California is Burning

[Katheryne Helendale]

The Sun Fire east of Red Bluff in Tehama County has been held at 3,889 acres, with containment now at 70 percent.
Sun Fire Update Tuesday, October 9: 3,889 acres, 70 percent contained | KRCR

There is no update on the Branscombe Fire burning east of Suisun City in Solano County.

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

The Sun Fire burning east of Red Bluff in Tehama County remains at 3,889 acres, while containment improves to 76 percent.
Sun Fire Update Wednesday, October 10: Containment up to 76 percent | KRCR

The Branscombe Fire east of Suisun City in Solano County is now fully contained after burning 4,700 acres. In its short run, it had burned four houses and three other structures.
Officials report Branscombe Fire fully contained | Daily Republic

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

The Sun Fire east of Red Bluff in Tehama County still remains at 3,889 acres, with containment improved to 92 percent.
http://www.fire.ca.gov/current_incidents/incidentdetails/Index/2263

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

The Sun Fire east of Red Bluff in Tehama County is now fully contained after having burned 3,889 acres over the past five days.
http://www.fire.ca.gov/current_incidents/incidentdetails/Index/2263

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

It's not over until it's over.

It was certainly not paradise in the Butte County community of Paradise east of Chico, as a large fire that erupted this morning engulfed the town. Dubbed the Camp Fire, it has gobbled up over 18,000 acres and "hundreds of structures". and has no containment. Authorities say the fire could reach the Chico city limits before firefighters can get a handle on it. Weather is playing a large part in spreading the fire as very low humidity and downsloping winds out of the east fan the flames.
‘It’s pretty grim’: Paradise burns as Camp Fire rips through town | Sacramento Bee

Fires flared up in the southern part of the state as well, as a pair of wildfires flared up in Ventura County on either side of Thousand Oaks. The larger of the two, the Hill Fire, has burned between 8,000 and 10,000 acres, destroyed a number of structures, and closed US 101, a major freeway serving the area. The smaller fire, dubbed the Woolsey Fire, has burned 750 acres. Neither fire has containment at this time. Low humidity and high Santa Ana winds are feeding the flames.
Ventura County brush fires: Homes go up in flames in Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks area | ABC7

 

[Lori Claremont]

We're getting a lot of smoke over the Bay Area from the Camp Fire.

It's pretty bad here in San Bruno, I hate to think what it's like closer to the fire.

 

[Dakota Tebaldi]

 

[Dakota Tebaldi]

 

[Dillon Levenque]

So far my immediate area has done okay except for a couple of fires in Santa Cruz, both small and contained. We are getting the smoke from Paradise, though. Today it's especially bad.
ETA: that's the one called the "Camp Fire" by the CDF

 

[Dakota Tebaldi]

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

So far my immediate area has done okay except for a couple of fires in Santa Cruz, both small and contained. We are getting the smoke from Paradise, though. Today it's especially bad.
ETA: that's the one called the "Camp Fire" by the CDF

Air quality in the Bay Area from the Camp Fire smoke has been compared to that of Beijing, China. It's that bad. Best thing you can do is stay indoors with the windows closed.

 

[Sredni Eel]

We're getting a lot of smoke over the Bay Area from the Camp Fire.

It's pretty bad here in San Bruno, I hate to think what it's like closer to the fire.

We had to keep all the kids inside in Palo Alto today because we could actually see smoke roiling around. I've heard the fire described as "Hell" farther north.

For the record, Palo Alto is 180 miles south of the Camp Fire.

I have also seen smoke roiling over the tops of the trees out by Ardenwood as I've driven down Decoto Road from Fremont to Palo Alto (this is the road over the Dumbarton Bridge). It looks like the area around here is on fire, but it isn't. I woke up with a migraine and asthma out of control. It's bad.

Paradise is gone. Wiped off the Earth.

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

It's ugly, guys. There's no way to sugar-coat this.

In Northern California, the Camp Fire has exploded in size, now estimated at around 90,000 acres, and has already claimed at least nine lives - people stuck in their cars trying to flee the flames. The fire, at just over a day old, has become the most destructive fire in State history, having burned 6,713 structures - the City of Paradise is nothing more than ash and rubble, and the fire is nipping at the outskirts of the City of Chico to its west. The cause of the fire is not yet known, but Pacific Gas and Electric, the utility that serves most of Northern California, stated that one of their electrical transmission lines in the area had "experienced a problem" just before the fire broke out. The fire is five percent contained.
Camp Fire is most destructive wildfire in California history: 9 dead, 6,713 structures incinerated | San Francisco Chronicle

In the Southland, it's nearly as bad. The Hill Fire between Camarillo and Thousand Oaks in Ventura County has burned approximately 10,000 acres and forced 17,000 to evacuate their homes. The real story, though, is the Woolsey Fire east of Thousand Oaks. It has burned 35,000 acres and numerous structures, possibly over 100. The entire City of Malibu has been evacuated south of the fire area, and the fire is also spreading to the northeast, threatening the San Fernando Valley. There is no estimate of containment of either fire.
Woolsey fire explodes to 35,000 acres, destroying homes in Malibu and pushing into San Fernando Valley | Los Angeles Times

Edit: Map of the Woolsey Fire burn area:

 

[Selinica]

Ugly is an understatement. I can only speak as to the Camp fire, but thursday the skies were black, streetlights on, etc.
Ash raining started late thursday night, I had to evac and watch the news remotely. 99 closed (it was open when I left, closed when I got to the first light in Chico with the flames right there at the side of the road), 32 impacted, I had to take a back road to 45 and then 162 over to 5, even as far as willows (where I got the news the fire had jumped 99) and other towns on that route and my whole drive down 5 I could see the ash raining. Official estimates today are 100k acres, 20% containment and probable high winds that will undo that. According to the Sheriff: An Evacuation Warning has been issued for East Bound Hwy 162/Oro Quincy Hwy at Canyon Creek Bridge east to Mountain House Road, including the communities of Berry Creek, Brush Creek, Mountain House, and Bloomer Hill.
It's not just also threatening Chico and Oroville, but its also threatening the rail and the water reservoirs, it's currently looking like the water quality for a few towns in Butte will be heavily impacted if the fire gets to the reservoir. Paradise had been evacuated to chico, now everyone is getting a majorly roundabout evacuation to Oroville. Other centers I believe were as far as Yuba City, which instead of having ash raining when I was there was just horrifically smoky.
The last one I really dealt with was the cedar fire and frankly this one has been far worse already.

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

Do what you can to stay safe out there, Selinica. That fire is showing no mercy whatsoever.

 

[Sredni Eel]

If PG&E is responsible, this will be the end for them. They've already been responsible for another of the worst fires in California history. The company kept announcing rolling brown and blackouts for high risk areas over the last few days, but fat lot of good it's done now.

By the way, I don't know if any of you have ever experienced Tule fog, but the smoke is as thick as Tule fog in the East SF Bay right now. The sun is a dismal burnt orange ball, it's cold outside because we can't get actual sunlight, and I can definitely see tendrils of smoke wafting around. Newark. 190 miles away from the fire.

The East Bay Hills are on high alert right now. So are the Santa Cruz mountains.

I play Pokemon Go. The game keeps giving me the alert to be careful because we're experiencing dangerous weather. (!!)

This is a picture of Tule fog: My neighborhood looks exactly like this right now, only tinged in brown.

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

I've experienced Tule fog - fog so thick you have to hang your head out the car window to see the lines as they go by. Back when they put those little bumps in the lane markers, we called it "driving by braille". For the smoke to be that thick, that's absolutely not healthy. For all those affected by the smoke: Stay indoors with the windows closed, and run your AC to help filter the air. Same for in your car.

 

[Jopsy Pendragon]

Back during the Cedar Fire(2003) when I was in the direct path of the smoke for a few days, the air was so dry and filthy that I put wet towels behind fans. They'd suck air through them, which trapped ash and added some moisture back. Mid-day, it was so dark and red out that it was like just after sunset. I should have just left town, the air quality was so bad I was sick for days.

So in 2007 for the Witch Creek and Harris fires, I just left. Went to stay with a relative in Las Vegas. And wouldn't you know it, but the wind turned around and blew the smoke out that way.

We've had two fires nearby in the last few months (very scary canyon fire a block away, and a dumpster fire behind the nearby grocery store a block and a half away). I'm not near any fires now... except the mesquite grill an upwind neighbor keeps firing up which is making him about as unpopular as the boy who cried wolf.

But at least they finished rebuilding the spiffy new fire station up the street and it's back in service now, which is re-assuring.

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

Getting real-time news updates during the weekend is a challenge, so some data may be out of date.

The Camp Fire near Chico in Butte County is now at around 105,000 acres (164 sq. miles) and has claimed at least 23 lives and 110 others are missing. Smoke from the fire has blanketed most of Northern California causing air quality alerts. 6,453 residential structures and 260 commercial structures have burned, and 15,000 structures remain threatened. Containment is at 20 percent. Firefighters caught a bit of a break as winds were light today, but they are expected to pick back up again tomorrow. A number of roads and highways are closed in the area, but SR-99 is open, according to Waze.
Camp Fire expands to 105,000 acres; 20 percent containment, 23 fatalities | KRCR
The Latest: Sheriff: 110 people missing in N. California | Sacramento Bee

In Southern California, the Hill Fire east of Thousand Oaks is barely a blip on the news radar compared to the nearby Woolsey Fire. The Hill Fire is at 4,531 acres and 25 percent containment, according to Cal Fire. Reduction of acreage may be due to better mapping. To the other side of Thousand Oaks, the Woolsey Fire more than doubled in size to 83,275 acres. Two bodies were found, believed to have been killed in the fire. It is not known how many structures have been lost to the fire, but officials estimate it to be "in the hundreds". Light winds in the area today allowed firefighters to gain five percent containment around the fire, but winds are expected to pick up again tomorrow. 265,000 residents in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties have been evacuated.
Woolsey Fire approximately 83,275 acres near LA-Ventura County border amid calmer winds | KFSN
Firefighters use break in winds to assess damage from Woolsey fire and fortify defenses | Los Angeles Times

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

The Camp Fire in the Chico area of Butte County has grown to 111,000 acres with 25 percent containment reported today. Also reported is consistently thick blankets of smoke over much of Northern and into Central California. The death toll is now 29, as six additional bodies have been found, making this the deadliest fire in 85 years, along with its distinction of being the state's most destructive fire in history. No additional structures have burned, but 15,500 structures remain threatened.
Camp Fire Latest Sunday, November 11: 111,000 acres burned, 25 percent contained | KRCR
http://www.fire.ca.gov/current_incidents/incidentdetails/Index/2277

The Hill Fire west of Thousand Oaks in Ventura County has been held to 4,531 acres and is now 70 percent contained, as firefighters fought against Santa Ana winds to control the blaze. The fire has consumed two buildings and damaged two others. All evacuations have been lifted, most recently for South Coast and NAS Point Mugu.
UPDATE: Containment rises to 70% for Hill Fire | KSBY

Most of the firefighting attention in Southern California has been on the Woolsey Fire along the Ventura and Los Angeles County line. Santa Ana winds kicked back up, but despite that, growth has been slowed. The fire has consumed 85,500 acres and 177 structures, and injured three firefighters. 265,000 residents of Ventura and Los Angeles Counties remain evacuated, including the entire Cities of Malibu and Calabasas, and 57,000 structures remain threatened. The fire is 10 percent contained. A large stretch of US-101 remains closed, according to Waze.
Woolsey Fire: Strong winds return to burn area as containment increases to 10 percent | ABC7
http://www.fire.ca.gov/current_incidents/incidentdetails/Index/2282

Edit: US 101 Southbound is closed from Valley Circle Blvd in Calabasas to Reyes Adobe Rd in Agoura Hills. US 101 Northbound is open.