Month: July 2008

(Gap) Fire Again (14% contained)

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The juice went off yester evening only twice and only about twenty minutes each time.  That was a bit of a relief.  But the condo was very uncomfortably warm by about 6 PM.  We had been keeping the windows closed to keep out the terrible air.  But finally about 6 we had to open them for a while to let some cooling air in, though it was not all that cooling and smelled of smoke.

We are fairly tired out from not sleeping properly and from this arduous business of staying vigilant.  But we are not in any immediate danger; in fact, while the fire continues only about 15% contained and with authorities still authoritatively insisting that they are not in control of the fire at all (and thus we should remain vigilant), I think we are in less danger than yesterday.

Were it not for the terrible air—and it is quite terrible—and the need to remain eternally vigilant I might be able to return to my normal state of low grade anxiety and returned to thinking about somewhat less immediate concerns such as the collapsing economy.

Here’s a link.

And the fire receives mention in the NY Times. 

(Gap) Fire Again (Car Wash)

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We had a pretty miserable day stuck inside stifling.  Still we appear in no immediate danger.  Probably we are in fact 50% safer than yesterday; but the authorities seem most authoritative when they say they can’t predict anything and everybody should stay vigilant.

OK.

Our big outing for the day was going to wash off the cars.  The soot and ash looked so bad that to my eye it threatened the paint. So we drove over to one of those wash your car your-self places, put in our quarters and washed down both cars.  Carol’s is now back in the garage.  We had it out of the garage in the first place because we were not sure, if the power went out, if we could get the car out.  We think we have figured out that problem.

 

Car windshield.  Outside view.  

 

From inside car.  
Carol appropriately attired for car wash outing. 

Here’s a pretty recent article.

And short updates on Twitter.  

(Gap) Fire Again! (And Good Bye Bozo)

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Seems as if we will stay inside today with the windows closed.  The air quality is terrible…invisible particulate matter seems bad for the lungs; and right now the air is full of that.  I ran my fingers over the cover a book parked near a window previously opened and felt grit, not visible to the eye, but there.

Yester evening, the juice went off round seven, came back round eight, went off again round 930, and then came back on round 11.

Listening to folks calling in to one radio station from different parts of the area was tough.  People were very nervous.

At the moment—about 8 PST—the fire is said to have burned about 5000 acres, but only one home has burned so far, that I know of, and no life has been lost.

We can look out our upstairs window and for the first time in three days see no smoke.

The fire appears to be heading more towards Santa Barbara and back up over the mountains.

Here’s a link to the best article I have found.  There’s a good map midway down the page and the article raises questions—ones I have—about the way the whole thing was managed and the incredible lack of preparedness for things like this fire.

One cannot entirely blame the government.  For years now the people of California have voted against measures and taxes that would build up the public sector and strengthen the infrastructure.

And on a sad note, I see that Bozo the Clown died.  Good bye Bozo.  Along with Hoody-Doody you were among the first TV characters I ever saw back in the mid 50’s.

(Gap) Fire Again (Weather Conditions)

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Now about 330 PM and waiting to see if one’s house is going to burn down turns out to be a lot like waiting to see the dentist.  One wants just to relax, but the anticipation of pain produces anxiety—and that combined with having nothing to do but wait produces an odd sense of boredom.
 

I was a bit alarmed to hear a spokesperson for the fire people say that when one gets right down to it whether or not or more precisely when the fire stops has more to do with the weather than any form of human intervention.  Tonight and tomorrow those sundowner winds that blew the fire to its present proportions will happen again.  On the upside the humidity is not nearly as low as it could be, and the fireperson went on, monsoon like conditions, with wind but with high moisture are likely this weekend, with the possibility of even of a thunderstorm or two Monday.  He seemed really happy at that prospect, while I was alarmed to feel that this fire business may drag on a week, with the potential, throughout of something really unexpected and untoward happening.  Like another fire—or hurricane winds that might lift the fire who knows where.

Still, I gather that we are not likely soon to be burned out.  But the chance of another power outage this evening remains very high.

Great.

 

 

Fire during blackout from condo window. 

 

 

(Gap) Fire Again! (No Juice, Darn it!)

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At about 830 Thursday morning, the fire is no longer visible from our condo window.  You would think that’s good news.  But not necessarily so.  In fact it’s bigger now—about 2000 acres—and having burned further down the mountain is now hidden behind lower hills from which a thick, grey pall now arises.  Impenetrable.

The local government, seeking more “resources,” will declare a local state of emergency at 11 this morning.

All the juice went out at around seven PM yesterday.  What a bummer.  I hate it when that happens because I am reminded that our little civilization is very juice dependent.  Without it, we are pretty much kaput. 

I think the juice came back on around 11, and I was happy for that because I am pretty sure nothing in the refrigerator had a chance to go bad.

During the blackout, we sat around with neighbors for a while talking by candle light and then went back to our place, lit up some candles, found batteries for an portable cassette player Carol had with a radio in it, and ran up and down the dial looking for some information.  Without luck.

So we felt in a quandary.  The radio said, “Stay vigilant.”  But how is a person to stay vigilant while asleep.

Finally, I guess I must have gone to sleep.  But from the way I feel at this moment, I don’t think I slept all that well.

So looks like another day of waiting to see what’s up.  Precisely.  I hope I can stay "vigilant."

(Gap) Fire Again! (darn it!)

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The fire–they are calling it the Gap Fire–has increased considerably in size and is starting to freak me out.  Amazing in this high tech era of instant communication how difficult it seems to be to get an up-to-the-minute report on the fire’s status.

The best written coverage I have found appears in our local Independent, a free paper subsisting on ads. 

Below a picture taken about about 6 PM PT from our upstairs window.  Flames faintly visible, approximately 3 miles away:

 

Below taken outside, as the sun starts to drop in the west:

 

 

The picture below as taken about 3 PM:

 

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Fire Again! (darn it!)

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Last summer–as reported in this blog–a fire burned on backside of the mountains abutting Santa Barbara for nearly a couple of months.  I don’t think we are in for that again–necessarily.  But I was alarmed to note a) that my car was covered with ash this morning and b) that when I turned my head slightly I was able to see smoke rising close to us ON THIS SIDE of the mountains.

So far–in our favor–the fire is small (300 acres) and most importantly at the moment no high winds.  Also–worse cases scenario–if weather conditions were to worsen the four lanes of 101 lie between us and the fire.  That makes a "natural" fire break, though flames did leap 101 in the 80’s.

 I suppose I could sit outside in the falling ash and totally depress myself by watching the progress of the fire down the hill.  But I think I will forgo that and mostly stay inside–which is where the authorities say a person should be considering the air quality.

For a while at least, updates on the fire may be found by clicking here.