Hwy 2, is the key to success and living to have a good story to tell.
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http://www.wrightwoodfsc.com/
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Be concerned but more importantly, prepare yourself and your household to leave when the time comes. Leaving early....when the roads are clear of smoke and fire and knowing the two main ways out of town on Hwy 2, is the key to success and living to have a good story to tell.
So true Jim. My son and animals have had to evac twice, once in 2009 (Sheep Fire) and for Blue Cut. Both times I knew the fires were out there and I got everything ready, and when we got the evac call we got the heck out of Dodge. Almost no one else was on the road either time! I don't know why people waited, but OK. These were of course earlier than the Paradise disaster, but I never forgot the story of Hook Canyon. We're out of there.
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Be observant. If you see or smell smoke, seek reliable information. Act according to information. If no information is found, act according to worst case scenario until you have reliable information confirming otherwise. If you end up alive in pearblossom with all of your essentials for a false alarm, so be it. If you stay home, consider yourself the captain going down with his ship.
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This piece is from today's LATimes. It is about the statewide risk for fires like the Camp Fire in areas with similar risks and populations. It has a search bar part way through the piece. You can enter your address to see if you're in what is considered a 'high risk' area. Those of you in WW need not bother - you are. If you do a search, hit the hyphen ( - ) so you can pan out and see the area. My address in PH is not in the zone. It may be because we're not as dense here (that's dense as in density - not thought processes).
Aside from doing what we can on our own properties, the other two issues I'm concerned about are evac routes and communications. That's true for earthquakes too. Cheryl o7o
https://www.latimes.com/projects/la-me-california-buildings-in-fire-zones/#nt=oft-Single Chain~Flex Feature~hp-daily-chain~fire-risk-353a~~1~yes-art~curated~curatedpage
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Good afternoon all:
This article (long) is from today's (04/28/19) Sacramento Bee. I think it is interesting that when the reporters tried to obtain Evacuation Plans from some areas, they had to file Freedom-of-Information Act requests to obtain them. No mention of Wrightwood in this article, but it does mention Lake Arrowhead, Running Springs and Crestline. There is also a quote from Glenn Barley from Calfire:
https://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/fires/article229547244.html
With all the rains, and late rains, it is going to be another tough Fire Season (which never really ends, anyway).
Peace and Good Luck!
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https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/ready-set-go-campaign/
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Another article, connected to the one referenced above, offers important insights for us here in Wrightwood - https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/fires/article227665284.html.
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Well, it's summer...and it's 2020....and we are entering a week of extremely hot weather.
So it's time to think about evacuation preparedness again.
Do you have a plan? Can you evacuate yourself and your loved ones and pets in a short period of time? Do you have pictures of your house and possessions in case your house is lost? Do you know where you can go in case we need to evacuate? Is your property clear of fire hazards? Do you have a full tank of gas? Do you have extra food, water, and pet food?
Do you have enough wine? ;D
The last minute is the wrong minute.
Be prepared.
And please don't put firefighters' lives at risk by NOT evacuating when you are asked to. We're all in this together.
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Here's a link to the "Ready, Set Go" program. :2thumbsup:
Disasters and evacuations don't conveniently schedule themselves. Be prepared. :)
https://www.fire.ca.gov/media/4996/readysetgo_plan.pdf
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Thanks Kathy. I have an emergency list and I have already packed for evacuation, but there are many items on the list that I didn't think about!
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In my first evacuation, the Sheep Fire of 2009, I thought I was ready. Kid, pets, computers, medications, a few irreplaceable items.
And I forgot pants.
Pants.
Once we reached safety, I had to go to Target.
For pants.
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We learned a few things from the Sheep and Blue Cut fires, too. If you are staying in a hotel/motel, make the reservation NOW. Trying figure out where to go, particularly with pets, is added stress you don't need. That, and everyone else is trying to do the same thing. It might be better to be farther away, than to be close to home.
Remember cat/dog beds, litter boxes, litter scoops, dry and wet food, water bowls. Otherwise, it's another Target or Walmart run.
Stay safe my friends. Much strength and prayers from our home to yours.
Peace.
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https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/ready-set-go/