Wine Country fire updated - YouLookFab Forum

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Wine Country fire updated

MsMaven

Veteran

I could smell the smoke and burning grass this morning in So San Jose, thought it was local, but when I checked it was north Bay, wine country.

I hope all fabbers there and their families are safe. Wasn't until I came home from grocery shopping that I heard that the fire was also Mendocino County. My sister's home was in evacuation area and cell tower was down. Moments of panic, but I was able to get a text reply from her. She and hubby were up all night and evacuated, as far as they know their house is okay. We'll talk on phone tomorrow.

Santa Rosa news breaks my heart. I've stayed at the Hilton there, and have been in those wine towns and wineries many times. Just a week ago DH and my son were in St. Helena visiting a client.

As Queen Elizabeth once said: Annus Horribilis.

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29 replies

Latest reply was from Jane

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Yes, I thought of forum members that live in North California right away when I saw the news. I hope everyone is ok. Glad you are safe MsMaven.

MsMaven

Veteran

Heard from my sister again. Heartbreaking. She sees so many people now homeless and in a daze.

rachylou

Veteran

It's bad. Seven people have died. The air was very smokey and hazy in SF. My lawyer/friend lives up in the Sebastopol area. Is on evacuation watch, planning on staying up all night by the phone. When we talked around 7 this evening, the fire was still uncontained... and I don't know if it's changed.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

So awful. This has been a horrible year for so many. I hope the fires can be contained soon, and that no more lives are lost.

Aquamarine

Veteran

Annus Horribilis is right....i can barely stand to turn on the news anymore.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Another awful disaster. Very sad. 2017 has not been a great year.

Anonymous

More terrible news! Praying for all that this ends soon and that people are safe. We were going to extend our vacation by heading up for San Francisco, Sonoma, and Napa, but canceled that yesterday.

MsMaven

Veteran

My sister, her husband, their tenant, and three dogs are staying in the bedroom of a friend. We talked by phone and they are doing okay. As far as they know their house is okay, but several nearby neighbors' burned. It is still too dangerous to allow people back in.

People in Mendocino county are very generous in donating food, clothing, and needed items. She regretted not grabbing changes of underwear, but when they saw the flames coming down the hill towards their house they lost no time in getting out. My BIL went to the donation center and said the clothes there were much nicer than those at the thrift store. He came away with some new duds to change into. I hope Sis got there as well.

In the meantime, the air quality here in San Jose is horrible. It reminds me of the old bad smog days in LA in the 1970s. I went out to feed the turkeys (they own my land) and went to the store, now my throat and chest hurt like they used to in the smog. I haven't felt this way in decades. I live near the foothills and can barely see they are there from out my window. I imagine the air is worse as you go north towards SF.

Now I hear there are new fires. My sister said the cannabis crops were about to harvest, an important cash crop for Mendocino County. Lots of people were staying behind to save them. And the grape harvest is not finished.

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

One of my friends, her childhood home & her mother still lived there. It burned down very suddenly. She only got out with her purse. The pictures were pretty bad.
Also her old high school burnt down
My student trainee grew up in that area. She told me the story of a man who was partially blind. Escaped his house partially burnt trying to save a picture of his deceased wife. He ended up spending the night in near a creek before getting medical care.

Greyscale

Veteran

It's really awful. So many of my friends in SF grew up in Santa Rosa or thereabouts, and they're having a hard time seeing their whole childhood experience gone - home, school, everything. Of course it's worse for the people still living there. Friends been driving up to help their families evacuate.

I've been wearing a face mask outside -- the air in Berkeley was so bad today that large flakes of ash were falling out of the sky like snow flurries.

rachylou

Veteran

I opened my door this morning to let Lilypup out and smoke just rushed in and filled the room. Lilypup won't go outside. I think she's worried about fire. Wouldn't eat yesterday. She finally ate this afternoon. I got high fire text alerts for the Oakland hills tonight thru tomorrow. I'm really sad about Glen Ellen... the town seems gone now.

deb

Veteran

The smoke was so bad here in the Sacramento area that I woke up at 2:30 AM having an asthma attack. By 5 PM the winds changed again and started blowing from the north so the fires are heading back towards Santa Rosa and the more populous parts. it just breaks my heart.

kkards

Veteran

watching with alarm from the east coast....it seems every time i check its worse and worse...please stay safe...

Eliza

Veteran

So heartsick for all who are impacted by the fires and the smoke. The devastation seems vast. Horrible year indeed. Be safe, fabbers.

RobinF

Veteran

Wow, they just seem to be getting worse! Horrible year for sure.

Mochi

Veteran

Feeling anxious and helpless. The world is getting slammed, it seems....

ClaraT

Veteran

I live north of the Golden Gate bridge (just south of the fires). My neighborhood is not in imminent danger.

The efforts seem to be on containing (not putting out) fires and on evacuating people in case there is a windstorm or flare-up. Air quality is horrible, there is ash everywhere, and the light has an eerie pink quality.

If you watch the drone video, the devastation is mind-boggling: literally mile after mile of nothing where there were once neighborhoods. I'm from California. I'm used to seeing the houses in the hills burn and the houses near the forests burn and the houses in the deep canyons burn. This is a whole different scale. We have displaced families living with neighbors on our street, and everyone is mobilized to bring supplies to shelters, etc. My hope is that the situation is getting better rather than worse, but I'm not really sure.

Sal

Veteran

Thinking of all those affected by this terrible fire. Devastating for those affected.

DonnaF

Veteran

There was such a housing shortage already in the Bay Area; what will happen now? I worry about the folks who already live a fairly marginal existence: The farm workers who harvest the wine grapes and the folks who work in the building trades. Many, if not most, are undocumented and of course fearful of being busted. Rebuilding and coming back economically is going to take decades.

I went to pick up a wedding gift at SF's Crate and Barrel, and in chatting with the SA learned her sibling and family lost their home. And the ranch where my church as had a number of retreats was destroyed, but they said they plan to rebuild, so that is good news, especially if they make it wheelchair accessible.

I can't believe the haze and smell of smoke is even worse today. So glad my asthmatic husband seems to be okay. So help me if we have a mega earthquake on top of this; the upcoming winter rains are enough of a concern.

rachylou

Veteran

Oh that is so true, Donna. The loss of housing - and work, because businesses have burned down - will have far reaching consequences.

The light is orange over here in the Easy Bay. And it IS raining ash. Wore a surgical mask on Lilypup's constitutional.

Carla

Veteran

I am so sorry for those have have to bear such hardship. It has been said before, there are no words....

MsMaven

Veteran

I've been following the sheriff of Mendocino Co. on Twitter--best way to get information. They opened Road I for return, but excluded the little lane that goes off of that road where my sister lives. I hope at least the neighbors will let them know how their house and property is. Subject to evacuation again should the winds bring bad news.

The scale of the loss is unimaginable to me. Stay safe everyone.

JAileen

Veteran

I just got home from visiting my mother in Marin. It was very smoky, of course. I talked to a woman who is a fellow resident of my mother's retirement home. Her daughter, granddaughter and great granddaughter all live in Santa Rosa. All were in the evacuation area. The daughter was allowed to return to her home, but the granddaughter was still evacuated. Her home had not burned (yet). The woman said her great granddaughter is in a play group of eleven children. So far, eight of the eleven children have lost their homes. Also, one of the staff members of the retirement home lost his home. I'm blown away by the magnitude of the loss.

Mochi

Veteran

From the photos I've seen, the destruction is already staggering. I'm so saddened and concerned for everyone there. What an awful year for natural disasters we're having so far.

Greyscale

Veteran

I can't stop thinking about it today. Still over 200 people missing... I pray that most of them are just out of contact. And the stories and videos of how people escaped... nightmare fuel.

DonnaF

Veteran

5,700 structures, mostly homes lost so far. 900,000 people evacuated but some have been allowed to return. Tonight the wind is predicted to be strong for a few hours.

kkards

Veteran

thinking of all the fabbers, fabber's friends and family in the fires path....please stay safe and know that our hearts are breaking with you.

rachylou

Veteran

More evacuations currently underway...

Jane

Veteran

Thinking of all affected and sending positive thoughts and prayers. Heartbreaking to see the devastation.