Discussion
Evacuated from the house at 5am this morning by the heros of the Bel Air Fire Dept., just watching and waiting to see what happens now as the winds have picked up at night the last few days. No rain over here so everythingnis ready to go up in flames. Quite surreal seeing the entire side of the motorway on fire and knowing your house is in the mix!
Any PHers in LA by chance?
Motors and bikes are safe
Any PHers in LA by chance?
Motors and bikes are safe
Edited by Justices on Thursday 7th December 04:36
Keep safe OP. I was looking at the pictures this morning and it looks terrible. The photos of the I-405 closed and empty were very strange.
We have family up in Santa Barbara, we were there in July and there were a lot of fires around then. The whole of California is so dry and every where we went there were fires popping up.
It's quite surreal (and frightening) when you are driving along and the whole sky turns orange and ash starts pouring out of the sky like the worst snowstorm you've ever seen. Next thing you know there's a firefighting jet flying past at what seems feet above the ground dropping the fire suppressing chemicals all around you! The road closures and fire crews just can't keep up with the speed of the fires when you have strong winds whipping it from hilltop to hilltop.
Hats off to the very brave fire crews fighting this, they're putting themselves in very dangerous situations and more than likely there will be lives lost.
We have family up in Santa Barbara, we were there in July and there were a lot of fires around then. The whole of California is so dry and every where we went there were fires popping up.
It's quite surreal (and frightening) when you are driving along and the whole sky turns orange and ash starts pouring out of the sky like the worst snowstorm you've ever seen. Next thing you know there's a firefighting jet flying past at what seems feet above the ground dropping the fire suppressing chemicals all around you! The road closures and fire crews just can't keep up with the speed of the fires when you have strong winds whipping it from hilltop to hilltop.
Hats off to the very brave fire crews fighting this, they're putting themselves in very dangerous situations and more than likely there will be lives lost.
Cheers boys. Tried to sleep to see things at first light but keep hearing sirens whizzing by in the distance. So far so good.
I was just boasting about the total lack of rain yesterday to a friend too! We saw the fires going on the day before further north in Ventura and made sure all the insurance was in place just in case anything should blow south.
On a car note, I did wonder today if the Quattroporte would've been better off melting in the fire
Went to trade it in for a Giulia Quadrifolio this week and I almost fell off the chair on hearing the current value (or lackthereof) 
I was just boasting about the total lack of rain yesterday to a friend too! We saw the fires going on the day before further north in Ventura and made sure all the insurance was in place just in case anything should blow south.
On a car note, I did wonder today if the Quattroporte would've been better off melting in the fire
Went to trade it in for a Giulia Quadrifolio this week and I almost fell off the chair on hearing the current value (or lackthereof) Justices said:
Cheers boys. Tried to sleep to see things at first light but keep hearing sirens whizzing by in the distance. So far so good.
I was just boasting about the total lack of rain yesterday to a friend too! We saw the fires going on the day before further north in Ventura and made sure all the insurance was in place just in case anything should blow south.
On a car note, I did wonder today if the Quattroporte would've been better off melting in the fire Went to trade it in for a Giulia Quadrifolio this week and I almost fell off the chair on hearing the current value (or lackthereof)
Have a friend in Ventura, she has packed as much as she could and moved out to stay with her sister, she hasn't had much sleep over the past few days with worry and all the sirens etcI was just boasting about the total lack of rain yesterday to a friend too! We saw the fires going on the day before further north in Ventura and made sure all the insurance was in place just in case anything should blow south.
On a car note, I did wonder today if the Quattroporte would've been better off melting in the fire
Went to trade it in for a Giulia Quadrifolio this week and I almost fell off the chair on hearing the current value (or lackthereof) There are some very expensive properties in Bel Air (one is up for $250m with a car collection thrown in) but it's the contents of these properties that often exceed the home values. This is one of the reasons there are huge resources being devoted to the area. I have a feeling the insurance companies have water buckets and supersoakers at the ready. It's the perfect time for questionable claims to arise. The P4 I haven't told anyone about hidden in the garage all these years, I hope that doesn't get reduced to unrecognisable ashes
Not convinced a P4 is going to raise too many eye browse in the scheme of things;-)
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/list/40/p4/
Hope you and you things are safe!
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/list/40/p4/
Hope you and you things are safe!
The newsreel footage looks absolutely incomprehensible at times; the fire is, as others say, like something from a disaster movie. Hope all Cali Phers stay safe. Very sad to see the destruction.
Apparently freak combination of high rains earlier, which made all the trees and shrubs grow faster than usual and then a very dry spell with high winds has created the perfect (fire) storm.
Apparently freak combination of high rains earlier, which made all the trees and shrubs grow faster than usual and then a very dry spell with high winds has created the perfect (fire) storm.
Sounds horrific.
“At least nine people have been killed and more than 150,000 evacuated as two big wildfires rage in California, officials say
Five of the dead were found in cars in a town that was destroyed by the Camp Fire in the state's north.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-4615576...
“At least nine people have been killed and more than 150,000 evacuated as two big wildfires rage in California, officials say
Five of the dead were found in cars in a town that was destroyed by the Camp Fire in the state's north.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-4615576...
Indeed, mother nature creates amazing yet deadly things...
https://abc7chicago.com/video-firenado-whips-aroun...
https://abc7chicago.com/video-firenado-whips-aroun...
I think it must be a combination of just not believing they will be hit, the common US mistrust of government/police, and belief in helping oneself (standing on the roof with a hose pipe).
A few days ago there was a horrific video posted by a guy of where he returned to his car from hiding in a creek - his car was singed but working, and just down the road were skeletons in cars he identified as his neighbours (by name). He mentioned he drove to them but left because the neighbour's wife was putting on her make-up and he didn't want to wait...
A few days ago there was a horrific video posted by a guy of where he returned to his car from hiding in a creek - his car was singed but working, and just down the road were skeletons in cars he identified as his neighbours (by name). He mentioned he drove to them but left because the neighbour's wife was putting on her make-up and he didn't want to wait...
Sounds terrible for those caught up in it. Seen some of the videos of people driving out with flames lining the road and sky completely blocked out by thick smoke. Not somewhere I'd want to find myself!
A lot of this obviously getting put down to climate change but I found this online, if the sources are reliable, it may offer some sort of explanation:
http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2018/11/look...
Essentially... temperatures have risen, but not substantially different, rain has descreased but not substantially so, but logging activity has decreased markedly in the past years and the population density in these wooded areas has increased markedly too. TLDR, more people living in a well stocked tinder box. I have seen comments around about poor planning/preventative action taken by forestry departments also.
As an interesting aside, we met a couple of yanks out in Vietnam and one them has a brother who is a smoke-jumper. Apparently they parachute into wild fires to cut down tress and create breaks! mental!
A lot of this obviously getting put down to climate change but I found this online, if the sources are reliable, it may offer some sort of explanation:
http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2018/11/look...
Essentially... temperatures have risen, but not substantially different, rain has descreased but not substantially so, but logging activity has decreased markedly in the past years and the population density in these wooded areas has increased markedly too. TLDR, more people living in a well stocked tinder box. I have seen comments around about poor planning/preventative action taken by forestry departments also.
As an interesting aside, we met a couple of yanks out in Vietnam and one them has a brother who is a smoke-jumper. Apparently they parachute into wild fires to cut down tress and create breaks! mental!
A handful of the slebs I follow on social media have had their property affected. Not so much of a long-term financial hardship for them, but most have been uploading videos and images of the event and it looks utterly terrifying. I can only presume that the eventual death toll will rise once rescuers start to poke around the burned out areas.
Grab the car keys, it's time to get out.
Grab the car keys, it's time to get out.
Gareth79 said:
I think it must be a combination of just not believing they will be hit, the common US mistrust of government/police, and belief in helping oneself (standing on the roof with a hose pipe).
A few days ago there was a horrific video posted by a guy of where he returned to his car from hiding in a creek - his car was singed but working, and just down the road were skeletons in cars he identified as his neighbours (by name). He mentioned he drove to them but left because the neighbour's wife was putting on her make-up and he didn't want to wait...
Saw that before. Properly shocking stuff. His car was only a few yards away and looked barely touched.A few days ago there was a horrific video posted by a guy of where he returned to his car from hiding in a creek - his car was singed but working, and just down the road were skeletons in cars he identified as his neighbours (by name). He mentioned he drove to them but left because the neighbour's wife was putting on her make-up and he didn't want to wait...
Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff