Updates:
Supposed crime scene: It is my understanding that an elderly woman named Sally and her caretaker who live on lower SCR were taken by the fire on Sunday night. This is NOT CONFIRMED, but if there is some sort of "active crime scene," that would be my guess as to what it is about. I hope I am wrong.
Fire status:
We are looking really good up here as of this email - no structures lost or even threatened at the moment. Bert and Ernie left after their 24 hr shift this morning and may or may not be back tomorrow. We now have a new crew from Southern California who are equipped with even larger engines. I spent the morning taking the new battalion chiefs - Dave and Jeff (Dave and Buster?? and we can call the new crew Dave and Buster's?? I'll run it by the guys...) - all around Foss Valley. We started with Bill's Place, then the Mayor's Mansion (Mike Russ), the Tunnel (Richie MacCabe), the Dern's, the Shepp's, the Manfree's, and the Perri's. All are looking VERY good.
Mansion/Tunnel/Dern:
There is smoldering fires/ashes all around these houses and there are both engines and hand crews on site at each location continuing to clear brush where necessary and otherwise extinguish smoldering fires with the bigger engines. The goal is to get everything cleared and/or out before the winds are supposed to pick up.
Hocker/Shepp/Manfree/Perri
All of these locations are "black," "clean," and "cold," which means all underbrush has already burned, there is no underbrush left to burn, and the smoldering piles are effectively out. This is really good news. However, out of an abundance of caution, engines are stationed at each location in anticipation of the afternoon winds.
Rector Canyon:
I just got done talking to a hand crew (who are from Beckwourth up near Portola and coincidentally the majority of the crew is from Reno and know a lot of my friends from high school - small world that is great bc they immediately warmed up to me and were willing to share intel) and they just finished hiking all the way down into the bottom of Rector from what we/crews are calling "The Ritz" (the huge mansion and pavillions on the point just west of Bill); they said it still a little "dirty" (half burned/half not), which is not great bc it could still burn a little more if the winds start something up, BUT for now there are no flames, only smoldering piles that are "not of concern."
Foss Valley
That same hand crew (the "Reno crew"??) is now going to the area between the Shepps and Doug Christian to "clean up" an unburned "line" that is the only real threat left on that end of the valley. Although it is not pretty, the entire sides of the mountains at the north end of the Valley are almost entirely "black," which is good because if the winds come out of the northeast and bring embers from the Berryessa side of the mountain, there really is not much left to burn on the north end. As a result, it would take a LOT to get another big blaze going in the area. I am by no means saying we are out of the woods, but I am cautiously optimistic, even with the predicted winds.
Air support:
Two helicopters have been operating all day taking water from Antica over to the west end of Foss Valley towards Stagecoach pavillion, and numerous planes have been dropping retardant just on the other side of the peak towards Berryessa. This is also a good thing because hopefully things will not be as bad on that side of the peak if/when the winds pick up out of the northeast.
Ok, time to head back out there. Fingers crossed the winds stay down and we'll check in later.
Over and out,
Smokey, the Bandit, and Evil Knievel
Supposed crime scene: It is my understanding that an elderly woman named Sally and her caretaker who live on lower SCR were taken by the fire on Sunday night. This is NOT CONFIRMED, but if there is some sort of "active crime scene," that would be my guess as to what it is about. I hope I am wrong.
Fire status:
We are looking really good up here as of this email - no structures lost or even threatened at the moment. Bert and Ernie left after their 24 hr shift this morning and may or may not be back tomorrow. We now have a new crew from Southern California who are equipped with even larger engines. I spent the morning taking the new battalion chiefs - Dave and Jeff (Dave and Buster?? and we can call the new crew Dave and Buster's?? I'll run it by the guys...) - all around Foss Valley. We started with Bill's Place, then the Mayor's Mansion (Mike Russ), the Tunnel (Richie MacCabe), the Dern's, the Shepp's, the Manfree's, and the Perri's. All are looking VERY good.
Mansion/Tunnel/Dern:
There is smoldering fires/ashes all around these houses and there are both engines and hand crews on site at each location continuing to clear brush where necessary and otherwise extinguish smoldering fires with the bigger engines. The goal is to get everything cleared and/or out before the winds are supposed to pick up.
Hocker/Shepp/Manfree/Perri
All of these locations are "black," "clean," and "cold," which means all underbrush has already burned, there is no underbrush left to burn, and the smoldering piles are effectively out. This is really good news. However, out of an abundance of caution, engines are stationed at each location in anticipation of the afternoon winds.
Rector Canyon:
I just got done talking to a hand crew (who are from Beckwourth up near Portola and coincidentally the majority of the crew is from Reno and know a lot of my friends from high school - small world that is great bc they immediately warmed up to me and were willing to share intel) and they just finished hiking all the way down into the bottom of Rector from what we/crews are calling "The Ritz" (the huge mansion and pavillions on the point just west of Bill); they said it still a little "dirty" (half burned/half not), which is not great bc it could still burn a little more if the winds start something up, BUT for now there are no flames, only smoldering piles that are "not of concern."
Foss Valley
That same hand crew (the "Reno crew"??) is now going to the area between the Shepps and Doug Christian to "clean up" an unburned "line" that is the only real threat left on that end of the valley. Although it is not pretty, the entire sides of the mountains at the north end of the Valley are almost entirely "black," which is good because if the winds come out of the northeast and bring embers from the Berryessa side of the mountain, there really is not much left to burn on the north end. As a result, it would take a LOT to get another big blaze going in the area. I am by no means saying we are out of the woods, but I am cautiously optimistic, even with the predicted winds.
Air support:
Two helicopters have been operating all day taking water from Antica over to the west end of Foss Valley towards Stagecoach pavillion, and numerous planes have been dropping retardant just on the other side of the peak towards Berryessa. This is also a good thing because hopefully things will not be as bad on that side of the peak if/when the winds pick up out of the northeast.
Ok, time to head back out there. Fingers crossed the winds stay down and we'll check in later.
Over and out,
Smokey, the Bandit, and Evil Knievel
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