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murcy

Gym climber
sanfrancisco
Aug 8, 2014 - 05:48pm PT
Came over Sonora from the east this morning; no signs that I saw...
HighTraverse

Trad climber
Bay Area
Aug 9, 2014 - 11:26am PT
Bad news on the Lodge Lightning Complex fire close to US101 between Laytonville and Legget.
Continues to spread eastward.
8 firefighters injured when it popped over a ridge.
5 of them CDCR inmates. My local inmate camp and CalFire stations have crews up there.

I have some sympathy for the CDCR inmate crews. I've worked with them for the past two years on shaded fuel break projects. Decent enough non-violent state prison inmates doing their best to keep out of prison. Some of them will return to prison. Bad habits can be hard to break. I've seen them work their arses off for me, I can only imagine how hard they work on a fire line. Pretty much nonstop except for a few hours sleep here and there, often just bivvying out in the forest when the crew gets relieved. Two weeks ago, I got an inmate crew who'd returned after several days on a North Cal fire the night before. They were really dragging. I've worked several times with their Captain and she knows how to work them. She cut them all the slack they wanted that day.
Our project has not had a crew all this week. So were stalled till next Tuesday. If then.

Eight firefighters were injured as the fire crested a portion of Brush Mountain. All eight firefighters were transported to burn centers and treated for burns; they remain in stable condition. According to CalFire Director Ken Pimlott the injuries are considered serious but not life threatening. Three of the firefighters were from a fire agency on loan to fight the fire and five were members of the California Department of Corrections fire crews assigned to the fire.
http://www.willitsnews.com/localnews/ci_26294823/lodge-complex-fire-threatens-resorts-south-leggett

Big Bend Lodge looks to be pretty much in the clear now.
Continues to move towards Camp Winnarainbow but it's not mentioned in the article
CalFire has ordered evacuations for areas of the Lodge Complex Fire for Camp Seabow, Elder Place, Tan Oak Park, Bald Mountain Ranch, Mad Creek and areas of Elk Creek east of Brush Mountain.
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Aug 9, 2014 - 12:27pm PT
Just to clear the air about that miserable SOB Emerald and the Rim fire, here is yesterday's Merced Sun-Stroke news.Erik, I'm sorry for your financial loss, hoss. Yer obviously one of the hardest-working members of your community there and my sympathy goes out to the rest of them, as well.
John M

climber
Aug 18, 2014 - 04:39pm PT
Highway 41 is closed.. I hope they get on this one quick. It could be bad. Read up on the Harlow fire.

http://www.sierrastar.com/2008/07/10/45834/harlow-fire-spread-through-the.html

Its windy up on Glacier point road today. I don't know about Oakhurst.


SR 41
[IN THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AREA]
IS CLOSED FROM THE JCT OF SR 49 TO 3.5 MI NORTH OF THE JCT OF SR 49
(MADERA CO) - DUE TO A WILDFIRE - MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE AN
ALTERNATE ROUTE
the albatross

Gym climber
Flagstaff
Aug 18, 2014 - 04:53pm PT
Lots of air tankers and helicopters flying in CA this afternoon, especially in the Truckee, Oakhurst and Lake Isabella areas.
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Aug 18, 2014 - 06:11pm PT
http://news.lalate.com/2014/08/18/junction-fire-map-2014-oakhurst-ca-wildfire-today-in-madera-spreads/

I was there with Gene this afternoon just as this one started.

I'll have pictures soon, I hope.

MFM
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Aug 18, 2014 - 06:55pm PT
We pulled into the entrance to land owned by Hillview Water. There was a man named Richard there with the key to the gate, waiting for trucks from Ahwahnee.
Richard told us *Gene and myself) that the water company's land abutted a parcel that had been used for years as a dumping spot, filled with rubbish and old tires, that it was used by "homeless dopers" and that ilk. He was expecting that one of them began the blaze. Another gent came up and corroborated that view, saying that they were a plague in Oakhurst in the summer, especially.

The trucks began streaming by (three of them) at around 2:08.
On the way to Nip we saw one more pumper unit and three trucks with hand crews from Mt. Bullion. On the way down 140 into Merced County we saw a red CalFire truck heading uphill.

We looked at each other and shook our heads. This ought to have been controlled, as there is a tank of water sitting filled on the Hillview property.

As I look out the window here in Middle Earth, the sky is murky over the mountains.

This is the date the Rim fire began, if memory serves.

What was it Yogi Berra said?
this just in

climber
north fork
Aug 18, 2014 - 07:15pm PT
Wow just heard El Cid's, Doc's towing, and Suburban propane burnt down. I would imagine a lot of houses too. Big bummer for Oakhurst, my thoughts are with them.
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Aug 18, 2014 - 07:45pm PT
hey there say, khanom... so is much of oakhurst, in danger...

do you have a link, just for oakhurst?
thanks... thanks for, to all, for all these shares...
Ricky D

Trad climber
Sierra Westside
Aug 18, 2014 - 07:57pm PT
TJI - where are you hearing about El Cids and such - I know the elites on ST disdain El Cid but I actually like their food - bummer if they got toasted.

Also - is this fire burning up from 49 to Sky Ranch and then back down through Cedar Valley - or did it jump the 41 to get over on that side?

The MadSheriffFaceybook site sucks for info and CalFire can't provide a map that's worth a crap.
this just in

climber
north fork
Aug 18, 2014 - 08:04pm PT
From a Cal fire friend and we know the owner of Docs towing. I guess sky ranch is evacuated and Bass Lake to the Forks. Cedar Valley will be next if not already.

It jumped where the pic above was taken. That goes straight up to Bass Lake, but you know that.
Ricky D

Trad climber
Sierra Westside
Aug 18, 2014 - 08:16pm PT
Yeah - I'm thinking the same thing - once over into Cedar Valley this thing can run back down into town towards Fresno Flats as well as running out towards Bass Lake.

this just in

climber
north fork
Aug 18, 2014 - 08:30pm PT
Someone just posted a pic of El Cid on Facebook and it is still there. I like that place too, guess the rumors spread as fast as the fire. Hopefully Docs is still there.
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Aug 18, 2014 - 09:02pm PT
Report from Fresno's Ch. 30.

This just in:

http://www.yourcentralvalley.com/story/d/story/breaking-news-brush-fire-in-oakhurst-structures-th/17766/SU7LuS002kOs8-QAuIcjDQ
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Aug 18, 2014 - 09:54pm PT
hey there say, all... thank you very much, again, for all the links...praying
for all the folks, and firefighters and families...


:(

edit:
thank you mouse, for the nice email, yes, very worried
about family...
god bless... so far, so good... but scary, still...

hope the firemen are safe...
:(
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Aug 19, 2014 - 02:04am PT
hey there say, just saw this link, from karl:

http://goldrushcam.com/sierrasuntimes/index.php/news/local-news/374-junction-fire-in-oakhurst-california

this quote was in it:

Starting tomorrow CAL FIRE will have a landline set up in the Sheriff’s Command Center for the general public to call about fire information.
That number will be: 559-658-2560; ext. 115



AS OF 10:03 pm Pacific Time:
1200 acres have burned
No containment
Cause of Fire remains under investigation
8 structures have been damaged from the fire
500-plus homes are still threatened
600 Fire Fighters continue to battle the wildfire
Cal Fire is work with CAL OES for mutual aid to assist in defending structures
One Fire Fighter was injured and transported to an area hospital for evaluation.

hope this helps folks... wow, i wish i knew what was going on, for my
brother and his wife, :( (did try calling them, hours agao)...
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Aug 19, 2014 - 07:28am PT
http://www.modbee.com/2014/08/18/3492910/brushfire-breaks-out-near-oakhurst.html

It's cooled down real nicely this morning.
It's 53 in Oakhurst and 0 wind.
chappy

Social climber
ventura
Aug 19, 2014 - 10:31am PT
Around 2:00pm I was working in my yard and heard helicopters and planes circling around near by. I thought it sounded like they were fighting a fire. As I couldn't see or smell smoke I wasn't too concerned. Around 4:00pm I decided to head up to Shut Eye (Chilkoot Lake area)for an evening boulder session. As I drove down the hill from our house I rounded a curve and the fire came into view. Holy shit! Huge plumes of smoke and flames burning along the ridge just west of town and Hwy 41. Not deterred I headed down to town and turned N on 41. Things were just starting to get really bad. As I passed Sweetwater Steak House I pulled over on the right (just before Standard Propane). Towering flames were fast approaching Hwy 41. I hung a u turn and headed back home. I knew they would close the road very soon and I needed to be there to coordinate an evacuation if necessary. I was somewhat comforted by the fact that the fire would have to jump the highway to threaten our house...but if it did so it would race up the hill straight to our home. I got home and packed the truck and the car and prepped the animal crates. An hour or so later I drove back to where I had first seen the fire and law enforcement and fire personel were driving up and down the road. I flagged them down and they told me the fire had jumped the highway and was right over the ridge to the north from our house and that we should get out. They got a dozer up there pretty damn quick. I wasn't willing to leave just yet and decided to wait until I saw actual flames at the ridge top. A short time later I rode to the top of the ridge on my motor cycle to see how bad it was. From an evacuated home on top of the ridge I could see soaring lames a few hundred yards away and expected them to burn my way. They held off. Now dusk you could see glowing embers being carried aloft in huge plumes of smoke. I thought the worst if those embers landed on our side of the ridge. They need to get a crew up here fast! Just as I thought this I heard the rumbling of vehicles and a convoy of fire trucks arrived. I felt better and headed home ready to evacuate on a moments notice. As darkness descended I kept a weary eye out on the ridge for flames. Ashes fell like a very light snowfall illuminated by my headlamp. Gradually the smoke diminished and the stars showed bright. Good job fire crew! We made it.
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
Aug 19, 2014 - 10:53am PT
hey there say, chappy... wow, as to this:

I knew they would close the road very soon and I needed to be there to coordinate an evacuation if necessary. I was somewhat comforted by the fact that the fire would have to jump the highway to threaten our house...but if it did so it would race up the hill straight to our home.

that's the part, that really got me scared, after i first called mom...
she shared the address, so i could find where you were, in regards to the fire and it was THEN that i feared that too...

did not know of this, wow, 'til just before you called her, so
wow, you were really on quard for a while... whewwww...


was so glad for the northern movement of it, when i realized it
was not moving straight over towards you...


hope the cats and wife, are doing well through this...

brave fight, and i was so worried all night, hoping for
good news...


whewwww....
:)


edit:
say, mark, also, childhood friend, diane, called and was concerned about
you and jaime, too... she will glad to hear this... whewwwwwww, again, and wow...
this just in

climber
north fork
Aug 19, 2014 - 10:56am PT
Good to hear Mark. So far all my friends have been lucky. One had everything burn around his house, but the house itself.
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