Friday, October 13, 2017

California Firestorm


I was awakened abruptly last Monday morning by the frantic ringing of my doorbell.  It was my friend & neighbor Ivan rousing me to 'answer the bell' so to speak; I could already smell the smoke before he told me there was a raging firestorm just ten miles away.  I live in wine country, Sonoma county where much of the terrain is heavily wooded canyons, many peppered with residential neighborhoods; so dealing with a potential wild fire is always in the back of our minds.  Now it was foremost on our minds.

Little did I know that the day I was waking into would see the worst firestorm in California history.  Beginning just before midnight on Oct. 8th, fires sprang up in several different Sonoma and Napa county locations.  The weather was zero humidity, no moisture in the air, with winds gusting 50 to 60 mph.  Before Daybreak there were a total of 14 fires racing primarily north, and eastward, away from my hillside canyon home...for now.

Wildfires such as this actually create their own weather.  As the flames grow higher into the air it creates a vortex, a sort of fire tornado which in turn draws in all the air around it.  Add to this devil's mix a 50 mph easterly wind and you get a self feeding, self sustaining firestorm with a halo of burning airborne embers falling to earth setting new fires, which then join with the parent fire.  Maybe a case could be made for fire being a kind of life form: It breathes air, consumes food which strengthens it, and it reproduces itself.   Fire spirits, Hmmm.  More on this in a bit.


You don't have to be a prepper to be ready ahead of time for such natural disasters; all it takes is having been a boy scout, and later a combat veteran, to see the sense in being ready to bug out with a Go-Bag full of emergency survival needs already to load in the car.  If you don't have them pre-packed and ready to load in the car, you won't have time when you are watching the flames advance on your home as floating embers ignite your roof.

Watching three hurricanes in a row wreck death and devastation on parts of the country should have motivated a lot of people to prepare, including making detailed evacuation plans for the family.  It sure motivated me to drag my go-bags out and double check them in the days before the firestorm. 

Brewing up some coffee was the first order of business, and as it was perking away, the second was to check communications status.  Had electricity but not much more.  No television, no internet, no text.  All gone, and with no word on for how long.  Time to dig out the hand crank, portable emergency radio.  I hooked it up and before long found what I was looking for, all day coverage of the firestorm in my back yard.
 
"We face the potential for this kind of firestorm every year,
and we've been lucky for a long time.  Our luck just ran out."
                                                                                ~Cal-Fire Official

It's kind of funny, the difference in perspective you have when packing a bug out bag in the calm before the storm; and re-packing it when faced with the possibility of everything you own turned to ash.  With no immediate threat to my residence it gave me the luxury of doing a kind of triage on my go bags.  There is no way you can take everything which is special to you, so hard choices must be made.  Sometimes the practical gives way to the emotional as some things are removed from the bags to make room for something of a more emotional value.


When you walk thru your home with the idea it might all burn you begin to see with new eyes.  As long as the wind is our friend and blowing the fire away from us this hopefully becomes just a dress rehearsal this time.

So as I listened to the reports flowing in on the radio, I found I couldn't sit still, I had to be doing something even if it was pacing about trying to think of the next thing I forgot to pack.  Hearing odd noises I quickly checked outside to see what was up.  It was my 70 year old next door neighbor, up on his roof with a rake and water hose, courting a broken leg if he fell.

It occurred to me I was darting around like a ferret chasing a meal it can't see.  I sat and thought about that a moment and then it dawned on me, PTSD awakes from it's slumber, given enough stressors.  I'm sitting in a bone dry old house on a wooded hillside in a firestorm, and no information save for the radio which was mostly helpful but not terribly useful.  I'm hearing about places I liked going to, burned to the ground, along with area landmarks like the Hilton hotel. Entire subdivisions are going up in flames. People are dying out there in my back yard.

"The World Has Changed"
                     ~Sonoma County Sheriff

 With no internet access all; transactions were cash only, and the roadways were choked with evacuees and those seeking emergency supplies.  I am suddenly feeling pretty smart for having bought two flats of Aquafina bottled water last week.  You could say a hurricane inspired me to prepare for a firestorm.  My friend Ivan has the day off work due to the firestorm so we spend it pre-loading stuff into the car, just in case.  Tomorrow I'm buying a chain saw because no damned down tree is gonna prevent me from bugging out if the need arises.  Boy scout, gotta be prepared!


People are calling reports into the radio station all day, one man reporting that eight water trucks showed up, without water in their tanks.  Maybe it's a cost effectiveness thing, why haul all that water any farther than you have to?  Intended to fill up at a local hydrant??  Another man called in saying there were no Cal-Fire aircraft working in his area.  He didn't understand they have to be able to see where to drop their load of fire retardant.
 
Day 2~October 10
 Day two sees the number of uncontrolled fires at 17, with 20 dead and over 1500 structures destroyed.  Nobody was prepared for how fast the flames raced over the land, it's like some kind of surrealistic nightmare.  I am stressed and frustrated that all data lines are down, except for my wonderful radio.  I'm just feeling a need to see this monster on satellite view, so I can properly engage it.  I spent several years on radio in Alaska, so I know well the idea of words painting pictures, and the scenes coming from my emergency disaster radio are horrific.

Smoke from the firestorm can be smelled at San Francisco airport 60 miles distant.  It covers more than 115 thousand acres of land, over 65 square miles, in eight counties! 


There are now more than 4400 firefighters working over 40 hours straight.  Twenty thousand people have been evacuated to shelters, churches & high schools as just dealing with the displaced becomes a storm itself.  The early estimate of 180 missing people has now become 660 missing people, a number certain to keep rising.  The firestorm remains at zero containment.  And it is still growing.

"It looks like a war zone, without the bomb craters"
                                                             ~TV news reporter

Firemen and first responders are often "lost" and  not knowing exactly where they are because all the street signs melted.  Steel melts at 2500 degrees Fahrenheit.  Some cars exploded when their gas tanks ignited, leaving charred upside down slag heaps, each with puddles of melted aluminum beneath them.


Human  nature sure comes out fast at times like these, there have been very few incidents of looting so far, but volunteers by the hundreds are calling local officials wanting to help.  I've heard of three 'hubs' where volunteers can go to register & then be dispatched somewhere to render aid. 

I like that.  Shows that hope maybe has a fighting chance after all.

Late afternoon I get the sweet sound of a text notification from my cell phone. Minutes later internet was restored, and an hour later TV service came back.  I was quite pleasantly surprised; anticipating a much longer outage lasting several days.

"The firestorm turned our neighborhood into a sea of nothing"
                                                                        ~Unknown Evacuee

Seeing the images of this monster firestorm came with a case of cognitive dissonance at the sheer size of the thing, and how incredibly fast it was consuming everything in its path.  If the recent string of hurricanes was a wake up call, this then was indeed waking up to a nightmare literally on my back door.  The same conditions that birthed this inferno exist in the canyon I reside in.  It would only take a spark, and I could be among the homeless victims of this wildfire.

Aerial views of the devastation are truly like something from a war zone, specifically Hiroshima after the bombing.  Watching these images as I fine tuned my evacuation luggage, was just feeding my awakened PTSD; it never really goes away, hibernation is the best you can hope for.  The good part of it is that the awakening PTSD also brushes off the skill-set needed to deal with the stressors, and the emergency.  They never go away either.  As I move through the house; I take the time to bless, thank & release a lifetime worth of possessions I have managed to hold onto until now.  Some things are more difficult to let go of than others.  There is a reason they're called possessions.


Day 3~October 11
By Wednesday the 11th, the firestorm is now 22 separate fires and has become twice the size of Washington DC and continues to grow, it's appetite unabated.  Throughout the devastated area only chimneys remain standing, like gravestones marking where over 2000 homes died.  They say the winds are going to pick up again tonight.

"This is a critical, catastrophic event, and
things will get worse before they get better"
                                         ~Cal-Fire Spokesman

Late in the afternoon authorities announce the mandatory evacuation of Calistoga as the fire marched over the hillside overlooking the tourist town, and the rolling smoke moved into the valley like a massive ghost.  A pocket fire sprang up near Geyserville causing even more evacuations, eating still more land. 



There are now over 8000 exhausted firemen (Heroes) battling the firestorm and saving lives.  More than 30,000 people have been evacuated and there are 3500 homes and businesses burned to the ground.  There have been 0ver 50 helicopter rescues, as the state amasses the largest aerial bombing campaign in American history to fight the firestorm.  They have 73 helicopters, 30 air tankers; including a DC-10 and a brand new 747 jumbo tanker being used for the first time.

As darkness comes to day three there are 26 known dead, and some 700 missing with over 265 square miles burned; and 80 cell towers destroyed.  In their evening press conference authorities stress that people should avoid the evacuated zones or face arrest.  They also advise that this emergency event is far from over, saying it could be two weeks or longer to get containment & control over the inferno. 

Fire Spirits?


Many years back during the practice burning of an old dilapidated building in Nixa Missouri; one of the firefighters took a snapshot of the blaze and was astounded to clearly see what many say is an Indian chief on horseback.  I've been intrigued by such fire images ever since, and was quite surprised to see one show up in the growing collection of images from this firestorm event.  Look closely at pictures of raging fires, you may find some yourself.



Day 4~October 12
What caused the firestorm?
Daybreak on day 4 came after an overnight respite as the winds did not pick up as feared they would.  Even though, it continued to consume thru the night while the air armada was grounded.  It is now thought that downed power lines and blown transformers started the wildfires around 11:45 pm, last Sunday night.  There is also some lingering doubt surrounding the strangeness of 14 fires all starting at more or less the same time.  Some of course are thinking this is a new kind of terror attack; while others speak in terms of meteorites being the cause.  The Realistic Observer Blog has posted that Illegal Mexican marijuana cartels set the fires in retaliation for recent busts.  Much of the areas burned are where legal medical marijuana clubs grow their legal pot.  As with so many things these days, we may never learn the whole, complete truth.

There were over 1000 people missing, of them 485 have been located alive.  So far the firestorm has destroyed 2834 private residences and killed 30 people.  Ironically there is a movie due to be released on October 20th called "Only the Brave" which is an action yarn about "Smoke Eaters" otherwise known as firefighters.  Not wanting to disrespect the real life heroes fighting this inferno, but maybe they could push back the release date for this whole area, it might be too much too soon for those who have lost homes and entire families.  Just sayin, A little compassion goes a long way.


Tonight I am grateful for having a place to live and food to eat, and yet this event has already affected my future.  I've been trying to find another place to live, closer to town and wheelchair accessible to things I'm interested in doing for two years now and I've learned one thing for sure and that is the housing market is depressed.  There has been a drop-off in new construction.  There is a severe shortage of family residential housing and apartments throughout the region; and way too many people looking to buy or rent.  Those numbers just got mega-skewed for maybe a decade or more with almost 3000 homes destroyed so far. Not only that, but I can almost feel my rent increasing as I write this.  Leverage and taking advantage; purely human traits.

 My PTSD is getting a case of disaster fatigue; not sure how much more I can handle.  We're 226 days into the disaster called the Trump inauguration, and the hits just keep on coming faster than we can process.  Soon psychic numbing sets in with the first symptoms of PTSD, as you become hyper alert to your surroundings, & do threat assessments on every new sound or noise.  Welcome to my nightmare.

Whether or not you get help or rescue in the next disaster depends entirely upon whether you voted for Trump.  If you voted blue or are a banana republic, know that you'll be on your own once you catch your allotment of paper towels.

Nixle~ Text your zip code to 888-777 to get emergency notifications in your area.


Pack Your Bags
It is always a wise precaution to have a few crucial items kept in the trunk of your car: such as a few gallons of water, some canned food, blankets & clothes etc. and some basic tools.  Add a small chain saw if you face the possibility of fallen trees across critical escape roadways.  I always keep a tent, rope, duct tape & giant green poly tarp in my trunk as well, because I don't like roughing it.  You should already have a Thomas guide book of the entire roadway system in your state or area.  If not, perhaps you should consider getting one because knowing where to go and how to get there can literally save your bacon.

Stored somewhere like an entry closet you should also have your "Bug-Out-Bag" pre-packed, loaded and ready to go at a moments notice.  The question arises, what to include?  First & foremost are all needed medications, reading glasses, money and your important personal/family papers.  Next, backup important computer files & documents to a mass storage device like 64GB flash drive.  You will want to pack headlamps, flashlights, [with xtra batteries] - candles and perhaps even a small alpine single burner camp stove for cooking.  That's the thing about mass evacuations; you have no idea where you will end up, or if you'll ever see your home again, so the ability to cook might be a game changer.

You will want some spare clothing, how much depends on how high maintenance you are I suppose.  At some point extra space in your Go Bag becomes very valuable indeed, so you'll know if you packed too many clothes.  Ideally you should limit your bug out luggage to what you'd feel comfortable carrying, on foot, over unknown terrain conditions.  Assume the worst case scenario, everything less will seem like good luck.

"Chance Favors Only the Prepared Mind"
                                     ~Louis Pasteur~

Next include a decent first aid kit, and a multi-power source emergency radio.  Be sure to pack cell phone chargers, and extra batteries or power bank devices.   It should be a no-brainer but if you own firearms, pack them as well.  Not that you're gonna be going road warrior, you just don't wanna leave them for looters.   Plus you may need a little Mad Max now & then.  You'll need a supply of breathing respirators: 3M makes their N95 which is rated to defeat the smallest particles of smoke, its the mask you want, period.


People aren't all the same and neither are bug out bags, yours will eventually contain the items you deem crucial to have in a very uncertain future following some unknown disaster.  It's a work in progress, start today.

Got children? They each get their own bug out bag as well.  A few clothes & a lot of toys/games to hold their attention and give a semblance of normal even in crisis.  Fail to do this; and risk being taken to the limits of parental sanity.  For child mood emergencies, have a couple of Hershey bars tucked away for emotional bribery.  Works every time!

Watch the news footage of any disaster and you'll see literally hundreds of refugees carrying plastic garbage bags and pillow cases holding their worldly possessions.  Every one of them thought there would be time to pack.  Sometimes...there just isn't.

 Officials with Cal-Fire are saying this is nowhere near under control, and that it could be weeks before the fire is out.

Stay Tuned for updates...

© 2017 full re-post with permission only 










Day 6 ~ Saturday 
When overnight winds picked up early Saturday; a new round of mandatory evacuations was ordered for Lake county, Sonoma, and east Santa Rosa as fires continued to march east and south.   Hours after sunrise the winds continue to be a problem, even though they helped dissipate some of the smoke pollution.

An additional 20 helicopters have joined the air armada, and over a hundred fire trucks and tankers.  over 11000 firefighters are working 24 on/24 off shifts as containment on two of the largest fires is now over 40% on each.   

There are over 600 national guardsmen, and an unknown number of prison firefighters adding to the manpower on the ground.  Many of these firemen are local to this area, and have lost their own homes while tirelessly working insane hours to save others and their homes from destruction.


 The air quality remains listed as unhealthy in most of the affected counties as our evening sunsets take on an eerily beautiful appeal as seen through the haze from the smoke.  If you start having slight headaches, wheezing, or heavy coughing; you may need to be using a respirator mask.  Long term inhalation of smoke particles can have some bad effects, especially with existing breathing issues.

Imagine that fire took your home and all your possessions.  You lost all your ID in the chaos, don't know how to get your mail, or where you're going to sleep tonight.  Imagine being in a shelter, not knowing where other family members are.  Wondering if you even still have a job to go to.  Even worse; all important personal & family papers are now ash.  Take all that and multiply it by 6000, the number of people who just lost their entire home. 

Over 100,000 people have now been evacuated 
as the official death toll reaches 40 today
Making this the largest and most deadly wildfire in state history.


There are still a few reports of lootings and arrests. When approached while going thru the wreckage of his home, one man drew a pistol.  Elsewhere there are many reports in the local news of people encountering angry, belligerent and generally edgy people while gathering food and necessary supplies. We must strive to remember that in times such as these some will bloom while others wither.  Not everyone has the coping skills needed for when your whole life just goes up in smoke.  A good time to be extra polite to everyone.

Most natural disasters like earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes smack you a good one then it's over.  Wildfires are different, and can defy even the most stalwart resistance as they  just keep burning everything in their way without a shred of mercy.  One couple tried to survive in the middle of a neighbors swimming pool, with the wife dying in her husbands arms,  People everywhere are disaster weary after three deadly hurricanes, then the Vegas sniper.  Not a good time to be wondering if your neighborhood will be the next to disappear in smoke.  The visual scars from this disaster will be with us for quite a while and recovery will be slow, too much so for the majority I suspect.  We silently brace ourselves because we know the death count will not stay at just 40 souls lost, not with many hundreds still missing, unaccounted for.

"Santa Rosa Strong"
Driving thru the affected parts of Santa Rosa it looks to many like an alien landscape, devoid of the familiar landmarks.  Everywhere from fences to overpass bridges the emotion of the people pours out in handmade signs of gratitude to the firemen, first responders and Sheriff's department.  We keep hearing that recovery will take at least ten years.  Meanwhile the fires continue to burn, causing new evacuations on day number nine of the firestorm. It's not over, not even close.

We got hit hard.

We are down, but not out.









Thursday ~ Day 11

As the setting sun disappears on day eleven of the northern California wildfires, everywhere there is the ominous sense of having turned the corner.  The only good news is that it will rain overnight; between 1/4 and 1/2 inch as a small class one weather event passes from north to south.  This is going to be a sprinkle, when what we need is a deluge.  It'll be just enough to give us some ash runoff to deal with along with everything else. 

Currently there remain just 9 large fires which are from 73% to 90% contained.  Cal-Fire officials say they expect to have full containment by next Tuesday.  That isn't saying the fires will be out by then, just contained.  The official death toll stands at 42, with 53 still missing; and 11 heroic firemen injured.  Over 7000 structures are gone, 6000 of them were homes, completely destroyed.  15000 are still evacuated.


Today we received much needed help from Montana as the famous Chief Mountain Hotshots from the Blackfeet Nation arrived to lend their expertise, as they're considered the marines of firefighting. 

As we gradually regain our senses in the aftermath of this firestorm, local people are starting to ask questions about how the fires really started, and a few other things which don't quite add up.  At the center of things at the moment, is the confusing mess surrounding the alleged arrest of an arsonist, and two agencies battling it out in public. An undocumented homeless man who is known to local cops was brought in for questioning on a different matter; but isn't a suspect and is not charged with arson.  ICE (Immigration & Customs Enforcement) officials immediately released a statement condemning the Sheriffs for endangering the public.  The sheriffs of course responded in kind saying something to the effect it was bad form to accuse them of that in the middle of everything going on.  Not what we want to see from our state and federal officials!


Then there is the matter of the evacuations that have many in a furor.  Some areas have been cleared and re-opened for landowners to return to their home sites; but a great many have not.  The number of disgruntled homeless voices grew until the authorities had to hold a press conference; where when asked why they cannot return to their homes, angry citizens were told about a tree that almost injured 3 firemen when it suddenly fell; and the video clip of that was on all three local network TV stations.  They are not allowing people back into many areas, and offer only reasons that insult our intelligence.

"We're from the Government, we're here to help you"
Enter FEMA: The folks from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are here, going thru the motions of helping people; from a bureaucratic perspective.  Mostly what they are doing here is offering (demanding) that ALL those who lost homes go online and sign up for FEMA to remove all the toxic stuff from their property, stressing that civilians are not allowed to do that dangerous job themselves. 

Maybe I've been at this too long, but to me that sounds a whole lot like "you can't go home until FEMA cleans up all the evidence."  Once FEMA is finished removing hazardous materials from the scorched neighborhoods the plan is to bulldoze them back to bare earth so the rebuilding can begin.  There is a fly in this ointment, and it's the certainty that somebody somewhere has an eye on all that barren smoking real estate in Sonoma and Napa counties.  


"(Earth is)" Not OK ~ by Ingrid Michaelson


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46 comments:

  1. Oh my god, hang in there, Chautauqua!
    I have been mad 'praying' for you folks out there, have a friend in Mill Valley, but I didn't realise you were at ground zero. Please stay safe! The images are amazing. Yes, there are spirits in the flames, I love to take photos of our bonfires and search for them...
    I hate to say this but thank god for PTSD - you won't be able to sleep so have to be on guard.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sincere thanks...Indeed, I find it difficult to sleep when being on 'fire watch.' Can't outlast the ptsd, but I can make it work for me.

      Blessings

      Delete
  2. I was gonna say "be safe," but with that fire, safe isnt on the menu. Im in Chico with a massive headache since your neighborhood ignited. Your skill sets are fortunate but the fire trumps them, pun intended. And your mobility or lack thereof really places you in jeopardy. I wish i were there to help. The aluminum in the chemtrails makes the fires hotter and the winds spread it fast. Try to clear away brush from your perimeter if possible. Your neighbor on the roof with the hose is smart. Mostly, you must not allow the ptsd to manifest as your wits are what will help you through this. To evac or stay is the question only you can answer. Both options stink. Stay focused.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are a basket of good advice. Fortunately my upstairs neighbor is my best friend & business partner. My electric wheelchair is pre-loaded in his car with some other necessities for bugging out. We nave friends outside of the danger area to stay with if the need should arise.

      My neighbor is motivated by owning his home; I'm renting, and have no problem leaving without looking back even after 12 years in the place.

      Actually, the ptsd really helps, as it eats illusions of invincibility and taps you on the shoulder when it's time to go.

      Thanks, & blessings

      Delete
  3. You deserve the Edward R. Murrow award for this report.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow, OK, if you say so.
      Who am I to argue the point, and
      I really appreciate the thought, thanks.

      It's amazing how being ready to bug out improves writing skills ;)

      The post almost wrote itself, all I had to do was fill in the spaces between statistics & numbers, and find some good images.

      As I said, stay tuned, the post will follow the disaster as it unfolds.

      My ego thanks you!
      Blessings

      Delete
  4. Great piece of writing, Chaut! Have re-posted at my site http://www.earth-heal.com/news/news/102-geoengineering/3708-california-firestorm.html
    xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Edna~
      Many thanks dear sister, and deep appreciation.
      This is the largest wildfire inferno in state history and the largest airborne fire assault in American history; & is far from over.
      Big hugs & blessings
      XXX

      Delete
  5. I had no idea this was so bad C. We're not getting this in MSN at all , just a couple of references on the BBC .
    Your account of the fire is riveting, survival certainly focuses the mind ! .
    Stay well and safe , my thoughts and prayers are with you , and your friends Ivan and Martha .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kitty~
      Thanks for the concern & prayers, always welcome along with a dash of luck. I always wonder about the coverage in the out-of-state and overseas news markets. Local markets all compete with each other for awards, ratings & such so their coverage is pretty good usually.

      They are just now getting some degree of containment on some of the 22 fires, in some areas. Resources to fight the inferno are spread pretty thin, but still doing heroic work saving what and who they are able.

      Peaceful Blessings

      Delete
  6. It looks like meteorites caused these fires...
    http://www.barry.warmkessel.com/approaching.html#d16
    (NH's White Mountains reported the same cause for the fire that broke out in Woodstock.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meteorites may well have caused this firestorm. Nobody has followed this story more than I have, and I don't recall hearing/seeing any reports of meteorites. There was one fellow who called the radio station saying he thought all the fires were arson as in terror attack. Both might fit the way so many fires spread so fast...but...

      50 to 60 mph winds pushing millions of airborne flaming embers ahead of the fires, resulting in more fires; would also explain the multiple fires. So far as I'm aware the official story is that downed power lines and blown transformers started the fires....but...

      What brought the wires down & exploded the transformers??

      Question EVERYTHING!

      Delete
  7. According to steve quayle (grin), airborne energy beams destroyed the homes. Someone also claimed a meteor struck just prior to the firestorm.

    On the Vegas front, witnesses still living reported muzzle flashes from helicopters.

    On the asteroid front, we did recently have a near miss. The next time it passes, experts claim, it wont miss.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. In times such as these it is wise to keep in mind that very few things are exactly as they seem, or are explained to be.

      I did see the news report about the near miss asteroid fly-by; however there have been zero reports from ANYONE locally who saw meteorites. If even one had been seen we would probably know about it.

      For the record, I don't entirely accept that power lines started the fires; because several fires started almost at the same time in different areas. Some aspects of this resemble a para-military or terror act, but that doesn't mean it went down that way.

      On the dark side I suppose someone will forward the theory the fires were started by home builders and furniture salesmen seeking to ensure a livelihood long into the future.

      These questions will linger almost as long as the scars and rebuilding do.

      Delete
  8. How is it going, C? You safe? 'Praying' for rain coming this week to you all there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Safe & warm indeed, thanks for the concern.
      Forecast calls for some rain maybe on Thursday

      Delete
  9. Just dropped in to see how you're doing C . So glad to hear you're okay (hi Adaline ! ) Hoping Thursday brings you that much needed rain .

    ReplyDelete
  10. Still heads above the smoke, so far.
    we lost a firefighter today, when the water truck he was driving crashed into a ravine as he was rushing to get more water.
    A fallen hero.
    MSN is NOT reporting the true number of missing

    ReplyDelete
  11. So happy you're okay . The firefighter , it's heartbreaking ,I'm so sorry to hear this C , these men and women really are true hero's. I'll keep him and his family in my prayers today , there's nothing more I can do.
    At least we're talking about it here on your site ,which I've shown friends and family , they're literally horrified by the scale of these fires .
    Of course the MSN won't be reporting the truth of the devastation to property and the loss of life , they never do they just put their spin on it then move on .
    It's a case of yesterday's news , let's get to the next thing . . I haven't heard or seen anything more about it here .
    There's so many disasters around the world , fires in Spain , Portugal, hurricaines it's hard to keep up .
    I think a lot of what I feel is people's apathy is really compassion fatigue , or aquired learned helplessness , it's very disturbing .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kitty~
      Yesterday I heard of a couple who survived by jumping into a neighbors swimming pool; today we learned his wife died in her husbands arms, so heart wrenching.

      You're so correct, we're all dealing with disaster fatigue, and ptsd.
      It's not just us veterans who get it, it comes with the package deal of any traumatic experiences. With the Trump disaster leading the list pretty soon the whole world will have ptsd of some sort or another.

      Acquired learned helplessness is a good way to put it.
      We need to remember how to say NO!

      Ivan's wife put my post on her Facebook page, and inside of an hour it picked up almost a thousand hits. Unfortunately the firestorms will be bumped from the headlines with the next disaster; which is why I included pictures of the devastation left behind. We just lost several entire neighborhoods, not to mention businesses.

      I've seen war zones, this looks like one too.
      Recovery & rebuilding will take many years.
      The memories of those lost will endure much longer.

      Peaceful Blessings

      Delete
  12. I'm not big on posting links, but sometimes its necessary. We need to know whodunnit.

    https://realisticobserver.blogspot.com/2017/10/suspicions-as-to-who-is-behind.html#more

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sincere thanks for the link, I missed it. Local news is pretty set on the 'official cause' of the fires. Updated post with credit to your site.

      Delete
  13. There are a number of videos on YouTube and articles floating round the internet regarding this particular theory C . I have also noticed there are as many putting the DEW theory forward . In one interview the interviewer was asking if anyone had seen blue lights, or flashes resembling lightening before the fires started, I did think however he was almost prompting the people he was talking to .
    I looked at the photographs and my first thought was yes, this does look like a war zone , the scale of devastation and destruction is difficult to comprehend, the melted cars, the buildings, the areas of untouched trees etc it did actually remind me of the so called "dustification" of the Twin Towers and surrounding areas.
    It would be interesting to have the opinion of the firefighters themselves as to how this all started .
    I did see a report about the man and his wife , it's utterly heartbreaking , but I'm glad I can feel that way , it's the only way I can honour these people , it doesn't matter whether I know them , they're human beings and their lives matter .
    I agree we're all suffering from PTSD , we have been subjected to constant psychological warfare for years , it's affecting everyone and it's corrupting and degrading our humanity .
    Will look forward to your next post .

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    1. Indeed;there were several other YouTube videos I wanted to include but couldn't get them too load...

      DEW theory, is that the Distant Early Warning system??
      I haven't seen those stories yet
      Yes the scenes of destruction are similar to the world trade towers.
      I know that these kinds of firestorms make their own weather generating extremely high temperatures; that 'might' explain such total devastation in the neighborhoods. With nothing to put them out the fires consume
      100 % of everything. Still, there is something unsettling about this disaster, not everything is as it seems;like how fast the authorities put forward the downed lines/transformers explanation.

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    2. This C https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directed-energy_weapon (I'm not really a fan of Wikipedia but it has a lot of info here) .
      . I personally find this improbable .
      To totally reduce a human body to ash and not much more temperatures of between 1400 and 1800 degrees Fahrenheit are required , I would think the fires in California surpassed these temperatures easily .
      I don't think most people can comprehend how hot these fires can be .
      So much speculation and the authorities do always quickly come up with an explanation which either means they haven't got a clue , or , more worryingly, they do . Saying that it does feel "wrong " somehow , no coverage whatsoever here , it's as if it never happened.

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    3. I must be getting old, to miss 'directed energy weapons"- yeah, I too think that's a bridge too far.

      What I think is that we're so accustomed to these false flag events that we begin to just assume they all are. Sometimes a natural disaster is just that, and with winds clocked that night at between 50 and 60 mph; well that will sure as hell scatter burning embers all over...then again perhaps "they" (whoever) were just waiting for those precise wind conditions to do an evil deed.

      They always protect the truth with a ring of lies

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    4. I agree totally . I think we've become so accustomed to assuming everything is a "conspiracy " or false flag I wonder if we prefer that because it makes the assumption that even disasters are under the control of someone or something . If we accept bad things do still randomly happen , it means we are not in control, certainly not of life or death . We are so deeply traumatised and suffering from moral panic , it's tragic .
      I lived in Southern France for a while and forrest fires were caused by a number of factors . Arsonists , carelessness , high winds , dry conditions , in other words the" perfect storm"
      Whatever the cause C my thoughts are with all the people affected by this awful disaster .

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  14. More than one cause is my guess. Well planned, orchestrated. As is the coverup. The devil is in the details.

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  15. As you ponder, ponder that CEO of MGM sold 80 percent of Mandalay Bay stock two weeks prior to Vegas massacre. Are these diabolical events somehow connected? Hell naw. Time to connect the dots, but that requires an open mind and eyes that see.

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    1. Interesting thing. I went to look at Rense today for the first time in a couple months or so and found more than 40 headlines about the Vegas sniper case (stopped counting at 40).

      Not a single story did I find about the firestorm (might have missed one)
      but the point is that Rense is conspiracy theory central & would have a slew of fire conspiracy articles.

      He doesn't publish my stuff any more; after I called him out over covering "Pizzagate child porno story" but not saying a word about the "Zen Gardner child sex cult" story. Just saying I would expect to see several conspiracy articles about these fires, and do not. draw what conclusions you will from that.

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  16. I sent rense of the big hair a few offerings which he ignored without reply. I have noticed his blind spots and the thought "controlled opposition" comes to mind. I think the Vegas slaughter was meant to hose us with fear. The Norcal fires are part of another long term objective, hence the blackout.

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    1. Rense lost his credibility with me long before the pizzagate thing. First when he put his site up for sale, and even more so when he openly supported Trump, then quickly became anti-trump when he was "elected".

      Yes even the local news channels have reduced their coverage of this event even though new fires are breaking out, and new evacuations ordered. It's a great time if you are a construction contractor, furniture or appliance salesman; not so much for several thousand houseless families.

      What would that long term objective look like, and whose do you suppose it is? The thing came so close to my house that if the winds had been different that night I would have been extremely lucky to escape...hmmm wonder if someone is trying to silence me ;)

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  17. Long term..
    Many covetous eyeballs want a piece of california. Climate and soil (if you remove geoengineering) hard to beat, and all the beaches. China and Mexico want it. You have la raza/reconquista going strong and theres that Jefferson thing, and the UN right in the middle. Destabilization, failing dams, fukushima, FOREST FIRES...california is attracting too much of the wrong kind of attention. Then theres Jerry Brown. I havent connected the dots but the state was and could again be the nations breadbasket if the politicians can be hogtied. Whenever a new system is trying to shoehorn its way into reality, chaos is the tried and true change agent.

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  18. Plot thickens

    Ice has arrested a twice deported illegal for starting the fires. Maybe he did or maybe the real culprits need a patsy. Lee harvey gonzales

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    1. Actually he is an undocumented homeless guy known to local cops.
      He was never arrested for these fires & isn't a suspect.
      He was however arrested on an unrelated matter.

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  19. Julian Assange noted that the FBI's business model is to stage terror plots so they can swoop in and save the day by foiling the plot they created.
    http://thefreethoughtproject.com/assange-las-vegas-shooting-fbi-terrorism/
    Then they can pass legislation to remove more civil liberties in the name of fighting 'terrorism'.

    Rense had ads with David Duke's face on them before the election. I have never looked back.

    Agreed, these days everything is so corrupt it is hard to step back and think about these fires as being simply natural disasters.

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  20. The plan to burn up Northern California

    Connecting the dots

    I must provide another link, this one going back to May 1, 2015, an interview by Rense of Deborah Tavares. Check it out.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1NLpZn41mc

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    1. Listened to most of it.
      She's kinda all over the map with her dots, and doesn't really give us a lot to connect them with; but she does bring up some very interesting points to ponder.

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  21. Questions for the board of supervisors

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  22. Many thanks for the very timely link!
    Just began a new post with similar echo...
    Added to 'other voices' links.

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  23. Perhaps because they know who the real terrorists are?

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  24. I saw this survey too C . It also applies to British Citizens and we all have every reason to be afraid .
    Our respective governments are fighting an unending war , not a war with despots or terrorists but a war aginst the enemy" within " that enemy is us.All government now considers it's citizens to be the "enemy"

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  25. Now Southern Cal is burning and the governor said we can look forward to more winter burndowns. As our leader, heehee, his bedside manner really sucks. Has anyone noticed the slippery feel to reality over the last ten days? Each morning, after my coffee, after my smoke, after scanning the swamp and the sky above, I think of King Theoden's famous last words in Helm's Deep, "Is this all you've got?" No, I don't think that's all they've got. I'm thinking the next burndown will be followed by a sharknado. It wouldn't surprise me a bit.

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  26. CALIFORNIA FIRES: SOME DISTURBING SPECULATIONS
    December 16, 2017 By Joseph P. Farrell
    https://gizadeathstar.com/2017/12/california-fires-disturbing-speculations/

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